Tuesday, January 16, 2007
@4:45 PM
Ramunia 2007- 3rd Refresher
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12 Jan 07 (Thursday) [Raining Day]
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Morning 10am reached club, only saw a couples of trainer there. They was suprised that, how come i came to club today.
Joyce told them Aiyoh " Advance parties la" Asking rubbish haha.
After my breakfast, I went to do my final packing for my stuff. Meng teck came to club, abt 11.30am. We went to packed lunch.
After our lunch abt 12.30pm. Abt 1.30pm we loaded the sea kayak and Dancer to the bum boat "1206". Then once the bum boat move out frm our club ram, we immidate packed our things and went to custom for our passport admin stuff. After that we ambaked to the bum boat, we travel frm changi jetty toward pengalang jetty (Malaysia). We discovered the jetty is under construction, also so dangerous to the arriver coz is so narrow space.
We reached pengalang jetty abt 2.30pm, the OBS trainer also arrived the jetty at the same time. We shifted all the kayak and equipment up to jetty and waited for the malaysia lorry to be arrived. Those kayaks are: Short boat like Bandit, dancer, supersports, river playboat. Long boat like: Sea kayaks)
The lorry arrive abt 3.30pm, we shifted the kayak and equipment up to lorry, The taxi brought us to the town, we buy tibits and changed the cash into malaysia currency. Then we traveled towards ramunia direction. On the way, we saw lots of kampon stuff that cant see in s,pore.
We arrived Ramunia resort (Telok ramunia malaysia east coast aka south china sea). After the lorry arrived, we unloaded all the kayak and equipments. After we unloaded the stuff, the lorry went off, we start to arranged the kayak and things in place order.
After we tite the rope for bouyancy vest and place the equipments in order. We took a rest at the resort, while we rest we observed the beach. This yr the swell and break, although is big but much more gental then previous yr.
After that i followed song seng and meng teck went to the canteen, we arranged the participants rm. My rm is the best rm, coz got air con n TV. It shared with my juniors (Teng seng and eugene, but they only will arrive on next day.)
After the dinner, i went to my room watched TV. I also went to the canteen and brought myself a cup of coffee and storming haha. Abt 11.30pm i went to bed.
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13 jan 06 (1st day or 4star refresher)
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Morn wake up at 7.30am, went to canteen for breakfast. Went back to room watch Tv.
Abt 12.30pm, my grp came. We form a circle with a chair, we do our self intro with the trainer and participants, thenI approched my rm mate and ask them to brought our stuff to our rm.
After we setter down, we went for lunch. Then we gear up and check our own kayak, and brought them to our surfing lane on the beach.
Richard is our 4star refresher trainer, he set the surf zone flat for our surf zone.
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My partner is teng seng, his skills is great. Lance, Gion(OBS trainer) is my grp trainer. After he brief us wat to do.
1st: We do a launching our kayak dancer to the beach and coming ashore safely.
2nd: We went out and do 3 times continuous roll.
3rd: Capsize drill and towed the kayak back by the surf.
We took turn to do this on Sea kayak and Play boat: Dancer.
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After we completed the both kayaks, we planned to kayak frm ramunia beach to the long beach ( South china sea)
But happened that, all my 1st an 2nd component good n perfect. Until come to the 3rd component, due to the powerful surf pulled my kayak, during my towing back to the shore. My rite finger was accidentally twisted, followed by cut in between the togger by the current.
After that i continued towed kayak back to the shore, i discovered my finger was dam and blood kept bleeding. Gion (OBS trainer) asked me am i okay? I replied is okay dont worry, i seek for 1st AID.
I ran to the 1st aid tentage, to asked for treatment. After the treatment frm Liew, I went back to the beach. Evryone was gathered together for the briefing abt the beach management. Mengteck asked me, are u able to continue? I replied him of coz i can. He asked me are u sure?! I relied ya i ready for the expedition.
Mengteck asked me to holded back and followed him, then the rest move on lauched off with beach fleet management. Me and Meng teck grp, carried the kayak and paddle take the pick up to the long beach.
When we reached the long beach, after we unloaded the kayak. The rest of them, havent reached. I was at the surf beach, picked the sea cell. Abt 30 mins later, i saw the rest paddled at the reef. The rest was stuck at the reef a long time, due to the waves and current strong and 2 kayakers were motion sick.
They took abt 20 mins to reached the surf beach, and after the beach fleet management and everyone launch the surf beach. We frm 3 grp become 2 grps, each grp 10 pax.
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I was back to my partner teng seng. After lance brief us wat to do on long beach, we start our component.
1st grp
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Using sea kayak (Long boat) to continue the 3 task frm the ramunia beach.
2nd grp
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Using play boat
1st: Swimmer to kayak (Capsize with failed eskimo roll, the swimmer frick over the kayak)
2nd: Kayak to swimmer (Tow the victim frm the back of kayak, and tow back to shore)
When we tow back one another to the shore, the surf was catching up. So our kayak, is very rocky and surf on the way to the shore.
