If you're looking for an exciting holiday next year, why not consider a paddling trip to Canada? I received an email from Neri of Capricorn Sea Kayaking advising us that she is running a guided trip on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in 2013. See below;

Hello, My name is Neri and I work for Hal of Capricorn Sea Kayaking. For 2013, we've put together an exciting opportunity of an escorted paddling trip to Canada.

The guided expedition will cover two locations on the west coast of Vancouver Island. This trip is perfect for people looking for their next adventure and/or wanting to expand their paddling horizons. I spent a couple of years guiding over in Canada, such an amazing place to paddle, I'm sure you would agreeTerry!

Neri attached a PDF about the trip,so if you're interested in getting a copy of it, just email alaine, alaine@canoeingdownunder.com.au and she'll send it out.

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Monday Night Training - Venue Changed

Monday night training is now at Claughton Reserve, at the end of Katanning Street, Bayswater. 5.45pm

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Saturday Morning Fitness Training

This session offers you the opportunity to have some fun, get fit, meet other paddlers and develop essential skills particularly if you are looking at taking on the 2013 Avon Descent or any one of the many races that are held in Perth annually.
So come on, take the time and make the effort to join us.

Where: Sandy Beach Reserve, Bassendean
Time: 7.15am for 7.30am start
Cost: $5.00

You need to have your own boat, PFD and paddle.

Grey Owl Canoe Paddles

What Makes A Great Paddle?

Why Wood?

Wood is nature’s own composite. As a naturally forming polymer, wood is comprised of long-chain, cross-linking cellulose molecules, bound together with lignum. This miraculous combination gives wood its unique properties of strength, stiffness, resilience, buoyancy, and durability. Because no two pieces are exactly alike, wood provides a broader range of individual ‘feel.’ A single model will vary in flex pattern, stiffness and action. This offers the consumer a wide range of choices when selecting a paddle.

Of course, the beauty and feel of wood are unmatched. Ask any seasoned canoeist or kayaker why they love their wooden paddle and they will say, ‘It’s the feel.’ This affinity with wood is a love affair that prompts canoeists with day jobs to hang their wooden paddles on the wall of the office. When you take your wooden paddle on the water, you’re returning it to its natural habitat.

Made in Canada

Prices from $78.00

Above the Arctic Circle near Tuktoyaktuk in the North West Territories, Canada

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Ocean Pro PFD (Hydraulics)

It's back

I have paddled about 10,000kms in this PFD and it is still going strong!

The Ocean Pro is a PFD that all sea kayakers and touring paddlers have been waiting for. This very comfortable top quality PFD has a multitude of features.

Contoured foam, super comfy.
Front zip and triple side chapes for comfort and ease of adjustment.
Integrated hydration system with bladder installed.
Quick release towline, an elasticated 4m cowtail with a stainless ring.
Removable and adjustable VHF holster, for hands free operation.
Two large front pockets with organisers for sunnies, food, sunscreen, phone, whistle, knife, etc.
Strobe attachment point on back.
Mesh pocket on the back pocket for the towline or jacket stowage.
Bartacked at all major stress points.
Reflective piping for visibility.
Fabric: 500D Cordura Outer. 200D Nylon inner.

Water Bladder and Towline included

Price: $280.00

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Special Offer

Purchase any kayak or ski over $2000.00 and receive a Complimentary E3 The Champion Formula Promotion Box valued at $79.95

E3 The Champion Formula's proprietary blend:
Protein for muscle maintenance and repair
Carbohydrates for energy
Electrolytes for hydration

Purchase any kayak or ski over $2000.00 and receive a Complimentary E3 'The Champion Formula' Promotion Box valued at $79.95.
E3 was developed with both the every day athlete and the ultra endurance athlete in mind.

E3 The Champion Formula brings to you the latest food technology in the development of our electrolyte/protein sports drink mix.

E3 was designed and tested in collaboration with athletes from the USA - who've been utilizing protein in their sports drinks for years!

In addition, Australian athletes were brought in to evaluate and verify the results of adding protein to the sports drink mix and what follows is what we discovered.
E3 is very popular with many of our local athletes.

Classic Paddle (Perth to Fremantle)

When we arrived at the start of the Classic Paddle at the Narrows we noticed several no parking signs along the road sides. We weren't happy as parking is bad enough every year but now with all the no parking signs it was going to be worse. We then drove into the boat drop off zone. Here we were told we could park on the grass a little further on so that made us much happier. The organisers did really well to secure such parking.

The day was calm but it soon warmed up. We milled around for two hours and although it seemed a long time it was good to talk to all the other paddlers taking part. Meeting paddling friends is always a highlight at races.

