The Paddler Late Summer issue 37

PADDLER The International digital magazine for recreational paddlers

TARAN Jeff Allen

Review of Rockpool

ezine

SYSTEMS Jennifer H.Yearley Towing

INDIA Kaustubh Khade West coast of

NICARAGUA Claire Cripps Caribbean coast of

Issue 37 Late Summer 2017

ROGER CHANDLER Adriana Eyzaguirre Sea Leader Award

CONTENTS

Washburn Boaterfest by Sean Quinn Editor

Peter Tranter peter@thepaddlerezine.com Tel: (01480) 465081 Mob: 07411 005824 www.thepaddlerezine.com

Advertising sales

Anne Egan Tel: (01480) 465081 advertising@thepaddlerezine.com

Covers Kayak: Salty: Canoe:

Washburn Boaterfest by Sean Quinn Rockpool Taran review by Will Herman Rannoch Moor by Adam Evans

Thank you to: WSA, Jeff Allen, Mike Webb, Nathan Eades, Phil Carr, Sam Leonard, Davis Gould-Duff, Adam Evans, Ashley Kenlock, Steve Bruno, Phil Scowcroft, Sean Quinn, Erin Bastian, Chris Brain, Braden Gunem, Kristen McAdam, Andy McClelland, Marty McCann, Traci Lynn Martin and Marco Venturini for all your help in putting this issue together.

Not all contributors are professional writers and photographers, so don’t be put off writing because you have no experience! The Paddler ezine is all about paddler to paddler dialogue: a paddler’s magazine written by paddlers.

Next issue is Autumn/Fall 2017 with a deadline of submissions on Sept 30th. Technical Information: Contributions preferably as a Microsoft Word file with 1200-2000 words, emailed to submissions@thepaddler.ezine.com. Images should be hi-resolution and emailed with the Word file or if preferred, a Dropbox folder will be created for you. The Paddler ezine encourages contributions of any nature but reserves the right to edit to the space available. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishing parent company, 2b Graphic Design Limited. The publishing of an advertisement in the Paddler ezine does not necessarily mean that the parent company, 2b Graphic Design Limited, endorse the company, item or service advertised. All material in the Paddler ezine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved.

Reproduction without prior permission from the editor is forbidden.

Issue 37 Late Summer 2017

004 Norway

Seven days SUPing by Ben Longhurst

014 Testing, testing

Plenty of kit reviewed by our contributors

028 Company profile Typhoon International

036 United Kingdom

Canoeing around Britain by Colin Skeath

050 Scotland

Rannoch Moor to Perth by Angela Ward

062 Scotland

Paddling locations by Richard Harpham

066 Canada

Long distance races by Richard Harpham

074 England

Washburn Boaterfest 2017 by Greg Spencer

086 Need a tow?

Sea kayaking towing systems by Jennifer H.Yearley

094 Sea Leader Awards

Q&A with Robert Chandler by Adriana Eyzaguirre

100 India

The west coast of India by Kaustubh Khade

110 Nicaragua

The Caribbean coast by Claire Cripps

118 Teaching kids to paddle

By Corran Addison with forward by Graeme Addison

126 Northern Ireland

World Surf Kayak Champs preview interviews

134 Interview with‌

Bex Band on the Paddle Pickup expedition

144 Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania 2800km of the Danube part 2 by Sam Brenkel

154 United States

Just around the Pointe expedition by Scott Edwards

162 Italy

Sea, lakes and rivers of Central Italy by Susan Walker

ThePADDLER 3

ThePADDLER 4

NORWAY S E V E N i n

D A Y S

Photos and story: Ben Longhurst and WSA

ThePADDLER 5

ThePADDLER 6

Next stop Norway

The boards slid away along the conveyor, turned the corner and disappeared into the luggage bowels of the airport, next stop Norway.

September is a magical time to travel in Norway, the weather is stable and most tourists have disappeared. That didn’t matter as we were heading into some very special remote areas, accessible only by a long drive or boat. We’re travelling by boat, but no ordinary boat. The MV Gaasten is a refurbished wooden Swedish minesweeper and skippered by Sven, owner of Fjord Adventures.

Three hours after leaving London and one change we arrived in Molde, Norway, a municipality of Romsdal and in its own archipelago. In less than 20 minutes, we were boarding Gaasten, being met by Sven, Jarrad and Izzy our chef, with welcome drinks. Following our on-board safety brief we pulled anchor and cruised into the silence of the archipelago. Settling behind a small island we sat in silence and were treated to a raptor flying overhead, gliding on the afternoon’s thermals.The late afternoon was spent settling in to our accommodation, which would be our home for the next seven days.

On deck that evening we were treated to a wonderful three-course meal. The theme of fivestar cuisines followed throughout the journey, breakfasts, snacks, tea and cake and of course evening meals.

Settling behind a small island we sat in silence and were treated to a

raptor flying overhead,

gliding on the afternoon’s thermals

ThePADDLER 7

ThePADDLER 8

Geirangerfjord

Norway ThePADDLER 9

ThePADDLER 10

Following a leisurely breakfast and with boards underfoot, we paddled into a maze of islands with a smooth breeze at our backs. The area is truly amazing, with tidal features, swaying seaweed and crystal clear water. Our new friend soared overhead and after lunch, we spent time on an uninhabited island before making our way back to Gaasten.

The rhythm of the diesel engine began and into the evening we sailed onto our next destination.

Each day, each paddle we became detached from our daily lives and more in tune with our surroundings.

Our last two paddles deep in the fjords completed a journey that we will all remember as inspirational. Ole, is famous for the Union hotel, residents have included royalty, writers and romantics. It was a perfect break to stretch legs, wander and travel back in time within the hotel.

The grand finale – silence, as the Gaastens engines came to a stop, at the head of Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We paddled deep into the fjord, which contains powerful waterfalls crashing down onto the edges of the water. The geological structure of the fjord, scoured by millions of years of ice, allowed us to paddle next to the bank where the edge drops down into the abyss.

We paddled deep into the fjord, which contains

powerful waterfalls crashing down onto the edges of the water

ThePADDLER 11

ThePADDLER 12

At lunch we sat alongside a waterfall that slowly cascaded below our feet and we reflected on an amazing journey. Thousands of starfish lined the route as we arrived at the head of the fjord, the only boat moored, onto the empty pontoons, looking back at the route we paddled under the immense hanging waterfalls and glacial cliffs of the fjord, we knew that day was a special day, to be remembered for a lifetime.

Water Skill Academy Guides Ben and Chris guided the Norway Fjord adventure in conjunction with Sven at Fjord Adventures. WSA guide unique SUP adventures, to find out more and join them in Scotland, Norway or Nepal, https://www.waterskillsacademy.com/sup-adventure-trips/

To become a qualified WSA Adventure or expedition guide https://www.waterskillsacademy.com/ instructor-courses/stand-up-paddle-instructor/

E: adventures@fjordadventures.co T: +44 (0)771 557 3818 W: www.fjordadventures.co

ThePADDLER 14

Testing, RockpoolTaran 16 and 18 http://www.rockpoolkayaks.com

By Jeff Allen

I first came across fast racing sea kayaks whilst working as sea safety officer for the Hebridean Challenge. Each year there were many Inuk sea kayaks competing and in the main, this design pretty much ruled the roost when it came to fast, sea worthy sea kayaks, the only trouble with the Inuk, was its stability factor and very low volume.

It was at the Hebridean challenge that I was also to meet John Willacy for the first time, he was paddling an Inuk and was leagues ahead of most other paddlers in the fleet, it was during a conversation post race, one afternoon that he revealed to me that he had plans on a new fast

sea kayak design which he had proposed to Mike Webb at Rockpool Kayak’s to help design and build. This design became the legendary Rockpool Taran 18. John’s background to competition was in wild water racing and to this end, the Taran range bears a resounding likeness, plumb high volume bow, low stern.

Several months after the first 18 came off the mould, I approached Mike at Rockpool to see if he felt the Taran 18 would be suitable for a fast but prolonged expedition around Ireland. He was unsure, one about the design and two about me, at the time I was sponsored by his nearby neighbour Nigel Dennis and he knew that I had a strong allegiance to the NDK brand.

Nigel at that time however, was not producing a quicker than average sea kayak (essential for what I had in mind) and the leg position in the cockpit of his designs were starting to play havoc with my posture.

g

testin

The first time I took it out in the surf zone at home, I also took out the Epic mid wing, which was going to be my paddle of choice for the expedition. Big mistake as John told me later, a new design, a rudder and a new paddle in five-foot of surf, really? Changing things in ones and twos is one thing, but changing things in threes is probably a step to far. However, after a short period of time trying to adjust to a lot of newness in my equipment, I managed to get the hang of how it performed on a surf wave. I rang

nte of i

I decided several hours later that this would be the design I would take to have a crack at Mick O’Meara’s original ‘Around Ireland’ record and boy did we beat it, in fact we smashed it, taking almost ten days off his team’s original time, which had stood for more than 20 years! Not only did we break the record, but the design set a new standard for expedition sea kayaks to aspire to, it was not only fast, it was also incredibly sea worthy, we had it out in some truly gnarly conditions and both the quality of build and design never let us down. Before we departed on the expedition I asked Mike to lend me a Taran to take out in the surf in Cornwall, he agreed and said, “Jeff, try to break it.” I thought I had misheard him, “I’ll be careful with it Mike,” I replied. “No, try to break it, I want to make sure its strong enough for Cornish surf” was his reply.

dd lers - email us: review s@thep addle rez ine

m .co

Smashing the record

res t to pa

Both Taran’s, the 18 and the 16 step away from the conventional, Greenlandic shape and form, with their high volume, plum bow, their flat bottom and ruddered stern (housed on a very small transom) are really quite different in both their looks and their performance and although this took a wee while to get used to, within a couple of hours of rock hopping around Rhoscollin Head and out through the races, I was totally hooked. I was also extremely impressed with the performance that John exhibited, his speed in a rough water environment, especially down wind and wave was quite incredible and certainly inspiring.

e will b nd it ed a iew rev uct od

John had recently smashed the Round Anglesey record in the Taran, knocking over an hour off his previous record in an Inuk, but a continuous trip of 80 or so miles was quite a different proposition to an extended 900+ mile trip around Ireland. Mike proposed that I take the kayak out for a test paddle with John to see how it performed.

ou want yo ion. If y u stat rp st r

Round Anglesey record

The Paddle r ez ine te

ThePADDLER 15

ThePADDLER 16 Mike up later that day and confirmed that I was still happy with my choice for the expedition.

As on previous trips I had done, my focus whilst paddling, wandered to the design concept of whatever kayak I was paddling, now this thought process turned to the Taran and ways in which it might be improved. Both Harry and I found that although there is a lot of volume for gear, the 18’ performed best for both of us with not too much weight in.

