Dragon Boat West

Just starting this thread up after seeing someone post questions in someone's recruiting thread ( :? )...   

anywho, my plans are hitting the gym a couple times a week combined with a mix of light/easy K1 and OC1 distance/paddling steady pieces.   

you forgot to mention all the extra exercise your fingers get from being the DBWest post king  :lol:


anyways, yeah ditto, except for the K1.  Tieken (spelling?) maybe, but not until the damn strike is over and we have access to the showers again cuz i know just my luck i'll end up going for a swim.  want to mix in some oc6 as well

For what it's worth, I've heard swimming is good (front crawl). If you're lucky, you may have a fitness centre in your area that has a paddling erg machine (think rowing machine with a fake "paddle" instead of fake "oars"). As you can tell, I don't do any of this myself.

OC6/OC1 for aerobic base.
Gym for strength building 1 or 2 times a week.
Gym for core and cardio and stabilizing muscles 2 times a week.

I'd love to swim more...   but i'd want to jump into lessons again before i did.  my technique is from '95, and my endurance sucks.  =)  if i was to start swimming again, i'd want to make sure i was doing it well in order to prevent any injuries/drowning.  =)

I think FCCC is the only place that had modified rowing machines that would work for DB/OC, and I don't think any have a kayak erg.  if i had space and $2000 laying around, i'd buy my own.

i think there might be one or two people who still have a higher post count than me.  and that backward rowing person is becoming quite the post whore as well (both here and out east).  too bad for him the board out east doesn't help his post count here. :lol:

*edit*  i take that back. he's an amature compared to me and my postwhore status.   8))

well if you have half that, you can get one of these:
http://www.paddlingtechnologies.com/prod02.htm (http://www.paddlingtechnologies.com/prod02.htm) (Kayak Erg)

i tried the C version of this product at the SF Festival and was pretty impressed (especially given the price).  Unfortunately the K version wasn't operational because the demo guy had forgotten to bring the K-paddle attachment with him.  But if it was anywhere near the C, then it should be pretty darn good.

Canoe erg here: http://www.paddlingtechnologies.com/prod01.htm (http://www.paddlingtechnologies.com/prod01.htm)

not bad, but i was looking at this one.   slightly more advanced in design & technology:
www.speedstroke.com/  these are the ones who designed the canoe/db/oc one thats at dragonzone (click on "speedstroke")

see its funny you say that, because after trying the paddletech one at SF, it  (at least the DB/C one) was definitely more realistic than the one at DZ, in my humble opinion.  it replicated the catch and pull factors very well, the physical planes and movement were much closer to the real thing, its construction and durability were significantly better, particularly the swivel on which the cables sit VS the speedstroke where they are on a stationary pulley and will require frequently re-setting and/or re-placing due to the fact that they jump the pulley and fray.  As for the on-board computer, even though its an additional expense to the 7 bills the erg itself costs, it too was far more useful and user friendly in its layout.
my two cents
can't speak to the K one since i've tried neither

hm.  I'd like to try them out.   if the brand you tried is really that well built for less money, i'd probably snap that up quite quickly.  maybe even one of each. haha

well like i said, its replication of the actual sport/movement is open to interpretation (as most fitness equipment is subject to personal taste) BUT I can say without a doubt that the build-quality as it relates to design and construction is far superior to the one from DZ. 

Yeah, I will bring it up as a possible purchase item at FCRCC. I think the price is reasonable, considering also the strong loonie.

the kayak one, or the canoe/db/outrigger one?

We will look at both, it would be nice to replace the erg in the oc1 shed.

please don't get something like the one at DZ...

esta la horriba...

Okay, have seen both of these paddling machines?  i, am er liking that speedstroke thing, WOW I want one. Actually we really need something like this up in Kelowna, and i am talking more for dragonboating. hmmmm Christmas is coming up.....

just realized this is actually a canadian company and i posted a link to an american distributor!  Here is the actual company, from Quebec:

http://paddleone.com/content/view/14/27/lang,en/

AND it appears that Waters Edge is a distributor!

So I was looking for a video on how to use these things and found this video:  http://youtube.com/watch?v=BRqd903rIFQ (http://youtube.com/watch?v=BRqd903rIFQ).  I don't think they're doing it right.

I thought I recognized Mike in those pictures ...  :lol:

long lost video found!