Kayak

Taipoutini Polytechnic Kayak Week 1

Location            Lake Brunner, Upper Grey River and Dobson

Group               COE-1                             

Instructor          Zac Shaw, Phil Johnston, Rata Lovell, Blair Lion
Flow                 1400ml                              

Grade                2

Date                  8/3/16 - 11/3/16
Learning

Sweep strokes, Ford strokes, Carving, Entering and exciting eddies, Ferrying, Edging, on side and off side rolls, T rescues & Hand of God rescues.

Summary of Week

Day 1

Kayak week starts in the pool. I practice a roll but it’s not great and is mostly all muscle. It’s not long and my memory is jolted. I remember the three key elements of a roll. Firstly the start position: set your blade angle, wrap the boat and push your arms as far out of the water as you can, then engage your knee. The second part is the sweep: push out from the boat slicing through the water and cock your wrist back at the same time with your control arm bringing it straight up to your shoulder. Then finally the finish position: rotate your body, look down the blade and keep your elbows locked in. I spend some time with Rata and it’s not long before I’m already feeling an improvement in my rolling technique. 

After a bit of time practicing our rolls in the pool we practice a rescue technique called T-rescuing. This is used when you’re upside down and can’t roll up. Firstly you tap your kayak three times and start sliding your arms up and down your kayak. Someone will then paddle over to you and drive their kayak into yours, just above the front bolts of your kayak. From here you grab the nose of their kayak and by using your hips and as little of arms as possible flip yourself back the right way up.  We practice this a few times and move onto a different rescue technique called the hand of God. This is essentially the same rescue but instead of them grabbing onto the nose of your kayak, the rescuer will grab the roller's hand, place it on their kayak and hold it down so that the roller can flip themselves back up by levering on the rescuers kayak. This ends our pool session. We eat lunch on the fly and start travelling toward Lake Brunner for a flat water session.  

Once there we break up into groups and practice various kayak strokes and techniques.  I find myself with Ryan, Myself, Olivia and Tom and instructor Blair. The first stroke we work on is the sweep stroke. Firstly place the blade of your paddle vertically in front of your kayak near your toes in the water. Then sweep around yourself rotating your core and pulling into your elbow. With your non sweeping arm push it out in front of you at eye level keeping the paddlers box. Then we work on the Ford stroke, with the paddle vertical put it in the water out in front of your kayak near your toes. As you take the stroke engage your foot so it’s in sync with your pulling arm. Take the paddle out of the water when you get to about half the length of your kayak. Then we work on carving. The key is to get up momentum, hold up an edge and paddle on the inside of your turn. 

Day 2

It’s our second day of Kayak and we’re off to Taylorville where there is a massive chunk of flat water and a chance to cross the grey river and practice eddy turns. To get us started we warm up to a game of bull rush on the water.  It’s all excitement, power and not much grace but it’s defiantly a lot of fun.  We then break out into our groups we had yesterday and start revising where we left off practising sweep and forward strokes and carving circles.  This time we are with instructor Rata and she even gets us to chuck in a few cheeky rolls.  Once we have practised and worked on our paddle strokes we then move on to ferrying across the river and catching an eddy. To exit an eddy paddle upstream on a forty five degree angle matching your kayaks speed to the speed of the river. Once you feel the eddy line catching your kayaks nose engage your knee so that the water is allowed to pass under the kayak. Holding that edge continue paddling until you are out into the flow of the river.  From here you can ferry across the river by paddling upstream on a forty five degree angle. To come into an eddy hold up an edge and get across stream momentum. Position your kayak so that you are paddling into the eddy pointing downstream on a forty five degree angle. Hit the eddy as high as you can and when you feel the nose of the kayak start turning engage your knee and rotate your core so that you are looking where you want to go. 

We practice moving around the river, leaving and catching eddies and ferrying across it. It’s all looking good until me and Ryan leave an eddy at the same time and crash into one another, he crashes off right and I go left and before you know it I’m upside down in the main flow of the river. I tap on my boat and wait to be rescued.  Straight away Ryan answers the call and comes in for a T rescue. I push myself the right way up and with smiles on both our faces we have a good laugh. We continue practicing in our group until the call goes out to wrap it up. 