Ben, little old me, little old Alaine, Steve, Simon and Peter

While we waited, several dolphins chased fish very close to the shore. It was quite a spectacle and it was good to see several small children excited with the dolphins antics. The dolphins were still there when we returned for the cars after the race.
Hundreds of paddlers paddling surf boats, outriggers, dragon boats, skis, kayaks all took to the water around the Narrows Bridge area making a spectacle for people passing by. It would have been a great shot for TV cameras but nowadays the TV don't seem to care about minor sports unless there is a shark in the area, then it is big news. Alaine and I were paddling an Epic double ski this year so we were in the elite group and on the last grid with all the other fast double surf ski and kayaks! There were lots of other boats on the grid so we had plenty of competition.

Simon Haywood warming up

When grids were off many paddlers were caught out and missed the start. Others like Steve Cash on his plastic PRS had been rammed from behind by a lady paddler. She kept paddling and turned him around to face the other way. Her ski was stuck on the back of Steve's boat and when he tried to break free she was being dragged along. Eventually he managed to lose her, turn and off he went.

Boats were crowding in and the front row soon got too congested so we moved to the second row as I didn't want get hung up or capsize on the line. Our competition John Breed and Adrian Quick were on a double ski and Steve Coffey and Alan Moreby were in a Mirage 730 sea kayak. I had a good idea that John and Adrian would beat us but I expected we would beat Steve and Alan, we just had to, given that we've heard mention that they paddle like a couple of girls! I couldn't face them if we didn't.

We took off and the better paddlers shot off, others we kept up with, although several started creeping away, including John and Adrian. Pity really it would have been nice to have beat them. We were in front of Steve and Alan and I just knew that if we got ahead they wouldn't be able to pass us. As we headed towards Pelican Point I started moving across to the left to find some cleaner water and keep clear of all the single craft that we were about to pass. As we approached the shallows of Pelican Point I glanced behind and saw the kayak of Steve and Alan close behind and I thought we had lost them. It wasn't a sight that I wanted to see.

No wonder Steve and Alan was catching us up, Alaine wasn't paddling

Once across the shallows my arms began to feel heavy. I couldn't remember a time in a race when I felt like this. We paddled on and all of a sudden I felt a little down, although I didn't know why. Was it because John and Adrian had gone with the wind, was it because Dave Boldy and Ryan Goodchild were in the distance ahead and paddling a plastic double kayak or was it because Steve and Alan were on our tail. I'm sure it was none of those, I just felt down which was very unusual.

We soon started passing several of our friends on single skis, Derek, Chris, Paul and a number of others. It appeared though that we couldn't shake Steve and Alan. That was a real pain. By the yacht club at Beaton Park my arms were feeling okay and I forgot that they had been straining.

The first lot of paddlers about to arrive at Point Walter Spit. With the tide high it was a short portage.

As we crossed over to Point Walter sandbar I could see Simon on his Epic V10 Sport. A wave from a distant power boat was heading his way so he turned and steered his ski straight into the wave. The wave passed and the river calmed again and all of a sudden Simon fell off. He was used to falling off so he soon mounted and was on his way again. Steve and Alan were beside us again and trying to beat us to the portage. I think we hit the sand bar at the same time but we managed to get across it and be back in the water and off before them. I was a little happier, but I really wasn't my old self. A spark had gone out of my body and I needed to get it back. To make matters worse they were still tagging us.
We were still passing several single craft but many were nearly as fast as we were and they were hard to shake off. Ahead was the Chidley Point boat channel that we had to cross and there were several boats cutting across every paddler's path. They didn't yield at all.

Yippee...Alaine is paddling!!

We started catching up with an outrigger and a surf boat who were also racing and at the same time waves from the boats in the channel swept across and caused a little confusion. We were now getting closer to the end but we still had the worst section of water to paddle across. With the river narrow and more sheltered than before the Point Walter sand bar the river should have been calmer, but it wasn't. There were so many boats on their way to the ocean that the river was really churned it up.

We started passing an outrigger and a surf boat

Steve and Alan were still close behind and as we paddled over the shallows of Point Roe they managed to get beside us again. Looking very cocky and confident Steve shouted to Alan, "we are bound to get in the newsletter this week". I put a big more speed on but I'm not sure if Alaine did as well.

A few minutes later we had to cross over another boat channel and it looked pretty dangerous as boats, big and small were flying all over the place, and when I say flying many were going much faster than they should have been considering the amount of paddlers in the area.

Waves, some really big were coming from all directions. Paddlers and boats weaved in and out. Talk about playing Russian Roulette, it was much more dangerous than that. It would be a miracle if all 290 paddlers passed over the channel without being hit. (I heard later that a ski capsized right in front of the Rottnest Ferry after hearing its horn and looking back to see it bearing down on him. He was lucky it missed him).

