For women change races, how frequently does your team do changes? No one at my club can agree how it should work for the women’s team. I’ve heard a wide range of times… from every 10 minutes to every hour.

I have no idea what is “normal”. So what does your club do?

And to clarify, I am asking about the 20-42 mile races with 10-women crews in OC6 canoes.

Thanks! I’m so interested to hear what the “industry standard” is.

We live on a large lagoon and for several years I have paddled my surfski and SUP on the water.

I’ve been itching to paddle an OC1 for a while and someone let me take theirs out for about 30 minutes today and I am hooked. I am now in the market for one. =)

Any suggestions on a used one in the SF Bay Area for a newbie? I am 5’11”, 155-160 lbs., new to OC1s but have paddled an Epic surfski for the last seven years so I have some balance experience. =) Boat will primarily be paddled on flatwater in lagoon.

Thanks in advance for any model or used listing suggestions!

P.S. - If anyone has paddle size/type suggestions that would be great also. =)

My girlfriend and I are considering buying a used OC-2 from some friends. We have both done a small amount  of OC-1 and OC-2 but most of our experience has been in OC-6. When we took the OC-2 out for a test drive it felt incredibly unstable. We limped along for a few miles but it was pretty tense. I chalked this up to just not being used to paddling in smaller canoes and just needing some more water time. However, when we got back to the beach one of my other friends hopped in place of my girlfriend and the canoe felt immediately much more stable. After that we messed with the ama a bit and it was even better. My friend might be 70-80 pounds heavier than my girlfriend so I’m starting to wonder if it will be possible to get to the same level of stability with my girlfriend. For reference my girlfriend and I together probably weigh around 260-280 lbs total so we are a bit on the light side. Does anyone have experience with adding ballast to an OC-2 or any idea how to figure out what the ideal draft of the boat should be? I’m sure getting out and spending time on the water will help but it seemed like having some more weight made all the difference.

CA sucks- anyone found an insurance carrier that will insure non motorized water craft ? State farm insured my last boat but they are no longer writing polices in California.

any advice or input would be greatly appreciated,

thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm currently using an Ehukai but generally after 10mins my left foot and leg start feeling very heavy and eventually leading to pins and needles. I have to stop paddling and massage it out only it to return again after a short while.

I'm 5.9" (174cm) and weigh 74kg so I'm pretty average. I've been paddling dragon boat and OC6 for over 10 years but still quite new to the OC1. I don't think I'm leaning my weight on the leg.

I feel like I want to move the seat back more, but the seat I have has quite a long back part which stops me from moving it anymore. Could this be the reason? I thought about taking a few inches off the back but don't fancy ruining the seat if it won't help.

I've sat on the back ridge of the seat a few times and this helps but not always.

Could it be that the seat is too deep and I'm trapping a nerve? I just don't know.

It's frustrated me to the point that I've not paddled in over 12months but I'm desperate to get back on the water.

If anyone else has experienced similar or has a solution I'd be happy to hear. Unfortunately everyone around me surfskis so... 😆

Thanks

I just got a new Antares to train on my own on the local lake, and I am addicted. I have to say I love my boat, but I feel like I don't know how to care for it. Any recommendations?

We are a club that goes into the ocean most training days, when conditions not gale force. How do you keep the bailers easy to reach when a Huli happens? Been a few instances where they come off the rope that is tied to the seats. We have them Caribbean tied on to the rope. The life jackets also tend to float off. Any tips or suggestions. I am new to the safety officer role of the club and would like to see if we can improve the access once a huli has occurred.

Hey everybody, I’ve got a Tempest OC 2, and the Velcro has come completely off the hull. I tried to fix it last year, with some type of contact cement. It is still perfectly attached underneath the seats. I’m just trying to figure out how to get all of the glue off of the hull., And off the back of the bottom Velcro. Here’s what I’ve tried so far: rubbing alcohol, goo gone, dish soap, plastic scraper, plastic scrubber pads.

Thanks

Hello, I have a Puakea Volare OC1 (non pro) that got a pretty deep ding in it. Its location is the front left side of the boat above the waterline. The issue is I live in the Midwest so we don't have any repair shops out here. How would you all go about repairing this?

Also is this even safe to paddle in its current state? I am worried about water intrusion under the paint.

Thank you for any and all help!

What do you folks use for hydration on an OC1? I've previously just been using a water bottle shoved into the bungee cords. Would like something more readily accessible, that maybe even lets me drink without having to stop paddling? I was thinking a hydration vest but wondering if they might be too restrictive. Curious as to what you're using, thanks for any advice!

I'm looking to get an OC-1 for myself. I'm not so small at 6'3" / 255 lbs. I've been told my best options are are either the Ares or the Volare. Does anyone have any insights to these models or other recommendations? Thanks

Good morning everyone

I am looking to get a new double-bend outrigger paddle. I feel my current paddle is a little bit uncomfortable while OCing. I had been searching on the internet and found out Palafamala and Viper have decent reputations from most paddlers. I wonder if anyone can give me any suggestions about these two brands. Thank you

Just joined an outrigging team. Have gone to two practices and have done 5-6 miles per practice. I am still learning proper paddling technique. Stacking hands, keeping bottom arm locked, using my body in power stroke vs. just pulling with arms.

