WWTCC News

Summer lovin .

You can always tell when summer arrives; it’s hot for a start! But also the squirt boats come out of hibernation & after paddling in stead of a nice warm ale or mold wine you can sit down and have a pint of cider!

Chertsey still seams to be a bit high at the moment but I’m sure over the next few days the water will clear and drop a little making the perfect level for squirting. Get your orders in now for your new boat the summer is a coming. And squirting is the only way a head!

(Matt making the most of the sunny weather)

However they maybe be another way, if you don’t want to Sink then you need to get yourself a BIG play boat! Small playboats are just so last season. If your playboat is not at least 6’7” long and packing at least a healthy 200 litres of volume really what are you doing! However after such a long time in small boats the mystical art of the cart wheel may elude you, at first.

(Rich going deep!)


(Fun in the sun!)

Here are a few tips to get the big boats doing ends. (I started this to be serious, then had to do some work! I don't think I missed to much out!)

Bow in first, Double pump! Take a forward sweep on one side you are going to do your end on, the sweep needs to go down rather than out and around! And really think about lifting your bow up in the air. Keep your head down and keep looking toward the water and your bow. Really try to concentrate on keeping your paddle parallel to the surface of the water

Bow Smash. Turn the forward sweep into a reverse push/pry type stroke while leaning forward a little bit (try not to lean right forward as you might just capsize!). Drive down hard with your legs, you will need to edge your boat hard over, the more your boat is up on edge, the easier this part of the move will be. This is the key movement to getting vertical on the bow; you will need to put quite some effort into this bit if you have a big boat! Hopefully your boat will now be vertical in the water (on your bow!) try to keep your body central and keep pushing down with your legs.


(Notice the “L” on the back of Pete’s boat! This isn’t because he’s obese (just a little chubby ;-) but because he understands that big boats are better.)

Stern Smash. After getting vertical on your bow, lead this next move with your head looking in the direction you want to go. If you are leading hard with your head, your boat should stay on its edge (hopefully). As your bow comes up, keep the boat on it’s edge and pull down with your other blade, this doesn’t need to be a supper powerful stroke, your stern is smaller than the bow and so long as your boat is on edge momentum will drive it under, concentrate more on your torso rotation and weight shift from slightly forward to slightly back (as your nose comes up). The hard bit now is to get back around for the bow, try not to get your blades stuck in the water, you need them out and ready for the next end.

4) Transition time. Once you are vertical on your stern, reach around as soon as possible to set up your bow smash (if your going left, your left blade! Right, right blade). Again lead with your head, keep your weight a bit forward. The important bit is keeping your boat as parallel to the surface of the water. Your boat hard no edge should be easy to push down. Now just do the same reverse stroke as you did to start with. A good abs & torso work out! Stay flexible, drive down with your legs and feet. Try not to learn really hard forward and then really hard back, the boat will go to vertical to soon and you will fall over, or your get to far of balance and fall over!

Now reading this is not really going to get you pulling ends, go paddle, have fun, drink cider!. I may have missed bit out in the above oops sorry it’s only a ruff guide!

posted by Pete @ 3:29 AM