Waves from all the boats criss-crossed the channel, occasionally we could use one to surf faster but they were really more of the pain as they wallowed and bounced us around. I kept an eye on Steve and Alan hoping that they wouldn't get any advantage from a wave. We were still passing several single skis and when we turned around the pens of the Yacht Club at Preston Point we also passed a row boat. A big wave came across and as we levelled with Guy Knowlden and it picked him up and pushed him around like a cork and then surfed it for a while.

Every so often I felt the boat bogged down, was it because Alaine wasn't paddling, did we hit a shallow patch, was it the waves making us a little tippy or was it because I was feeling down again!! It was hard to know as the water was so confused.

I now see why I felt a little down during the race, I didn't realise that I was doing all the work so really, had I known this, I would have felt better!!!

The excitement blossomed again as we still had another boat channel to cross and with the beautiful weather it seemed that there were more boats on the water than usual. Several boats crossed our path and they were getting bigger, then the Rottnest ferry came into view. I looked back towards it and from our experience of last year, this ferry doesn't stop for anyone. Get in its way and you have no chance. So now we had to slow down and we couldn't cross the channel before it had gone by. We slackened off and started to move to the right to let it pass while Alan and Steve kept to the middle of the channel. The ferry passed by only metres away. It was huge compared with us. I stopped paddling completely as not to run into it and a passenger shouted 'he's not paddling'. It was the only time I had stopped and yet someone had noticed! We hit the turbulence and the froth of water stirred up from the huge propellers. It soon passed leaving waves and a minute or two later we watched Steve and Alan surf a long wave at an enormous pace and shot off and ended up twenty metres of more ahead of us. It was a spectacular sight, but it made me more depressed. We were only a few hundred metres from the end and I just knew we weren't going to catch them up now. Passing Point Direction, not too far from the water police we were penned in by two or more boats. Suddenly we passed two paddlers from Canning River Canoe Club paddling a kayak without spraydecks on. The next thing we saw was the bow of their kayak spear down a wave and fill up. The double kayak nose-dived under water like a torpedo, the boys fell out and the back went skywards. The big boat next to us slowed. I'm not sure if it picked them up or they managed to swim ashore which wasn't too far away.

You could say that being surrounded by big power boats, being on the verge of being hit by them, tossed around by big waves was good fun, which in a funny sort of way it was, but it was certainly a recipe for disaster and it is surprising that the organisers were not addressing the danger as the danger is there year after year.

A few years ago though the organisers did a sensible thing and changed the course so it followed a channel to the right around Rocky Bay. This meant that after Point Roe paddlers didn't have to cross the busiest two channels on the river and fight the power boats. We were told they changed to the Rocky Bay course because of safety concerns. It was a slightly longer route, but it was much safer. So I'm not quite sure why they didn't stay with this safer route. When you have a long line of paddlers crossing a boat channel a power boat is not going to stop and wait until that long line has passed, as the line is never ending. We all hope when we start crossing a channel that the boats will stop or at least give way because we as paddlers don't want to lose any time as we are racing. But they don't stop. The race is organised very well, but they have to make this section safer or it will probably get stopped or someone will die.

I also find it strange that one of the sponsors are 'Don't Drink & Drown'. I might be wrong but I can't see that any competitor would drink before this race, yet very few paddlers wear PFDs and if competitors were to get run down by a boat, the chances of drowning would be very high. So the organisers are telling us not to drink & drown, but they aren't even promoting paddlers to wear PFDs. It seems a little crazy to me why the organisers don't promote the wearing of PFDs. When the water is turbulent I race in one all the time and I don't believe it affects my performance but at least it could save my life.

Just before the finish line the water shallowed and I nearly steered too close to the sand. We saw Steve and Alan going through the timing gate a few metres ahead, I cried. My tears added a little more water to the shallows. As a ski passed through the gate before us I heard a clunk. Its underslung rudder had hit the underwater part of the timing gate. As we passed through the gate I politely asked Alaine to jump off, (though it may not have come across to Alaine as politely) not because I wanted to get her wet but to ensure the rudder blade didn't hit. She made half an attempt to get off but it was obviously enough as the rudder went over without a clunk.

The calm at the finish line

Volunteers were trying to keep the boats moving away from the finish gate. A lady on the beach was collecting our race timer. Nearby a tent was set up and staff from the E3 energy drink were supplying drinks to competitors. Cars were parked on the Gilbert Fraser Reserve which was much better than what it used to be like on other years as there was so little parking on the other side of the river.

All other competitors seemed to be happy with their performance. I hadn't quite got over my disappointment and it took me several hours before I managed to feel better.

John and Adrian, having convincingly beaten us had a spring in their step and a grin on their faces and Steve and Alan, well, they were like two giggly girls who had just won the jackpot.

Josh was happy as he won the Dash for the Cash and he had come second overall. He was paddling an Epic kayak which in those trying conditions was very unstable, but with his skill he was able to keep upright, which must have been an epic journey in itself.

