Bendigo Canoe Club - Events

I can't help but feel that Paul Caffyn doesn't receive anywhere near the recognition he deserves.

In New Zealand, we rightly celebrate adventurers like Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Peter Blake and Graeme Di**le. Yet Paul Caffyn quietly built a legacy that has inspired sea kayakers and expedition paddlers around the world.

When you stop and think about what he achieved, it's nothing short of remarkable.

He became the first person to kayak solo around Australia, completed pioneering expeditions around Great Britain, New Zealand's North Island, Japan and New Caledonia, and explored some of the wildest coastlines on Earth. These weren't weekend adventures—they were months-long expeditions covering thousands of kilometres in some of the most exposed and unforgiving environments imaginable.

What makes those achievements even more incredible is when they happened.

Much of Paul's expedition career took place before GPS navigation, satellite communicators, mobile phones, digital weather forecasts and lightweight modern equipment became available. Navigation relied on paper charts, compass bearings, dead reckoning and experience. Weather forecasts were limited, communication with the outside world was often impossible, and if something went wrong, rescue was far from guaranteed. His journeys demanded an extraordinary level of preparation, judgement, self-reliance and resilience that is difficult to fully appreciate today.

Over the years I've read about his expeditions and have always been amazed by what he's accomplished. His stories aren't just about kayaking. They're about planning, decision-making under pressure, managing risk, perseverance and having the confidence to keep going when there was no easy way out.

This morning I sent an email to Seamus and Steven from Between Two Beers suggesting they consider inviting Paul onto the podcast. I think he'd make an outstanding guest, and I suspect many listeners would discover one of New Zealand's greatest adventurers.

If you enjoy the podcast and agree that Paul deserves a wider audience, I'd encourage you to send them a quick message as well. Sometimes it only takes a handful of people highlighting someone to help their story reach the audience it deserves.

Who are some other New Zealanders whose achievements deserve far greater recognition?

Enjoy
We would love to see you.
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Paddling is a wonderful activity that requires core stability, torso rotation, and upper body engagement.

A number of people have commented that after a few months break getting back into paddling can be a bit of a struggle even for the experienced long term paddlers.

SO WHAT DOES THIS REALLY MEAN?

1. We know that people can bounce back into cardiovascular fitness in 2 to 6 weeks and that you can regain some of your balance in 2 – 4 weeks with consistent, on-water practice.

2. However, your “technique” is held together by the joints, ligaments & tendons and these will take a good 3 to 6 months to reach robust, mature strength.

3. When Returning to a balance-dependent sport like a racing kayak, if it’s too tippy it will compromise your recovery. This happens because the specific neuromuscular pathways (muscle memory) and deep core stabilizers degrade much faster than general fitness or cardio.
4. Feeling stable is the brain learning to make the right kinds of micro-adjustments and the only place learn and adapt is time in the boat on water.
5. Find a nice stable boat to build to towards feeling strong, it’s also good chance to work on some your balance drills . It will help rebuild your confidence and muscle memory before jumping back into a narrow racing boat. Actively Focus on Connection engage your lower abdominals, keep your hips loose, and maintain firm contact with your footplate and stable paddle in the water

Deconditioning-if you don’t use it; you’ll lose it!
• Reduced muscle power and endurance
• Stiffness around the hips, spine, and shoulders
• Slower reaction times
• Less stability around joints
• Increased fatigue during basic activity

So whether you are returning or a new paddler, all this takes time and “Requires A Slow, Progressive Approach”.
Some of our more successful juniors stayed in the more stable boat for 18 months.

Bendigo Canoe Club
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Thank you Garry for planning and leading another wonderful trip. The weather held up and it was great to experience both the Maribyrnong River and the Yarra River. We stopped at the Docklands for lunch before heading back under the Bolte Bridge and the Westgate, into Williamstown. We saw lots of different types of watercraft. A fun and unique day for all
Pics & words by Claire

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Garry Brannan

Tonight a big crowd on the lake including 9 active women - welcome all.
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Well we are pleased to see our Active Paddling Group on the water.
We meet on Thursday's and have a great support from our coaches to help our new paddlers.
We welcome Tara, Amanda, Kate, Anna Shane, Leigh to paddling .

Please contact us on [email protected]
ALL welcome