Cockpit design

Mike’s ideas surrounding cockpit design differ slightly to many other manufacturers, and here he pinches the forward section of the cockpit in slightly, so that it gives you better ergonomic alignment between foot, knee and hip. This slight adjustment, still allowing for positive connection with the knees (essential for rough water handling) but allows a better transmission of energy when driving forwards with the legs during your forward paddling.

On my return home, I ensured that I paid a visit to Mike in person, I owed the man a beer. He had offered myself and Harry Whelan a package for what was in essence, to support our dream trip and this investment in us, was done purely on faith, with zero obligation beyond, I was relieved we had not let him down. We had tried our best to push the boat as far and as fast as we could during the trip, our longest section on the water was 98 nautical miles in about 18 hours and we managed to pull out plus 140 kilometre days, back to back on several occasions. In fact I would go so far as to say, if it hadn’t been for the Taran, we would not have achieved our aim the way that we did.

A shorter version

When we met, he mentioned how the expedition had created a lot of interest and orders were now rolling in, this was a great relief and brought a big smile to my face, Mike went on to say that they had been considering building a slightly longer and slimmer version of the 18 footer, what were my thoughts? Well, I have to say, although a speedier Taran had much appeal, the truth is that I felt a shorter version would be better suited to the market place, it would have less over hang on vehicles, it would fit into your average garage and also have more appeal to your general paddler, he agreed to build a prototype and to this end I asked if he would fit a skeg into the design as well as the rudder system.

Photo: Will Herman

The final three days of our round Ireland expedition ended in a

mammoth endurance push where we only exited the kayak twice in the last 68 hours of paddling, yet we both managed to walk away from our kayaks, legs and hips still intact

ThePADDLER 17

ThePADDLER 18 About Mike Webb and Rockpool sea kayaks

Mike Webb studied engineering at Manchester University, but after working in that industry for about eight years left to work on his own aspirations to build custom windsurf boards, these were highly sought after boards which gained a good reputation amongst amateur and professional surfers alike.These skills laid the foundations for his transition into manufacturing sea kayaks, which he has been doing now for 20 plus years.After designing his first two models in his fleet of designs, the ‘Alaw’ and the ‘Alaw Bach,’ he then decided to start up his own company, Rockpool Kayaks in 2005.

Rockpool build the Taran range in three constructions Standard

Hand laid, polyester resin and glass fibre

Vac 2

Vacuum infused, epoxy resin, diolin/glass

Premier

Vacuum infused, epoxy resin, carbon/kevlar

Several months later, completed, Mike gave me a ring and invited me up to go for a paddle with John and to see what I thought. When I arrived we decided on a trip out to the Skerries, leaving from Cemlyn, John mentioned that I would find the 16’ to be a tad tippier in comparison to the 18’. I agreed with him, it was, but within several minutes was no longer feeling this, it was marginally less stable, rather than what I would call tippy. The flattened off hull does give you a different form of stability to your average round or ‘D’ sectioned hull, but once your used to this, you start to delight in its advantages, such as its planing ability downwind and wave.

Quicker

Within 20 minutes, I had fallen in love with the design. To me it felt quicker than the 18’ version, but this was impossible to ascertain as John is such a strong paddler, in an 18 or 20-foot version, I would still struggle to keep up with the man. What I have found over time is that the 16’ Taran is not necessarily faster than the 18’ Taran, but at certain speeds is more fuel efficient.

What I mean by this is that if your paddling at 4.5 knots, it takes me less energy to maintain that speed in the 16’ than it does in the 18’ Taran,

now if you’re a powerful paddler like John or other paddlers with a race history, then the 18 footer is always going to be the quicker kayak as you will, through technique, fitness and stamina, always be able to attain and maintain the full advantages of an 18’ water line length.

I am not one of these paddlers, I am more cart horse than race horse, I can sit in a kayak and paddle non stop for two days solid, but I struggle on the anaerobic blast that a race paddler can achieve, which is what really pushed the Taran to excel at the top speeds it can achieve. I also found that the 16’ Taran didn’t really need its rudder or skeg except in the strongest of winds, which was different to the 18’ that in my mind does need its rudder to perform as effectively as it does.

Fitting a skeg

I had asked Mike to fit a skeg, because there is so much convention and misconception surrounding the use of rudders in a sea kayak, which I just don’t understand. Many paddlers in the UK have an inherent distrust of rudders, but I have always found that skegs fail you far more often.They are both mechanical adaptions to the kayak and both can go wrong, they both have their different pros

and cons, but to me the pros of the rudder, far outweigh the uses of a skeg and as John put it so well, the skeg in the 16, just turns the design into a standard sea kayak, the rudder however, makes it an exceptional sea kayak, especially down wind and in a shorter, choppier, wind driven wave action.

If I was to get all equine on you, I would say that the Taran 18’ is like a long distance race horse and the 16’ a mountain Mustang, very fast and exceptionally manoeuvrable.The 18’ in my mind benefits from the longer ocean swells, in much the same way that an ocean ski works, but when the seas are shorter and more lively, the 16’ really comes into its own.

When I got back to the factory, I was grinning from ear to ear, double thumbs up Mike I said.

Mike let me strap the prototype to the roof of my car and take it back home to Cornwall with me, it soon became a firm favourite with many of our guides at Sea Kayaking Cornwall and I would, if I could, use this design for most of what I do. If I wanted to do another record orientated expedition, I would probably choose the Taran 18’ again, but if I could only ever have just one design to last me a lifetime, I am afraid I would have to go for the Taran 16’.

Photo: Will Herman

In summary Looks

The 18’ and 16’Taran are to me, very aesthetically pleasing in an aggressive, forward looking stylish way, if however you are very set in your traditional Eskimo/Inuit style of sea kayak way, this kayak may not have a visual appeal to you

Speed and sea worthiness

I list these two characteristics together because in my mind, speed is an element of seaworthiness, especially if you are being chased down an exposed section of coastline with an impending storm front chasing you or trying to close down on an unknown coastline before the sun sets.

Here the Taran family as a whole, come into their own, I know many sea kayaks which are fast (but unstable) and many that are stable, (but slow) but I only know a few which are fast and stable. The Taran is one of these and without having to put any other design down, the Taran sits pretty much at the top of the pile for me.

Upwind, the Taran benefits from having some weight in the bow, the fine entry and increased volume, which starts early in the bow sections, creates a good degree of divide and lift, so you cut through and ride up and over the wave action, the Taran is a dry ride in the chop and you only really get wet going in and out through bigger surf.

You don’t really need a rudder or skeg into the wind and with a ruddered sea kayak, you have to have ‘flow’ across the blade for it to be effective. So whenever you stop paddling forwards in a head wind, you have to lift the rudder if it is being used, to prevent the bow from ‘blowing off ’ down wind. Generally speaking, both the 16 and 18 foot versions of the Taran, perform well without needing the rudder, the 18’ has a degree of yaw which I find to be non-existent in the 16’ version.

Off the wind (beam wind)

The Taran 18 and 16 both perform well off the wind, they both benefit from the rudder to assist in balancing out the effects of the wind but this also depends on the skills of the paddler as to whether and when you choose to engage it. As soon as the wind shifts just slightly aft of the beam, you start to benefit from the surfing potential in this design and this is when you really benefit from the constant trim effect that a rudder offers the sea kayaker.

Downwind

If you are paddling at a proficient level, I challenge you not to smile when paddling the Taran downwind. This is where the legend has in my mind, been born, in both the 16 and 18 foot Taran’s capacities to just eat up the miles with constant downwind runs. The only downside of this immense performance value is when no one else is in a Taran as you will find yourself either paddling alone or cooling down while you wait for the crowd to catch up.

Volume

The Taran 18 is one of the highest volume sea kayaks there is, you don’t need to fill this volume if your not going to use it, but for those long distance self supported adventures, this is a massive advantage.

The 16’ Taran has as much if not more volume than most 18-foot sea

ThePADDLER 19

ThePADDLER 20 About the author

Jeff Allen started paddling in cub scouts and has had an addiction to the water ever since, in 2003 Jeff established Sea Kayaking Cornwall, a business based out of Falmouth in Cornwall, specializing in training and guiding others in sea kayaking and commercial guiding, they also run expeditions around the globe. In 2004 Jeff decided he needed to gain experience as well as NGB awards and set off on a long distance expedition to circumnavigate the four main islands of Japan, a distance in excess of 4,500 miles.

The following year he became a team member in the first British expedition team to successfully complete a circumnavigation of the remote Antarctic island of South Georgia, often termed as being the K2 of sea kayaking.

In 2007 Jeff started an expedition to circumnavigate and explore the coastline and mountain areas of the Scandinavian Peninsular and in 2011, along with Harry Whelan, broke a long standing 20-year record in circumnavigating Ireland in under 25 days. (Record re-taken

by Mick O’Meara, in a Rockpool Taran 18 two seasons later).

Jeff is also the founder of the International Sea Kayak Guiding Association and is a regular contributor to the kayaking press.

kayaks out there and has ample enough room for a 10-14 day self supported trip without the need for deck bags, etc.

Comfort and stability

This a very subjective matter as comfort depends very much on your body type and stability can also depend upon your own abilities and experience, I can compare the stability value to be very similar to the Nigel Dennis Explorer which is the kayak I used for around Japan and South Georgia. The Taran does however have a flattened off hull section which gives the paddler a different behavioural characteristic to your more conventional chined or ‘D’ Sectioned hull.

Rockpool manufacture two different seat sizes to accommodate a variety of shapes and sizes and to me, the more upright knee position has extended my paddling life considerably, as sitting like a frog was absolutely creasing my hips and knees.

Build quality

Mike is probably one of the most experienced custom sea kayak manufacturers there is, he likes to build lighter sea kayaks than most other manufacturers, but for Ireland I asked for a heavier version expedition lay up. This kayak was probably the strongest and most resilient kayak I have paddled and was used to go around Britain shortly after I used it to go around Ireland.

Photo: Will Herman

Jeff and Harry

Mike also builds an ultra light Vacuum Infused Carbon Epoxy Taran known as the V.I.C.E which I have been using now for much of my paddling on the south west peninsular.

All in all, I feel the Taran group of sea kayaks are performance sea kayaks suitable for the intermediate to advanced sea paddler. Both designs are stable, manoeuvrable and fast, capable of long distances in relatively short periods of time.They have an excellent degree of load carrying capacity and for anyone thinking of doing some expedition paddling, the Taran 16 or 18 should be pretty close to the top of your list.

