C-Forum

I'm going C1!

I've been paddling a drakkar C1 all day today. I'm not 100% on what type it is (forgot to look) but it looks like a wheel boy in the pictures on this site. It's made of red kayak plastic. i thought they were composite. I've never seen one in the UK before.

Anyway I'm going to get it. I am very bad in it but i did OK on the local grade II. The level was low. I could surf a little on small waves and I can roll it. Though one attempt went weird on me and went vertical.

I am ok in a kayak but paddle my Ocoee mostly at the moment.

What should I do to get good in the C1. Just throw it in small waves and holes to see what happens? Or should I have some kind of plan to progess?

Did I say, I can roll it! I have no roll in my OC even after over 6 years. I am hoping this helps my get my OC roll too.

Sandie

Sandie,

I had a wheelboy for a while it was good fun. I found it to be a very stable platform for learning C1 coming from OC1 and easy to throw around.

The best thing i can suggest is to fit it out properly, get some straps, fit a console and some hip pads and your good to go.. I can mail you some pics of how mine was set up PM me with your email.

Once it is outfitted, do as many people recomend and try progressivly harder exercises and stuff on easy water i.e making tighter eddies on your local grade 2, front surfs, carving, back ferries, back surfs, the list goes on..

Practice as much as you can, get Drill Time, Solo Playboating and other DVD's and do some of the flatwater drills, get someone to video you, self analysis has been a huge breakthrough for my OC1 paddling actually seeing what i am doing then going back on the water and correcting it, and if you still have time after all this get some quaility coaching.

best of luck. Enjoy

Colin

It should help your OC1 roll too- The prototype wheelboys and firt runs were glass- but the since Fall 04 they have been plastic-

Bill

Hi Sandie,
If you're looking for Wheelboy/C1 outfitting items in the UK (spraydecks, straps, etc) contact Peter Reid (mailbox@dnacanoeing.com). He knows everything there is to know about Wheelboy and Wheelboying in the UK.

Yea contact Pete, I did and he never called me back.

Sorry Col. It is so unlike Pete not to answer! We'll have that sorted out, I am sure!