As a vital part of our safety procedures all of out athletes need to undergo a “Capsize Drill”. What this entails is the whole squad being brought to a local swimming pool with a single scull. Each member will sit into the scull in regular training clothes and the boat will be deliberately tipped over in the pool to see if the member can extract themselves safely from the boat and follow the correct procedures.
A vital part of this is that the member can swim 50 metres fully clothed. The club can not permit any members who can’t pass these two tests to train or race on the water. These are deemed mandatory requirements by both our club and also Rowing Ireland.
Generally these tests will take place once a year (normally around November) at a local pool. The date for the drill will be communicated well in advance and members and parents should ensure that this is a top priority for anyone taking part in rowing in a boat. Due to the cost involved there will be no secondary dates during the year so members must attend. The safety of our athletes is by far our top priority and this is a vital part of our health and safety procedures so participation for all is mandatory.
Many thanks to all who took part in the drill for 2023 which took place at 13:30 on Sun 19th Nov at the pool in Newtown School.
All athletes taking part should wear their regular training clothes (no hoodies, heavy cotton etc) for the drill. As they’ll end up in the water ensure they have a change of clothes for afterwards as well.
British Rowing have put together an excellent guide for coaches (and for everyone) on what is involved in Capsize Drills and also described the techniques that should be used in the rare event that a boat does capsize on the water. We urge you to read this yourself and also get your kids to read this and be aware of it to. Also there are diagrams and descriptions on what to do posted in the clubhouse as well. All competitors should take the time to read these.