C h a rg e a n d p l a y f ro m y o u r c o m p a t i b l e smartphone via USB

@FusionStereoActive

ThePADDLER 22

Ride Solar

www.ride-kayaks.co.uk

By Nathan Eades

Ride have been busy shaping during the last few months and their latest creation has just popped out of the mould. While many of us have been reaping the rewards of surfing the Zenith, those taller and heavier surf kayakers have had to watch from afar as we have been having so much fun ripping up the waves in Ride’s innovative surf machine.

Well, you larger surfers need watch in envy no more… Ride’s new Solar has been shaped, from scratch, for you!

Ride pride themselves on their approach to creating new models, opting for a CAD design process and CNC plug production – creating a completely new plug, from scratch, every time.

While this new machine has been inspired by the Zenith, it is unique in every way!

The cockpit is larger to allow easy entry and exit, they have increased the volume to give the user more space and to help float those larger limbs and Ride have added just a touch more width to help the kayak get onto the plane quicker. The widest point of the Solar is near the hips allowing the surfer to drive tight turns out of the bottom of the wave, straight back up the face and into the air! The attention to detail which Ride have put into the front rails will make re-entering the wave after smashing the lip or hitting a technical-aerial-manoeuvre far more forgiving than competitor models on the market.

Of course, bottom turns and lip manoeuvres do not come for free and the most difficult attributes for any surf kayak shaper to combine

are manoeuvrability and speed. While this new toy has all of the turning abilities of the Zenith, by tweaking the rocker, just slightly, Ride have also managed to unlock some serious speed with the Solar! Be it choppy, flat, hollow or slow, the Solar will accelerate you into your next radical onslaught.

Ride’s consistency with delivering high quality products is illustrated in the finish of the new Solar. As with all of the other kayaks in the Ride range, it comes with mini cell foam outfitting and an ergo seat set to your desired height. The thing which impresses us all the most is the integral cockpit rim offering extra strength, improved aesthetics and a better seal for your spray deck.

Ride are not only pushing the boundaries of technology with the design, development and prototyping process, but they also lead the way in surf kayak construction. Advanced foam core technology and vacuum bagged epoxy resin systems result in ultra lightweight, super stiff and extremely durable surf products (simpler constructions are available for those on a budget).

Rather than adding extra volume to the Zenith, Ride have created one of the most exciting new kayaks to be making its way to the World Championships later this year. Maybe this time, it will be the smaller surf kayakers watching with envy as the larger surfers out there, destroy the waves in this high octane addition to the Ride quiver.

The Zenith will continue to accommodate paddlers from 65kgs to 95kgs and the Solar will take care of surf kayakers in the 90kgs to 120kgs weight range.

The new Solar will be in high demand so get your order in quickly to avoid disappointment!

Ride Surf Kayaks are a British brand based in South Wales.

S t a n d

U p

M a g

P a d d l e

U K

SUP Mag UK’s sizzling summer issue is now alive, kicking and ready to order…

The UK’s only home grown SUP magazine available both in print and digital. Featuring the crème de la crème of UK stand up stories from home or abroad

by UK paddlers, it’s a must have read for anyone into the art of propelling themselves forward on a board with a paddle.

To subscribe to the digital copy with approx 60% savings over the print issue: https://joom.ag/MRaL To buy a printed issue on top quality paper with varnished gloss perfect bound covers please visit: http://standuppaddlemag.co.uk/subscribe/ The printed paper copy costs £7.49 inc P&P for a single issue or £27.99 inc P&P for a subscription of four magazines.

Please contact us: 01480 465081 Email: anne@supmaguk.co.uk

ThePADDLER 24

Palm Bolt

http://palmequipmenteurope.com

By Phil Carr www.unsponsored.co.uk I’ve been using the small Palm Equipment Lightning throwline as my small carry on a belt throwline.The compact size of the bag makes it ideal for this purpose.To achieve this size, it only uses 18m of 8mm rope with a 8KN breaking strain.

In addition to a small bag I also like to have a larger burlier throwline in the boat. This is where the new Bolt throwline comes into play. The Bolt takes many of the features of the Lightning and scales thing up. As a result it includes 20m of 11mm rope with a breaking strain of 10KN. This is strong enough to use as a haul line, but is still light enough for person to person rescues. The rope is really nice to handle even when under considerable load. A nice touch is that the two ends of the rope have been shrink wrapped.

The Bolt is cylindrical bag in bright orange/yellow for high visibility with additional reflective detailing. The outer fabric is Cordura 500, which is both tough and light. Where lined, the fabric is a contrasting bright blue and is made of a lighter but ripstop construction.

The Bolt includes the Fidlock magnetic closure. It is a bayonet type clip that contains a magnet. The system does not rely on a magnet to keep it shut. This helps position the two parts against each other in the correct way and it then simply snaps together.

The line is attached to a short length of tape.

The tape is of climbing grade and is heavily stitched. A small loop of tape is accessible on the outside of the bag. It is just big enough to get a carabiner in place. It is long enough to clip a

carabiner into but it is difficult to get fingers trapped in there. On the inside of the bag the rope is threaded through the tape and is secured with a figure eight knot. As with all my bags I like to check the knots before use. If wished, you could detach the rope quite easily.

The opening of the bag is huge and is stiffened.

The construction is very similar to that used in a climbing chalk bag. This makes the deployment of the bag when thrown and repacking the rope very simple and effective.

Belt loops on the bag fit Palm’s own Quick Release Belt (and belts from other manufacturers) so you can always have your line to hand.

So how does it perform?

Pretty well. The bag has a bit of weight to it that really helps with the throw and the wide neck allows the rope to deploy easily. As mentioned previously the rope handles well even under load. Repacking the bag is also a simple affair but as with most bags, caution needs to be taken to ensure that rope is tightly packed enough so that the closure system is easy to engage.

Palm have always made great throwbags and over the years I have owned or have used pretty much all of the different designs.

The Bolt is currently drying out and in the garage but once dried and packed will be living in the back of my kayak on all future Unsponsored adventures..

Specifications: Rope: 20 m of 11 mm, high visibility, floating polypropylene cored rope.

Weight: 1123 g (20 m).

Bag: Cordura® 500D bag with 420D polyester lining.

Strength: 10 KN static breaking strength.

www.channelkayaks.co.uk ƆƋ E ƕ Ɗ Ɛ Ƌƕ ƑƍƍƋƕ Ɗ ƕ Ɗ è ƄƑƐ ƓƆ Ƌ ƍƆƅƈ Ƌƈ Ɔ ƈ Ɗ ƕ Ɗƈ ƆƒƆ Ɛ Ɨ

Ɛ ƑƏ Ə Ƒ Ɨ Ɛ Ɔ d ƑƐ zƆ Ɛê E ƕ Ɗƈ ƈ ƏƆ Ɛ Ɠ ƕ Ɛ ƆƐ ƍƆ ƍƋƆ Ɛ ƆƐ ƆƏì ƄƆ Ɛ Ɛ

ƅ Əƍ Ə ƐƆ Ɨ ƕè ƐƆ ƌ ƄƑƈƋƗƈ è ƅ ƏƈƐƕ ƆƒƆ Ɛ Ə ƉƑ Ɛ Ə Ƒƍ Ƈ ƇƏƈƆ Ɨ

n^ RL9M1 &y&Mjd

CR9M nd RM RM& R0 Rn` &y&Mjd

RƈƎ ƂƄƍƅƄ Ǝ ƈ M Ƒ

# ƎƄë ÕéƢƎ RƃƎ ƂƄƍ ƼƞƟơ # ƎƄë Õ ƢƎ RƃƎ ƂƄƍ ƼƞƟơ

G ƃ ƎƆ ë `ƆƐƄƍ # ƍƎ Ə ƎƍƓ ^ ƍƈè

ƂƏƍƎ è #ƄƐ j_ƟƠ ơM^

L ƍƄ 9 ƅ ƍƊ ƎƆ

dƏƍƐƆƐ Ɖ zƄƄƈƄ ƕ ƈ M Ƒ

# ƎƄë ƟéƠƍƕ #ƄƃƄƊƂƄƍ ƼƞƟơ # ƎƄ Ɵ Ơƍƕ #ƄƃƄƊƂƄƍ ƼƞƟơ

G ƃ ƎƆ ë zƆƊƂƉƄƂ ƉƉ G ƈƄè

Mƍ #ƏƉƐƄƍƎ è d ƊƄƍ ƄƎè j ƼƼ ÖMn

L ƍƄ 9 ƅ ƍƊ ƎƆ

RRE Rn` &y&Mj jR#

0 ƍ Ɗ ƍƄ Ɔ ƅ ƍƊ ƎƆ Əƍ ƄƐƄ Ǝ ƕ Ƃ ƈƆ è ƋƉƄ Ƅ ƃ Ǝ ƃƎ Ə

ƞƢƽƽ ƾƾÕ Ɵƾƞƾ ƍ ƄƊ ƆƉ Ə Ɔ ƅ ƃ ƄƉƈ Ɠ ƈ êƃ êƏƈ

Ɔ ƅ ƃ ƄƉƈ Ɠ ƈ êƃ êƏƈ

ThePADDLER 26

Peak UK’s 2017 Kidz Range https://www.peakuk.com

Peak UK’s 2017 Kidz Range has everything for your little paddlers.

The Kidz Zip PFD set a new benchmark for childrens PFDs when it was launched in 2015 and with two sizes (Sproglet/Sprog) and two styles (Ladybird/Fish) plus full ISO lifejacket certification, continues to lead the way into 2017.

New for this year are the Kidz Long John, Pro Kidz jacket and Kidz Thermal Rashy. All are based on the adult’s equivalent with no shortcuts taken on materials, comfort or functionality so you can be sure your kids will love them!

Sizes available: 4, 6, 8 and 10 years.

SealLine Cloison Drybag 20L https://www.seallinegear.com

We were excited to get the latest drybags for review from SealLine.The expedition adage that nothing weighs very much but everything weighs something springs to mind.The fact this drybag is lightweight and durable is a major benefit.The SealLine tapered drybag at 20 litres is designed to fit conveniently in kayak hatches front and back.The bag has a neat purge valve to remove excess air once packed and sealed It is great for kayaks with smaller bow and stern storage areas but could of course equally be used on your SUP or canoe as a back up. The outer fabric has rip stop threads to keep it intact.

Definitely a good purchase for your day tripping and expedition kit.

Features l l l l

20 Litre capacity Easy stow design Tapered shape Purgeair TM valve

Paddler review Value for money Durability Features Look / Feel Weight RRP: £41.99

3 5 4 5 5

TYPHOON

ThePADDLER 28

COMPANY PROFILE: TYPHOON INTERNATIONAL

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Typhoon International – 70 years of technical excellence

Typhoon, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of drysuits for both professional and amateur divers and lovers of watersports, is celebrating an unprecedented 70 years in business this year, 2017.

