SUP event this Sunday

If you're keen on meeting up with a bunch of like minded Stand Up Paddle Boarders head out Mana way on Sunday for Capital Paddlers first ever event. As per usual there will be a few hot dogging it around the place showing off their skills............but with SUP still in it's infancy in Wellington most of the people likely to be turning up just want to get out and paddle as a group and take a more social
approach.

At this stage the venue will be set around the weather and there will be two courses to suit everyone's skill levels, so it could be anywhere between Onepoto, Mana or Plimmerton.

For the start time and event details go to this link https://www.facebook.com/capitalpaddlers you may have to scroll through the page to find the event as Hans has overtaken the page with everything but, what's not happening in Wellington?...........Rob and Brodie if you're reading this can you lock Hans off your page ha ha ha.

Also for anyone running a SUP event in Wellington....... if you want to engage with everyone in Wellington how about placing some info on the Wellington SUP forum...........a few people get prompted via e-mail when you place your information on this site as well.

Here's some images from one of the winter series events we ran in May 2013 and the last two are from Wellingtons biggest turn out of SUP's which was in Feb 2013 at Point Howard.
click on any photo to enlarge 

SUP'n and Rubber Ducky 5

I took Sharlene out for a SUP paddle on Sunday, her first paddle in about a month after her body got a bit banged up a few weeks back with the 120 kmh wind gusts through the CBD.
She was coming out of Chews Lane and was caught by a wind gust which smoked through turning her into a human sail........she said she managed to grab hold of a cafe window frame on the way past and said a good Samaritan was playing backstop/catcher just in case she fell. After many trips to her Chiropractor, Lorraine Phillips she is slowing coming right again......anyhow we had a good session along Cobham

Drive in the shelter of the Southerly.

Tonight I made it along to Rubber Ducky 5, which is run by the Mana Kayak Racing Club. Each week there's a few people that make it along after an absence of a week or two, it seems we all alternate around out work schedules and we see some new and old faces

turning up.

Tonight it was a breezy Northerly, a lot calmer than the past 5 days though, the course was 5 laps around the short course that turns just before the Evans Bay slipway. An extra lap shorter or longer and I

lost count of when I should finish..........it's the old story if in doubt turn around and see what everyone else is doing.................keep on paddling one more lap to go!

To see who turned up tonight check out these websites over the next few days http://manakayakracing.wordpress.com/ and http://kupe.org.nz/

Photos: Sharlene near Burnham Wharf, a few quick photos from tonight from handicap groups two and three and "The United Colours of Think Kayak"
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Enough wind for you............

........or too much. Since Thursday it's been blowing like 40 bastards in Wellington.........converted into some sort of meteorological terminology 50 kmh to gusting up to 90kmh it becomes a bit of a handful maneuvering your surf ski or even SUP board onto your vehicle to get to your favourite water spots.

Today a 30 kmh Northerly gusting to around 60 kmh means flinging the skis around, is less of an issue. If you don't hit anything your equipment is less likely to be in the repair shop when you don't want them to be.

The usual spin down and around Evans Bay was a much needed joyride after the skis have been sitting on the racks since Tuesday night.
With some better weather over the next few days I'm going to make a pig of myself and hit the water for the next 5 days in a row..........training no........ just some sessions for pure enjoyment.

Tomorrow we're celebrating Labour Day in NZ...........no work, day off, so I will be out with Sharlene on the Stand Up Paddle boards and on Tuesday evening I'll be at the Rubber Ducky series at Hataitai Beach.

For the Stand Up Paddle Boarders............Sunday November 3 is the first event of Capital Paddlers summer SUP series........click here for details https://www.facebook.com/capitalpaddlers

Photo: Out on "the precious" (Mr Frodo) skipping through the wind swells off Greta Point.

click on the photo to enlarge   

Rubber Ducky 4

I finally made it to one of the Wellington Rubber Ducky twilight events on Tuesday. All paddlers were greeted by an easy 15 kmh Southerly and a boomerang shaped, two lap course course from Hataitai Beach onto and along Cobham Drive and back.
The Rubber Ducky is a handicap series which has been running for around 20 years now and is now run by the Mana Kayak Racing Club. Each week kayak and surf ski paddlers off from scratch 2,4,6,8 and 10 minute intervals.

