2017 Novice Training Update

February 27, 2017

Aloha all potential PKO Novice,

I (Novice Coach Tom) welcome you to Pale Kai Outrigger (PKO). Below you will find all the information needed to become a novice member of PKO. So let the info begin! First and foremost is that PKO is a competitive racing club which expects a certain level of commitment to join. Please review the following information thoroughly so you know what to expect from me and PKO.

Novice Men/Women practice logistics:

Gear to bring to every practice: water clothing (this is a water sport), dry clothing, hydration, water footwear, towel, (optional) visor, sunglasses, sunscreen

Training Schedule: 2~3 hrs

1st practice 3/11/17 - 8am

Saturday, March 11th we will meet at the PKO club-site in Avila Beach (dry-land training) RSPV

2nd practice 3/13/17 - 5pm

Monday, March 13th, we will Meet at Coleman Beach in Morro Bay. Be ready to get on the water - we will be paddling.

3rd practice 3/15/17 - 5pm

Wednesday, March 15th, we will Meet at Coleman Beach in Morro Bay. Be ready to get on the water - we will be paddling.

4th practice 3/18/17 - 12pm

Saturday, March 18th, we will meet at the PKO club-site in Avila Beach Be ready to get on the water - we will be paddling.

Ongoing - Monday, Wednesday, Saturday

The novice team will practice at 5pm in Avila Beach on Monday/Wednesday and 12pm on Saturday.

Education and Videos

Below are 3 videos that I would like you to watch prior to your 1st practice. We will be discussing this info thru-out the paddling season.

John Puakea teaches us the Tahitian paddling technique

Breaking down the stroke used in Stand-Up Paddling. Jim Terrell, the creator of QuickBlade paddles

Looking forward to a great 2017 racing season.

Mahalo, Coach Tom

2017 Membership Dues and Waivers

Don’t forget to complete your 2017 Scora waivers and pay your dues! Everything you need is only the membership page. Waiver and Dues Info

FAQs

I don’t get off work till 5pm?

Thats ok! Many of our members hold M-F jobs and don’t get off till 5pm. We make sure that we’re ready to head straight to practice from work. This means having your paddle, practice clothes, water, sunscreen, and warm change of clothes packed in your car before going to work. From 5pm to 5:20pm people arrive at the club-site and get the boats ready to go out. We strive to be on the water by 5:30pm for every practice.

What if I can’t make it to all the practices?

It’s important to attend as many practices as possible! You need to build strength, endurance, and technique. This will only happen if you practice. However, life happens and we understand that sometimes it’s not possible to be in Avila 3 days a week. Just let your coach know if you wont be there so they can plan accordingly.

What’s the Novice Iron Season?

The iron season consist of 5 long distance races that take place in Southern California during May and June. During your novice season, you will practice and race with other novice paddlers. Imagine getting into position at the start line with 50 other boats - all filled with 1st year paddlers. It’s all new for everyone! We encourage novice paddlers to attend all the irons races to build consistent teams and get the full novice iron season experience.

5 races - I cant attend all of them!

That’s ok. There will be a sign up sheet for races. If you can’t make it, don’t sign up.

What’s a race day like?

Well, it’s more like a race weekend. Those of us that can be at the race site Friday evening will unload and rig boats. Saturday morning we meet at the PKO Pop-Up tents at 7am to prepare for our races. This means stretching, drinking water, and getting important pre-race nutrition. At 8am, the novice steersman and coach attend a very important steersman meeting to go over the race course, rules, and SCORA announcements. At 8:30, we do a team huddle and send off the novice team!

Once the novice team finishes their race, the women’s and co-ed teams have their race. While their on the water, the novice team prepares the BBQ and after race libations. Once the women’s team finishes, we send of the mens team! We’ll start putting the remaining boats away at this point because we’ve learning through trial and error that getting them on the trailer sooner then later is way better. Once the men finish the PKO Beach BBQ really takes off along with all the other teams! Clubs mingle, beers are shared, and BBQ recipes are swapped. The Awards ceremony usually takes place around 3:30 and hopefully PKO walks away with some bling.

After the awards ceremony we all help pack up the trailer and you will be asked to help rig the trailer if needed. That evening many of us will meet up for dinner and drinks in Old Town or the SCORA sponsored after party.

We love carpooling with other members and make sure to help everyone get to and from the races. With so many difference schedules, you’re bound to find someone who needs to arrive/leave when you do.