Enjoy the CDU Newsletter
Published: Wed, 07/15/15
Issue
472
15th July 2015
Message Bank
The Avon River water situation is enough to make a grown
man cry. I have been paddling it since 1978 and I have never
seen it as low as this year. It has been low other years but
not this bad. When I found an old paper clipping and we thought
back in the 80s and 90s that 0.7m at Walyunga Park was going
to make it a tough race, you can't help but smile. Nowadays
that is a good water level. How things have changed.
Technology has improved, boats have got faster, clothing
got warmer, equipment got better, but unfortunately the weather
has got worse.
In the early days you used wool to keep you warm, there were
no sharkskins or radiators, and thermals were clothing that
your granddad wore under their pyjamas to keep them warm in
winter. There were no PFDs with bladder pockets, most paddlers
would take a swig of water when they met up with their support
team. Energy food, bars, shotz and gels were unheard of, you
had rice pudding, bananas or Mars bars or the equivalent.
This year is going to be an Avon Descent with a difference
but it will still be a great experience especially for novices
who haven't done it before.
I attended an Avon Descent sponsors meeting Wednesday morning
and although the water situation is not looking good and a
contingency plan will most probably be put into effect later
this week, the members who are heading the media coverage
are very positive and doing all they can to get the event
promoted thoroughly. Also the good news is that they will
start their media promotion a lot earlier next year so to
encourage more paddlers to enter the Descent. The organising
team is certainly on the ball this year and doing great things
but it's such a pity that the water level may spoil the party.
The Avon Descent has been going 43 years and it would be
such a shame to see it fade away as it's one of West Australia's
iconic events, so we have to get behind it, water or low water.
The 2015 Avon Descent event guide is be circulated on Friday
at race pack collection but if you want to grab one before
then we have them at the shop.
Did you know that Canoeing
Down Under
is the major sponsor for this
years Avon Descent
Men's Single Paddle craft?
**********************************
Sorry about the late newsletter Alaine was away
3 days last week doing a road trip with her daughter Emily
from Karratha so I didn't have as much time to get a newsletter
together. They had a great trip. Apparently they didn't stop
chatting all the way.
**********************************
It's Our Last Saturday Morning
Fitness Training Session
This Season
Next Saturday morning is our last training session before
the Avon. We usually have a 6-8 week break allowing paddlers
to take part in the Saturday races coming up in August and
for others to get over the Avon Descent. We will most likely
start back in September.
**********************************
Contact us if you haven't done your Avon Assessment.
**********************************
Whilst we have been praying for rain so we can get on the
white water Sandy Robson is still paddling along the Indonesian
Coast.See further below.
**********************************
It was great to see an old face walk into
the shop Tuesday morning. Sasha was on one of our Avon Descent
training groups back in 2000 and I haven't seen him since.
He went to work in Switzerland and then to the middle east
as a flying instructor. He was back in Perth on holiday. When
he did his Avon Descent we had good water levels and he loved
it and it's one of the special memories in his life..
Lunchtime in the Avon Valley. Once upon a
time we were doing 3 Avon Valley trips a week. Tuesday was
the best day as 90% were females.
**********************************
Very Sad News
Many paddlers will be shocked to hear that
Don Colleran, a paddler for many years has passed away. I
was told he was trimming trees on his property when the accident
happened. Don was a great guy, someone that you always felt
at ease around and someone you knew would give you a hand
at any time.
Our condolences go out to his family and close
friends as he will be surely missed.
Don was a fierce competitor, and a good friend
to many
Don at our Friday morning DR training
***************************************
Training & Courses
Saturday
Morning Fitness Training
Race Start 7.30am on the dot!
PFD MUST be worn
Sandy Beach Reserve, West Road, Bassendean
Please make sure you bring your PFD
$5.00 for paddlers who have bought a boat from CDU
$10.00 for other paddlers
*******************************
Jane, Bonnie, Baillee
and Ann
Come on boys I know it's
hard and sometimes impossible but we have to keep in front
of the girls
*******************************
My wife has become a
dog owner so it looks as if I have as well. Nikki is a very
affectionate rescue greyhound. She is a good runner as well,
so now not only do I have the girls beating me in paddling
I now have Nikki who is beating me in running. It's probably
time to hang up my paddle and my running shoes.
I think she loves me
It's been 48 years since
owing my last dog Paddy. Back then I was a country boy.
Jenny is happy. She now
has someone sensible to talk to.
*******************************
Race Pack Collection
17th July 8.00am - 6.00pm Burwood Water Sports Centre
This is when you get your boat number and sponsor stickers
and other goodies
********************
Paddle Craft Scrutineering
Date: Sunday 19th July
2015
Time: 8am - 10.30am
Hinds Reserve Bayswater
Featured Products
Stock Up with
Energy Food Now
*********************
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far from stylish but oh so pratical
Get changed
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at the river or the ocean
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Seaside or poolside, this is one garment
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Price $85.00
******************
Robie Pro
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Weighing in at just 650g, it packs away
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******************
Robie Pro Max
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triathletes, swimmers and other watersport athletes.
