Canoe Polo Equipment

I thought it might be helpful to share some info about the different types of kit we use for Canoe Polo in various settings…

Personal Kit

Personal equipment is the stuff you wear – which can also depend on the setting and weather.

Items such as buoyancy aids and helmets will need replacing in line with the manufacturer guidelines.

Helmet
A good fitting helmet is important, the face guard should cover your chin. Polo helmets also offer more protection at the back of your head than helmets for other disciplines.

A Polo Helmet and Faceguard will cost around £150.

Spraydeck – “Deck”
A spraydeck keeps water out of your boat, it should fit around your waist and on the rim of the boat’s cockpit. With age, they can start to leak so may need replacing from time to time.

Sizing for spraydeck’s is based both on your waist size, and cockpit rim size. Our older plastic boats will need a different size spraydeck to our newer boats, so make sure you buy the right size.

New Cost: ~£75 – 150

Rash Vest
No matter where you’re playing, you’ll probably be needing a rash vest as either a base layer, or your top layer if it’s warm enough or playing in a pool.

The club will be buying Rash vests and members will be offered the opportunity to buy one when they’re available.

New Cost: £20 – 40

Cag
A cag is a wind-proof layer which is essential when training outdoors when it’s too cold to wear just a rash vest. When choosing a cag, make sure it doesn’t restrict your movement too much – none are perfect, but some are definitely better than others.

New Cost: £60 – 200

Wetsuit
Many choose a ‘long john’ style wetsuit combined with a cag, which gives better movement for your arms. Wetsuits are especially important if you’re training outdoors when it’s colder.

New Cost: £60 – £90

Boots / Socks
If you’re playing outdoors, protection for your feet is essential, in a pool wetsuit socks can also make you a little more comfortable. Think about the size of your feet, and how much space you have inside of the boat you use, not all boots are suitable!

Shorts
Neoprene shorts are often a good option when training in the pool, and outdoors when it’s warmer.

New Cost: £40 – 80

Dryrobe
A dryrobe can be a great investment to wear at outdoor tournaments between games. It keeps you both warm and allows you to dry yourself.

If there’s interest the club can book some custom dryrobes, let us know if you’d like us to order some custom dryrobe’s – we’d need to order at least 5.

Paddling gear is the stuff you use, like a boat or paddle.

You’ll often find second hand boats and paddles on the Canoe Polo Sales / Wanted UK Facebook Group.

Boats
- There are many different manufacturer’s of Polo Kayaks. Some UK based manufacturer’s include
  - Jem Racing
  - DBXclusive
  - Mega
- Although the club does have a lot of boats, they are also heavily used, won’t always be available for you to use.
- When playing in tournaments, the colour of your boat will need to match the team, you can add fablon to boats to change the colour.
- Polo boats are made from a variety of materials, including Plastic, Diolin, Carbon and Carbon Kevlar. A plastic boat will weigh considerably more than a Carbon Kevlar boat.
- A new polo boat will cost around £800 – £1500 depending on the material used
- The cost of second hand boats will depend on their condition but will be anything from £150 to £800.

Paddle
Polo paddles have to meet certain specifications, including a minimum thickness and maximum size. Most of the current club paddles are manufactured by Streamlyte, other manufacturers include CPS and Jem Racing.

New polo paddles cost around £250-300, although second hand paddles are available for less.

Buoyancy Aid – “BA”
Unlike most buoyancy aids worn for kayaking, polo buoyancy aids also have padding on the sides, so you can’t use a buoyancy aid designed for river paddling while playing polo as it won’t offer the necessary protection.

It’s important you buy the right size, a smaller size may still fit, but it may not have sufficient buoyancy to keep you afloat, and a buoyancy aid which is too big may restrict your movement whilst in the water and be dangerous.

When the club buys new BA’s we’ll offer members the opportunity to buy your own which matches. Our current colours are Red, Yellow, Blue and Black.
New Cost: ~£200

Balls, cards and more.

Polo Balls
- Balls for Canoe Polo are generally Size 4 or Size 5.
- Women’s leagues and Youth up to age 14 will use a Size 4 ball, while all other leagues will use a Size 5.
- A water polo ball is fine for training, and they cost around £30. A competition ball will cost around £50.
- There are Canoe Polo specific balls available which are similar to Water Polo balls, but have deeper grooves. There may be some other differences, but I don’t know what!
- You can also buy weighted balls which can help with some training exercises.
Referee’s Whistle & Cards
If you’re interested in refereeing, a whistle and a set of Green, Yellow and Red cards will be needed.

Author: Geraint