BCU Student Safety Symposium

Last weekend, I headed to North Wales to the BCU Student Safety Symposium, hosted by Plas-y-Brenin. A weekend orientation for University Canoe Club members to get a rapid education to forming, running and enjoying a club. During the weekend, topics as diverse as transport and the law to trip planning, running swimming pool sessions to introducing people to paddling were covered. It’s an information max weekend. Also in the back of the car, was the new 2012 Palm Range for display (everyone loves, lets gets drawn to the one off sample Harlequin EV PFD, Palm might end up having to make it….) and 3 of the new Mamba’s, for testing. On the Saturday, I was involved with running a session on overseas trips planning and white water skills, so got to enjoy some of the great Autumn sunshine of the day.

On the Sunday, I ran a Steep Creeking Skill clinics for the more able paddler’s, who often play a leadership role within their clubs. So getting the skills right to hand on to the new wave of student paddlers is ever important. With there bing no recent rain fall in North Wales, the only option was to hit the Graveyard section on the Tryweryn, a popular dam release run. We focused mainly on tactics for river running, and then added in key stroke concept for boffin’. The boys picked it all up fast and were flying off any reason and some less reasonable boulders and bedrock ledges. The great thing in focusing in on tactics, is most paddler’s simply over look them, and follow the lines on rapids they were shown. Opening up tactics allows a paddler to get to their target, with their momentum heading in the correct direction to get some great results. On the Graveyard, you can make Class III boulders into a FreeRide fun park, with flares, grinds, spins and boofs.

The new Mamba’s were popular, we had 2 of the Mamba 8.6 prototypes and a production 8.1 available. There are several Mamba 8.1 around now, and the feedback is great, a kind of cross between the old Mamba and the Dagger Nomad, yet faster. A creeky river runner with speed to spare. During the creaking skills clinics, the new boat was a popular option.

The BCU Student Safety Symposium will be back in 2012, and if you are wondering why can’t general paddlers get a symposium, well you can, 27/29th January 2012 at the River Dart Country Park in Devon, Gene17 are hosting the very first the River’s Source – a white water symposium event