Monday, August 14, 2006

Melbourne Kayaking

You've seen and read about Kuching Kayaking with Unker Ho but its time you see Melbourne Kayaking in action! Come with me as I show you what real kayaking is all about!

Well, high school style anyway! Hehe..I knew of Ivanhoe Grammar School's own kayak team's been training at Dight's Falls every Thursday and Friday afternoon so I've decided to check them out last Friday.

Here are some of the students with their instructor as they carry their kayaks onto the waters. They will be practising their slalom skills today so I read from their schedule.

Before they jump into the waters the instructor briefed the students on what they need to do and to watch out for. You can never be too careful coz safety is number one!

Right after the briefing everyone was keen to jump into the waters with their kayaks. The instructor is on the far right directing the students where and how to paddle safely across so as not to get swept away by the rapids.

Here the instructor is getting each student to practise manuevering their ways in a rapid. Everyone takes turn doing it while the instructor guides them.

When the students are confident enough they proceed to practise their paddling up against the current on their own while the instructor watches on.

These students look like they know what they're doing so that takes a huge load off the instructor who's just there to make sure they're doing it correctly and safely.

There are times when the students had to learn how to move downstream with the flow as well as against it coz it takes some skill or else the whole kayak will go under! But fortunately I didn't see anyone go under that day. These students are good at kayaking. They're our future athletes!

So the more advanced students can get to practise on top of the weir where the water is calmer but they're here to learn how to jump down the water falls.


Look at them go! Looks damn easy but I think I'd have swallowed a few gulps of water if I were in those kayaks! Unker Ho, you're not going to see me in those!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Makes me itch again. You may check out white water rafting at my site that i've just been to.

Francis Ho said...

sorry if to 'burst' anyone's bubble but in rafting u just sit in a big rubber ducky and do sweet nothing while the guide actually do all the control and manuevering ... u're given a paddle just for show and the heck of it actually. but it's great fun and excitement nonetheless to be on white waters!

if u really want to run whitewater on your own skills u need to get into a whitewater kayak as shown here. but u're then advised to take prior lessons like u see here as u can't just 'go out and do it' unless of course u're tired of living!

give it a go Wuching! u can do it! ;)

Anonymous said...

did u kayak thr?or just watch; i think it is rafters..

Robin Wong said...

wahh wuching try to follow unker ho's footsteps in kayaking... go go wuching !!!

5xmom.com said...

I know why wuching is there. For the wet t-shirts peek! HEY, WHERE ARE THE SHOTS?

Anonymous said...

Aiyo, you didn't take part?!

Cocka Doodle said...

It would've been more fun if they fit a 10 horse powered outboard motor to their kayaks!

Anonymous said...

The last pict is awesome!

Wuching said...

hijackqueen: how come i can't find that post in ur blog wan? where is it?

fh2o: cannot lah unker, i'm too old to start now!

naiveidealist: what do u think? i'm a watcher, not a player! :P

robin: nolah, i'm the imitation wan!

5xmom: where got wet t-shirt lah..u do lah! hehehe..

neo: of course not! this is school students wan lah!

cocka: then it wouldn't be called kayaking, it would be called outboarding i think..

SA: he's a man of many talents!

che-cheh: yeah! good hor!

me said...

kayaking sounds like fun. i like it but allergic to danger woh. also very lousy swimmer and very scared of drowning. you think can go kayaking in the bath tub ah?

Anonymous said...

Wuching? U old? Then uncle is antique loh :P hehehehe

This one is whitewater kayaking..uncle one is a leisure kayak..no rapids, only calm river..if u lucky..u just tie your kayak to his and he paddle for u and you become King and lie down leisurely on a ride up river :P but no guarantee uncle wouldn't drow u lah...hehehe..but for me? Sure kayak will sink and if its whitewater kayaking...then for sure after going through the waterfalls or rapids..got lubang one hahahahaha

PabloPabla said...

Wah! Australia look like very the fun wan.

Helen said...

You're right. It looked easy when someone else is doing it, right? lol

Looking at those rocks, it's pretty dangerous ler...

Anonymous said...

Just click on my name and it will direct you liao.

Cocka Doodle said...

Lenglui....you can't swim ah? come come, cocka teach you how. **salivating at the thoughts of giving swimming lessons to lenglui**

Wuching said...

me: dun worry, u'll wear a life jacket when u go in so ur safe!

QV: so unker wan is pussy wan hor! hehehe

pablopabla: fun! very the fun wan!

helen: thats why they have to wear helmets i supposed..

hijackqueen: i'll try again but i didn't find it b4..

cocka: aiyo! getting mental image of hamsup cocka giving swimming lesson to lenglui! *shudders*