Today the company, based in Redcar county Cleveland in north east England, supply products all over the world, from wetsuits to dive and surface dry suits, masks snorkels and much more.

It was shortly after this, around 1979 that various other watersports were evolving to become mass market pursuits, including windsurfing and surfing. Typhoon could see the trend and took the opportunity to start marketing high volumes of wetsuits.

The pioneer founder – against the odds

The founder of Typhoon, Oscar Gugen came to the UK after the Second World War and started up the British Sub Aqua Club, now the largest diving club in the world. His first company made wetsuits and sailing equipment and grew to eventually become Typhoon International, moving into the Redcar site in the 1970s. Shortly after this Gugen hung up his fins and retired.

The advancing design path of dive suits and dry suits

Typhoon International began making dive suits in 1952 and introduced their first suit in 1957.

However, the first drysuit that would be recognised with characteristics similar to today’s standards was developed in 1976 using lightweight tri-laminate materials which were revolutionary at the time, when dive suits were made of heavy canvas.

Typhoon was the pioneer of this breakthrough.

By this point Typhoon was sourcing and developing fabrics that were becoming ever more performance driven in terms of comfort and durability. By the early 90s, breathable fabrics entered the market place, with the earliest breathable fabrics being pioneered in the ski industry. For Typhoon the cross over from the ski industry to water sports took place in the mid 90s when market demand was really starting to soar. This was due to fabric quality and performance drawing more attention and becoming more important, particularly in the dinghy and paddle market. Due to this attention, popularity increased, market demand became high and due to heightened accessibility, the market price became more affordable.

For Typhoon the transition of breathable fabrics to the water sports market occurred in the early 2000s. This was a direct result of their advanced product development in their products for commercial and military applications.

www.typhoon-int.co.uk COMPANY PROFILE: TYPHOON INTERNATIONAL

ThePADDLER 29

ThePADDLER 30

COMPANY PROFILE: TYPHOON INTERNATIONAL

Typhoon Multipsort 5 Back entry

Typhoon PS330

Stemming the tide of change

Many competing companies had rushed into the fray by this time. Due to various shake-ups the market was becoming saturated. It was a milestone year for streamlining the marketplace in wetsuits and drysuits but Typhoon’s product diversity enabled the company to grow stronger than ever, withstanding the fluctuations of latest trends. It was at this point that Typhoon took the strategic decision to enter the global arena to help withstand the expansion and contraction of the marketplace.

A new perspective on design

In 1984 Typhoon took a decision to heavily target the growing UK market. This drive led to a 50% sales increase in just one year. Typhoon continued to develop their products beyond functionality and began to look towards fashion.

In 1986 Typhoon recruited fashion designer Charian Watkins to their R&D team. She undertook the task of addressing the aesthetics of the suits whilst maintaining their anatomical design and thermal protective qualities.

Using her own windsurfing experience Charian teamed up with five times national boardsailing champion Andy Biggs, and spent hours studying

Typhoon Multisport 5 Hinge

how he moved out on the water in all sorts of conditions. She also looked into the properties of Neoprene and how it could be developed and enhanced to act as a second skin. The result was a choice of three thicknesses for various body panels to aid flexibility, durability and performance when out on the water.

Manufacturing changes enabled not just wetsuits, but drysuits to be mass-produced, as well as improving the integrity of the suits. Processes such as hand-taping seams with rubber tape were replaced by machine heat applied techniques. Stitching techniques also improved strength and flexibility.

Listening to the customer

Typhoon is one of a few remaining true manufacturers which gives them extended design and manufacturing capabilities. This combined with their in-house knowledge and expertise means they can provide bespoke designs and alterations for commercial customers, rescue and response organisations, extreme adventurers and divers who have specific design considerations.

This approach has helped with product development to provide off-the-shelf products with increased performance.

www.typhoon-int.co.uk

Richard Branson took an early example of a drysuit adapted as a survival suit on his 1985 attempt to win back the Blue Riband Trophy on his powerboat Virgin Atlantic Challenger. It was just as well that he was wearing it as the boat sank only miles short of the finish line at Land’s End, grabbing world headlines in the process.

By 2007 Typhoon had concluded two years of development to produce their revolutionary hinge entry zip system, making drysuits a lot easier to don. This was a key milestone for Typhoon, completing what is considered to be a fully ergonomic drysuit design.

New trends and big steps forward

Innovation for greater comfort continues

Typhoon realised the importance of having an R&D team of experts.These included boardsailing champion Andy Biggs who became the company’s technical advisor during the crucial years of the 80s.The company uses state of the art methods including CAD design and constant analysis of fabric types to make incremental improvements.

Today Typhoon is a key player in the diving and watersports markets with products specifically designed for all its key leisure markets: diving, sailing, surfing, kayaking, stand-up-paddle boarding and dinghy sailing to name but a few. The company is equally focussed on their commercial and military market place: Search and rescue organisations, emergency services and the Ministry of Defence. The company is well positioned to respond to individual requirements for drysuits to be used in extremely demanding environments. Typhoon

By the mid-90s, cumbersome suits were now replaced with lightweight and breathable alternatives, anatomically designed to create a more supple fit for increased movement, comfort and performance. Designers like Charian had pioneered the cut of suits so limbs could articulate freely and features like the glide skins were introduced to replace hard-to-pull-on rubber seals, as well as stretch tape for seam flex. As suits felt increasingly lightweight they could be worn for longer periods of time.

The current management team at Typhoon is continuously looking at new advances in design and material technology and analysing consumer trends in order to stay ahead of the curve.They look to identify gaps in the market place and works to push the boundaries of existing designs.

COMPANY PROFILE: TYPHOON INTERNATIONAL

ThePADDLER 31

ThePADDLER 32

COMPANY PROFILE: TYPHOON INTERNATIONAL

has worked closely with the MOD for many years to develop quality, innovative products with unique functions which later evolve to the benefit of the mainstream marketplace.

Manufacturing is still carried out using a highly skilled workforce.The experience, knowledge and dedication of the workforce, is a testament to where Typhoon as a company and a brand is today.

Typhoon’s head office in Redcar provides a full after sales service which includes repairs and servicing. The company has the ability to customise suits to individual requirements such as made-to-measure drysuits or adding extras from pockets to custom zip placements and logos. This is of particular relevance to commercial applications, however paddlers, divers and sailors who are going to greater levels in their adventure can also benefit.

Conclusion

In conclusion what we have seen over the years is the evolution of drysuit and wetsuit design and fabric makeup to enhance the performance of the suit.The main benefits are increased flexibility, movement and breathability, lighter weight and more durable, with greater heat retention properties.This results in a product that means people can stay in the water for longer periods of

time with increased comfort in harsher climates and in more demanding conditions.

Every Typhoon drysuit is made to relevant CE and ISO9000 standards and pressure tested before despatch. Many of today’s key customers, such as the Ministry of Defence and the RNLI were buying from Typhoon 30 years ago and still are today. Others include military markets all around the globe, major oil companies, the Antarctic Survey Team, the SAS and thousands of individual customers, even James Bond!

In 2015 Typhoon became part of the 3Si group which includes a number of marine safety and survival companies.

HYPERCURVE BACK ENTRY DRYSUIT of

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

HYPERCURVE

Comes with a changing mat bag

FLEX CLOSURE PU DRY ZIP NEOPRENE NECK & CUFF SEALS REINFORCED KNEES & SEAT 3 YEAR WARRANTY

www.typhoon-int.co.uk | sales@typhoon-int.co.uk | ++44(0) 1642 486 104 |

Typhoon_international |

TyphoonInt

ThePADDLER 34

PADDLER Canoe

036 United Kingdom

Canoeing around Britain by Colin Skeath

050 Scotland

Rannoch Moor to Perth by Angela Ward

062 Scotland

Paddling locations by Richard Harpham

066 Canada

Long distance races by Richard Harpham

074 England

Washburn Boaterfest 2017 by Greg Spencer

SILVERBIRCHCANOES.COM

ThePADDLER 36

BRITAIN C A N O E I N G A R O U N D

By Colin Skeath Just after 7pm on Monday 24th July, Davis Gould-Duff and I paddled our Swift Temagami canoe into Strontian on Loch Sunart, having completed the first ever circumnavigation of the British mainland by open canoe. Our voyage took 86 days and covered 2,064 miles along some of the most beautiful and dangerous coastline in the world.

Coastal canoeing in the UK has been very limited, which is probably a reflection of a commonly held view that the canoe is better suited for more sheltered waters or rivers. There are however, some notable exceptions.

25 years ago, Ray Goodwin and Rob Egelstaff circumnavigated Wales by the coast, river and canal in an open canoe. This was one of the most ambitious UK coastal canoe expeditions undertaken. Ray has completed this circumnavigation twice, along with the first open canoe crossing of the Irish Sea, and has been at the forefront of adventure canoeing in the United Kingdom.

The Open Canoe Sailing Group have been very active in the coastal environment with circumnavigations of Mull and the Isle of Wight. In 2012 a skilful and experienced canoe sailor, Gavin Millar set out from his home on the Solent and attempted the first circumnavigation of the UK in a specialised sailing canoe, a Solway Dory Shearwater. Gavin’s trip covered 1,000 miles. My hat goes off to Gavin, he was alone in big seas and his endeavour was largely unsupported.

It is worth mentioning that sea kayakers are regularly attempting to circumnavigate the UK, Ireland or both.

Long distance coastal circumnavigations seem to be a part of their culture and an accepted goal.

ThePADDLER 37

ThePADDLER 38

From inspiration to conception

It was not until late in 2010 that Katrina and I bought our first canoe, a 17-foot Old Town Penobscot. Canoeing then became my passion and I was surprised to learn that no one had circumnavigated the UK mainland by canoe.

reef and not offering the same upwind performance as a Bermudan sail, they could be interchanged depending on the conditions and taken down quickly. I also didn’t want a big mast up when we were in big surf close to shore. For this and the outfitting of the boat I went to the experts, Solway Dory.

Katrina and I paddled and sailed our Penobscot on Scottish rivers and lochs and completed a circumnavigation of Anglesey over two days. At this point I was convinced that a circumnavigation of the mainland UK was doable.

I wanted to use wooden paddles for the trip as I use these for most of my paddling. I needed a traditional beavertail for rough conditions where I could use support strokes and I also wanted a light bent shaft for long, calm(ish) days. Jude from Downcreek Paddles came up trumps with his Big Dipper and stunning bent shaft Curlew.

What followed was two years of extensive planning and preparation. We needed a boat for the journey and after extensive research we opted for a 17.5-foot, Swift Temagami, which we had strengthened with thicker Kevlar.The propulsion would be through paddling and sailing.

