Tower Hamlets Canoe Club

Sounds good Nick - Tuesday 15 January?

I think Martin K has a projector that he might want to bring in so we can show one of the T.I.T.S. films during the evening.

We should try to set a few weekend dates for 3 star assessments this coming spring so people has something to aim for.

We should also discuss how to allow enough people to train on Tuesday nights for this. We can currently only accommodate 6 students and 2 instructors with boats - will this be enough for the demand for sea kayak training and assessments this winter and spring? Is it fair to say we will only have capacity to get 6-12 people ready for their 3 star assessments before next summer?

We agree this sounds like a great idea - let me know if there is anything Dan and I can do to help make it happen

Good initiative.

Back to Mattias's question on capacity for sea kayak 3 star:

The committee is trying to figure out a good way of keeping track of how many people we have where in their progress towards star awards, so we can plan training and track progress properly.

I had a look at the 27 listed as 2-stars on the web. To me, it looks like there's definitely another group of 6 that would love to be followed up to passing a 3-star very soon, but many of the rest are either focused on white water or show up only irregularly.

With the increasing amount of people passing a 3-star sea, wanting to come on the river, even if we get a few more good boats, I think we should still aim to do as much as possible of skills training in all-purpose boats. It is not obvious that the 6 best boats should be reserved for wannabe 3-stars every week.

Mattias's intencive courses using both Tuesdays and Thursdays is a good way of getting max capacity out of our resources. More activity on weekends should also help calm the battle for the boats on Tuesdays?

Anne

Nick, the event is a great idea. I'll be there.

I don't think that the best way of having sea kayaking training is to have an intensive 2-weeks course. It puts a lot of stress on the coaches and on the trainees. Also, Mattias' course was a great intro and safety awareness course, but is obviously not enough for the new 3* Sea.

I personally believe that training is the priority in the club, and I think it is reflected on the club's objective in the Constitution.

"The aim of the Club is to promote all aspects of the sport of canoeing, to help and educate people through training and leisure activities so as to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capacities that their conditions of life may be improved."

Weekends seem like a great time for sea trips, but these require different logistics, which might not necessarily work out.

Thursdays could well be used for paddling on the Thames when there is training on Tuesdays.

I guess this is a discussion which should be done soon, with as many of the interested parties as possible involved.

Joanna

I'm on the Open Canoe course too and I'd like to come along to this. 29 Jan would be great.

Cheers and Happy Christmas

David

I don't think that the best way of having sea kayaking training is to have an intensive 2-weeks course. It puts a lot of stress on the coaches and on the trainees.

Rather than putting the whole emphasis on Matt, we could always ask the basin to run some 3 star sea courses for people if we have enough people interested. They used to do this regularly for us before Mark became a level 3. I know it would be different with the new requirements but it might be worth talking to them to see how they could organise it?

Alison:

I don't think that the best way of having sea kayaking training is to have an intensive 2-weeks course. It puts a lot of stress on the coaches and on the trainees.

Rather than putting the whole emphasis on Matt, we could always ask the basin to run some 3 star sea courses for people if we have enough people interested. They used to do this regularly for us before Mark became a level 3. I know it would be different with the new requirements but it might be worth talking to them to see how they could organise it?

Don't confuse the Introduction courses we did last year with a full 3-star sea training program.

I think the 3 star sea training could easily be managed within the club - you don't have to be a L3 coach to teach someone to paddle a sea kayak...we have plenty of experienced paddlers that can help people with their training.

Mattias Altin:

Don't confuse the Introduction courses we did last year with a full 3-star sea training program.

I think the 3 star sea training could easily be managed within the club - you don't have to be a L3 coach to teach someone to paddle a sea kayak...we have plenty of experienced paddlers that can help people with their training.

Agreed, but if the Basin can provide structured training we shouldn't we take advantage of it?

Hi Nick,

Very good idea.

Thanks

Jean- Pierre 

Dimitris:

Agreed, but if the Basin can provide structured training we shouldn't we take advantage of it?

Of course we should – but they have only been able to do this 1-2 weekends/year in the past hence why I started running the introduction courses.

What I meant is I don’t’ think the basin will be the solution to our demand for coaching – it will help – but not that alone.

We have enough of good sea kayakers in the club that can coach – the only time we really need a L3 is for the assessment and we should have 2-3 guys qualified in the next few months so should be ok.