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After our drill, Lance discovered the time is almost up. So we stopped all the drill.
Meng teck was drive the pick-up and we carried all the eqipment up to the pick-up, we were went for 3 trips. After the 2nd trip all the kayak has went back to the resorts, we decided to walked all the way back to the resorts. Frm long beach to Ramunia resorts is abt 8km.
We were walked on the road, meng teck he drive his car to brought us back to resort.
We reached the resorts is abt 6pm, after our bath and dinner is abt 8pm.
I went back to resort to watched TV and the rest continue at the canteen, playing games and entertained them self.
Abt 8.30pm, we been called back to canteen. And debrief today events, and we told tat tis 4star refresher coz is also a selection for the 5 star open sea kayaking awards coz. Also brief abt tmr rescue at the long beach cum expedition.
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Requirement of 5star
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1. When lauching off or coming in to shore, it have to be smooth and w.o any difficulties
2. Also have to be select the rite wave to surf in. Example: Able to surf in damping wave and swell.
3. The rescue have to be efficient and safe.
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After that we went back to room and rest and i slp at 9.20pm.
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14 Jan07 (2nd days of 4star refresher)
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Morning woke up at 7am, I discovered that my rite middle finger cant function well. Coz of the yesterday hurt. So i decided to not went for the coz. After i see the OBS medical attention and breakfast, i went back to rm and took a rest.
But something happened, the electrical down due to the floaded n the electrical station were collapes at johor. Wah pean!! I were rotten at ourside the rm and lots of mosqitos kept attacking me.
So abt 10am, i decided to go and find Liew (Obs trainer who hold Lvl 5 kayaking coach), went there and chit chat with him. I learned something frm him abt the wave formed.
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Wat i learned frm him during the conversation.
1. When the wave get smaller is becoz of outside (tide race = when the tide go against direction of the wind). That will break the momenten of the swell.
2. When spring tide occur, the wave will be much more nicer and may lesser dumping waves.
3. When we surfing, our body lean back will slow down the kayak. Also when our body lean forward, will lead the kayak surf even faster.
4. When kayak speed picking up too slow, that also will lead the wave over lifted the kayak stern and capsize.
5. Also got to know frm them, our water lvl is alway rised every 5 to 10 yrs. That also will coz our land erosion, due to wave keep smashing the land sand back to the sea. Tats the reason why we need to put the rock on the side of the beach.
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Abt 11.30am everyone were returned frm the long beach, so i went for lunch with them when after they setter down.
During the lunch mengteck told us. After the breaker where the big great walls, the swell was good. Some of them knew it, when they able to went acrossed the big waves. They rather to surf at the swell zone, rather than the breakzone. Also heard frm the rest, the long beach surf were high and steep like a big great walls.
After lunch, I discovered my finger got better. I decided returned with them to the long beach, so i told lance i will be back for training. Abt 1.30pm, we took the pickup back to the long beach. I went back to my partner, and we continue to do our kayak surfing.
Abt me, I was kayak with my painful fingers. I used all my left hand skills to surf the waves, but couldn't surf well. Coz I'm the rite master handed. So i got no choice, need to really check and make sure choose the waves, able to break frm my rite hand side. So i can placed my stern rudder to the left, and lots of time i used edging to controlled my kayak direction.
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A few incident happened during my surfing.
1. Wave suddenly changed of breaking direction and hit my kayak hull, and then capsize.
2. Wave suddenly break frm my back, so lifted up my back of the kayak. I almost got slammed to the shallow ground. During my kayak at the vertical position on the waves, also i need to reacted faster, to put my paddle in the high recovery position.
And then i turned my body and the kayak turn face the sea side. Then my kayak drop back on the sea and mainten in the recovery position.
3. When i capsized and recovery my boat, i checked actually was no wave. But suddenly, the next sudden incoming waves push my kayak back to capsize position.
4. I was lost my paddle, during surfing in the dumping waves due to the shocking hit. But i only left my boat with me, so i use my body to adge my kayak deck facing towards the waves, and then let the kayak guide by the wave back to the shore. (Bongo slide)
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Abt my partner teng seng!
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1. He can surf very well, then me!
2. But he cant do his adging well. coz of he injured his knee and back, b4 this kayaking trip.
3. He cant rolled well mostly coz of he not feeling well. So most of the time, i need to help him to recovered his boat, when he capsize on the sand beach.
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After awhile, the Jacop(Holding L4 coach in river n sea) gathered every one. He shared with us, how to minimise ourself frm capsize during the surfing. Also how to mainten in our surf lane position more accurately.
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While surfing, how to minmise capsize and wrong lane.
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1. Alway check where is the swell move to. (Diagonal surfing)
Eg: Right hand wave: When swell moving more towards the surfer rite hand side.
Also breaking wave towards surfer left hand side.
Left hand wave: The swell and breaking wave, is move towards opposite direction of the
surfer.
This is to check make sure we ourself minimise to surf toward other lanes.
2. Check n feel where is the break while surfing.
Eg: Left hand breaking wave: Always adge the kayak deck facing the wave breakin direction, So
that will much more stable and not capsize.