Before we leave there’s a chance to do a small seal launch. It looks like fun so I’m into it. Phil pushes me off a rock two meters above the water. Splash!!! As quick as I dropped into the water I bounce back out of it. What a great way to end the session. From here is another pool session. Again we work on rolling technique T rescues and hand of God rescues. This time I focus more of time on my off side roll. It’s been another great day and the more practice I get the better my roll starts to look.

Day 3

Today starts like any other day we gather at 8.30am and start to get ready.  Excitement levels and spirts are high knowing that we are going to be paddling our first river. We travel towards our destination the upper grey with great expectation.  Once there we gear up and take the time to warm up going for a light jog and doing some stretches while we wait for the vans returning from a shuttle run.  We’re lose, limber and ready so in our groups we get to the put in and peel off. I’m with Olivia, Ryan, Tom and Instructor Rata who I was with the other day. 

As we head down the river we take the opportunity to make as many moves and catch as many eddies as we can. The river is beautifully clear and flows over a mixture of open farmland, tussock and bush. Before we know it almost half the day has gone and it’s time to eat lunch. We find an eddy that we lap so before lunch we paddle on it as many times as we can. We attempt to ferry across the swift moving water, let the nose of our kayaks turn downstream and punch into an eddy behind a rock. Coming back across you need to paddle at about eleven o’clock and hit fast moving water pushing off a rock so that it pushes your kayak across to the other side.  If you don’t do this you end up being pushed into large rocks downstream. I’m so nervous and it’s affecting my paddling I fail the move twice and am pushed into the rocks. Rata calls me over and asks me what’s up she gets me to relax and comes over with me and shows me the move again.  I keep at it and practice the move over and over, as I start relaxing I start making the move easy and with my last attempt on it. I absolutely nail it. I stop for lunch and am happy with my effort. After lunch I am told about an incident where Olivia had pulled out in front of Blair and he had collided with her, his boat hitting her in the rib. She’s rather sore and tells us to keep an eye on her.  

From here we peel out of an eddy and start making our way over some shallow fast moving water. I’m following Olivia and all I see is her kayak flip up side on a rock. That’s not much I can do especially being so knew to kayaking. I want to help but the river takes me right past her. I see Ryan behind me assisting Olivia and Rata putting on the gas to help. Once she’s out of her boat Rata takes her into a eddy downstream and stops to reassess. Olivia’s not doing well and later we find out that she’s cracked a rib. The instructors carefully manage her and get her down the river. Because Olivia injured and one instructor is solely looking after her we are broken into different groups. I am placed in a group with Gat, Justin, Tom and Hosea with instructor Blair. We carve off practicing back ferries and eddy moves. Because I’m the weaker paddler I follow Blair first heading down the river to a fast moving boisterous rapid.  Here we practice ferrying across it using the water to push us into an eddy on the other side. This goes well and I make some nice moves using the water to my advantage.  This is a real high for me because I’m still struggling to combat roll and I didn’t once stuff the move.  The rest of the river is more of the same except for one particularly bad strainer and hazard on river right that Blair points out.  20 minutes of quite paddling sees us at the take out. On reflection I’ve had an awesome day and that fuels my love kayaking.  I’ve always loved swimming and being out in the water so knowing we’re going kayaking tomorrow stirs me even more.

Day 4

It’s the last day of the week and we start with a pool session. I really focus on my off side roll today and spend a lot of time working on it with the tutors. From here we are broken into two group and head our separate ways. I’m off to run the Grey River at the Dobson end today. The river is slightly flooded and is a strong brown colour so Phil groups us up and recaps on a few things. He pulls his phone out and shows us where to find the river flow and river graphs. Now with an understanding of what’s going on in the river we make up teams and head off. 

I’m teamed up with Makayla, Gabby and instructor Phil. Once again we build on the knowledge and experience we have already gained. We practise catching eddies and moving across river. As I practise catching eddies Phil gives me some advice “don’t stop paddling when you get into the eddy and look towards where you’re wanting to go”. Sounds like pretty simple advice but like always it is easier said than done. Further down the river are lots of whirl pools and boils. The water is really pushy and has a completely different feel to the other rivers we had paddled on.  Phil gets us to ride on a couple of joining whirl pools and then paddle hard to get off into an eddy. We lap this a few times and I only just manage to stay upright in my kayak. It’s amazing how you can feel the water hydrology working through your kayak and the way it affects your balance.  

