Liffey Descent 2011

[Tiny Tim]

Answer to first part, you'd need to be out a few times a week, firstly for confidence and secondly it's a bloody long paddle. No don't get a racing boat, your mamba would be fine if a little slow. Racing boat takes practice that you need to be doing to get confortable with just doing the distance.
I did from the portage to the get out as sweep a couple of years ago and all i can say is don't do it if you leave the bung open on your boat. Also after about 30 rescues and no training I was fucked falling out of the boat.

Id have to disagree on this one. Its a long slog but if your out even every second week ull be grand. Theres an easy route down everything and heaps of rescue.

I would most definately not recommend a mamba or a racing boat, creekboats are damn slow and racers are damn tippy. Any sort of a long, stable boat (invader, dancer etc.) are the business and the club has a large unused stock of them.

[Ritchie]

I was thinking of doing a tandem but does the other person in the kayak req a level3 icu cert or will mine do for the both of us??

[Mark]

Ritchie once a L3 instructor signs off it'll be grand.

[Simon R.]

do it in your playboat there was a time when you'd 45 km of flatwater, get off the water and start drinking.....

[Ritchie]

...ah yes. The true professional, those were the days!!!

[Simon R.]

tell me about it

[caz]

*Bump* Is it just me or is it very hard to get information about this online. When do they start taking entries and where can you get entry forms? Should they be on the ICU website?

[kmck]

Well without Conor and Mick there is alot of work for others to do.

[kill]

Where are Conor and Mick?

LD does not really require rough water experience. Once you're comfortable avoiding trees in slow-moving water, there's no danger to it. You should be comfortable swimming. Once you're comfortable swimming, don't swim. Then paddle for a couple of hours. It's 28.2km/17.6miles. Then get out and party like an animal. Be aware that you have to carry your boat for 500m. Use long non-tippy boat where possible.

Simon, I don't remember you getting off the water before you started drinking.

I would love to do the race but I already have me an ELECTRIC PICNIC ticket!!! YEAH!!

LD should really stop competing with this.

[Nuala]

They have this year as far as I know, I think the descent has been moved to the weekend after the picnic - it's on Saturday September 10th.

[Matt]

Where are Conor and Mick?

Conor has resigned and Mick is, em, under investigation at the moment... More info on Irishwhitewater.com

[Gareth]

the forms for the liffey decent are out now
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1BGF35XclBZZDgzNWFjYTUtOTcyMC00YjA3LWFhNGQtMGNmYjY3Y2I3Zjll&hl=en_US

[Douchier]

nice ...on the ld forum they recommend a few warm up rough water races.... what examples are there around ireland over the summer and do many people do them

As was said above, it's not completely necessary..but not such a bad idea anyway. There are races on in thomastown on August 8th and the Lower Liffey race on August 28th.

But, erm...sorry to throw a spanner in the works, but how's your level three going micheal?

[kill]

You don't need a level three if you can get an instructor to sign off that you're capable.

You don't need to be 15 if you can get an instructor to lie about your age for you. 

[Gareth]

Just wondering if anyone else wants to go flat water paddling in Dublin Bay over the next while build up the fitness for the Liffey Decent???. 18 miles is quite a lot 
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