Club’s new covers add to recent growth

MEMBERS of the Torquay Outrigging Canoe Club are overjoyed following the arrival of its two new canoe covers, providing an additional element of safety to the group’s activities on the water.

Club president Rod Crowther said the canoe safety covers were a welcome addition to the group, given its primary function is to provide extra stability and prevent cold water entering vessels in choppy water.

“Reactions from the club have been great overall,” Mr Crowther said.

“We’ve been paddling without covers for the past two years, and we were able to buy a second-hand cover from a club based in Melbourne, so now both of our crew vessels are fully equipped.”

The covers were made possible by a Small Equipment Quick Response grant provided by Surf Coast with Council providing $2,118.

The club provided the remaining funding of approximately $2,800 to secure the full cost of the covers.

Mr Crowther said the club was presently enjoying an increase in people taking on outrigger canoeing.

“We founded the club in 2005 and we’ve typically had most of our members age at the same rate among our group, and we’ve struggled to get new young people paddling. But we’ve been very lucky to get a very enthusiastic paddler join us recently in Silvana Acevedo. She’s a Dragonboat paddler, and has been a driving force in attaining over 30 people to join the club in the past year.”

To join the Torquay Outrigging Canoe Club, email [email protected]