Right hand breaking wave is opposite.
3. Aggrasive and diffensive surf.
Diffensive surfing: paddle and power face, facing the breaking waves, kayak deck adge towards the breaking waves (Bongo slide, side surfing or "+" adging)
Aggrasive surfing: Kayak adge towards the wave, stern rudder opposite the breaking waves ( Diagonal surfing, straight surfing or "-" adging)
If both side of the kayak got breaking waves, dont need to adge anymore just keep the kayak flat. The kayak will surf nicely too, these mostly applied in dumping waves.
Conclusion: It depends how the waves break, not necessary must adge the kayak all times.
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After that we back to surfing, this time everyone finally got the technics frm there. Capsize rate was lower now, and everyone has improved. Me and my partner was able to recovered better, when our kayak on vertical position by lifted up frm the wave.
Times up again, this time Meng teck, he shifted all the long boat quietly back to resort 1st. When he back left our play boat only. This time he one shot brought our playboat back to resort.
We reached the resorts abt 6pm, after we bathed i n my room mate were watching tv at the resort. Abt 7pm, we went for our dinner and debrief.
Our debrief said tat most of us has improve the surfing area, but have to improved more on our lanching off frm the beach. Most of us still crushed with directly the breaking waves and pushed back by the waves.
After the debrief, I was back to my rm and continue my TV. And the rest of them gathered at the other rm chit chatting and playing games. Me, tengseng and eugene were in our own room.
we slpt at 11.30pm. =D
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15 jan07 (Final day of 4star refresher)
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Morning woke up at 7am, so happee found out my rite middle finger has recovered better.
After my breakfast, i went to find the medic for the plaster for my middle finger cut, then gear up. We were brought diff boat to the ramunia resort beach.
Me and my partner still decided to used back the kayak " Dancer".
The waves was slightly smaller then passed to days, me went out 1st.
For today, we did something diff. We decided to lauched of the kayak by our own, but when before i went out, one of the swell suddently appeared in front of my and breaked. I was got washed badly back to the shore a few times, lucky the surf were slow down and smaller this time, i manage to punch out w.o any prob.
I did caught a few surf, but my nite mare was back again. I caught a big surf, but suddenly became a dumping waves, it given my a sudden pin my dancer kayak tip, hit the sallow ground and I spoiled the foot rest and it give way into the kayak.
After my foot rest and my spray covered give way, i rolled back my kayak. I used the diffensive surf to brought back my kayak to shore, the trainer gion was in front of me and asked me am i okay! I replied him ya is nothing to me, but just another nitemare. This also happened during my 4star coz during 3 yrs ago.
Then Mengteck came to me and said, i broke the footrest that means i still no good. He suggest me if want to choose a big surf, i got to pick up my kayak speed 1st. Else i will surely got pined by the waves. The best is speed can my the same as the waves.
My partner, tengsheng was immidately tap my head, and said wah lau why i spoiled the foot rest.. ma de !! Mengteck was laughing at me. but he mention that, i got the brave to surf in the such of dumping wave, is consider very good le. It just only i nver lean back the kayak on time, tats why i got pined badly.
After that, mengteck asked me to changed a shorter kayak (Bandit). Tis craft has a shorter length, and high rocker at the both end. After i and my partner surf the bandit, we both agreed that dont matter wat, bandit kayak still much more ez to catched the surf than other long kayaks.
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Conclusion: The longer of the boat, in other to picked the surf, we have to pick up speed earlier than the shorter boat, so that can get a sucessful surfing.
Also when the kayak back lifted up, rem to trim back our body. So that the kayak can surf safely w.o got pin by the steep wave. Especially applied towards " Dumping waves"
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Note:
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Dumping waves: Occur in sallow or steep beach, the wave it look like a big steep flat walls, with heavy drop of the crest. (Not suitable and dangerous to all kayakers and surfer) It know as highest waves on the surf beach
Surging waves: Occur only in flat beach with deep water, it will appear in swell also. nice and gental break. (Very nice for surfing and kayaker) The second highest of the waves.
Swell: It know as wave w/o break, it created my wind speed at least force 3 and above. The higher of the force reading of the wind, the higher of the swell. It only happen in the deep water, which before the " suging wave and dumping waves" (Best selection for picked up kayak for the initial surfing speed)
The wave movement will be always " Swell" followed by "Surging waves" then "dumping waves".
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Abt 11.30am, we stopped our activities. Washed the boat, packed the rm followed by had our lunch. After we debrief and get our metrics, we took our taxi back to pangalang jetty and take the bum boat back to changi jetty. We were arrived changi at abt 4.30pm.
I took bus to compass point, and change my money back to singapore currency, reach hm abt 6.30pm.
Abt 8pm i went for my TKD training, i was looked tired and i still can followed the training well. We were doing target sparring , followed by i guide my junior the Tae kwon do patterns. Coz on next sat is they are promotion grading le.
Reached hm abt 10.30pm, and i slp at 12am.
Frm Dancer!!
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