Date/Time
Date(s) - Monday 27 December, 2021 - Thursday 30 December, 2021
All Day
activities kayaking
| Now, for something a bit different. I’d like to take a group to Penrith Whitewater Stadium to do some rafting 0n their course. This will suit experienced water-based adventurers -mainly ocean swimmers, canyoneers, surfers, and paddlers. I’ve put multiple dates so we can pick the best of them. We’ll want a hot day for this.
This activity could have two parts (depending on the group):
Please indicate on your booking which of these activities you’re interested in – can be one or both. A little about the venue: “Penrith Whitewater Stadium was the competition venue for the canoe/kayak slalom events during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Located only an hour from Sydney, it is the only man-made whitewater course of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The course has been constructed using a combination of both natural and man-made materials to recreate the characteristics of a natural whitewater river. Water is drawn from the nearby warm-up lake by six 300kw submersible pumps. Each pump delivers 2,800 litres (2.8 cubic metres) of water per second to the start pool at the top of the course, from where it flows down to the finish pool. The river flows at 14 cubic metres of water per second or 5 pumps. The channel itself is concrete and varies in width from 8 metres to 14 metres. It is 320 metres long, drops 5.5 metres top to bottom and is constructed in a “U” shape. A moveable obstacle system makes it possible to change the whitewater. A conveyor carries rafts, canoes and kayaks along with their occupants from the bottom of the course to the top.” Costs: “$94.00 per person (including GST) includes raft, equipment and instruction.” You may hire 1 and 2 piece wetsuits from the stadium, or borrow wetsuits from the club (please specify). Quote yet to be confirmed for our group (pending expressions of interest). You will need to pay half of the fee to secure booking. For the flatwater portion, we may hire gear and boats from the stadium, but some items may be borrowed from North Sydney Scouts. The full gear hire breakdown is here:https://www. I will inquire with our quartermasters, safety officers, and the stadium as to whether the club’s helmets and flotation vests are adequate for which activities (whitewater is aerated, so requires higher flotation; helmets must be multi-impact and have foam that won’t absorb water) Other gear: Secure footwear such as runners or sports sandals that will stay on in rough water (no barefeet allowed) Clothes to get wet in eg. swimmers, long sleeves, long pants Wetsuit – may be hired or bring your own (recommended to keep you warmer in cool weather and to help protect you from bumps and scrapes if you fall out of the raft) Sunscreen (water resistant) Towel Dry change of clothes I recommend nose and/or ear plugs Personal medication (eg. asthma, diabetes, heart condition) If you need medication bring it with you and have it accessible at all times during your trip. You must inform your Trip Leader of any medical conditions. If you need to wear glasses you should have some way of securing them in case you fall into the water. Skill and Ability Requirements: For the whitewater portion of this trip you must be both confident in water and a STRONG SWIMMER. What does this mean? Swim at least 200m front crawl consecutively, and 100m in a water-polo (head above water) front crawl style Make it to the first buoy in an ocean swim Hold your breath underwater for 20s If you can’t say an immediate emphatic yes to any of those, the answer is probably no. Why? You will fall out of the raft– lots. This can be great fun; however, though there are plenty rescue staff manning the course, there are many other people also falling out of their rafts, and high speed Olympic slalom paddlers thrown into the mix. You have to keep your head and be able to get away from hazards until someone finally manages to toss you a rope or you can reach the sides. It gets hectic. Think the below, but add a freestyler trying to do a backflip over me while I cling to the plastic bollards and a thrown rope is smacking me in the face. Bonus points: How many paddles are in this image.
The operators will brief us on this of course – it’s a little like your first time to a climbing gym. For the flatwater portion of this trip:
You are permitted to be a weaker swimmer, but should expect to intentionally flip your kayak, bail it, and get back in (else drag it to shore, drag it out to bail it, and get back in). This is taxing and tedious especially after a few (dozen) times. The kayak I’m renting weighs at least as much as me when it fills with water. We obviously help each other out, but it’s frustrating to not have the strength to help yourself. It’s time waiting on the shore when you could be rolling or paddling. What I’d like to cover: General paddle technique Edging Different strokes- draw, sweep, and support Bailing Eskimo Roll T-rescues (we’ll do this ALOT: https://paddling.com/learn/ Rope throwing Water feature reading Time and water flow permitting, we’ll cover: ferry gliding and breaking into an eddy (there’s a portion of the course’s bottom pond where you can still play in the current a bit) At that point you are also perfectly welcome to just paddle around the pond if you like or do another recreational Funyak (2 person inflatable kayak) session on the course. Playtime is allowed. Definitely having an evening picnic or BBQ if it’s nice out. The stadium and pond have nice parklands. I have been itching to get back in the water for ages now. I enjoyed my experience and the staff there. I’m excited to go back and expand the club’s capabilities in a safe, controlled, and fun environment. I’ve had to set some firm requirements, but if you have questions or concerns, are sitting on the fence, are super psyched but worried you can’t afford it, etc… please contact me. I’ll see what I can do. –Salome |
Registration
Participants are closed for this activity.