Price: $140.00
Stories
Oh Shit - What
Would You Be Thinking at this time
South African surf
*********************************
Ocean Warriors
in Perth
This Saturday is the scheduled date for race 3 of the Winter
Series time trials. The ocean conditions look likely to be
cool, showery with no wind and some westerly ocean swell.
The course details will be advised at the race briefing at
7:20am but is very likely the out and back run to Trigg Island.
Entry is free and open to all, not just IOP or CWA members.
The usual safety kit will be required for participants. The
races will be wave starts with self grading as per the Summer
Series into Beginner, Intermediate and Fast categories.
To enter at any time , you can use the online facilities at
Webscorer or via our website event page. Both series and individual
race entry is available. If you're not sure, just enter the
series and save yourself ( and us ! ) the hassle of entering
on the day. We will mark you as a DNS ( AKA 'fair weather
paddler' ) for the events you can't make!
*********************************
A Taste Of Moving
Water
With less than 4 weeks to go before
the Avon Descent and little rain to get the Avon really running
I just needed to have fun in a little white water.
There was only one place to go for a
little bit of white water excitement around Perth and that
was below the Upper Swan Bridge. You really couldn't call
it white water but it was all we had and it is such a great
training area for boat control and fun and it's a great place
for novices.
I met the Liddles, Peter, Jane, Michael,
and Baillee at Amiens Crescent. It would be hard to find such
a paddling crazed family in WA. Their quality time as a family
is on the water and they are on it at least 5 days a week
so they have a lot of quality time. They are such a great
family and when you get 5 Liddles at a paddling event you
can't help but feel their presence. They can also take my
bantering and give back as much as I give. Bonnie who was
also there, has virtually become part of the Liddle family
and Bonnie and Baillee are fierce competitors.
The river was a narrow channel barely
2 metres wide with little current. We moved upstream to an
even narrower, winding channel with a current we could easily
fight but with bends and branches that tested our skill. I
was paddling the Epic V7 and even before I entered the water
I knew the V7 was going to be the perfect boat for the tea
trees. Being sleek, stable, have enough rocker to allow it
to turn like a slalom kayak but also have the speed to paddle
easily up the current and small rapids as well as racing down
them, it was just perfect. I would have loved to have had
enough water to paddle the Toodyay tea trees in it. They would
have been fun.
The group moved upstream around really
tight corners that the boats could barely get around, we slid
between tree branches and snags that were like car park spikes,
we jumped logs and pushed up currents at bends which tried
spearing our bows into the banks.
Jane having fun
It was a great safe playground and we
were scooting around like children at Disneyland. The V7 was
performing to perfection. Whilst the longer boats were having
trouble coping with the tight turns and the snags that reduced
their turning circle, the V7 was like a rally car sliding
around the corners and avoiding all the obstacles in its way.
I'm usually really happy in a kayak but today I didn't mind
my legs being exposed to the air and my bum being wet as I
was having fun on a ski.
Michael with a cheeky
grin leaving his sister walking in water.
My fun with the Liddles came to an
end as it was time for me to head for home and leaving them
to head further up to Bells Rapid. After sharing a few tips
on boat control I turned my ski and raced downstream. Although
the V7 performed beautifully when paddling the obstacle course
upstream it performed just as well paddling down with the
current. The V7 took the tight corners and kept its line afterwards.
When a slight adjustment was needed the rudder would take
care of that. Not only could you lean it well over to get
even better cornering it was still so stable that there was
vitually no chance of capsizing. Even getting under those
low logs, its stability made it a lot easier and with the
trailing rudder housing being flush with the rear deck it
was less likely to get caught in the trees or snags.
Every boat has it's good points and
the V7 has certainly got a big share of them. Although it
might be a bit short and a bit too stable for the most experienced
paddlers to consider paddling, it's going to be a great ski
for the novice to intermediate paddler and even paddler's
as experienced as myself. To feel good about your paddling
you have to feel confident, relaxed and not have that feeling
in your stomach that you are going for a swim any moment.
It's certainly a great performer so far and I can't wait to
see how it holds up in the rocky rapids.
I haven't taken the V7
on the ocean yet but reports from paddlers that have say it
really performs extremely well.
Race of the Week
Katrine to Toodyay
It was tough going but
paddlers still had lots of fun and things to talk about.
Travis England winner
of the Katrine to Toodyay paddling race 1.19.54. Photo Pina
Amoroso Martino
Male S1/K1 Open Travis
England 1:19:54.