We continue further downstream and manoeuvre ourselves onto a large whirl pool. Everyone punches out of the whirl pool into an eddy but I haven’t quite got my angle right and have tried to paddle into the eddy to early. I end up missing the eddy and being whirled back by the large whirl pool. It takes me on a large circle and gives me time to line myself up. Right, I give it another go, I’m paddling hard but once again my angles wrong and I’ve paddled off it to early. I get taken round a second time but this time I recognise what I’m doing wrong. 

Third time lucky and I’m in. Once in the eddy we’re instructed to roll out in the flow where strong boils are about. I paddle out unto the flow and attempt an off side roll, I fail the first one so attempt a second, I fail again. Now finding myself upside down floating down the river I tap on my boat and wait to be T rescued.  Phil comes in and I’m rescued, but by the time I get my paddle in position a crash into a rock. We’ve been taught if this happens to lean into the rock to prevent being flipped over and being pinned against it and I can hear Philly instructing me to do just that. I lean into the rock and eventually push myself off the rock and paddle away from it. 

My days not done yet and we have one more final challenge. It’s another eddy move, ferry across, allow the nose of your kayak to turn and punch into the eddy. Then to paddle out, angle your kayak on a 45 degree angle, hold the edge of your kayak up with your knee and allow the water to push you across into the eddy on the other side. I do this several times but as I crossing back over to the eddy on one of my attempts I flip over and get taken downstream. I fail my roll a couple of times then find myself holding on waiting to be T rescued. I kind of freak out for a second and end up losing hold of my paddle. While I’m under I feel Phil grab a hold of my helmet and pull me up with it. I’m annoyed at myself for freaking out and now find myself paddling over to my paddle with my hands. The rest of the paddle is a gentle float downstream to the take out point. I I hadn’t had my best day paddling today but I know the next good day is only around the corner. I’ve learnt heaps this week and exhorted all my energy and I’m still loving it. So bring on next week. 

Taipoutini Polytechnic Kayak Week 2

Location              Arnold River / Crooked River
Group                 COE-1                           
Instructor            Blair, Joe Parsons
Flow                   56  cumecs                     
Grade                  2
Date                    21/3/16 - 24/3/16
Learning
Sweep strokes, Ford strokes, Carving, Entering and exciting eddies, Ferrying, Edging, on side and off side rolls, T rescues & Hand of God rescues.

Day 1

It’s the start of our second week of kayak and we mix it up by starting at a flat water spot called Taylorville. There we break into teams, recap what we learnt on the first week of kayak and put it all into practise. We start with a roll having someone alert ready to T rescue us if required. We all complete the roll with a noticeable improvement in technique. We then move onto T rescuing and staying calm while being upside down under water in your boat. We all complete this and with every rescue practised it seems that our water confidence is increased. 

Now it’s time to do a deep water rescue. This is when you rescue a swimmer, empting and getting them back into their kayak without having to paddle into shore. We take turns at being the rescuer and then the victim. I’m the last to be the rescuer and Rachel is my swimmer. Once Rachel is out of her boat I instruct her to hold onto her paddle and kayak, and to then give me her paddle and the stern of her kayak. I pop the seal and get her to swim into a position where she can help me pull her kayak onto mine and help empty it. Once this is done I flip her kayak up the right way up and hold it so she can re-enter. Rescue successful!! Up until now we had been recapping our learnings from kayak week one but it was now time to learn something new. 

Blair shows us how to push a kayak around replicating a situation where a swimmer has let go of their kayak and you have to push or drive it into an eddy. It looks easy but it’s pretty clear when I do this that it takes a huge amount of energy and hard work to push a kayak around. The last thing we learn is how to paddle with a swimmer on the bow of your boat. Like pushing a kayak around I’m amazed at how much energy and hard work it is to paddle with someone on the bow of your boat. This is also true of being the swimmer. As the swimmer you need to grab the kayaker’s cockpit, keep your head down and kick as hard as you can while the kayaker paddles you in. With all our energy spent this ends our Taylorville session and is a chance to refuel and eat some lunch before we get on the Arnold River.

On the Arnold River we reinforce all our previous learning. We practice entering and exciting eddies, ferrying across the river, edging and rolling. It’s my first time kayaking down the Arnold River and I’m loving it. Time is flying by and before you know it I’m run three hole. As I come towards the rapid I kayak into a pour over and flip upside down. I attempt a roll but fail. This in itself is great learning for me I discover that my blade angle is wrong in my set up position when attempting to commando roll and that it’s something I really need to work out. I tap my boat hoping to be T rescued, but after a good while when no one answers the call I pull my tab. As I come out of my kayak Blair is right there to paddle me into the eddy. “Good work hold on” he says to me. We finish the rest of the run and get to the take out in good time. It’s been another awesome day with some really valuable learning. I find the more I learn the more I want to get out and do it. So just do it!!

