Spring 2026 club update
The warm weather and earlier sunrises are back, and the numbers have come with them. Coffee runs, HIIT sessions, one on one technique work, and then more coffee runs. Peter Dyer has spent the quieter months getting the club ready for it, with a bigger rental fleet and a run of events both on and off the water.
It is worth remembering how new this still is. The club’s beginnings go back to 1987, but the current iteration is only eighteen months old, and most members have just seen their first annual renewal come around. What that first year has shown is how many kinds of member we have: the regulars, the weekend warriors, the interstate members we see on holidays, the regional ones who get here once a month. All of them count, and the club keeps being built with all of them in mind.
About fifty people came to the Epic come and try day
About fifty people came to the Paddle House on Saturday 10 October, and plenty of them left having paddled a new ski for the first time.
The morning started as Saturdays always do. At 6:30am around fifteen paddlers headed out from the boat shed on the coffee paddle to Budds Beach. By the time they were back, the beach was lined with skis.
From 8am Andrew Betman from Epic Kayaks had the V5, V8, V9 and V10 on the water for anyone to try. Newcomers had their first go at sitting in a ski, while more experienced paddlers took the latest models out to see how they compared with their own. In between turns, people met club members and enjoyed the sausage sizzle.
The day also marked a milestone for the club fleet, with three new Epic skis delivered: a V10, a V8 and a V10 Double. All club skis are available for members to hire.
Thank you to Andrew and Epic Kayaks, and to every member who helped on the beach. We are running it again on Saturday 14 November.
Adventure Reels at HOTA
The club supported the Adventure Reels Tour 2026 screening at HOTA on Thursday 8 October. We set up an information stand with an Epic V10, and there was encouraging interest in the sport from the audience on the night.
Coaching with Shaun Caven
There are many reasons to have a technique session, and it usually is not about trying to be the fastest person in the group. It makes getting out on the water more enjoyable, and it is something we can keep doing later into our lives.
We are fortunate to have Shaun Caven within the club, and his coaching sessions have started to gain traction. Murray Wilkinson, a regular paddler with many years on the water, had a session with him recently:
I attended coaching with Shaun last month. Shaun was instrumental in crafting a warm up sequence that works for me. Further, he identified three quick early wins which I was not aware of and produced immediate results. Changing technique is never easy, but with Shaun’s coaching I’m up for the journey.
Murray Wilkinson
Shaun is very welcoming and would like to hear from anyone wanting to improve their technique. Information and bookings are at shauncavencoaching.com.au.
August time trial
The monthly time trial is 7.7km around Wave Break Island, and it is run against your own last time rather than the field. Conditions change month to month, so the numbers are indicative, but they are a useful read on whether the training is sticking.
| Paddler | Time |
|---|---|
| Brett Greenwood | 36:50 |
| Gus Slattery | 42:07 |
| Michael Addison | 42:12 |
| Bryan Colister | 43:03 |
| Chris Vertullo | 43:23 |
| Mike Atkins | 43:46 |
| Sue Beith | 46:33 |
| Matt Paul | 47:52 |
| Rod Edwards | 48:03 |
| Matt Brown (OC1) | 45:38 |
| Craig Bradfield and Elin Hedstroem (double) | 40:12 |
What’s coming up
Monthly club time trial, Saturday 17 October. A Paddle Queensland sanctioned event this month. Registration from 6:30am at the Paddle House, first start 7:00am. All levels, guests welcome.
South Stradbroke Adventure, Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November. Three days, about 60km, two nights camped at Tipplers, with a support boat carrying the camp gear. $200 covers meals, gear transport and support crew.
Epic come and try morning, Saturday 14 November. A second run at the October day. The Paddle Shop Island Ocean Paddle is on the same Saturday at Mooloolaba Beach, with four club members registered.
Monthly club time trial, Saturday 21 November. Same course, same format.
Club AGM, Saturday 28 November. At the shed after the regular paddle and coffee run, with a BBQ breakfast afterwards.
Downwind tour, 25 to 30 July 2027. The venue has moved from the Whitsundays to Magnetic Island off Townsville. Details to follow.
New here?
If you have never paddled before, the easiest way in is the $50 try-us pass. Thirty days, ski and PFD included, an experienced paddler beside you the whole time. We launch from the Paddle House at Muriel Henchman Park, Main Beach, six mornings a week.