For those who fly with paddles, how do you pack them, and do you check them or carry them on? I’m primarily curious about traveling with a single paddle, but I’d also love to hear how coaches manage carrying paddles for a whole team.

I am curious if others on here have had teammates become coaches. We have been an organized team since 2007. We have always had coaches who are not BCS team members. We have just begun to transition a teammate to become a coach in training. She’s doing a remarkable job! Great solid leader with clear and crisp commands. So my questions: 1) Does a coach have to steer or drum to coach or can you envision a world where a coach can be a paddler in the boat who coaches during rest periods as well as designs the workouts that the team will follow as called by the steerer or drummer? 2) If the only coaches on the team are teammates, can they still paddle competitively? If so, who decides if a coach qualifies to be on the most competitive boat rather than the second boat? *Thanks all! I am seriously considering becoming a coach, but I am SOOO competitive and I LOVE to paddle. I don’t mind steering some, but it isn’t my passion on the boat. I just don’t want to quit competing and I don’t want to give up paddling regularly (we practice 3 days a week).

What exercise do you do during your off-season?

I find that steering barefoot gives me more gripping capabilities for increased stability. However, after a longer practice (75 to 90 min) my feet start to hurt. Any suggestions on steer shoes that still provide foot grip?