Male K1 Vet 45+ Darryl Long 1:23:55
K2 Class Wendy/Kevin White 1:29:30
Male LP Open Ben Carrick 1:36:48
Male LP Vet 45+ Paul Waters 1:40:39
DR Class Susan Quick 1:46:02.
Male LP Vet 55+ Warren Southwell 1:47:15
LP Open- Female Bonnie Metzke 1:51:39
Male LP Vet 35+ David Martin 1:52:53
Male SP Class Graham Mcmahon 2:14:19
Neil Long and Rosalie
on one of the portages. Photo Pina Amoroso Martino
Sandy in Indonesia
July 5 Muara Bendara to
Cikiong, 27km.
The wind crescendo is at 4pm. Leaving early is the best plan
and then I hope to find somewhere to camp before 4pm. Today
that place was close to a kampung called Cikiong - but I just
camped on the beach. It was a short portage across some water
to reach the beach in the photo. To get to the kampung you
have to go across another pond. Locals paddled across to look
at me and my perahu (boat). The best visitor was an old man
with a canoe made from a plastic 44gallon drum cut in half.
He had a section where he could stack his collected firewood.
I am feeling much better today than yesterday, but I did not
make much further distance due to the winds. The sand here
is fine and black and gets into everything. I am not sure
if it is volcanic sand. I guess so. It also makes nice black
mud. I am hoping not too much of it on launch tomorrow. The
tide is not so high in the morning right now. In Jakarta I
did not get to practice my Bahasa Indonesia, now I am learning
again. The question they all have on Java is Sendiri? Am I
Alone? So I have learnt that word today. I don’t mind
being alone. There is a difference between being alone and
loneliness. Maybe if I was not alone I would meet far less
of these really great people. Maybe my next expedition I will
paddle a double kayak and rent the front seat! I will call
it the ‘window seat’…Would you like to join
me?
July 7 Pantai Samudra Baru
to Sungai Tangkolak Barat, 25.2km.
Today just seemed a slow going day and I realised the next
section of river mouths tomorrow and their mud and shoals
may be tough, so I am glad the forecast is less wind. I landed
here in muddy mangroves and portaged to the Kampung. They
are lovely people and found me a tent site, Mandi and then
I went on a walk to take photos. Now my documents have been
checked by Kapala Desa, Coastguard, Army and Police, so hopefully
nobody else will come. Had Mei Goreng and Telor for dinner…did
I say I wouldn’t do that anymore? The toilet here is
balanced on bamboo over a green pond - notes to self - don’t
drop phone out of pocket. Don’t eat what comes from green
pond! Be careful on sketchy bridge out to the loo with loose
handrail. Reflected that is is good nobody drinks alcohol.
They would fall in for sure. Half way through pee noticed
cracks in the bamboo! Precarious!
July 12 Pantai Indramayu
to Pantai Song, 30.5km.
The paddle around the big river shoal just after Tanjung Indramayu
was reminiscent of the most scary days on big seas on Indias
East Coast. I had to go 5km out to sea to get around the shoal
and even out there is big walls of water that are breaking
a bit on top from the wind. After that it didn’t get
any easier as there have been strong winds and the swell is
rolling in unabated from the east. I was scared I would not
find a place to land and getting close to any shore in the
big breakers was tough. Then near this river mouth I saw a
place of shoal and lower waves and thought this is my only
chance to land before sunset. I did not want to be on that
sea in the night. Where I came to was a mud flat, but traversing
the whitewash I found a bit of ground just above high tide
wash on a sand bar beach. Phew! Hell day, but I survived it.
July 13, weathered in at
Pantai Song. 6am about 17knots!
I am waiting for the wind to hopefully, fingers crossed, ease
by tomorrow morning. Met the beach recyclers today collecting
plastic at 20cents a bag. Looked like they made 60c between
2 people in 2hrs. Later got my documents checked over by the
army - all ok. Then a fisherman gave me crabs and fish to
cook up - overjoyed as I don’t have good food left by
now. Supplies running low. Really looking forward to reach
Cirebon soon. This part of the paddle is tough! Sea is at
least looking quieter by afternoon and the wind is dropping.
Please please let me get out ok tomorrow. About 7 lines of
waves to smash through … why does it look so tiny and
flat in that photo? Wish me luck.
Races
NANGA CHALLENGE
2015
When: Saturday 19 September, 2015
Event HQ: Baden Powell Campground, Lane
Poole Reserve, Dwellingup,
Western Australia
Disciplines: River paddling in moving
water including a couple of small rapids.
mountain biking and cross-country run
Categories: Ironman/woman, pairs, teams
Our Sponsors: Canoeing Downunder, Crank’n
Cycles, Water Wanderers, Protective Case, Joondalup Sports
Remedial Massage, Canoesonline, Alarm Sytems WA, Protective
Cases, BB Cycles & Ascot Riverside Kiosk.
This years charity is Samaritans Crisis
Line