Whitewater Skills Day
Bundeena, Port Hacking
6 May 2023
Trip Leader: JOHN WARD
By KATHY WILLIAMS
John Ward, you did it again!!! Yet another fab day on the water, starting with a bit of a last-minute impromptu suggestion/invite from John for a few Club members who might like to practice in their boats—or like me, try out a whitewater boat.
I’d never paddled a whitewater boat—except for five minutes in flat water—so it was a great opportunity for me to learn a few new skills and paddle strokes in the safety of the incoming tide under the little bridge beside Bonnie Vale campground, near Bundeena—where incidentally, we’d done similar in our sea/touring kayaks a few months earlier. Let’s just say that whitewater boats are extremely different to what I’m used to!
John timed well the best time to go there in terms of the rush of the tide and I’m very grateful for all the help, time and instruction John has given me. Met some lovely new paddlers too—and good to catch up with Gary Luke—all who also shared their knowledge.
In addition to the whitewater boats, John also brought along a playboat, which I was so keen to try as I’ve watched many videos on this free-form style of kayaking and envisaged myself jumping in one and doing the same—that was not to be.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Self-righting a whitewater boat
What is freestyle kayaking?
Many of you may have heard of freestyle kayaking and wondered what it’s really about. This Playboating Bible video explains the moves and really highlights some very skilled whitewater paddling. The control and spatial awareness these paddlers have is amazing.