Katrina was keen to be my partner on the trip but she did not want to leave our two ‘boys’ for months. Our ‘boys’ being Border Collies, Tyke and Gonzo who are now getting quite old. I was left with a problem – I needed a partner who could paddle, take 3-5 months off work and who had the desire to complete a 2,000-mile coastal canoe journey, not an easy person to find!

Planning and preparation

I wanted small sails with a low centre of effort to reduce the strain on the boat and prevent it from heeling over too much. For this I opted for 35 and 14-square foot lug sails. Whilst difficult to

Launching at Filey with Flamborough Head in the background.

I had previously climbed with my nephew Davis and, having completed a nine-day ascent of Muir Wall on El-Capitan in Yosemite National Park,

I needed a partner who could paddle, take 3-5 months off work and who had the desire to complete a

2,000-mile coastal canoe journey, not an easy person to find!

ThePADDLER 39

ThePADDLER 40

together in 2010, I knew he was made of strong stuff. I asked Davis if he wanted to join me and without hesitation he said, “Yes.” At this point Davis had no canoeing experience so we planned some training and ‘warm up’ expeditions. In 2015 Davis joined me in Strontian and following three days of coaching from Greg Spencer we made, what we believe to be the first open canoe circumnavigation of Skye in five days.

In 2016 I met Davis again and we completed, over three consecutive days, the River Spey from Loch Insh, Spey Bay to Inverness along the coast and The Caledonian Canal, totalling 174 miles.

On the 24th April 2017 Davis joined me in Strontian. Our time was spent going over the major hazards, checking equipment and practicing capsize recovery.

In all, prior to us setting off on our expedition at the end of April, Davis had spent a total of 12 days in a canoe! This is a testament to his natural sporting ability, hard work and determination.

Setting off from Skye Bridge at dawn.

Ethics

I had read on the performance sea kayak website of some self-imposed ethical considerations of a team who completed a major circumnavigation. I thought this important and I was keen to do the circumnavigation with a clear set of ethics. I drew up the following list which both Davis and I agreed upon. l Use an open canoe without fixed decks. l Propulsion only though paddling, sailing or a combination of both. l No portaging or shortcuts through the mainland/canals. l No prolonged breaks unless forced by the weather, illness or damage. l We would always carry enough supplies and equipment for six days.

Tactics l

Our trip was to be semi supported. In Scotland and more remote places we would aim to camp and meet Katrina every 4-5 days for a resupply. In busier areas such as the south coast we would meet Katrina and

A superb beach where we were forced to land through surf after the wind and swell stopped progress.

l l

l

l l

sleep in the camper van (this worked out about a 50/50 split. The longest we were left unsupported was seven days).

Use the tides in our favour.

Keep going until the weather turned against us (we only had one unforced rest day on the whole trip prior to crossing Cardigan Bay but we were weather bound for 21 days. We used these days to recuperate and check equipment) Fast and light - cut corners. I was convinced that a bold approach based upon sound decision making would be safer and quicker than taking longer circumspect routes.

Avoid paddling at night unless absolutely necessary.

Where possible use a combination of paddling and sailing. We developed our own style of paddle sailing which greatly increased our speed and whilst still hard work enabled us to cover greater distances.

Strontian to Wick

We launched from the head of Loch Sunartin in front of the Strontian Hotel, at 09:20 on 30th April 2017. Waving goodbye to friends and family we caught the ebb tide to Kilchoan with a following force 6 wind.

ThePADDLER 41

ThePADDLER 42

Our journey continued north. Some days were difficult due to a persistent head wind but we were blessed with beautiful sunshine.

On the 9th May we turned Cape Wrath. This was made more difficult as the tide turned against us as we turned eastwards, a result of being delayed by the active bombing range! We were left struggling against a turbulence and almost impossible tide.

Along the north coast the swell became scarily large. Often picking us up and giving us a fantastic view of the ocean and then hiding us in its trough. As we approached Durness we ran a gauntlet of waves breaking all around us. Each one sounding like an explosion and threatening to take us out! I felt very small and vulnerable.

The following evening, after a long tiring day we arrived at Scrabster in the dark. The forecast for the next few days was for F7-8 winds. With our next objective being the Pentland Firth, we were forced to take the next three days off.

We went to have a look at the tide race from Duncansby Head and wished I hadn’t. I had never seen anything like it. It was a spring tide, F7 wind and there were huge breaking waves that would easily sink us!

On the 14th May the wind had calmed down and we left early catching the tide around Durnett Head, through the Merry Men of Mey and towards the Pentland Firth.

Bailing not an option

As we approached I could see big breaking waves. Davis and I paddled hard, we had a small sail up, the plan being to get through as quickly as possible. The swell was picking up and we entered the race. Dodging the first few breaking waves and paddling hard we were OK. That is until a huge wave broke over the boat. It hit Davis and went over his head. Instantly we were filled with water. Bailing was not an option, we had to keep going. I was shouting to Davis to, “Keep paddling.” We both paddled hard and I tried to steer a line through the breaking waves.

Soon things calmed down and we were able to bail, preparing ourselves for the next set of waves. We kept going through further races and 15 minutes later we were heading south in a big swell towards Wick.

The east coast

Our journey continued down the east coast with big crossings of the Moray Firth and from Arbroath to Skateraw. On landing at Berwick Upon Tweed after a harrowing paddle through big breaking waves we were met by Ollie Jay, a local canoe guide who was one of a number of really helpful people that we met along the way.

As we travelled further south we had our first encounters with large ships and always gave them the benefit of the doubt!

Flamborough Head is an obvious headland which can be difficult to negotiate. It was for us!

We had left from Whitby in the morning and caught the second tide from Filey in the afternoon. Battling into F4-5 headwinds we struggled to get around the headland. The sea here was heaving and lifted us high above surrounding waves, again I felt very vulnerable.

We were too slow getting around the head leaving us with a hard paddle to Bridlington against the tide. This was one of the hardest days on the trip for me.

The scenery of our coastline is sublime but is was the unexpected that made the trip. I always knew that the coasts of Scotland and Wales were spectacular but I was surprised at how much I loved the Humber Estuary and the Lincolnshire coast, with the really big skies and feeling of space.

The south coast

Crossing the Thames Estuary was our most difficult crossing. Decision making was tested to the full and a crossing from Oxford Haven in Suffolk to Joss Bay in Kent was on the cards. The problem with this area is the shallowness of the water which in windy weather would lead to big waves. The forecast was for F5-6 offshore winds decreasing to F4-5. Taking everything into consideration we believed this would be marginal but possible.

We left at 0730 on 12th June and headed out. It was windy and we had agreed that if conditions were too rough we would head for Felixstowe.

What followed was a 12-hour crossing, testing our equipment, resolve and our determination.

We were constantly swamped by big breaking waves but our buoyancy (air bags and barrels)

I loved the Humber Estuary and the Lincolnshire coast, with the really

big skies

and feeling of space

ThePADDLER 43

ThePADDLER 44

Landing at Berwick Upon Tweed.

One minute you are fighting for your life

did its job along well, along with our constant bailing!

Visibility was poor and it was not until we were 15 miles from the Kent coast that we could see land.

We landed at Joss Bay and were relieved to meet Katrina in the Camper van. I find this one of the difficult things about a trip like this. One minute you are fighting for your life and the next, sitting in a warm van eating pizza!

A couple of days later, we had passed the white cliffs of Dover and turned the corner onto the south coast. It was much calmer here, with less swell and the spectacular views of the cliffs at Beachy Head.

One of the major hazards on the south coast was Portland Bill. A major tide race forms off this headland and is a real danger to any vessel passing though. We timed our passage perfectly and didn’t experience any problems – thankfully!

Devon and Cornwall

Blessed with beautiful beaches and picturesque villages, our passage along this coast was really enjoyable but it was just outside Dartmouth where we had our first capsize. It was a sunny but windy day with stronger than forecast F-6 winds gusting 7. It was a gust took us by surprise. We had a sail up and were knocked flat.

Our capsize drills paid off. We were back in the boat and moving again within a minute (this was one of two capsizes on the whole trip, not counting a couple of mishaps in surf beaches). It’s worth noting that a lot of yachts were also taken by surprise by the high winds and were seeking shelter in the harbour.

The Lizard Peninsular provides a challenge as there can be tide races and general turbulence. It is noticeable as you travel in this area that the seas are bigger and the swell increases as the coast becomes more exposed to the Atlantic Ocean. After two days of waiting out some bad weather, we passed the Lizard and headed for Mousehole. This was a tiring crossing with unhelpful winds, tide and a lumpy sea.

Mousehole was our staging point for turning Land’s End. We left early morning before the sun had risen and headed out. It was a spectacular sunrise and easy going until we reached Land’s End. Here the swell picked up, seas were uneven and it was very hot with little wind.

Davis was seasick and had a really unpleasant journey to St Ives where we landed and left our boat at a local sailing club.

Wales

Crossing the Bristol channel was to be via Lundy Island.

Paddling through surf from Bude Haven we reached Lundy and spent a great evening enjoying the isolation of the island. The following day we crossed to south Wales landing at Caldey Island.

and the next, sitting in a warm van eating pizza!

ThePADDLER 45

ThePADDLER 46

If it hadn’t been for Bill’s inspiration the trip From there we continued though Jack and Ramsey Sound, both notable for their strong tides and tide races. The tidal information we had for this area was ambiguous but fortunately we guessed right, passing through Ramsey Sound at 10 knots!

Bill Taylor

Our journey along the Welsh coast took us to Llangrannog where we were met by Bill Taylor who had introduced me to the outdoors when I

was a pupil of his in a Kent high school. Bill was the first sea kayaker, along with Mick Wibrew and Richard Elliott, to circumnavigate Great Britain and Ireland in 1986. If it hadn’t been for Bill’s inspiration the trip wouldn’t have happened. We spent our only rest day at here, checking kit and planning for the last sections. It was great listening to Bill’s tales of his world wide adventures!

We left Llangrannog to cross Cardigan Bay to Porth Oer. Our crossing went to plan until the end when we decided to go to Aberdon instead

of down the Bardsey sound. This was not possible as the tides were too strong and after a battle we were taken down the Bardsey Sound and through multiple tide races. These were made all the more interesting as it was getting dark! At Porth Oer we met a lone

wouldn’t have happened canoeist, Luke McNair. We could only just make his boat out as he paddled out to meet us in a really choppy sea! Luke can sure paddle his boat!

Following this, our journey along the coast and through the Menai Straits was enjoyable but uneventful. The plan now was to commit to multiple crossings from Anglesey to the Isle of Man, to Northern Ireland, to Scotland and then home.

ThePADDLER 47

ThePADDLER 48

The Irish Sea crossings

Over five days we completed three crossings of the Irish Sea. The first from Anglesey to Douglass (the biggest crossing of the trip at 55.6 miles). The second from the Isle of Man to Donaghadee, Northern Ireland and lastly from Glenarm, Northern Ireland to Machrihanish, Scotland. All of these were physically hard but more than this they were mentally challenging.

