The crews have been easing their way back into action and have been going through the motions in the Macleay River.

With injuries and a few crew members away, Kempsey-Crescent Head Surf Boat captain Scott Edwards believes it will take a few weeks until it starts getting serious.

“We are just going through the motions, finding out who is keen to go around again and putting the crews together,” Edwards told the Argus.

“We got back in the water last week and were doing some light training up the river.

“A couple of new boats will hopefully arrive at the end of this week and then we will launch them the first weekend in October.

“We will really ramp up our training once we get onto the beach.”

The Surf Boat crews first challenge will be on October 27 at the Coffs Craft Carnival.

Edwards believes it will be a tough carnival to start at with NSW Surf Boat points up for grabs which will attract the prestigious Surf Boat Clubs from the Central Coast and Sydney.

“It will be a good chance to test ourselves early on in the season,” Edwards said.

Kempsey-Crescent Head are the defending champions in the North Coast Surf Boat Series after they held off Woolgoolga in the two-horse race for the title last year.

The local crews have been the benchmark of the competition for the better half of the last decade and Edwards is confident they will be competitive again this season.

“We haven’t set any goals yet but we have the numbers to be very competitive again,” Edwards said.

“Once we set our crews and have everyone back and training then we will have a better idea.”

Kempsey-Crescent Head are expecting to compete in the same divisions as last year while also potentially adding another junior crew.

In last year’s North Coast Surf Boat Series the Masters 200s was the only crew to finish the season in top spot but the club had four seconds and a third.

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