Hey everyone! I am Lora D from Philadelphia. I paddle with the Schuylkill Dragons and have been steering for a long time. I completed the Level 1 course in 2022 and am now taking the Level 2 course. I've been asked to steer in Taiwan this year for a Women's Sr.B/C Short boat team. I've done a number of 2K races in standard boats, but am nervous about the 2K in the short boat! Hoping this course will provide some info/pointers. Thanks

Hello! I’m new to this group and happy to be a part of it. I’m part of Ohio’s Dragon Dream Team, an all breast cancer survivor team. I’ve been paddling for 20 years 💪🏼 and have been “hobby” steering when the team needs someone to jump in. Time to get serious on steering protocol and safely as I look to still paddle but support the team as a “Assistant Coach in-training”. I look forward to learning from the best! Fun Fact: I’m heading to France in August to race in August. Thanks for welcoming me!

Standing on the back of the boat in extreme heat can be torture for a steerer. Has anyone ever worn a cooling vest? Do they work?

Last night I took 17 newbies out. THANK goodness I had a calm, collected veteran with me in stroke. When we left the dock, all was calm, flat, perfect. As we turned back to head home, the rollers started rolling. At one point I really was afraid that the boat would capsize. I recall saying a silent thank you to my hour-ago-self for being a little bit extra about safety and capsize protocols before we left the dock. I also told my folks that we have a BUK, it's the most stable boat, and that it's THE boat to have if weather decides to get dodgy. (Which is true.) I think that really sunk in. The last 200m stretch home we had to zig zag like maniacs. We took on a lot of water, but we couldn't risk stopping to bail. Before our mad dash I said (as calmly and confidently as I could) "this is going to be tricky... so lean out and don't stop paddling." And they were amazing! We were nose into waves the whole 200m... but instead of fear and panic I heard whoops of excitement and laughter. (They had no idea how precarious it was, thank goodness.) PLEASE DO NOT underestimate the value of HAVING a safety plan, AND communicating it. Things could have gone sideways in a second. Thankfully I learned to steer on this ridiculously choppy water, so it's nothing new. But not everyone has that opportunity. Please please... be safe out there. And be kind to yourselves (if you're learning to steer) and your new steers (if you're a coach or paddler). If someone is at ALL hesitant to steer, please don't tell them they "got this." Listen to that hesitation, and respect it. If they don't know how to read the water, handle swells or multidirectional waves, it is not going to end well. And if YOU are that steer.. don't let anyone make you feel bad for saying no. It is an absolutely valid and complete sentence. Here we are, back safe at the dock, all smiles. Ironically enough, I was wearing my fave shirt which says "But Did You Die?" 🤣 Thankfully, nobody did!

Crashes and capsizes on the race course can happen, especially in a 2K race. In the comments below, tell us how you'd handle this scenario. If this HAS happened to you while you were steering, tell us how you handled it and what you'd do differently (if anything).