Day 2

The morning rolls around and it’s the same old routine. We meet at the shed at 8.30, tie the boats to the trailer and get our gear all packed up and into the van. We’re off to the Arnold for the second time this week. When we get there we break into different groups. I’m grouped with Olivia, Hosea, Makayla and instructor Joe. We continue practising entering and exciting eddies, ferrying across the river, edging and of course rolling. Joe also adds to our repertoire the hanging stern draw, which in a way is a variation of a sweep stroke. We practise this for a while until it’s time to stop for lunch. We pull our kayaks up on a rocky river bank and look down stream over to the mountains. We refuel, rehydrate and rest up for what should be a physical afternoon. The tutors need to see us do a deep water rescue, Push a kayak from the flow of the river into an eddy, carry a swimmer on the back of your Kayak and complete a T rescues in the man flow and all under pressure. The afternoon takes its toll but I’m able to complete all the tasks. I successfully T rescue Isaac and Ryan, I push Ryan’s Kayak to both sides of the river into eddies and also carry Ryan on the back of my kayak across river into both eddies. It’s a great way to get your heart rate up and I’m stoked that I’m able to complete the tasks and be signed off for self-directed learning. We bomb the rest of the river and end the day there.

Day 3
We’re getting close to the end of our two week of kayaking so the tutors set up a day where they are hands off and assess how we run the river. We are to paddle the crooked river which is a river that flows from the headwaters in the Southern Alps to Lake Brunner in the West Coast region. It is named for the erratic path it takes. It passes through gorges, rapids and is a beautiful pristine west coast gem. To start the day off we gather around a cross at the put in. We pay our respects to a 19 year old kayaker who had died on the upper section and draw learnings from what happened and why. This gives real perspective on the importance of life and a sobering reality of this sport and the decisions you make on and off the river. With that attitude in mind we put onto the river. 

The teams have been

mixed up and I find myself paddling with Gat and Holly. Gat leads the first section of river until we get to a spot where we need to eddy out and scout the rapid. Gat sees a line and leads us down and eddies out at the bottom.  We take turns at leading the run on the river and I’m up next. I lead the team downstream occasionally looking over my shoulder to see what the other are up to.  I signal to the team to eddy out and scout a rapid. Blair gives me some things to think about. He mentions about keeping more of an eye on the team and thinking about my eddy selection.  I take this all on board, scout the rapid and lead my first rapid. I lead the team down a good line and eddy out at the bottom. We continue operating in a similar way and continue to scout rapids when we can’t see what’s downstream.  We portage a few rapids and have a talk about basing that on the consequence, our skill levels and the amount of reward of running that rapid. Eventually we get to a rapid called the boulder garden.  At first glance it looks really bony and a bit above my ability but I see a line to the left that looks worth running. I get the signal to go and I’m off.  I make the ferry across stream and line my move up well.  I paddle between two rocks and find myself to the left of the river where I want to be.  I begin charging down the rapid and hit a good line.  As I eddy out, Ryan’s there to give me a high five and I’m stoked.  We continue downstream until we get to a spectacular gorge.  We take in the beautiful scenery and the surreal place.  It seems a shame to have to paddle out of it.  Not far from here is the take out, and that puts an end to a great day.

Day 4
Today’s our last day of Kayak at TPP and it starts with a pool session. I’m excited as I know how much I will benefit from this. I exert as much energy as I can, spending time with the tutors practicing my commando roll. Joe works with me for a solid chunk of time, taking me through a range of different drills. I still haven’t got my commando roll but I need a break. I regain energy and get instructor Blair on the job. Bit by bit I seem to be making progress and before you know it I’m rolling up. I’m super excited, but know I still have a lot of work to do. Next on the list is assessing the Cobden surf. We get out of the vans and have a discussion around choosing your moment and days with the surf. We decide that today’s conditions for surf kayaking aren’t great and that the swell is too big.  We move onto the Arnold instead.

