Changes at HPP

davebrads · Post by **davebrads** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:49 am

To Concerned:

I back Geebs comments regarding airbags for newcomers to div 1, and this comes from someone who argued strongly against them in the airbags thread a few months ago!

davebrads · Post by **davebrads** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:53 am

However, as far as saving the boat in the sluice save is concerned, airbags could make matters worse. The reason is that the airbag does its job of retaining floatation, which is exactly what causes objects to be held in stoppers!

I was on a river trip on the Lledr last year when someone got stuck in a particularly retentive stopper, and had to swim out. We stood and watched his boat getting tossed around for a while, trying to work out how to get it out, when the airbags finally floated out, and the boat became free.

driver · Post by **driver** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 11:37 am

Are more changes due this week? Believe the office was huge at weekend, and blocks have fallen out??

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:43 pm

There is some changes planned for Thursday in the looping pool when the kickers are going to be put in place to make the office a better play wave, hopefully this will get rid of the nasty recirculating eddy river right in the looping pool.

Best to walk the course first before getting in your boat ???

guest · Post by **guest** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:15 pm

the office is now a big green wave with a little stopper behind

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:25 pm

.......and they are hoping to change it again on friday!!! x

guest · Post by **guest** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:40 pm

ruined

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:49 pm

I think they should rename the office to "Kettle" there are that many boils in it, it is not a nice place to be.

It is no good for playboating as it is too flushy and narrow, usless to use sensibly on a slalom as it is not consistant.

Also beware the kickers are not covered by that much water, easy to break the tail of your boat if it get's sucked under!

Back to the drawing board guy's it is not working

guest · Post by **guest** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:40 am

thats very negative, have you paddled it geebs? its not perfect but far better for slalom than it was as just a big stopper. dont forget theyre still fine tuning it, give them time.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:43 am

I agree, something like that will take time, but I do wish that they could give us a bit more notice (or actually tell people and advertise it) when they are going to be closing the course, it's not very fair to do as they have been and just decide to switch the water off whenever they feel like it without putting up notices in advance, even if it is just a little bit.

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:51 pm

I was down last night and listened to the view's of the paddlers both slalom and playboat and this was there reaction.

If you want to check if the course is open, ring Slalom Control on 0115 982 4717 before traveling :;):

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 2:32 pm

I don't actually have to travel, but trying to plan your training and only finding out that the course is closed when you turn up (because they only decided that day, not because I haven't asked before then) is a bit out of order, this can completely ruin a weeks training plan for someone who is having to fit a reasonable number of sessions around full-time work.

Phoning slalom control at the beginning of a week does not solve the problem, since, as I said before, they choose to close the course on their own whim.

I am not complaining about the changed being made, personally i think it's a good thing, i just wish there was a way they could organise it better.

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:21 pm

That's fair comment, unfortunatly as we have a long way to travel and I have found that if I ring slalom control on a Monday they will tell me if the course is going to be open and if there are any changes going to be made that week, the staff are very helpful.

We all have training programes to run and if the course is scheduled to be closed we make other arrangements.

I think that an idea of having a sort of representative from the slalom fratenity would be a good thing to liase with the HPP staff and course designers regarding the changes? It is no good everyone moaning on here unless we can be represented, any volunteers?

It gets a little confusing answering questions when there are so many "Guests" making post's, why not register as it cost's nothing at least then people could reply slightly more personaly?

Train2Win · Post by **Train2Win** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:22 am

Slalom already is represented Geebs, the HPP staff aren't the ones facilitating the changes, its World Class, organised by Mark Delaney , with Pete Astles representing Freestyle interests. The guy actually building the blocks and putting them in is engineer and Prem slalom paddler John Beers.

I think they are doing an ok job so far, it may not be as radical as some were hoping, but making big changes is hard on a budget and the top of the course seems good, with more eddys and different types of ups. As for the looping pool, i think it'll get sorted, we just need to be patient.

However, the guest is right that over the last couple of weeks they have been turning the course off for the day to tweak it. This is no problem to those on the WC mailing list as an email is sent out in advance, but to those training at HPP but not on World Class, they have to rely on word-of-mouth. This is not fair, at least if signs went up a couple of days before it would be a level playing field.

But good luck to the guys doing the changes, hopefully it'll be sorted before too long. One more thing though....wouldn't it have been easier to just fit the changeable omnifloat system, like they have in Penrith...it wouldn't cost that much more and it makes course changes a doddle compared with our current system....just a thought!

fison · Post by **fison** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 12:50 pm

is World Class planning any more course changes to any other venues or has all the money just been spent at nottingham :p