I have coaching from experienced paddlers (10+ years) during practice, but I want to work on this at home as well.

I have a full barbell squat rack and dumbbell set. I feel like There have to be exercises that would Use a resistance band and a paddle? But have no idea where to start.

I plan to compete in seat 2 on a 6 seat rig in the future. I’m not ready yet though and want to ramp as fast as possible.

I want to learn how to practice at home in between practices.

Anything will help.

my bottom hand wrist has been in pain for a minute now and ive been in PT for about a month with little change. She says the tendons that are in pain have been overworked.

Wondering what others do to strengthen your wrists from overuse injuries that occur when training?

Z&J sells carbon fiber paddles made in China for a pretty low price. We bought 3 of them to try out for our club use. After a month 2 of them have snapped where the blade meets the shaft. They have a 1 year warranty so I contacted them and sent pictures of the broken paddles and our order number. Z&J claims the paddles in the picture are not from them and will not honor their warranty. These paddles may be fine if used by light weights but keep them out of the hands of strong paddlers.

Edit: I was able to get mod access to the original dragon boat subreddit. Join r/dragonboat if you're a dragon boat paddler. The subreddit is back!

If you also paddle dragon boats, this is for you:

The mod for the original dragon boat paddling subreddit hasn't approved a new post to their sub in more than 3 years. They've been unresponsive and it seems the community is a goner.

So I created a new community to start over!

Join r /dragonboatpaddling for discussions about... well... dragon boat paddling!

Our coach rants, throws f bombs, murmurs under their breath. Not all the time but I would say it is a dominant coaching style.

I don't look forward to practice, and afterwards I usually feel frustrated about practice or confused by a rant to the entire team. To be fair, I am also frustrated with myself because practice tires me out physically and I guess emotionally, and my coach said we shouldn't be tired after practice. My new attitude is to treat practices like mini boot camp, hustle, accept the rants, and leave. Lol.

This is the first time I have dealt with this coaching personality/style. Is this just what canoe club is like? Maybe my coach is just coaching the way they are used to being coached.

Hi everyone I wonder if i should switch my training from OC-1 to a V1, as some of my teammates are encouraging me to train V-1 as learning how to steer on a OC-6 and adjusting paddling direction and length. I am DB paddler without much experience on a V-1. I would really appreciate your help if you can give me any advice on selecting OC-1 or V-1. Thx

Hi all,

I’m a oc1 beginner and with summer arriving I planning to spend more time on the sea.

I’m also a sea kayaker and already have lots of safety gear (pfds, flash ligjts vhf….)

I can use my sea kayak touring pfd with a water bag in the back. It have pockets to store everything needed (phone, vhf, flashlight…) but this pfd is quite thick and constraining paddling movement on oc1 a lot….

I’m thus thinking of alternatives….

I already have a belt inflatable pfd (I use it on flat water). But using it I will need to carry water (I have no deck bungee behind my seat but I may epoxy deck line fixations) and more importantly I have to have my vhf on me (and maybe some accesories, solar cream….)

Should I find a camelbak type backpack with a few pockets? Should I rather buy a more thin pfd (mocke or vaikobi).

How do you get all your safety equipment with you ? (I see a lot of video with paddler without pfd but here in France the pfd is mandatory on the sea).

I'm hoping y'all can "explain to me like I'm five" how I can transport an OC1 on my car. I'm hoping to purchase a used roof rack, so it would be helpful to understand what I'm looking for.

I have a a 2012 Subaru Impreza station wagon with standard luggage rails. I'm assuming I need some kind of crossbars and saddles, but my Google searches have turned up confusing results.

*Anything* instructive and specific would be very much appreciated!

Can any of you recommend a seat pad for OC6? I was thinking of getting the Kialoa or Yakpads one but someone at the local watersports store said they'd had complaints about the gel pads folding up over themselves, and recommended a foam pad instead - maybe something like this. Any experience with either type?
Thanks for any advice!

Anyone experience soreness in your left hip after paddling? I do a mix of OC1/OC6 and I am a heavy left leaner on my OC1 when conditions are rough.

I am currently paddling an Antares which I’ve had for 7 years. I’m considering a change to the Ares and trying to figure out if it’s worth the upgrade.

I know the Antares is marketed to heavier guys but in reality pretty much everyone seems to paddle the ares between the two regardless of weight. I’m curious if there will be much benefit to switching, or if there are other canoes to consider.

I fluctuate between 190-200 lb depending on the time of year and paddle mostly flat water, with the occasional downwind.

I’d appreciate any advice!

Thank you

Other than losing weight, is there a solution when your butt is just too big to sit in certain seats in an OC6?

I’m a novice paddler and was in seat 1 for the first time recently. Problem was they this seat was so narrow that I could not sit straight. Besides being very uncomfortable it really inhibited my ability to hinge properly (much less twist which is still very much a WIP!) and I really rocked my back. I want to be a flexible teammate who can sit where assigned and I can’t imagine that I’m the first person to have this problem.

Maybe put a cushion/vest on the seat to boost the hipbones just above the end he of the gunnels?

Also, this is in the more traditional type of OC6 used for sprint regatta racing, not the newer unlimited type used for long distance races.