This is a really good race and well organised but it just needs to be diverted around Rocky Bay just to make it that much more safer.

Alaine passing through the Rampart cliffs on the Mckenzie River close to the Arctic Circle. She is paddling with a Grey Owl paddle.

The North Saskatchewan River in the Canadian Rockies a little upstream from where I started my Across Canada Expedition 2011.

The Action Outdoors Social Club last Sunday morning. Heading to Woodbridge Tea Rooms

A pelican greeted me at my put in point this morning (Tuesday 6th Nov)

Races

11th November -12 Pairs Enduro. Middle Swan - Ascot Kayak Club 13km
18-Nov-12 Sunday Canoeing Marathon Marathon # 2 --- Moore River 8:30
25 November Sunday Registrations: 8:00am. Bay to Beach: : Mosman Park to Cottesloe Beach.

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Pairs Enduro

When: Sunday 11 November, 2012
Race Start: Middle Swan Bridge, park at Middle Swan Reserve,
Race Finish: After going around Ron Courtney Island, finishes at Ascot Kayak Club Fauntleroy Avenue, Ascot
Distance: 13 Km
Categories: Single paddling crafts in a pair (find a partner to pair up with)
Race Coordinator: Sam Pilton e-mail sammy_pilton@hotmail.com or 0422 903 056

RACE SPONSORS
This event is sponsored by Canoeing Down Under, principal sponsor of Ascot kayak Club

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Epic Kayaks West Coast Downwinder

Starting from the calm waters of Port Beach Fremantle, you'll head out into the cool blue where you'll work the waves and ride the wind for an exhilarating 24km downwind paddle finishing on the shores of Sorrento beach to wild applause from the local landlubbers. On completion of the race join us at the Sorrento surf club for prizegiving, refreshments, food and a few good seafaring tales.

Date: Saturday 2nd December 2012
Distance: 24km from Port Beach Fremantle to Sorrento SLSC
Cost: IOP members $20, CWA members $30, other $40. Please note that your membership must be current before attempting to register for the race.
Categories: Under 21, Open Male and Female, 40+ Male and Female, 50+ Male. Double Categories: Open Male and Female, 40+ male and Female, mixed open, mixed 40+
Prizes: First place in each category, door prizes (must be at least 3 competitors in each category).

Register at: Register Now registration opens 28 October 2012 and closes 28 November 2012 8:00pm

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Collie River Slalom Coaching Camp Nov 10 & 11

Collie River Slalom Coaching Camp- Course Set-up Friday November 9, Coaching November 10 & 11 2012

Entries are now open for the 2012 Slalom Collie Camp #1. You can enter on the SlalomWA, State or National Calendars. Entries should be in by 11pm Wednesday 7th November.

This is a two day slalom coaching camp for juniors with Zlatan Ibrahimbegovi. This is an excellent (and rare) opportunity to get whitewater time in WA. Collie is a whitewater course and juniors wishing to attend should be competent in whitewater. New paddlers should be aware the course itself is more demanding than Walyunga with a large drop in the middle. Because of this acceptance into the camp will be at the discretion of the coach and slalom committee. A coaching fee will be payable which will be between $90 to $100, depending on numbers.

Unlike Walyunga, there is no existing infrastructure at Collie. Course set-up involves a Friday session setting up all ropes to hang gates. This is a large job and we need as many volunteers as possible to do this. I have placed a spot on the online entry for parents and their paddling children to volunteer for assist in course set-up.

The camp program will be finalised once entries have been received. It is likely to consist of 2 groups with each group doing a morning and afternoon session. Based on previous experience the water will be ready about 9am each morning and run until 4pm, however these things don't run to an exact schedule. Paddlers will responsible for their own meals, it is recommended you bring everything you need as it is a long drive to the shops.

Location - Collie River just downstream from Wellington Dam. On Lennard Rd around 2-3km from the Lennard Rd and Falcon Rd intersection.

Please note that the camp has limited numbers. Whilst we hope to be able to accept everybody there is a chance we may need to limit entries. There is an option for entering each day, competent paddlers nominating for both days may receive priority but we will try fit everybody in if we can.

As those who have been there before will know, accomodation is available at DEC comping grounds at Stones and Honeymoon pool. These are attractive camping spots and a lovely place for the whole family to have a weekend away. Honeymoon pool is lovely place for swimming and bush walking.

Charlie Collin
on behalf of WA Slalom Technical Committee

Finn Kayak with Pod: $750.00
Bass Sit-in small 2.8m kayak: Good condition $400.00
Old Town Otter Sit-In Kayak 2.8m: Good condition: $400.00
Finn Beachcomber Sit-on Kayak: Great for fishing or touring. $650.00