When I did my first Rubber Ducky event, just after they first started, it was made up of pretty much

downriver racing kayaks, K1's, touring and multisport kayaks. 20 years later K1's are still there on the good days, though multisport kayaks and surf skis provide the bulk of the entries and on some nights adventure racing doubles show up in good numbers.

Greg Adlam pretty much runs the Rubber Ducky nights by himself nowadays as far as recording entries and timing, and is assisted by both Kupe and Mana Clubs members. The course is set by Mana with Sandy Winterton and other available Kupe Club members placing the buoys.
By the time the last event rolls around in early December all the handicap times are down to a fine art and any burglars are general sorted out by then.

To find out more about the series and who's paddling each week http://manakayakracing.wordpress.com/ and http://kupe.org.nz/

Sorry I didn't quite get in to the swing of things taking more images.............I'll do better next week.

click on any photo to enlarge

Think Photo slide show

On the side we always have some projects on the go. The photo slideshow on the right hand side of the page is what we did for Think Kayak for this season. One of the interesting parts of this marketing project is monitoring what photos the market is looking at.

In less than a week we've seen that more people are viewing images of the Think Eze and Think Big

Eze than the other quickies in the Think Kayak fleet. So we'll give you a quick brief on these two skis.

Think Eze       5.2 metres long x 510 cm wide introduced in 2012

Think Big Eze 5.38 metres long x 560 cm wide introduced in 2013

Available: performance construction (orange stripes approx 14 kg) and elite construction (yellow stripes approx 12 kg)

Market: entry level/beginner skis suitable for use by Couples or Families from Mum and Dad right down to the kids.

If you're thinking of buying a kayak this summer try out a plastic kayak then try lifting it onto your roof rack............then paddle one of the stylish Think surf skis and feel the difference lifting one of them onto your roof rack.

Just in case the Rubber Ducky Twilight series is cancelled tomorrow night with the Strong Northerly winds lately.......... I snuck out for a spin today.
The Think Ion was right at home in the 57 kmh  North to North Westerlies which were gusting to 75 kmh. A good blat around the

Tuesday circuit, and if it's too windy for kayaks and SUP's tomorrow you can guarantee that the surf skis will be loving it out there ;-)

Photos: Eze and Big Eze, note carry (and tie down) handles front and rear, side carry handles on the Big Eze....the same features as the quickies in the fleet....carbon footplates and carbon rudders, padded footplates, storage hatch, self draining footwell with shutoff cap, leg leash point, internal foam buoyancy stringer, adjustable leg length increments numbered each side.......the last photo.....Evans Bay on the Ion today.
click on any photo to enlarge

Like

I don't have a Facebook page, but it was a big "Like" on the water today with our first real day of warm weather, 18 degrees C, and yes...........no booties!

I parked up at my favourite paddling spot in Wellington, Shelly Bay which is just over the hill from home on one side of the Miramar

Peninsula and paddled around to the Seatoun Bays with a 30kmh to 45kmh Northerly which churned parts up quite nicely in both the downwind and upwind legs of my session.

I go turn about with the skis, so it was Evo II day, the ski is slightly wider than my Ion but the weight difference means they can be very similar in some ways as far as time it takes me to get from point a to point b.

Yes I missed another Twilight Series Kayak event the other night........but I'll get there next week. To follow the Series view Mana Kayak Racing Club link on the left of the page.

On Saturday there is a Waka Ama, surf ski, kayak & SUP event on out at Seaview.........Sunday is the alternate day if the weather is not so good. To view details of this event look under Wellington Region

Waka Ama on the left hand side of this page.

This Sunday Ocean Outfitters has event 2 of the Mana SUP Series and it will be a B.O.P Battle of the Paddle format view the OO link under SUP left hand side of the page to check out all the details.

Photos:
1. @ Shelly Bay
2. heading upwind from Shelly Bay towards City
3. Heading downwind to Seatoun Wharf
4. Evans Bay from Shelly Bay looking across to Greta Point/Hataitai Beach.

Click any photo to enlarge

Night Paddling

Introduced Sharlene to something different to our usual Stand Up paddle Board sessions. On Saturday night the harbour was like glass in the Capital so we set out from Freyberg Beach on the Fanatic Ray and Fanatic Falcon just on dusk and paddled around the City Waterfront wharves in the dark.

