Winter Series Race 2 this Sunday

Just a reminder Race 2 of our Winter Series this Sunday. Half of the race course will be outside the harbour, conditions permitting.

Entries are open to SUPs with a 5km harbour course. Race start for SUPs will be 1 min after canoe/kayak start

Where

Porirua Rowing Club carpark

When

Sunday 10am Race start

How Much

$5.00 single/double/SUP

$10.00 W6

How Long

10km canoes/kayaks

5km SUPs

Don't forget lifejackets.

Cheers

Turi Hodges

021 685 625

On the water this winter

Winter is just around the corner, but don't let the cold weather keep you off the water.

If you haven't already started pulling your winter paddling gear out for those surf ski sessions or have been making do with sub standard gear when it's cold, here's an idea of what gear I have for the winter and how I like to operate, when I'm out on the water by myself.

While many people have an issue that paddling a surf ski is way too cold in winter, I have a sniggle to myself, mind you I'm lucky that where I paddle in Wellington it would never get any cooler than 8 degrees C on the coldest winter days, so I'm alright jack.
   

Because I gave kayaking away for 10 months ago and only started back in February this year I've had to buy surf skis and equipment again from scratch.........dang that must be great for the economy, and yes it has, man shopping is great. 

I find that on the ski I can cook quite quickly so a top layer of Icebreaker 200 Merino or Helly Hansen long sleeve crew neck is heaps for me, as I always wear a PFD when out on the water. If there's a significant wind chill I'll go for the Adrenalin long sleeve top as above.

The bottom layer, well originally I choose Sharkskin long pants which are thick and warm but are over the top most days. At Fergs Kayaks in Wellington I spotted some Adrenalin paddling gear and I've found this gear well priced and the thickness is just perfect for the really cold days. The long pants are about $60 and the tops are around $80, this gear in my opinion, is just the bees knees and I'm sure like my previous gear it will last me a good 5 to 7 years if I look after it.

I like to keep my feet as warm and as toasty as possible and this season I have some Palm brand neoprene kevlar socks, they are just magic, they are like a sock so slide in and out of your footstraps nicely and are far better than anything I've ever had from any of the diveshops, they are just under $60 and well worth it.

Buouyancy vests (PFD's), for all those people that say they are too bulky, too hot, I'm too cool to wear one, Think have a lightweight, low cut vest in NZ this Season, it's better than most it's not restrictive and drys out in no time at all.

Leg leashes essential when you are paddling by yourself, and I use mine in races and any other time just to set an example. I bought one from overseas which was a bit more expensive, but you can buy them now for as little as $35 here in Wellington.........it's damned windy here and if you happen to have a spill "from a freak mega gust" the 12 kg skis can quite quickly blow away from you..........the next time it stops can be on a bunch of sharp arsed rocks.........ooocchhh

It's winter it's cold...............number one rule when paddling is never venture too far from the shoreline than you can swim (kayak or surf ski), if you get into any bother............ if your health gives up on you,..............your paddle breaks............. or you hole your surf ski...................or some boaty isn't paying attention and runs over you............... the shoreline can be your friend if you can get to it quickly enough, you are one step ahead.................Ambulances are quick to respond on land...............on the water a rescue boat or helicopter will be an age away..............you are on your own if you do get into trouble, think about what you are doing. Please have a good think about investing in some of the basic equipment above, it may just save your bacon one day.

Click on photos to enlarge

Portage Race

Not a great result for me at the Portage race with a DNF with a rudder issue causing me plenty of bother, no worries it's now been re-engineered and my Uno Max will get the same modification, to be on the safe side.

Anyhow had a great trip over there and back and I was in good company with 6 of us from Wellington and Levin on the start line and with 4 others also from Wellington (2 x doubles) pulling out before the race due to injury and sickness, that could have been a good showing out numbering the 8 people who travelled a shorter distance over from Nelson, the remaining participants in the race all came from around the wider  Marlborough/Tasman Region and just Keith Alderson coming up from Christchurch this year.

I won't gas on too much about the race as there is an article on the Sportzhub link below and also further photos on http://www.marlboroughmultisport.wordpress.com/
www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14538

Portage Race preview

We're off to the Portage race this weekend! The race runs a circular route from Picton over to Kenepuru Sound and back again meaning that it's 27km of kayaking (3 legs) and 5 km of portaging (2 legs). 

There are about 7 of us from the wider Wellington region heading over this year and we'll all be doing the walk on walk off thing with our surf skis and kayaks using one of two of the Cook Strait shipping Companies. The start/finish line, prizegiving venue, Cook Strait Ferries and our accomodation are all within 300 metres of each other so this makes it easy for those of us coming from the North Island.

