The Symposium offered 10 or more classes each day to choose from. My goals (above and beyond general development) were to get more comfortable and skilled "in conditions" and to take a shot at the BCU 3 Star award. BCU is the British Canoe Union; a 3 Star Paddler is a confident and strong paddler in Force 4 conditions (one meter seas, up to 18 mph/16 knot winds).
My first two days of classes were 3 Star Training with Steve Maynard as the instructor, 6 students, and an assistant instructor. The very first thing we did was to head out into the Triangle, a shoal/sandbar that the incoming swells were wrapping around and breaking across. The waves were coming from different directions as they rolled over the shoal. It was a confused mass of moving water and "haystacks" (where two waves combined) and troughs. Sometimes two waves would approach from opposite sides and break on top of your head; sometimes you would get past one and another would immediately come from another side. Definitely not Lake Calhoun.
We all stayed upright as we paddled through the Triangle twice, and then we headed off for other adventures. Over the course of the next two days, we played beach tag (see how close in to shore you can ride the waves, then back out and do it again) and school of fish (whilst paddling forward, travel as a school of fish: keep changing position every 30 seconds). We worked on forward strokes (keep the top hand moving in a horizontal plane; get the blade planted before you unwind; keep the stroke short). We did some more surfing and this time I capsized (first time in the surf). I thought about rolling for all of 2 seconds, but I was on my off side, and it felt too shallow to get to the other side, so I bailed. Winter project: get my offside roll!
We played a rescue game – two groups of 3, each with one victim, one towing, and one supporting the victim. Trade places so everyone tows 2 times, and see which group goes farthest/fastest taking 50 strokes each time. We did T-rescues while someone was towing the rescuer (a great way to practice against a current and make sure you hold on to your boat). Steve taught us a hanging draw started with a forward stroke that gracefully turned to a draw. We worked on bow and stern rudders in a more vertical orientation (alas, I never got the stern rudder working, and managed to "break" my old stern rudder technique, so that didn’t go well on the assessment.)
Friday was Rough Water Discovery with Nigel Foster. We did some warm up surfing on a calmer area, then headed out to the Zipper and Nigel offered each of us the option of going in and trying it. Similar to the Triangle, the Zipper is a long, narrow shoal perpendicular to the swells. Ignorance being bliss, I went in a couple times. Fortunately, my balance made up for my still developing bracing skills, and I stayed upright.
From there we spent more time working on surfing. I've got a long ways to go, but every bit of practice helps. Over the course of the day I capsized 4 times and managed to roll up twice, which I counted as a minor triumph. These were the first two times I'd rolled up after capsizing accidentally.
At the end of the day, Nigel's parting words were to encourage us to be as efficient as possible; we waste a lot of strength and energy in our inexperience.
Saturday was Intermediate Surfing with Danny Mongno. We talked about launching and surf safety, then paddled out beyond the break. We ended up riding the swells and waiting for half an hour with the assistant instructor while Danny sorted out someone in a wooden Betsy Bay who had gone over on the way out and had a hatch cover pop off. The swells were pretty big, and to be honest, I was a bit spooked at looking at half a mile of breaking waves coming in to shore.
After Danny joined us, we headed back to shore (I chose the easier route) and gathered up again. There were a few challenges in finding the right place to practice (bigger swells than expected, a surf competition going on, lots of swimmers and kite surfers, and a variety of skill levels), so after lunch we ended up working fairly close to shore. Goal was to paddle out a hundred yards or so, do a few 360s out in the breaking waves, then ride the waves in. I usually ended up capsizing before I got in, but had fun. I bagged it about 3:00 and watched the others until the end of the class, trying to save some energy for the next day.
Sunday was my 3 Star assessment. It was pretty clear as the day progressed that I wasn't yet a 3 Star paddler. Some of the gaps were in basic skills; some were in ocean paddling. But it was a good learning experience.
Four of our group were trying to get BCU certifications, and none of us passed, though all were close. On our way out of town, we stopped by the Sea Kayak Georgia store and ran into a man who had just gotten his 3 Star. He was 70 years old, and had tried once before. He had also done some 4 Star training. This week he done his 3 Star assessment on Saturday with Jeff Allen. Jeff had his group out in conditions for their entire assessment, including for skills that you normally aren't required to do in conditions. He also had them do a re-enter and roll, then paddle in to shore in rough water (performing several skills while their boats were full of water), then paddle back out backwards, boats still full of water. It's clear that there are variations in how the assessments actually proceed. We figured that the passing rate for 3 Star was 20 to 30 percent. As my assessor said, it's a big award.
But … it was a great week. I can't even say I'm disappointed about not getting the 3 Star. I can see the progress I've made since I got my boat last fall. One more year and I'll be ready. In the meantime, it's all fun.
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