We were close to the finish but It would have been easy to lose it all with one bad decision.

The Sound of Jura – Strontian and home!

After spending a weatherbound wet day at Machrihanish, we headed north along the sound of Jura. The tides were strong for the most part and the wind was stronger than the force 5 that had been forecast. The next day was a 46-mile slog against the wind. Matters were made worse when the tides changed against us and we were nearly ground to a halt.

Driven by the knowledge that we would be home the following day we arrived exhausted at Lochaline. The end was now in sight we had 15 miles to do before we closed the circle and 31 miles before we arrived back in Strontian. It was another hard session northwards on the Sound of Mull.

We had the tide with us, but not the wind which was kicking up some steep whitecaps. After a difficult paddle we entered the mouth of Loch Sunart where we turned eastwards and took full advantage of the wind and sailed into the Loch where we closed the loop. We had completed the first circumnavigation of the UK in an open canoe.

After a brief handshake, Davis and I were joyous as we continued down Loch Sunart to Strontian where we were met by friends and family. Our journey was complete but the real achievement on this trip though, is letting people see what an open canoe is capable of.

RANNOCH ThePADDLER 50

W I N T E R

C R O S S I N G

F O R

MOOR PERTH T O

Story Angela Ward Photos: Angela Ward and Adam Evans

The beginning is a good place to start The canoe is possibly one of the most adaptable and versatile forms of transport on water. Its purpose is to carry people and provisions, possibly over many days and covering great distances.

The word ‘expedition’ is likely to derive from the words ‘expedite’ and ‘expedient’. In essence, this means travelling efficiently, quickly and in an organised manner. A variety of different techniques may be used e.g paddling, poling, sailing, tracking and lining.The whole basis of expedition paddling is to travel light whilst being fast and able to utilise whichever technique is most appropriate for the conditions.Traditional skills have a real practical application in the expedition environment, rather than just being something that is briefly demonstrated for the purposes of a BCU assessment.

ThePADDLER 51

question your ability

During an expedition you might question your sanity and your choices but you should never have cause to

ThePADDLER 52 Any wild journey requires meticulous planning, even more so in the winter. I’ve concentrated on developing myself as an expedition paddler. In addition to learning technical paddling skills, it’s vital to have the appropriate specialist kit and know how to use it correctly. It’s also about being physically strong and mentally determined. I think that all these factors are crucial.

Weaknesses in one area can be compensated for by the other factors. If you have weaknesses in two or more areas then your options for a safe and enjoyable expedition experience are more likely to be compromised. If you’re physically exhausted and mentally drained then you probably won’t be enjoying yourself.

I’ve been coached by Adam to a very high standard but equally important is the fact that I get out onto the water as much as possible at the weekends in order to practice. I train most days after work and split my time between two gyms.

During an expedition you might question your sanity and your choices but you should never have cause to question your ability.

There should be no uncertainty that you can achieve your goals providing you’ve made the necessary preparations. This can take weeks, months or even years. One thing is certain though. Fail to prepare and prepare to fail.

I’m not sure that the reality of an expedition environment can be truly gained without first-hand experience although we hope that this article will give you an insight into ‘The Adventures of Adam and Angela’ and it may perhaps inspire you to wonder what lie beyond your usual horizons. It can be really challenging, although ultimately this makes it more rewarding. “I don’t want to climb a little hill. I want to climb Everest because the views will be worth it.”

ThePADDLER 53

ThePADDLER 54 Countdown to day one

Stayed at Inverardran House in Crianlarich.

Enjoyed a pre-expedition evening meal of haggis, neeps and tatties washed down with Thistly Cross Cider.

Day one

When Adam first mentioned the possibility of doing the Rannoch Moor Crossing in 2016, I was really keen to do it. It sounded exciting, mysterious and a proper adventure. I started to do some background reading and looking at maps. I’ve done advanced navigational skills on land so it didn’t take me long to work out that Rannoch Moor comprises areas of blue with lots of orange contour lines . That’s pretty much it.

There wasn’t enough

room to stand as the trees arch over each other cutting off any head room

At that time, Adam felt that I wasn’t quite ready to undertake such a big trip so we made alternative plans to paddle Loch Tay/River Tay. The lure of doing the Rannoch Moor Crossing never left me though so fast-forward 12 months and the time was right in terms of desire, preparation, skills and fitness. A slight spanner in the works was the predictable unpredictability of the Scottish weather.

A forecast of light snow was replaced by what can only be described as the worst weather that I’ve ever contemplated paddling in. The road from Crianlarich to Loch Ba was just passable.

After portaging our boats and kit through deep snow, we found ourselves on the shores of the lake in extremely poor visibility. Adam was certain that we’d have enough skills between us to ‘keep each other alive’ if we encountered significant problems. Due to my excellent expedition catering planning, we probably had enough food to last us until the snow thawed, or until summer, whichever came first.

‘Go for it’

Fortunately, the visibility improved to the point where we could see around 50 metres into the distance so we decided to ‘go for it’.

Unfortunately, I then realised that I’d forgotten to bring my lip gloss but being a girl was less important than being an expedition paddler, so I decided to risk chapping and just get on with it.

The chances of meeting a handsome Saudi Prince en route were slim, so looking glamorous was not on my list of priorities.

Before I joined the adventurous world of expedition paddling, my priorities for trips away would include remembering to take such essentials as hair straighteners, make-up, a handbag (just one though), jewellery and possibly even some high-heeled shoes. My packing list nowadays includes items made partly from neoprene and latex, cordage, unleaded petrol and my own bodyweight in dehydrated sliced potatoes.

Make-up is unnecessary as I have no intention of hanging around looking glamorous whilst waiting for Prince Charming to rescue me.The glamorous one in our paddling partnership is obviously Adam.

My lack of hair straighteners and make-up meant that for the majority of the expedition, I looked too tragic to be in front of the lens. It seemed more appropriate that he assumed the role of being my photographic muse. He has perfected the art of hanging around looking pretty while others do most of the work.

ThePADDLER 55

ThePADDLER 56 Despite the inclement wintry weather conditions, quitting was not an option. We knew the first section of the trip was very committing. Once onto Rannoch Moor, there are only two directions of travel. Go forwards or turn back. The abilities to adapt, improvise and overcome are key requisites for expedition paddling. Preparations are made carefully but always expect the unexpected.

The visibility on Loch Ba was extremely poor and the wind picked up causing wintry spindrift across the water.

It was a matter of finding a balance between the hot drive of enthusiasm and cool analytical decision-making.

Although we set off in a complete white-out, the visibility suddenly improved after we’d paddled a couple of hundred metres as the wind gently helped to propel us. There was still a slight doubt about whether to carry on. Sometimes it’s wiser to turn back and paddle another day rather than be reckless. Today was not the day to turn back. Adam said, “Let’s go for it,” so we carried on into the jaws of the sharp wild winter of Rannoch Moor.

Casting our eyes into the skies, we anticipated that the weather would forgive us our trespass for at least the next two hours. We made good headway as the bows of our boats carved through the foreboding black water of Loch Ba. We edged our way down River Ba, bouncing over shallow white tops as thick juicy flakes of snow fell all around us.Visibility was again reduced so we bit off steady chunks of the water, hitting eddies on the way down in order to control our descent into Loch Laidon.

After a brief food-stop for hot soup and spicy sausage, it was time to switch to sail power rather than paddle power. Make hay while the sun shines and make headway when the wind blows!

Sailing down Loch Laidon was undoubtedly one of the most magical moments of my life. Above us were fluffy white clouds in the blazing blue sky. Below us was deep dark water. Surrounding us was a barren landscape dusted in icing sugar.

Words and pictures don’t come anywhere close in capturing where we were. It was one of those times in life when everything seems to make sense and you feel invincible, like nothing can stop you.

The graceful journey by sail came to an abrupt wintry halt when we reached the end of the loch to discover that the portage track to Rannoch Station was a footdeep in snow. It took us around 90 minutes to cover a distance of only 400m.We were aware that if the road out of Rannoch was equally as snow-bound then it wouldn’t be viable to continue with our onward journey.

Fortunately our doubts were unfounded because the roads were clear. I chatted to some bemused railway enthusiasts whilst Adam chatted to a friendly stag.

Above us were fluffy white

clouds in the blazing blue sky.

Below us was deep dark water ThePADDLER 57

ThePADDLER 58

As we’d made the decision to carry on with the expedition, we embarked on the next portage. This involved a combination of making distance and resting. Two 15ft canoes on trolleys, fully laden with kit and food for the next five days, had to be pushed, pulled, shouted and screamed at along the road to the Bridge of Gaur.

Due to the weather conditions and fading light, we decided to set up camp for the night just short of our intended destination. It’s crucial to rest and refuel in order to conserve energy for when it’s needed most. Virtually the whole day had been spent on the go, quickly transitioning between different skill sets i.e paddling on open water, paddling on moving water, lining, sailing and portaging.

https://youtu.be/8AE-98uUwg4

The transition between paddling and camping also needs to be slick. We found a sliver of snowcovered flat land and our camp for the night was fully set up in less than four minutes. We put on thermal layers to insulate ourselves from the cold and found a suitable area for cooking. The petrol stove roared quickly into action, emitting blue and orange flames and much-needed warmth. Our evening meal was mushroom risotto washed down with steaming mugs of sweet white Yorkshire tea.

As the skies turned to deep blue, we were treated to a beautiful starry night.The air temperature was dropping rapidly so rather than burning unnecessary calories by keeping warm outside, we retired for our first night under canvas. Bed-time preparations involved making sure our paddlesuits were correctly

stored and filling up our vacuum flasks with piping hot drinks. Great for a warm drink during the night and also first thing in the morning.

was like liquid glass. As we cruised out from the Rannoch Barracks pool onto the main expanse of Loch Rannoch, conditions were calm and the wind was a gentle F2.

The temperature overnight had dropped to around -8, so my tent door had become a frozen solid sheet of fabric and opened on icy hinges.

Trying to put on rock-solid paddle boots was an interesting experience but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a few expletives and some boiling water.

In the six week run-up to this trip, I’d been struggling with a non-specific niggling wrist strain which had virtually recovered. Or so I thought.

Looking up at the skies in the distance, the weather conditions were changing quickly. The cloud cover increased and the wind picked up to around F3-F4.

Day two

Breakfast consisted of porridge washed down with coffee. We filled up the vacuum flasks again as it’s so important to keep moving and keep warm during a day on the water.