On arrival we assess the condition of the river. We can see it’s flooded and therefore not the best conditions for paddling. We talk about the factors that influence our decision to paddle today, including the reputation of TPP and potential risks. The decision is made to spend the rest of the afternoon at Lake Brunner instead. We don our gear and get on the Lake. We practice all the strokes we’ve learnt over the last few weeks. Once this is done there is one last task to complete; a rescue relay. This is stressful, exhausting work designed to put us under pressure. I team up with Gabby and we make a start. It doesn’t take long before Gabby and I are ahead. Exhausted and pushing 100% we reach the final leg. The race is ours and finally our boats sit victorious on the finish line trailer. The victory is sweet, the feeling even greater.

SELF DIRECTED LEARNING

SDL Kayak
Location - Lake Brunner     
Date - 4/2/16

Group - Simon, Hazel                                                     
Weather - Overcast

Flow - N/A                                                                    
Grade - Flat Water          

Learning - Skill consolidation

SDL Kayak
Location - Lake Brunner                                                                

Date - 12/3/16

Group - Isaac                                                    
Weather - Cloudy

Flow - N/A                                                                    
Grade - Flat Water          

Learning - First combat rolls

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                                                              
Date - 29/3/16

Group - Isaac, Simon, Tom, Campbell, Sonya                                                  
Weather - Fine

Flow - 65 Cumecs                                                             
Grade - 2       

Learning - First combat rolls

SDL Kayak

Location - Crooked River                                                      
Date - 2/4/16

Group - Silas, Ariel, Simon                                              
Weather - Overcast/ Showers

Flow - Visual Gauge River Low Flow                                           
Grade - 2

Learning -    River reading, experience     

SDL Kayak                                                                               

Location -  Arnold River                                                      
Date - 17/4/16

Group - Simon, Ryan O’conner, Kate                                     
Weather - Fine     

Flow - 50 cumecs                                           
Grade - 2

Learning -    River reading, experience

SDL Kayak

Location -  Arnold River                                                       
Date - 18/4/16

Group - Simon                                         
Weather - Fine

Flow - 45 cumecs                                              
Grade - 2 

Learning -  River reading, experience

SDL Kayak

Location - Lake Wanaka                             
Date - 21/4/16

Group - Kat Burgess                                           
Weather - Fine

Flow - N/A                                       
Grade - Flat water

Learning - Roll practice, paddle strokes, carving turns

SDL Kayak

Location - Lake Wakatipu                               
Date - 22/4/16

Group - Solo                                                                                                 
Weather - Fine

Flow - N/A                                                 
Grade - Flat water

Learning - Rolling practice, paddle strokes and carving turns.

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              
Date - 25/4/16

Group - Matt Sparrow, Gat, Cameron, Justin                                         
Weather - Overcast/Showers

Flow - 70 cumecs                                           
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience  

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              

Date - 26/4/16

Group - Simon                                       
Weather - Overcast/Showers

Flow - 62 cumecs                                            
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience  

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              

Date - 29/4/16

Group - Ryan O’Conner, Ruben, Ryan Morris, Gat, Kate, Silas, Ariel, Sam   
Weather - Overcast

Flow - 56 Cumecs                                   
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience

        

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              

Date - 30/4/16

Group - Simon, Issac, Cameron                                    
Weather - Overcast/Showers

Flow - 52 Cumecs                                   
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              
Date - 2/5/16

Group - Simon, Silas                                             
Weather - Overcast/Showers

Flow - 47 cumecs                                              
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              
Date - 7/5/16

Group - Gat, Rachel, Diamond                                            
Weather - Fine

Flow - 70 cumecs                                              
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              

Date - 28/5/16

Group - Isaac, Diamond, Simon, Matt Sparrow, Cameron       
Weather - Wet/Rain      

Flow - 120 cumecs                                              
Grade - 2

Learning - On flooded river runs it is important to paddle with more than just two people. This is in case something unpredictable happens out on the river. We faced a situation where Cameron Swam in a hole and got separated from his boat and paddle. Because we had a good number of people in our group we were able to deal with the situation. But given the same situation with just two people on the river it would have been quite likely that gear would have been lost and for the swimmer and rescuer to separate.  

SDL Kayak

Location - Matiri River Murchison                                

Date - 4/6/16

Group - Simon, Isaac, Mathew Schweizer                                                 
Weather - Fine, Stable High pressure system

Flow - Visual, low flow                                             
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience  

SDL KayakLocation - Maruia River Murchison                                  

Date - 5/6/16

Group - Simon, Isaac, Mathew Schweizer                                               
Weather - Fine, Stable High pressure system

Flow - Visual, low flow                                             
Grade - 2

Learning - When to abort a mission.  We stayed overnight and decided in the morning there were too many lemons stacking up so we pulled the pin.

