Featured articles Try a bit of carving
When PW riding was all about stand-ups, the teaching was heavily weighted towards body position. Nowadays the market is dominated by sit-down PWs and this seems to have been forgotten. PW riding is classified as a sport, so let’s get our students to stop sofa-riding. This will not only improve their riding ability and help them get the most out of the craft, but it will also add some more energy! Candi Abbott, RYA PW Trainer, shows us how.
S How to do it
tart the student off with some practice runs where they are just on the plane
(around 16-18 knots).
Instruct them to: 1. Start the turn earlier than they think they need to and get a feel for how much the PW slides.
2. Start wide, turn early and aim to finish their turn adjacent to the buoy. This will put them in the best possible position to go straight into their next turn (slalom course) or put on some more power for the straight (box course).
Once your student is feeling more confident; ask them to try Ease, Drop and Squeeze. Ease off the power which will
drop more bow in the water. Drop their position aggressively
into the turn. Squeeze the throttle back on to power through and exit.
Top tips: » Plant a foot towards the rear of the outside footwell to keep the stern locked in. This reduces slide.
» Brace your legs, squeeze them in against the seat and brace the outside foot against the edge of the footwell for extra leverage.
» If the PW has trim control, trim down for the turn and then trim up as you enter the straight for maximum speed (box course).
Advice to pillion riders: Sit close to the helm to reduce the amount of movement and bumping into him/her. Mimic the helm’s body position to help with the turn.
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Reduce the risks: Students instinctively want to stand and pull their arms in a brace position, which results in two primary risks; 1. Having your arms pulled in and down brings your face closer to the handlebars than necessary. When you hit waves or a wake the PW will bounce, making it likely to impact your face.
Venturing into tidal waters S © Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd
To avoid impact and ensure they are positioned a reasonable distance from the handlebars, ask your student to check they can see both their elbows in their peripheral vision at all times without needing to move their head.
2. Hitting waves or a wake when in a standing position is likely to mean you will be pushed forward on the bounce, causing impact on the handlebars with your chest, stomach or face. At the very least this will cause discomfort or winding. Advise your students to hover with their buttocks about 3cm above the seat. Their shoulders, hips, knees and ankles will then absorb any bumps without losing core body stability or grip. Encourage them to grip with their knees rather than relying on their hands, which will fatigue more quickly. The end result is protecting your back/ spine from impact without risking losing control of your body position. As an instructor, if you can see the sky between your student’s buttocks and the seat, they are too high!
tudents for the Inland Waterways Helmsman course come from all
boating backgrounds. Some would be happy to potter the Kennet and Avon canal, while others are looking further field to mainland Europe or want an adventure around the UK. Although the UK’s inland
waterways network is extensive, with a number of ‘rings’ to cruise, the entire network is not completely joined up. Should your students be
looking to cruise the Thames Ring or head from the River Trent to the Ouse, for example, there will be an element of tidal waters to negotiate. This will inevitably be an interesting and challenging trip, and with your guidance your students will understand the steps to take to prepare for such an adventure. There are lots of waterways guides with invaluable information about the cruising area, such as where to buy fuel, pump-out facilities, areas of local interest and any navigational considerations along the way. When venturing on a route which incorporates a tidal stretch it is imperative that thorough planning is undertaken. Whereas cruising within the inland waterways mostly happens from dawn ‘til dusk, locking out of the inland waterways and on to tidal waters is not so straightforward. There will be specific times relative to the height of tide where the lock is operational. Arriving outside those times could at best be inconvenient and involve a wait before heading out on the tide. At worst it might mean having
to wait in strong tides until the gates are operational, which could cause stress and challenge the crew’s skills. If someone shows interest in transiting tidal water, talk to them about planning information to look for and where to find it. Discuss practicalities such as checking that their boat insurance allows for tidal usage. They may consider taking the RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship course. Practically, it is vital that the
vessel and crew are set up to safely navigate the higher sea state on tidal waters caused by swell and passing vessels. Just as when heading into a lock, hatch doors should be closed and side windows should be secured to withstand any wash or swell. It would only take a small amount of water to have a devastating impact on vessel stability, so protecting against water coming in is a priority. Before entering the tidal
lock, ropes and any loose items, including those in the galley should be secured or stowed. Remember to dampen solid fuel burning stoves. The conditions will have an
effect on the attitude of the boat, so it is important that crew are properly briefed, prepared and equipped. Crew should wear lifejackets as the risk of falling overboard is much higher in moving water. Making sure would-be
adventurers are aware of the preparations they need to be making should help them have an enjoyable, rather than an off- putting or frightening experience.
www.rya.org.uk
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