We portaged the boats only a short distance to the Bridge of Gaur. The skies were blue with a few wispy white clouds and the water

We headed immediately towards the edge of the lake and made painfully slow progress along the shoreline. Painful was in fact the operative word and it became

Trying to put on rock-solid paddle boots was an interesting experience but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a

few expletives and some boiling water ThePADDLER 59

ThePADDLER 60

obvious after reaching the 5k point that it would be quicker to get out and portage than battle into the headwinds. At this point, we were only a day and half into an anticipated five-day journey, so it made more sense to rest my wrist than risk further injury and possibly jeopardise completing the rest of the trip.

Fortunately my legs are super-strong so the unplanned 9-10km portage along the B846 only took us about ? hours. We turned down the kind offer of an en-route cup of tea by a little old lady and decided to head for the hotel in Kinloch Rannoch. Another well-earned pint of Thistly Cross Cider quenched my thirst and I’m certain that the alcohol had medicinal properties as the pain in my wrist was definitely eased. We then enjoyed a lovely 2km paddle in the spring sunshine before finding our next camping location, a peaceful wooded promontory surrounding by the gentle flowing waters of the river.

Day three

Woke up to clear blue skies, bright sunshine and an alarmingly swollen wrist. Fortunately I’ve got a spare one but being limited by one hand that resembled a claw did make things somewhat interesting.

We paddled across Dunalastair Water and along the Tummel until we reached the weir. After portaging our boats up the hill, we found time for a little musical interlude which was inspired by finding some pheasant feathers. I’m sure that some of you could guess the lyrics!

After yet another portage along the side of an aqueduct and a very hilly route back down to our get-on, weather conditions on Loch Tummel were lovely. Clear skies, calm water and a gentle breeze. It would have been perfect if I hadn’t been in a bit of pain. Adam did offer me the kind

option of either rafting our canoes together or getting off the water. I decided, based primarily on the fact that I’m very stubborn (my Dad was from Yorkshire and my Mum is German. Say no more) to continue paddling solo, albeit at a far slower pace than is usual for me.

I may have cried with frustration just a few times but I kept moving forwards. Fortunately I did discover a great pain-relief strategy i.e dunking my bare forearm in the icy cold water at regular intervals. This caused the swelling to subside for long enough to eke out another couple of kilometres of less painful paddling. I’d have preferred regular supplies of medicinal Thistly Cross Cider but such is the life of an expedition paddler. Go hard or go to the pub.

We set up our next camp on the shores of Loch Tummel. Having canoes as walls and a tarp for a roof is something that I never tire of, especially when we’re surrounded by stunning views in such tranquil surroundings.

On a final note, there’s a few people who I’d like to mention. Firstly my paddle coach, guide and regular partner in awesome adventures, Adam Evans (www.outdoorinstruction.co.uk). For someone who enjoys solitude on the water, it’s been fantastic to spend time with other paddlers who I also hold in very high esteem, namely Ray Goodwin, Ken Hughes, Sean McGrath and Jules Burnard. Special thanks goes to Jude Todd at www.downcreekpaddles.com for making me a Dipper, Kingfisher and WW Big Dipper. The ‘Downcreek three’ have undoubtedly enhanced my paddling.

Read about the conclusion of the expedition in the autumn/fall issue of the Paddler magazine.

It was a great pleasure to be associated with the phenomenal Canoe Around Britain challenge of 2017

“

Downcreek’s paddles are ace! Big Dippers & Curlew bent-shafts were used throughout our circumnavigation. They were superb & never missed a beat. Beautifully balanced, efficient & lightweight, yet durable & powerful, they are custom made & finely crafted by experts for each individual’s needs.

Colin Skeath, Canoe Around Britain

Better paddles paddle better. With a Downcreek paddle you will feel the difference.

Handcrafted from premium materials, they are exceptional in form & function.

”

Ultimate customisation now available with Paddle Signing & RockGuard tip upgrade options.

Also in our online store: Bespoke handmade paddle bags & canoe furnishings.

Visit us at www.downcreekpaddles.com and have us make the paddle of your dreams.

Quote code “PADDLER” at checkout and get a free RockGuard tip upgrade worth £15

Burtech

Trailers

Adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way

Kayak and Wild Camping getaways on

the stunning North West coast of Ireland.

Immerse yourself in the rugged scenery and untouched beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Hand built in North Wales Fully EC Type Approved Kayak/Canoe/Bike Trailers

Explore little visited areas only accessible by kayak, sleep under the stars, experience abundant wildlife.

Enjoy award winning local hospitality and cuisine.

Custom made packages to suit your needs inc. transfers and extra activities.

All Kayak/Canoe/Bike Trailer enquires welcome

Email: info@burtechtrailers.co.uk Tel: l 01492641905 Website: www.burtechtrailers.co.uk

www.inishadventures.com www.inishad dventures.com

www.inishadventures.com email:

info@inishadventures.com Phone: +00353 (87) 220 2577 Moville, County Donegal, Ireland

SCOTTISH

ThePADDLER 62

By Richard Harpham I have spent much of my life exploring the nooks and crannies of the Scottish highlands and lowlands, from Munro Bagging (the highest peaks) to paddling lochs and crossing the high seas.Whenever I get to Scotland, my heart literally soars with excitement and joy in equal measure. It is my spiritual home and as a proud Matheson, a place I want to share with you.This series will aim to inspire you to pick up a paddle and head to ‘God’s Country’…

P A D D L I N G

T R I P S

ThePADDLER 63

ThePADDLER 64 The first

My first big paddling trip in Scotland was the Caledonian Canal, now called the Great Glenn Canoe Trail that runs from Fort William to Inverness, a coast to coast route. We extended the 60-mile route starting the shadow of the Pap on Glen Coe near Ballachulish, Loch Leven before turning right on Loch Linnhe and paddling past the seals at Corran up to Neptune’s Staircase and the start of the canal.

We were paddling two ‘old school’ aluminium Grumman Canoes, so the eight-lock portage was a baptism of fire.

We wild camped along the route, long before the established trail blazer rests, organized camp spots and hostels that are available now. The scenery as ever was incredible, flanked by the Great Glenn with its moody looking waters, wildlife galore and a real sense of adventure. We saw Ospreys, deer and plenty of other birds. It is fair to say that we did get some liquid sunshine from time to time but as they say in these parts, “If you don’t like the weather, wait half an hour and it will soon change!”

Fort Augustus and the start of Loch Ness was a significant milestone on the journey, 26 miles of potentially challenging water with significant fetch (wind blowing down the loch). We were not to be disappointed and spent much of the day surfing down two-foot waves. We raided Castle Urquhart landing at the walls of the impressive

defences. The tourists were a little surprised to see us but supportive of our fundraising for WaterAid. Our silver Grumman’s pushed on to the end of Loch Ness with glorious rays of sun warming us.

‘Nessie’ sighting

The following day the local paper ran a story of a ‘Nessie’ sighting and to our surprise the picture showed two silver arches of the beastie’s back glistening in the sun. We of course new better and kept that secret to ourselves. The final stretch into Inverness carried a real sense of satisfaction. Job done, coast to coast complete.

We rewarded ourselves with a paddle on the Moray Firth where we were joined by dolphins playing around us.

It was some years later before I re-paddled the Great Glenn Canoe Trail as part of my Spare Seat Scotland trip. We started further south at the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpool before paddling north to the Grey Dogs Tide Race, onto the Bridge over The Atlantic and then paddling the Great Glenn Canoe Trail. This time we paddled the river sections of the River Oich and Ness to spice up our incredible adventure.

In each edition of the Paddler magazine, we will bring you some of the best of Scottish paddling in this new series.To find our more check out the Great Glenn Canoe Trail book by Pesda Press.

Canoe Trail are running two seven day, Best of Scotland Canoe trips in October 2017. See www.canoetrail.co.uk for details.

CANOE

|

K AYA K

WILD CAMPING

| |

S TA N D U P PA D D L E B O A R D ADVENTUROUS ACTIVITIES

Develop Your Adventurous Side with Canoe Trail..

ng addli p c i n Ico trips

ss Yukon c erne anoe ld i W expe sh i t s t p i o dition r Sc oe T s n a C

Can oe & expe kayak dition s

al ssion e f o r p ns ses & Cour ualificatio q

Our A

dven Scho ture ol

iver the R d o t Trips & Twee n oeing Can y, Sever e p S

• Canoe, Kayak & SUP Hire • Wild camping at Matchstick Wood • Multi Day Trips & Bushcraft Skills • Kids Parties, Stag/Hen Do’s & Corporate Events • British Canoeing & 1st Aid Qualifications • Canoe & Kayak Expeditions

T: 01234 825499 T: 07710 616520 E: info@canoetrail.co.uk

ThePADDLER 66

CANADA A

R E T U R N

T O

Rich Harpham heads back to Canada for another long distance canoe race Images by Ashley Kenlock, Richard Harpham and Steve Bruno

Back on the train gang

Paddler contributor Rich Harpham is heading out to Algonquin National Park next month to take part in the Muskoka river race (http://muskokariverx.com/) 130 kms of wilderness paddling plus a few portages for good measure.

Rich will be racing in a canoe with Canadian legend Hap Wilson, winner of the Bill Mason Award for services to canoeing. Hap is known for his writing, art and building eco trails which he has been doing for many years.You can read more about his work by visiting hapwilson.com/

ThePADDLER 67

ThePADDLER 68

Hap has written a number of

books including: The Cabin – A Search for Personal Sanctuary, Grey Owl and Me: Stories from the Trail and Beyond where Hap worked alongside Pierce Brosnan and a hoard of guide books on touring Canada’s wilderness. Rich says, “Personally I am really excited to be spending time with Hap and his wife, sharing stories and immersing ourselves in the wilderness. I expect it will be deeply spiritual and an opportunity to connect with our heritage and share ideas.”

As well as racing, Hap and Rich will be heading out on the trail for some wilderness paddling exploring some of the Ontario backwaters as well as some of the eco trails pioneered by Hap and his wife. Ontario is a paddler’s paradise bordering the Great Lakes and with approximately 250,000 lakes and over 62,000 miles of rivers there is plenty to enjoy.

Muskoka River X Classic September 16th and 17th 2017

Hap and Rich are tackling the Muskoka River X Classic, which follows the expedition routes of early explorers. The world’s longest single day expedition paddling race is back for its fifth year. Teams paddle two rivers systems, three lakes and 20 portages for a total of 130km in less than 24 hours. The Classic is completely self-supported. That’s right, no outside assistance, no support teams and no resupplies. Considered the toughest single day canoe race in the world, the MRX Classic is not your traditional marathon-paddling event.

The Muskoka River X race has developed a series of different race formats running at different times of year so you can chose your preferred distance and challenge.