SDL Kayak

Location - Mikonui River                                
Date - 13/6/16

Group - Gat, Simon                                              
Weather - Fine

Flow - Visual                                            
Grade - 2-3

Learning - Expect the unexpected - 2 car punctures. Awesome wilderness run with extra challenge of skills in slightly higher grade.

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                          
Date - 14/6/16

Group - Simon                                              
Weather - Fine

Flow - 100 cumecs                                            
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience  

SDL Kayak

Location - Maruia River Murchison                        
Date - 15/6/16

Group - Simon, Gat                                             
Weather - Overcast, light   showers

Flow - Visual, Medium flow                                            
Grade - 2-3

Learning - River reading, experience  

SDL Kayak

Location - Middles Matakitaki River Murchison                       

Date - 16/6/16

Group - Simon, Gat                                             

Weather - Fine

Flow - Visual, Medium flow                                            
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading and experience

SDL Kayak

Location - Taipo River Murchison                     

Date - 14/8/16

Group - Simon, Becky, Tom                                          

Weather - Fine

Flow - Visual, low flow                                            
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading and experience with more experienced paddlers

SDL Kayak

Location - O'Sullivan Murchison                      

Date - 15/8/16

Group - Simon, Gat, Isaac                                          

Weather - Fine

Flow - Medium flow                                             

Grade - 3

Learning - Skill practice in higher grade, river reading, composition on the river

SDL Kayak

Location - Gentle Annie Gorge                    

Date -  22/8/16

Group - Simon, Becky, Mathew Schweizer                                        

Weather - Fine

Flow - High flow                                           

Grade - 3

Learning - Skill practice in higher grade, river reading, composition on the river

SDL Kayak

Location - Arahura Walk In                   

Date -   24/8/16

Group - Simon, Jono, Ryan                                      

Weather - Overcast, North Wester

Flow - Low flow/Visual                                       

Grade - 3

Learning - Experience, river reading

           

SDL Kayak

Location - Hokitika Pool                  

Date -   25/8/16

Group - Simon, Becky                                     

Weather - Overcast

Flow - N/A                                             
Grade - Flat Water

Learning - Rolls, feedback to others learning to roll

SDL Kayak

Location - Arahura Miltown Gorge                  

Date -    27/8/16

Group - Simon, Becky, Isaac                                    
Weather - Overcast, North Wester

Flow - Low flow                                         

Grade - 2

Learning - Paddling skills, experience, river reading

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                  

Date -    13/9/16

Group - Simon, Becky, Lockie                                    

Weather - Overcast

Flow - 62 Cumecs                                         

Grade - 2

Learning - Paddling skills, experience, river reading

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              

Date - 15/9/16

Group - Simon, Becky, Holly, Jules                                          
Weather - Fine sunny morning

Flow - 56 cumecs                                           
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience 

SDL Kayak

Location - Arnold River                              

Date - 19/9/16

Group - Jazz, Becky, Holly, Jules, Jacinta, Lucy, Rachel       
Weather - Fine sunny morning

Flow - 80 cumecs                                           
Grade - 2

Learning - River reading, experience 

Tai Poutini Polytecnic 
Location - Waipuna 

Group - COE-1                           

Instructor - Roo Rylie
Flow - 1645mm                     

Grade - 2

Date - 20/9/16

Learning

Sweep strokes, Ford strokes, Carving, Hanging stern draws, Entering and exciting eddies, Ferrying, Edging, on side and off side rolls, T rescues & Hand of God rescues.

Tai Poutini Polytecnic 
Location - Arnold River 

Group - COE-1                           

Instructor - Roo Rylie, Joe Parsons
Flow - 71 Cumecs                     

Grade - 2

Date - 21/9/16

Learning

Sweep strokes, Ford strokes, Carving, Hanging stern draws, Entering and exciting eddies, Ferrying, Edging, on side and off side rolls, T rescues & Hand of God rescues.

Location - Crooked River                              

Date - 23/9/16

Group - Isaac, Jose, Kata, Holly       
Weather - Fine sunny morning

Flow - Visual medium                                          

Grade - 2 - 3

Learning - River reading, experience