You see the city in a completely different light from the water and at night it's an experience on an entirely new level. Of course we were Harbour Master compliant with leg leashes,
PFD's and the compulsory white light or head lamps. There was plenty

of street lighting to guide us where we needed to go but the headlamps gave better visuals of us to other boaties cruising about at the same time,  and also we were being pointed out by many couples plying the wharf areas by foot. A great hour out on the water finishing up just before 9 pm.

On Friday had a good spin on the Think Ion around to Oriental Parade and Sunday afternoon around Evans Bay on the Think Evo II..........over 3 days all the water sports gear in the fleet has been out on the water.........if all the gears being used there's no temptation to sell any of it on Sportzhub or Trade Me!

Click on any photo to enlarge

I'd like that one.....and that one.....and

Here's another sneak preview of the image sets I've been putting together for potential Think Kayak customers.

I couldn't get all the models lined up together this Season because of the weather and getting all the models together.............next best thing is a combination of last years and this years images.
Photo 1: has the Ion performance, Evo II Ultimate , Eze and Big Eze in performance construction.
Photo 2: has the Uno Max & Think Evo II in the Elite construction and the Evo II and Eze in performance construction.
Photo 3: Ultimate, Elite and Performance constructions.
Photo 4: Think Ion lined up next to the Think Uno Max. 
Photo 5: Think Eze next to the Think Big Eze..........two great entry level skis and good to get the family or mates out on the water with you.

The photos have been taken at Fergs Kayaks in Wellington, Think Kayak Australia base at Rose Bay Sydney and Welly Paddlers base in Miramar Wellington.

Prices for the various models:

Performance (orange stripe) $3400
Elite (yellow stripe) $4400
Ultimate (carbon/yellow stripe) $6000

Click on any photo to enlarge

Weekend.........and mid week events

Ocean Outfitters kicked off the first of the dedicated Stand Up Paddle board events in the weekend, plenty of new faces and some old faces turned out........and also a number of SUP paddlers missing in action. Still with 10 more events on the schedule and some warmer weather on the horizon the number will swell even more. Good work Chris Brown and all the paddlers who turned out.

To view photos from the Mana SUP Series and the other events click here https://www.facebook.com/OceanOutfitters.co.nz

The Mana Kayak Racing Club Rubber Ducky series is on again tonight.....if you miss the event this week you can view who made it along again this week by checking the results here http://manakayakracing.wordpress.com/results/

James Sadler contacted Sharlene via her facebook page to let us

know that Kokiri Tai Patu Marae are hosting an event on Saturday October 19 (Alternate day October 20).

Basically the event is starting from the reclaimed land near the Seaview Marina on Port Road. There's a 14.5 km and a 9 km course for sit down paddlers and a 4 km course for Stand Ups. The event is open to Waka Ama, Kayaks, surf skis and SUP's. For all the information on this event click here http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/?p=3927

Quickly rounding up my efforts today........I've been taking a bunch of images for Think Kayak and Fergs Kayaks for product marketing purposes. You'll see a revamped Think Kayak slide show here in about a weeks time........but in the meantime here's a sneak preview of some of the images. Left to right the........ Ion....Evo II....Big Eze.....Eze for more information on these skis click here http://thinkkayak.com/

I also squeaked out for a 7 km SUP paddle late this afternoon so there's an image from that session.......better fly off to work...

click any photo to enlarge

There ain't no place we'd rather be

Wellington.........can't beat it on any day. We've lived in Wellington for just over 13 years now and the other day I asked Sharlene, "Where would you like to live if we moved out of Wellington"..... We both drew a blank really.

We live 2.5 km from the International Airport Terminal, we have all the amenities we need in Miramar (or Eastern Suburbs as it's referred to) I just love my paddling base, 1.5 km to 3 km drive away in Evans Bay (depending where you want to park) that most people have to travel from every

other distant suburb to get to. We both have an awesome drive around the bays to get to work in the City and Thorndon respectively, where we both work..........life is good.

