Welcome to the Over 45 Social Canoe Club
The club caters for those who enjoy an active sociable lifestyle. Members paddle weekly on Friday mornings on the Swan or Canning Rivers with occasional ocean paddles at Rockingham, Shoalwater Bay or Hillarys. On each Friday the paddlers form into groups, based on ability. Most groups would normally paddle between 10 and 17 kilometres in total with a mid paddle coffee break. On return to the starting point a picnic lunch is enjoyed by the group. Each week the club gathers at a different starting point, alternating with north or south of the river starts.
There are annual week-long camps at Rottnest Island in autumn and near Albany, Walpole or Augusta by rotation, in spring. There are also annual weekend camps at Moore River and Mandurah.
Social events include travel nights where members talk about their trips and sharing meals at restaurants. On two Fridays a year members do not paddle but celebrate the club's anniversary and Christmas.
A strong emphasis of the club is safety, with special reference to equipment, teamwork, structured paddling formats and safety briefings. There is no competitive element to the paddles; the emphasis is on enjoyable, social paddling while remaining safe in sometimes challenging conditions. The club does not offer formal training but practices safety and rescue techniques.
Safety
The Club has a strong focus on safety during paddle activities. While each individual paddling in any Club event is responsible for their own wellbeing and safety (Club Officers are not trained, insured professionals), the Club is proactive in organising safe paddles as well as arranging safety days where members practice some techniques such as assisted re-entry of canoes in the event of capsize.
In addition the By-Laws of the Club focus on:
- members being healthy for every paddle
- briefings before every paddle
- groupings of paddlers with a minimum of three in any group
- minimum requirements for equipment to include PFD, a whistle, a suitable bailing device such as a bilge pump, and a towrope.
Water and weather conditions can change very quickly on the water. Based on forecasts paddles can be scheduled, changed and cancelled. Organisers rely on BOM and other weather apps for forecasts for guidance. It is recommended that all paddlers check forecasts before paddling. Access to some of the available apps can be had by pressing the buttons below.
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Transport WA
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Re-entering a capsized kayak
Capsizing is not unusual in paddling. The Club focuses on assisted recovery, either through conveying the capsized paddler to the shore or assisting the paddler to re-enter the craft. There are various assisted re-entry methods and individual paddlers may have preferences. Club safety day practices include the "Hook Heel" and "Cowboy" methods.
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The "cowboy" method involves another paddler keeping the kayak steady while the capsized paddler straddles the rear of the craft and inches forward to the cockpit.
"Safe Paddling, everyone!"
"Hook Heel"
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