How do I paddle in an OC?

Along with club membership, in order to paddle in a OC-6, you must also have completed a “huli”.

Here, we set out the details of a Huli.

If you are interested in setting up or joining a team or for any further information, please:

Email Andrea

CORA website

 

Huli Clinic – Bedford Channel

BE SAFE – WORK AS A TEAM – BE PREPARED

Before you go out each time: review the huli drill, know your teammates abilities, review safety checklist
Be sure you have several big bailers before you go out.
The captain is responsible for the equipment and gear and must assess conditions and crews abilities.
Be sure log book is filled out each time you go out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To not huli:

During huli:

  • Hold your paddle
  • Do not push away from boat as it goes over.  The ama will be passing over your heads and you need to stay close to boat to ensure you do not get hit.

After Huli:

  • Immediately after the huli, the captain asks for a head count and each seat, in order, loudly calls out his or her seat number for the captain to ensure everyone is okay.  If someone is hurt or unable to help in righting the boat, seat 1 or 6 assists the injured person, keeping close to the end of the boat out of the way.  The captain may assign a teammate to assist the disabled paddler and reassign duties to right the boat.  The remaining paddlers must fill the positions with two paddlers on the hull and two paddlers below ama for the recovery.
  • If the waves are big, the entire team turns the boat into the waves before the huli recovery
  • Be sure everyone stays with the boat.  Do not leave the boat to get gear. 
  • Everyone must get in position and wait for others to get in position.  Captain ensures everyone is ready and counts down to ensure team works together.
  • Each seat has a specific duty for a huli recovery.  Be sure you know what your job is before you go out. These jobs do not need to be done by a specific seat.  If there are reasons you want to do a job that is assigned to another seat (size, strength or ability) be sure this is clear before you go out. Work together.  This must be done as a team with one leader. 
  • Seat 1 – Gather paddles and gear adrift, being sure to stay close to the bow of boat out of the way.  Either seat 1, 3, 4 or 6 can hold extra paddles
  • Seat 2 and Seat 5 – Pass your paddles to a teammate. Climb onto hull using the iako and straddle hull.  Step on muku and swing second leg behind keeping your weight low over the hull.  Still standing on muku, lay stomach on hull and reach to grab iako or gunnel.  On the captains instructions, when everyone is ready, use your body weight to pull the ama up as seats 3 and 4 push, watching not to get hit with iako as it passed over.  When boat is upright you will be back in the water on the ama side so get in the boat as quickly as possible.
  • Seats 3 and seat 4 – Take paddles from seat 2 or 5. Swim to outside of ama and on captain’s count, when everyone is ready, push the ama up as Seats 2 and 5 pull the ama up and over the hull. Get low in the water and use your legs and kick hard to lift the ama.  Be aligned with the aiko so you can continue to push up on the aiko to ensure the boat goes over.  Don’t push up on the ama and not watch as it may come back down and hit you.  Once boat is upright put the paddles in the boat.  Stay close to the boat and swim around the end of the boat to get in on the ama side.
  • Seat 6 – the Captain – As soon as everyone is in the water call for a head count and be sure you hear each paddler reply. Be sure all paddlers are accounted for and unhurt.  Assist in huli recovery verbally and physically but stay at the stern and out of the way.  Keep everyone working together and focussed.  If anyone is injured or unable to help assign someone to help the disabled paddler, have them stay with the boat but at the bow or stern so they are out of the way, and assign another crewmember or yourself to do their tasks.  Get the boat upright as quickly as possible and keep boat aligned with waves.  Instruct the paddlers throughout the recovery to get the boat quickly upright, bailed and moving.

Getting in:

  • Keep boat aligned into waves
  • Everyone must enter from the ama side to prevent another huli
  • Everyone get in as quickly as possible and sit as soon as they are in the boat
  • Everyone gets into any seat except the captain who gets in the back to steer. Captain/steers gets in quickly and keeps boat directed into the waves and give directions to the rest of the crew.
  • First paddler in boat starts bailing quickly with largest bailer.  BAIL WHILE SEATED, THROW WATER TOWARDS THE AMA TO BE SURE YOUR BODY WEIGHT IS KEPT TO THE LEFT.
  • Paddlers get in as quickly as possible to get out of the cold water. Paddlers can use the iako to help get in.  Be aware of your team mates and help them into the boat if required.
  • All paddlers as they get in the boat start bailing to empty the boat as quickly as possible
  • Once everyone is in, captain will call paddlers to start paddling starting at the front.  Seats 1, 2, 5 and 6 will soon be paddling while seats 3 and 4 continue to bail
  • Be sure everyone is busy, either bailing or paddling to get warm
  • Seat 3 continues to bails until 80% of water is out.  Seat 4 continues to bail until 95% of water is out

Ready to go:

  • Keep boat aligned to waves
  • Stow bailers
  • Assess situation and decide what to do
  • Crew – cold, tired, stressed or ready for more – if cold keep them paddling
  • Weather, wind, waves – changing conditions or above crews ability
  • Decide to head back to shore or continue paddling based on assessment