  The course is a goodie when the weather is good it's starts with a 10km kayak from Picton to Torea Bay then cracking into it we have a 2 km Portage over to the Portage Hotel in the Keneperu Sound, back in the drink again and a quick 7 km squirt south toTe Mahia Bay. The last portage is slightly longer at 3 km and though you start climbing the hills at the start of both portages............ you have downhills both ways to recover again........

Finally the homeward leg is then another 10 km kayak out of Mistletoe Bay and back into Queen Charlotte Sound to the finsh on the Picton Foreshore.
If the wind forecast looks a bit rank, they generally transfer the course to Anakiwa with the course changing and the event about 30 minutes shorter in timewise.
Usually there are around 20 entrants every year, and many who are missing out on a spectacular course. The fastest time is around 2 hours 21 minutes for a double and 2 hrs 24 minutes for a single.
I'm heading back to improve my 2010 time of 2:52 on a Think Evo, I'm hoping to finish somewhere around 2:46 and I'll be on a Think Evo II this time..............and stuff it I'm using wheels, I'm no spring chicken :-)
Photos from the 2010 race, click on photos to enlarge

Winter Canoe Kayak Series Race 1

No signs of air pollution today, the smokin winds took care of any of the general fumes and smoke in the atmosphere today.

Big thanks to Jörn and Tania for hosting todays race and Sharlene for being there to take some holiday snaps for us all. A pretty awesome turnout for the first race considering the wind and rain out there today 42 paddlers I think I counted.

Good to see one of the staffers from Fergs Kayaks, Aaron Boslem out on the water, you may see Aaron out quite a bit over the series he's also involved with instruction and white water trips for Fergs, you will also see Dave from Fergs Kayaks out on the water at some stage as well.
The results are on the first link http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/?p=2878 the photos are on the next link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29817729@N02/sets/72157629702710690/show/

First Winter race this Sunday

For the latest info on the race this Sunday click here http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/?p=2871

Jörn is hosting Race 1 of the Winter Canoe Kayak Series on Sunday out at Ngatitoa Domain, Mana. Click on flyer right hand side of page to view or download.

Be there early (about 9 am) so you can register and have a good warm up before you start.


The course is likely to be a sheltered one and will probably be in the Pautahanui Estuary, Porirua Harbour waterways which are like paddling in a wide river really. It's going to be right on the low tide at 9.30 am so you will to have to create your own momentum or jump on someones wash for an easier ride!
We'll get the results off Jörn and post them here by 6 pm that night............because we have the passion and that's how it should be done!
Click on photo to enlarge

Thunderbirds are go

Well the Winter Series has been finalised, the Organsiers are getting amped up ready to host their races, Fergs Kayaks, Wellington staff are even organised and getting prepared to get out the water with us, this Series is going to be EPIC.

Just to clarify the entry fees for Joern, Chester and Sharlene's races in the WCKS............ $5 for singles, if you are paddling a double it's still $5 for the boat ($2.50 each)........and it's $10 for a W6 (just under $2 each.) The reason for this is that, logistically it's way more difficult to transport a double or a W6, let alone put a crew together......... so as Good Hosts we recognise this............so your reward is a cheapy entry!!!!

I had an e-mail from Duncan Groenewald, ex Wellington, now living in Melbourne he had goggled Wellington kayaking and of course came up with Welly Paddlers at the top of the list!

Lesson to everyone if you want to promote your sport well, via print media and your own website you'll be found.............also if you don't post information regularly people won't bother checking your Website or Facebook page............I'm talking about posting something at least once maybe twice a week.............come on you must all have something newsworthy from all those training sessions or other trips or races that club members have done outside of Wellington. If you have a website that's too complicated to update................. get rid of it and get something that's easier to use for 3 or 4 Club members, so they can contribute to updates.

Anyhow that's my waffle for this month. Back to Duncan, he is with a group called, Melbourne Paddlers they are on Facebook, he said to check Utube for one of their ocean swell riding expeditions recently, check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLb-PFvUiz0 Duncan is on the left at the start of the clip, red jacket with the blue towel around his neck............like Billy T.
Duncan used to paddle a red and white zebra stripped Fenn Mako Millenium which is still in NZ somewhere, and I sold him my UFO which he took back to Melbourne with him.

Well out on the water..............after some mixed training sessions over the last 2 weeks it was actually like a millpond pretty much, when I went out from Freyberg Beach late this afternoon. I'm doing most of my training on the Think Evo II, but today I thought I'd treat myself today by paddling the Think Uno Max which is a pure speed machine (in the right hands.)