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Sprinting | Marathon Paddling | Rivers | Slalom | White Water | Canoe Polo | Equipment Canoe Concepts has been the leading supplier of canoes, kayaks and whitewater boats for more than EIGHTEEN YEARS. Stocked with the latest equipment, its' friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff will put you on the water, whether it be for recreation or competitive purposes. Having developed relationships with suppliers countrywide, Canoe Concepts will not only advise and supply you with what you need, but will ensure customer satisfaction and be you're middleman with muscle, able to guarantee quality and delivery on your behalf. WHAT DO I NEED? WHAT BOAT BEST SUITS ME? WHAT PADDLE BEST SUITS ME? COACHING? CLUBS? GETTING STARTEDAlthough canoeing might seem a daunting sport to get into, if you get the correct equipment, get the correct coaching, and have an ounce of persistence, in a couple of months you could be charging down the torrents like a pro!The first thing you have to do is decide what type of canoeing you are interested in. Do you want to be a marathon paddler, experiencing the joy of completing races like the DUZI CANOE MARATHON and THE FISH RIVER CANOE MARATHON, or perhaps you would like to be a sprinter and compete one day against the world's best at the Olympics. If you are an adrenalin junkie perhaps it's the white water thrills that interest you. Here is a brief description of the different types of canoeing: SprintingThis is an Olympic discipline and involves distances of 200m, 500m and 1000m. Paddlers can either paddle on their own in a K1, with another paddler in a K2 or the 3rd option is a K4.South Africa has the services of a world class Hungarian Coach, Nandor Almasi. Sprinting requires expert technique and the ability to paddle at a very quick pace for short distances. Sprint training is very intense, and includes extensive weight training. Marathon PaddlingMarathon paddling involves much greater distances.Marathon paddling can be divided into two sections; Flatwater. Flatwater marathon is an international discipline. Races are held over longer distances, on flat water. In World Marathon events Juniors and Ladies are requires to paddle up to32kms, and Seniors paddle up to 42 kms. Most marathon events also include short portages. RiversIn South Africa we also do marathon river paddling. Races such as the Dusi and Fish marathon have become very popular events.Each river race has unique aspects which enables each to have their own attraction. The Dusi is a race that requires a lot of river skills as well as the ability to portage a boat over long distances. The Fish River Marathon offers big water and the challenge here is to be able to navigate the rivers obstacles with as much skill as possible, for example Cradock weir, Soutpans rapid and the famous Keith's Flyover. The Berg Marathon is a 4 day event stretching over 210 kms in the beautiful Cape Fold mountain area. The Lowveld Crocodile in regarded as one of the most challenging rivers and is recommended for K1 paddling as it is regarded as a "tight" river. Paddles can select whether they wish to paddle in a K1 or K2 for these events. The SA River Marathon event is held on one of these rivers every year for both K1 and K2 paddlers. SlalomSlalom is also an Olympic discipline. Slalom paddling is similar to slalom skiing, in that there are poles “gates” one has to pass through, on a short, steep white water section of a river, or manmade course, in the minimum of time. Points are awarded according to one’s time, and the number of penalties that the paddler incurs, by touching a “gate”, or missing one altogether.White WaterWhite water paddling consists of an individual time trial down a short, steep, stretch of river with lots of rapids. A "white water" boat is used which has a lot of buoyancy which enables it to "pop" out of the water, and it does not have a rudder. The paddler leans the boat in order to turn and guide the boat down the rapids. This discipline is not very well catered for here in South Africa due to the lack of water supply and hence the difficulty for paddlers to acquire the skills from experience.Canoe PoloA small 1 person craft is used to play polo in a swimming pool. A 6 person team tries to score goals with a polo ball. The game is similar to water polo except the players are in a boat. The skills learned in this discipline are invaluable for the other canoeing disciplines.What you should do is get hold of the canoe club closest to you and you will be guided in the right direction as far as the races, meetings, practices, tours etc. Club information is available on this website. Equipment
Alternatively you can get hold of somebody at our shop where we will gladly steer you on your way! |