|
The San Diego Kayak Club has been involved in kayak polo since 1999. Our general schedule is:
Summers - Wednesday Polo on Mission Bay, west of Bahia Point. See map link below. You can park across Mission Bay Drive (see numeral 2 on the map.) The game is in the bay, adjacent the Bayside boardwalk, right by Isthmus Court. Games are held when we have roughly 6 players or so watch the polo mailing list to see if the game is on.
Starts around 5:30pm
Setup starts around 5:30pm, show up when you can. The game continues to dark.
Usually after the game we go for beer and burgers. Park here.
Beginners are welcome, though the polo mailing list a note first so we can try and find gear for you to borrow. Visiting players are more than welcome to drop in, and we can probably
find gear for you (including a boat) if you are just traveling through. The summer game is very informal, though you might want to read through rules to get some idea of how the game is played. SDKC Condensed Rules before coming out to play. You must have a helmet and PFD to play.
More polo links are here. Polo Links.
Winters - Polo in a pool
Some times we schedule some pool time and have weekly games. Nothing on the
schedule right now.
Kayak Rolling Sessions
Along with Polo we sometimes have a Kayak Rolling Session at a pool. Right now there are no plans for winter of 2007, but that is a long way away.
Tournament Play
San Diego players are active in playing local tournaments (here and in LA) and some players (including women players) have been selected for the US National Teams and play on a global level. Just ask for more info!
Gear
The gear used in polo games is essentially the same as you would use for whitewater or kayak surfing.
Boat
More offical polo is played in a polo boat. These boats are about 10 feet long and feature padded bumpers on the bow and stern of the boats. In our summer, fun' game, we play in anything that floats, more or less. If you are good at polo, or really good at kayaking for the summer
game, you play in a whitewater boat (to slow you down and give the new guys a
chance to learn some skills. Polo boats are often loaned out to the new folks.
Most folks playing polo can roll, or wish they could roll, though it is not essential for the summer game. You can get a t-rescue and/or be designated a non-roller and not pushed over. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SWIM.
Helmets
Helmets are also required for anyone playing polo. Standard whitewater helmets are fine. It is highly recommended that you have some sort of facemask on your helmet. There is a possibility that a loose paddle can hit your face. There are many styles of facemasks available ranging to a single bar to a hockey or water polo face mask. We loan helmets out to new folks too.
Paddles
Any paddle will do. We highly recommend anyone playing with a regular whitewater paddle to pad the edge of the blades. There is paddle edging available at local retailers, or you can use cable housing or padded tape.
Some players play with paddles specifically designed for playing polo. The blades are thicker, and rounded on the edge to minimize the chance of injury to another player.
PFD
Required. This will give you some padding if another boat hits you, as well as perform it's normal uses.
Equipment Rentals
Aqua Adventures,
Aqua may rent gear to summer polo, but it is more likely you can borrow some.
|
