April 28th marked the start of Cayuga Outrigger’s 2011 season. Cold water, air temperature hovering around 50 degrees, a brisk wind and a setting sun did not deter 5 excited paddlers from launching A’no:wara onto Cayuga Lake. Â Starting with rigging at Myers Park the crew of Bill, Felix, Julie, Paul and me paddled for an hour until arriving at East Shore Marina. Â So started our season which is filled with an upcoming open house and ECORA races. Â Hope to see you on the water!
ECORA has finalized the 2011 OC-6 racing season schedule  with some new races added.  Cayuga Outrigger is dedicated to increasing our participation in the racing schedule so please feel free to check out the races listed below.
The annual  ECORA meeting was held in snowy Philadelphia where the state of East Coast outrigger paddling was discussed as well as the calender for  the 2011 race season decided and set.  Discussion revolved around strengthening outrigger racing, assisting clubs in becoming larger and stronger as well as providing great experiences from the novice to experienced paddler.  Many other issues were discussed and Philly Outrigger proved an outstanding host.  If you are interested in reading the ECORA Minutes please feel free or contact COCC for more information.
Cayuga Outrigger Canoe Club partnered up with Cayuga Compost to provide Ithacans with quality compost this October while supporting our club.  Cayuga Compost is a local company that  who, “provide a food waste collection and composting service to local businesses to divert their food scraps from the waste stream and turn it into high quality compost. With 10 years of commercial composting experience, we guarantee prompt professional service.”
Thanks again to Cayuga Compost for helping us fundraise which allowed us to purchase a new canoe and expand our awesome club!
You can find a photo of C.O.C.C’s “Mens” Liberty World Outrigger Competition team in the most recent edition of Pacific Paddler magazine. In the picture are (from seat one back) Julie, Dave, Cookie, Mike, Paul and P.J. as we rounded Governor’s Island and headed to the finish.
As paddling season approaches it is important to remember that Cayuga Lake and other waterways are extremely cold and there are a few rules that can help us to stay safe while on the water. First would be the use of PFD’s is you are out paddling. Cold water paddling can be defined as anything less than 68º F. As we move forward into the spring season not to wear cotton but have wool, fleece or other synthetic clothing and dress in layers that can be shed as you heat up or cool down. Also be sure to get some good wool or neoprene socks to keep your toes warm. Looking forward to getting together and paddling very soon!
Finally, let’s look at the cold, hard facts about cold water immersion. Many studies have been done to determine why so many drowning deaths occur as a result of falling into cold water. If you look at the statistics below, it seems that in a lot of cases these tragedies should not have happened given the fact that most were good swimmers and were within a short distance from safety – the shore, a boat, a dock, etc. You can find more information at Cold Water Boot Camp.
Also check the Cayuga Lake RUSS site to see conditions on the lake when it is deployed.