Out paddling from E Bay late yesterday had a good Northerly so carved upwind through the swells around to Oriental Parade took a few snaps....but should do this just after dusk so I can

getting some views looking into the City with the place lite up like a Christmas Tree............the City scape at night looks stunning...just like my Think Evo II Ultimate :-)

Check out the latest from the Mana SUP Series event today here https://www.facebook.com/OceanOutfitters.co.nz

click on any photo to enlarge

SUP this Sunday, and the regular beat.

From Chris Brown @ Ocean Outfitters.

Mana SUP Series Event 1.

Sunday Oct 6

Looks like its gonna be a bit breezy this Sunday, so we're moving the event base up the road 50m or so.

Park on the grass area. See the map below to find out where to go.

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zh2pOXp8BazA.k_ZRQkDxtahg

Event details here.

http://www.oceanoutfitters.co.nz/mana-sup-series

Its a friendly fun day for all levels and abilities. We'll have flat water racing, fun events and BBQ so everyone can get together and start the summer season off.

We'll have a shorter Cruiser Class course and a longer Race Class course, so everyone will be able to get out on the water. 

Well another day out on the water for me yesterday, still trying to rid the body of the nagging "after flu" and build up of gunk on the chest. I'm not using bloody antibiotics, have instead gone for a natural homeopathic remedy from Simillimum Health shop in Panama Street, Wellington 

Spoilt to have a great fleet of Think Kayak surf skis again this Season, which of course came through Fergs Kayaks. It was the Think Ion performance out in Evans Bay peeling out some laps in the gusty NW swells and I must say the extra volume and rocker the Ion thrives in these conditions.

Click on any photo to enlarge

Wellington Paddling Series have started

The Mana Kayak Racing Club kicked off their Rubber Ducky series at Hataitai Beach, Evans Bay last night (Tuesday). To view who turned out last night click this link http://manakayakracing.wordpress.com/results/

Ocean Outfitters will be the first to kick off one of two SUP Summer Series in the Wellington Region with their first event on this Sunday October 6. The Ocean Outfitters series comprises of 6 events with the last one on Feb 16. All the events will be based out at Mana here's their page for all the details https://www.facebook.com/events/504663056284387/?ref=22

Capital Paddlers kick off their series on Nov 3  and will be running 5 events from Mana through to Wellington and Petone with their last one on Feb 23 check out their page to view the latest https://www.facebook.com/capitalpaddlers

info.

I'm leave poor at work at the moment so will miss a few of the above events over the next month or so due to working night shifts and weekends..........can't complain though I've had a bit of time off, and I can get out on the water during the week like I did yesterday. Please excuse the event calendar at the moment, it has some technical issues, so the current one is an interim measure, my mates at Goggle will have it all sorted very soon.....

.

Here's some images of what it looks like when you get 27 Stand Up Paddle Boarders at an event. It's from the Welly Paddlers downwind Series TWO from Point Howard to Burdens Gate in February of this year.

Also a few snaps from my quick session in Evans Bay before work last night on the Think Evo II Ultimate............sorry to miss the Rubber Duck Series but I will be there in two weeks time.....you'll know because the van will be parked up right here!

The ski all bagged up.........at 10.5 kg it needs to be wrapped up to add some weight so it doesn't blow around too much while carrying it.
click on any photo to enlarge

Oscar Chalupsky Coaching in NZ

How would you like to have a coaching session with 12 times Molokai Ocean Racing Champion Oscar Chalupsky?

Oscar will be in Auckland to run 3 days of Coaching on Monday 16th, Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th of December 2013.

A great chance to get some hot tips from the Maestro.

What will be covered:

1.    Surf ski paddling technique

2.    The theory of the wing paddle and the theory of the forward stroke

3.     How to use the paddles as a stability tool and how to set up your surf ski so it fits you properly

4.     How to remount the surf ski on both sides.

5.    Drills that improve ones stroke when they leave the clinic, you will receive notes after the lesson so        you can keep on improving..

6.    Get a personalized technique critique. 

7.    How to improve your balance and then learn to upgrade to a faster boat

8.    His gym exercises

9.    His training programs for races and how to race.

To view the schedule and booking options click here http://fergskayaks.co.nz/product/oscar/ or email alan@fergskayaks.co.nz or phone 09 529 2230 for more information.