Simulated Capsize at the Carlton Hotel Bournemouth

Our very grateful thanks go to to the Manager, Rob Jenkins and his team at the Carlton Hotel Bournemouth for their unending support of our charity, BWD. The latest event was a simulated capsize for training purposes.

A full capsize drill has to be repeated every year to ensure that our British Dragon Boat Association will cover the team for their insurance and allow them to paddle on the water, be it the beautiful River Stour to the stunning Thames, or any other river we may find ourselves on. To this end, it can be a little unsettling to capsize on the river so it was decided to help the team, especially the less confident new members, gain more confidence by 'simulating it’ first in the safety of a swimming pool.  

Rob very kindly gave us the use of the pool for the evening, so as you can see from the photos and video, it was a fun exercise whilst confidence boosting. After the helms safety briefings and going through all the procedures involved, it was into the hot tub to warm up.

Many thanks to Jonny and Raven in the pool area for all their help. When it came to the real capsize a few days later, it was good to know that we had rehearsed it and knew what to expect. After a debrief and a nice warm drink, we were ready for our next adventure with BWD.