Rescue development - KAYAKING EXPLOSION!

[Maryanne]

I've mentioned this to a few people, but it's probably best to say it in an open forum.

Next year the club members who are now in second year will be the senior members of the working, paddling club.
Of course there will still be oldies and not-so-oldies and ex-committee who'll be there when they're needed, but the day to day (or Saturday to Saturday) running of club trips will fall increasingly to the (now) second years as we don't have any rescue paddlers in third year.

There are eight seven six club trips left this year
16th of February
23rd of February
2nd of March
9th of March
30th of March
6th of April
13th of April
and the trip on the 20th of April will be under next year's committee.

Each of these trips provides an opportunity to improve your rescue skills, learn and improve:
- where to position an individual for rescue
- how to position a group for rescue
- group awareness
- towing a swimmer
- boat barging
- boat emptying
- collecting gear
- protecting hazards (trees etc)
...and more

These things are done on every river trip, so you've seen them around you and may have an idea of how they work. Normally there would be another year in which to progress to the stage where you can set this stuff up yourselves as a group, this year there is not.

The second years in general have accomplished an incredible amount in their personal paddling and well done to all of you for that, but more will be expected of you in terms of rescue and group awareness for next year.

Use these last trips to ask older rescue and instructors any questions you have and take the opportunity to consolidate what you know and establish a strong rescue presence and awareness.

All of the relevant skills will be practicable on club trips (Liffey, Boyne and Wicklow) and further experience can be gotten on private trips, especially peer private trips (ie with no senior leader).

Safety is obviously incredibly important to the club and hopefully starting this conversation now will prevent anyone from missing an opportunity because they weren't aware of the situation.

[Maryanne]

[kmck]

I'm more than willing to take freshers and second years out on a flat water session over the Easter break. Basically towing, paddle throwing, happy fluffy bunny rescue (UC), x -rescue and eskimo rescue (T-rescue) as much to practice as to teach.
The cost: a little bit for your driver for petrol and maybe some chocolate cake.

I just redid my REC 3 with Barry Redmond and he has a plan for a one day refresh canoe/rec day, I've the time to organise this if people are interested once again over the break or some Sunday. A number of people did the REC last year as such there should be a pool of people for this.

Something I've been meaning to do for a while is practice my rope throwing which is abysmal at present. If I'm on any river trip between now and the end of the year I'll be doing this as a warm up, join in. Also on my list when I'm unemployed will be going to a static site and practicing different scenarios. 

Paddlefest in Kilkenny this year, I live nearby but won't be offering floor space till closer to the date, staying with me would mean missing out on the evening entertainment but I'm close to a number of the event sites.
http://www.canoe.ie/en-gb/trainingcourses/paddlefestkilkenny2013.aspx

[Conor Mohan]

Would be fairly interested in this...

[Steven Mul]

I'm more than willing to take freshers and second years out on a flat water session over the Easter break. Basically towing, paddle throwing, happy fluffy bunny rescue (UC), x -rescue and eskimo rescue (T-rescue) as much to practice as to teach.
The cost: a little bit for your driver for petrol and maybe some chocolate cake.

I just redid my REC 3 with Barry Redmond and he has a plan for a one day refresh canoe/rec day, I've the time to organise this if people are interested once again over the break or some Sunday. A number of people did the REC last year as such there should be a pool of people for this.

Something I've been meaning to do for a while is practice my rope throwing which is abysmal at present. If I'm on any river trip between now and the end of the year I'll be doing this as a warm up, join in. Also on my list when I'm unemployed will be going to a static site and practicing different scenarios. 

Paddlefest in Kilkenny this year, I live nearby but won't be offering floor space till closer to the date, staying with me would mean missing out on the evening entertainment but I'm close to a number of the event sites.
http://www.canoe.ie/en-gb/trainingcourses/paddlefestkilkenny2013.aspx

I'd defo be up for something like this

[Maryanne]

23/02/2013

Niall F and Cillian log hours, run instruction through the day and design rescue with Ross.
Not enough second years present to run full rescue, but a very good opportunity for figuring out what to do.

Any feedback guys?
Did you know more or less about how to set up rescue than you'd thought?
What did it feel like deciding how to run things and where to put rescue?

