I am experiencing a number of shortages at the moment. I have a shortage of money and a definite shortage of time. This is all the fault of a terrible addiction. Over the last four years I have spent all my wages and all my savings on kayaks, canoes, paddles and equipment. Now I can’t afford to eat.
Although, even if starving, I can always still paddle, I have observed a number of issues with this plan. Firstly, if I can’t put diesel in the van, then I can’t get to the water and if I can’t get to the water, I can’t go paddling. If I can’t afford any food, I can’t make my pieces and that means I’m going to get really cranky half way round a paddle. No one needs that. Obviously at this time of the year, things are happening indoors, but they too are costly. Right now I should be at canoe polo but I only have 87p…. (to last until Wednesday!).
Earlier in the week, before I withdrew my last £10 from the bank, I attended the Tuesday night KKC pool session. Mackayak was banked based but had been dragged along for observation and chit chat. After Watkeys asked what could be done with the coathanger, rubber duck and Playmobil Vikings on Sunday, it seemed only right to find out. Duly I packed my bag and headed for the pool.
In truth when I say I had set out to find out what could be done with the coathanger, duck and Vikings, what I actually mean was that I set out to find out what Mackayak could do with said items. As she was not in the water and I have the technical ability of a mouldy flannel, I was a bit stuck. She suggested the coathanger be used for the ‘arms behind the back, one holding the top of the norsaq and the other holding the bottom’ roll but this would have resulted in my drowning so it wasn’t attempted. We have another (pre-paid) pool session on Sunday, I shall get her yet…..
As KKC night is always busy, it was some time before I managed to get in a boat and when I did, I was only in for a short time. I crammed in as much as I could, concentrating on rolling and self-rescues.
I am still unhappy with my right side roll, it is working OK but just does not feel as smooth or efficient as the roll on the left. A left side roll is what I automatically do, so I have to make a conscious effort to roll on the right. Lately when I have rolled in anger, be in on the sea, in a river or out in the surf, I have always come up on the left.
Once again I tried the ‘release the towline and roll up’ manoeuvre which was no more interesting than it had been on Sunday. My re-entry and rolls were successful and my self rescues seem to be getting smoother. My new BA has a buckle bit at the top of the zip which is handy for attaching the spraydeck loop to and this certainly made getting up the boat easier.
My butterfly roll eluded me as ever, the first was OK, but the next few attempts were 90% ers. If I could get any video editing software to work on my computer, I’d post a video for feedback. However, at the moment I can’t.
While I was practising in my sea boat, a veteran had arrived at the pool. Discovered in an attic and apparently on the way to the tip, it had been paddled (and sunk) by at least two of my fellow coaches when they were just peedie lads….
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