Astral LDB

New piece of equipment, the Astral LDB.
Discontinued model which I think has been replaced by the Astral Nova.


Initial impressions:

• simple to adjust
  
• does not ride up
• comfy
• adequate buoyancy
  
• pockets a bit tight
• kind of bulky in the front
• no idea how durable is the mesh

Havent used it much, but Im happy with it so far. The 3 straps on the side make for simple adjustment and Im able to adjust it to fit snugly without the PFD riding up when Im floating in the water.
The LDB does not require me to tighten it very tightly to prevent it from floating up which makes it comfortable.
However, the pockets dont hold much. A bottle of sun block and some chocolate bars will take up all the space available. Also, to make up for the reduced flotation at the back, the front is a bit more bulky. Although I dont find it obstructive so far.

Paddle Culture under new management

Taken off the PCI website:

"Wu You has purchased all paddling assets, copyright, trademarks to Paddle Culture International PTE LTD (PCI) as of 12-Mar-11 but not PCI itself. Our coaches would continue to support this new paddling player in the industry as they venture forth from therapy into overall wellness. For matters 2010 & before, please contact your previous liaisons."

They will pay you $5 if a course is cancelled, however, there has been at least one instance where they have used a coach's name and certification number without his knowledge to print certificates for a course he did not conduct. This resulted in the coach almost having his certification revoked.
Coaches should beware.

Crack down

Looks like the MOE is getting serious about uncertified coaches conducting 1 Star kayaking courses. I have already conducted 2 courses where the students are retaking the course because the instructor was not certified the previous time they had taken it.
I was told that one of the operators was Camelot running out of HomeTeam NS and another was SAFYC Sembawang.

To all certified coaches out there, I'd be wary about coaching for SAFYC. They only have 10 single slaloms, 8 dancers and some doubles. You are expected to conduct the 1 Star course using a mix of doubles and singles and swap around so everyone gets a chance to use a single.
I was told it was not possible to have 22 singles for a class of 20 students and 2 instructors as they did not have enough boats. Fortunately only 12 students turned up and I was able to convince them to allow the use of the dancers which are reserved for 2 star.
All of them had no knee braces installed and some were broken at the middle where the deck is screwed down to the seat.
In addition, the PFDs they provided had missing straps and were torn with the foam exposed.

More Jurong Lake pictures

Took a bunch of Primary 5 kids for an orientation programme at Jurong Lake that stretched over a period of 5 weeks and decided to take some pictures on the last session.

Uncle Lau, my partner for the sessions

The usual pagoda shot

Kids posing for a pic

Trying to recreate the scene from Titanic

Obligatory standing up shot

Chaco Z/1 Unaweep Review

Last April, my Teva sandals broke after 2 years of abuse. Shortly after, they were replaced by a pair of Chaco Z/1 Unaweep sandals. They were my first ever Chaco sandals and having used them for 10 months, I've decided to give them a quick review.



I've used this sandals in muddy and sandal conditions. They have been used while cycling, kayaking and just walking around town. They've even followed me to the Philippines and the Maldives.

Things I liked:

• Good grip
• Arch support is awesome
• Sole is thick, feels like a shoe
• Simple buckle
  

Things I didnt like:

• Abrasion on big and last toe, even without the toe loops. Only slightly better than the toe loop version.
• Straps are harder to adjust compared to my previous Teva
• Straps are not as soft and comfy as my previous Teva
• The portion of the strap that rubs against my big toe are fraying
• Takes longer to dry than my Teva
• Fairly heavy

Bottom line:

I'll probably get another pair if this one is worn out. The simple buckle reduces the point of failures on the sandals and the arch support provided by these Chacos are just wonderful.
However, I cant believe that the strap is fraying! Personally, I find it weird that its the part of the strap which rubs against my toe that is fraying. Is my skin really that abrasive?

Water-Venture early closure

The PA Water-Venture outlets will be closed earlier at 4pm on the eve of Chinese New Year, Wednesday, 2 February 2011. Last rental would be at 1pm.

All Water-Venture Outlets will be closed during the Chinese New Year Holidays on 3 and 4 February 2011, and reopen on Saturday, 5 February 2011.

Water-Venture Opening Hours

Water-Venture Opening Hours

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday - Sunday: 0930 - 1800hrs
• Open on all public holidays
  (Except Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya Puasa, Christmas and National Day)

Directions and contact numbers for the various clubs can be found at: www.water-venture.org.sg