[Chunderdragon]

Felt good! definitely need to work on positioning rescue myself, but learnt loads yesterday!

[Ross]

Who is supposed to be in charge of the rescue? The instructor, or someone from the rescue? Or some sort of compromise and discussion about it?

[Maryanne]

Who is supposed to be in charge of the rescue? The instructor, or someone from the rescue? Or some sort of compromise and discussion about it?

The instructor is ultimately responsible for safety on the trip, however since we often ask them to run L2 and L3 training, or manage quite a large group, they don't always get to give each rescue paddler instructions on where to be or what to do.
Since instructors are often only with us for a trip or two, they're unlikely to think of long term goals (eg developing rescue) when they're faced with short term targets (eg get the beginners through the day).

It's definitely worth asking them for tips on positioning etc, so it's worth taking the initiative to do that. A good option would be to come up with what you think you should do, then ask the instructor to critique it. The process of thinking it through is very valuable, since it's transferable to evaluating any feature (eg on private trips) and then getting some feedback will help improve the ideas.

You guys could decide to have a quick talk with the instructor before getting on the water, then a short talk at the end (like we did last week) to get a debrief.

[kmck]

Ultimately on a club trip it's the instructor whose insurance the trip runs on, so they are in charge.

However, there is a need for you guys to get used to making these calls on river trips under supervision so when you are peer paddling you can make them by yourself. I will happily run a river with a group of my friends knowing I can get myself out of any situation I find myself in, and if I can't say that, I won't get on the water or run a particular rapid. If you are always lead down a river that becomes habit and it's hard to break free of thinking of yourself as just a follower rather than the leaders you've the potential to be.
There are few things you learn by doing and where to set up rescue is one, like why do we have a live bait at the end of the diagnol on the boyne? Is it a good idea or is better to let someone swim since rescue is easy at that point? How long does it take to set up rescue and does that make the trip longer but safer or just longer?

The basic idea is known as Plan, Act, Review. If you don't have a plan that everyone knows there isn't good rescue. if you can't act on the plan it wasn't very good and if you never review you never learn from your mistakes or success. This is why group debriefs are a good idea and if we get into the practice of them when things go well, if things go wrong we have the expereince of doing them.

[kmck]

Would people be interested in a flatwater rescue day. Basically I would cover X-rescues, Assisted X-rescues, Unconscious rescue and some other bits a pieces. Either above the sluice or in Dun Laorghie. Run this before for different groups, it's aimed at first years and second years. Basically next year you'll be helping out in eddies collecting the pieces so it's worth having a go at the normal skills. This sunday meet at boat house 10 on the water by 11

Cost: Depends a donation to your driver and parking if it's in Dun Laorghie

[Douchier]

Howdie Kieran,

Maybe run that by the committee?

Niall

[kmck]

Talk about it this evening?

[Maryanne]

ATTENTION SECOND YEARS!

There are only four club trips left this year, two of which will not have the usual format (assessments and end of year trip) so if you intend to improve your rescue skills at club trips, make sure to sign up, as they're nearly over.

9th of March - L2 training & L3 training - rescue roles
*midterm break* - opportunity for private trips - peer paddling, rescue roles
30th of March - Ball (boatercross / Wicklow trip) - rescue roles
6th of April - Paddlefest - Student safety and rescue workshop
13th of April - L2 and L3 assessments - some rescue roles
20th of April - post-AGM, fun and games, last trip of the year - some rescue roles

Peer paddling is a great way to develop too, head out to Liffey/sluice/Boyne/Avonmore/Annamoe with no paddler in the group who's a distinct leader (ie just second years) and feel the difference when it's you who has to check around every corner, decide what rescue is needed where and improve group awareness so that everyone can see everyone all the time).

There was a L3 instructor assessment at sluice on Saturday, they got in some great training taking turns to practice rescue there
- one person lets their boat float down
- they swim down
- boat based rescue recover the boat
- bank based rescue rope the swimmer

They kept it up pretty continuously for about an hour and a half or two hours, until each person had successfully roped a swimmer, barged a boat and put in a swim.
Anyone who missed with a rope had to go again and I'm pretty sure anyone who missed barging a boat from the flow to an eddy within the rapid section had to go again too.
All good practice straight away, could be good for a peer paddling private trip on a Sunday/over the midterm break.