SSRKC 2021 SKILLS DEVELOPMENT REPORT
Author: Rob Plenderleith
Some of the key statistics from the 2021 Skills Development programme are:
- 41 Tuesday morning sessions at Lake Kawana, Caloundra Bar, and Mooloolaba Spit.
- Coaching was provided mainly by Dean Haspell and Rob Plenderleith (about 40 sessions each), with experienced club members contributing another 20 sessions.
- 180 students attended Tuesday sessions, some on many occasions. Class sizes ranged from 2 to 11, with more students when the water was warmer.
- Rescue Week was made possible by experienced club members who coached small groups of students. The venues were Lake Currimundi (34 kayaks on the water), Ewen Maddock Dam (36 kayaks), and Mooloolaba Spit (23 kayaks).
- In total, 373 people (coaches plus students) were involved in formal Skills Development sessions in 2020.
- Ad hoc coaching was provided during camps at Elanda Point, Jacobs Well, and Somerset Dam, and on scheduled club paddles.
In 2022 we will change the Tuesday format to focus on a narrower range of skills for a few weeks at a time, such as Rolling / Edging / Playing in Swell, and others yet to be revealed. We may run some trips for selected students and coaches to have fun in more challenging conditions.
Mooloolaba Spit generally offers a range of conditions from sheltered to more challenging
People often take the opportunity to paddle somebody else’s kayak during skills development session
We worked on everything from launching off the beach ………..
To safely returning to the beach (and that looks like rolling coaching in the background)
Rescue Week was a great success, fundamentally because of the experienced team who each coached small groups of students.
Rescue week Day 1, at Lake Currimundi.
A lot of students have happy smiles. Dave Hill at Mooloolaba. (Dave and Paul Watt were the first two students who asked for help with paddling skills. That was the beginning of the Skills Development program. They have a lot to answer for!)
Dean Haspell coaching Caroline Fisher at Mooloolaba.
Ross Thompson turning under a wave (he did NOT capsize)
Louise Rose rolling with a paddle float at Elanda Point.
Paul Watt oils the wheels in many ways including Beach Master, safety oversight and photographer.