Muskoka River X Sprint 2017 September 16th

Starting in Huntsville with the MRX Classic paddlers, sprint teams will paddle 80km over stage one and two before ending their journey in Bracebridge. For those paddlers who want an MRX experience at a shorter distance, not needing to tackle the upriver-overnight stages three and four.

24-Hour River X Challenge June 2018

The 24-hour challenge course is set over 10km loops or laps with different race classes for C2, C1, K1 and K2 as well as SUP competitors.This can be completed in relay teams using the River Mill Park, Huntsville, Ontario as a base location.

It is aimed at family fun and competition.

Big East River X May 2018

This race has two formats with a shorter family event at 9km starting at Huntsville racing down the river onto Lake Vernon and around the island with the 40km longer race following the same route and then turning onto Big East River up to a bridge as a marker turn. Racers will retrace their steps back along the route to finish at Huntsville.

Sharing the Canadian Canoe Culture

Richard will be filming and writing about his training and race experiences on the Muskoka River X Classic Race and his paddling trip to Ontario. Rich and his wife, (Managing Director of Canoe Trail and photographer Ashley Kenlock) will be plugging into Canada’s 150 years of canoe culture celebrations.

Ash and Rich will also be visiting and writing about some of the incredible Canoe Culture in Ontario and Algonquin in particular. After the race Rich will be connecting with First Nation culture, the Group of Severn Artists, Peterborough Canoe Museum and some traditional canoe building as part of Canada’s 150-year celebration of canoe culture.

Canoes are a way of life in Canada and for our ancestors. It is worth remembering that you can hire a guide or visit an outfitter across Algonquin, Ontario and further afield to enjoy your own paddling experience. There are plenty of options to tailor make your own trip of a lifetime.

Watch this space for updates or follow online @myrichadventure and with the Paddler magazine.Visit http://muskokariverx.com/ for more info.

ThePADDLER 69

ThePADDLER 70

Feeling inspired for other long distance canoe and kayak races

Richard is no stranger to long distance canoe and kayak racing having competed in the Yukon River Quest in 2016 and the Devizes to Westminster canoe race in 2016 (K2 kayak) and (2017 C2 Canoe). Each race is different with specific challenges.

Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race

A 125-mile non-stop race from Devizes, Wiltshire to Westminster Bridge, London with 75 portages to grapple with. The race can also be tackled over four days for junior and paddlers of K1 and C1 single seat boats. It is tough and does not respect previous form, titles or training.

You are like all such races pitting your skills and endurance against other racers, the weather and the course. With autumn approaching, many crews will be starting to train for this race, held over the Easter weekend every year.

Yukon River Quest

(http://yukonriverquest.com) A 444-mile race from Whitehorse to Dawson City following the gold rush route. This incredible wilderness area has various challenges in store for racers with the 36-mile long Lake Labarge, Five Finger Rapids, Rink Rapid and of course extreme fatigue. Our race time was 59 hours and 36 minutes with a seven-hour break at Carmacks and a three-hour break at Coffee Break. The fatigue leads to moments where your canoe or kayak is literally piloted by a ghost paddler. We also experienced hallucinations seeing faces in the sky over the ‘land of the midnight sun’ and animals in the rock formations flanking the river.

Next race: June 27th-July 1st 2018

Training for wilderness and long distance racing

A friend of mine, Ian Bowles, Expedition Canoes does foot races such as the UK Spine Race on the Pennine Way, which is 250 plus miles nonstop over the mountains for several days. He describes the attributes needed as those of a hybrid between distance runner Mo Farah and survival expert Ray Mears. This same principle applies to other long distance racing in canoes.

On our Yukon Race for example, the front seat broke after 15 miles requiring repairs with Canadian driftwood and duck tape.

I have found there are a number of important factors to consider when tackling these sorts of races including the following.

Your core paddling fitness

Regular training sessions to build endurance and fitness for the required distance. Eating a balanced diet, managing sleep and avoiding alcohol are all useful as marginal gains. For the

ThePADDLER 71

ThePADDLER 72 125-mile Devizes to Westminster Race, we would train five times a week with one longer session of circa 25-30 miles. It is always difficult balancing work, family and training pressures so find what works for you.

Building resilience and mental toughness

Ultimately there will always be a time when you feel like quitting. Understanding your own motivators and de-motivators before you reach the crisis point if useful. Knowing how to push on through discomfort and pain helps ensure you finish what you started. Breaking the race down mentally into stages, timing and milestones also helps.

Outdoor and adventure skills

Practice makes permanent so ensure you have the necessary skills for the wilderness area. Make sure you follow positive and good habits to avoid strains, injuries, incidents before they become a serious problem. Examples of important skills include campcraft, navigation, wilderness first aid, knots and rope skills amongst others.

Feeding the machine

Work out what works for you in terms of energy and nutrition for your race and have it available. I have found Malt Loaf, bananas, Mountain Fuel energy drinks and of course dark chocolate are a big boost.

A few tricks up the sleeve

There is no substitute for ‘miles in the tank’ for training gains. Being able to have little breaks in the paddling routine can help as well as changing paddling cadence from slower powerful strokes to faster lighter strokes. Small rewards of chocolate and or other treats can also help with morale.

Long distance canoe, kayak and SUP races do not respect titles, previous success or accolades.

They involve racing against the course, its obstacles, the weather, environment and of course the clock plus other racers.

Follow Rich on his adventures @myrichadventure www.richadventure.com

PakCanoe 170 in the Arctic

Folding PakCanoes are the perfect craft on remote wilderness rivers. With rugged reliability and excellent performance in demanding conditions, PakCanoes have proven themselves on countless remote rivers all over the world. Designed for expeditions, but also happy to take your family for a spin closer to home.

www.pakboats.com p iinfo@pakboats.com 603-632-9500 6

DIRECTORY Ireland's Biggest  Paddle Festival Suitable for all ages and abilities

Canadian Wilderness www.paddlersinn.ca

Explore Jersey by sea kayak Guided tours, courses and offshore trips. Open all year.

Sea kayaks and sit-on-tops available.

Call: +44 (0) 7797 853033

To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.com or call +44 (0)1480 465081

ThePADDLER 73

ThePADDLER 74

W ASHBURN

B O A T E R F E S T

‘ 1 7

Over the weekend of 19th-20th August, the Yorcie Washburn was transformed into a party venue with Kool Kayakers offering hospitality and catering. Pennine CRC set up the venue for the Tootega and Silverbirch Canoes sponsored Boaterfest fun on England's premier dam-release river with many staying over for a fun weekend of playing and partying.

By Greg Spencer Photos: Greg Spencer, Phil Scowcroft and Sean Quinn

ThePADDLER 75

ThePADDLER 76

Yorkshire Water duly delivered the much needed release from Thrusscross Reservoir and everyone from kayaking novices to Sickline aspirants and a GB Team freestyler took to the river – creating a wonderfully familiar inclusive atmosphere, in which everyone could feel totally at home.

Saturday's Woodyard Sprints encompassed everyone from specialists in wild water racing kayaks and Sickline aspirants, to novices in playboats and a club coach in a recreational open canoe. Throughout all of this, enthusiasts ranging from novices on sit-on-tops to a Team GB freestyle paddler played and undertook coaching on the top of the course.

Tootega – Silverbirch Canoes – RoHo – Soul

Throughout the weekend, youngsters from Pennine CRC showed that with experienced coaches on hand and the right craft, which in our case was a Tootega Catalyst white water sit-ontop, the Washburn is a superb venue for really inexperienced (almost novice) kayakers.

Alongside this and riding the current, UK-wide craze, we also got many kayakers trying both solo and tandem white water canoes from the sponsor, Silverbirch Canoes. The new Covert 10.5 (tandem) allowed us to give one visitor a first taste of moving water – and inspired a lot of interest from enthusiasts as it opened up a whole new side of WW boating.

Creating a wonderfully familiar

inclusive atmosphere, in which everyone could feel totally at home ThePADDLER 77

ThePADDLER 78

Boater-X Finals – we had a ball!

Following a morning of playboating our afternoon kicked off with a series of heats with significant jostling and carnage as boaters negotiated the required upstream manoeuvre just below the first bridge. The heats led into a pair of hotly contested finals from which some distinguished boaters emerged triumphant (see results at the end of article).

Raffle for Ugandan freestyle kayakers

Don Paddler, Peak UK and Pyranha Kayaks kindly provided prizes for a raffle in support of a cause very close to the heart of Kool Kayakers paddler Rebecca Skirrow: the opportunity for Ugandan freestyle kayakers Yusuf, Sadat, David and Amina to represent their country in the forthcoming ICF Freestyle Kayaking World Championships.

These stars of the Ugandan Team live on the banks of Lake Victoria and the mighty White Nile in Uganda and kayak on class 5 rapids on a daily basis, working for kayaking and rafting companies. As with competition kayakers everywhere, they seek to represent their country on the world stage.

https://vimeo.com/lbutler/ufkt Uganda Freestyle Kayak Team – 2017

https://vimeo.com/202568000 Yorcie Washburn

https://youtu.be/LGT2iZ-v7zY SUP Washburn (soul firestorm)

https://youtu.be/yYWjiHG2tso Washburn Boater X final

ThePADDLER 79

ThePADDLER 80

Living in a country in which for a large population of people, the daily wage can be less than $1.50 a day so, the team has had limited scope for self-funding any involvement in international competition but in 2015, supporters raised funds and negotiated visas to get the team to Canada for the World Championships.

In November 2017, the World Championships will be held in San Juan, Argentina. Leading figures in the boating community are now crowdfunding to make their attendance possible - and help is still needed through these channels: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ UgandaFreestyleKayakTeam or www.generosity.com/ sports-fundraising/uganda-freestyle-kayak-team-weneed-your-help

ThePADDLER 81

ThePADDLER 82 Thanks from the organisers

Thanks to all who contributed to the wonderful party atmosphere.Volunteering is never more rewarding that when enthusiasts are enjoying themselves, and as the many photos show, many folk had an absolute ball. Special thanks go to the volunteers from Pennine CRC and Kool Kayakers who did all the running about... and to Silverbirch Canoes,Tootega Sit-on-Top Kayaks and Robin Hood Watersports for their unstinting support.

Many more thanks go to Yorkshire Water - who make events possible throughout the year and without whom none of this could happen – thanks so much!

Results

Sprint: wild water racing kayaks: 1 Joe Birtwistle 1:55 2 Amanda Kitchen 2:01 3 Chris Ashcroft 2:10 Sprint: creekboats: 1 Tom Barnes 2 Phil Bond 3 Jack Holland

2:18 2:20 2:25

Sprint: traditional open canoes: 1 Noddy Crouch 2:32

Big drop time trials: 1 Amanda Kitchen 2 Tom Barnes 3 Phil Bond

2:00 2:05 2:10

Results of the combined K1 and C1 BoaterX final: 1 Ryann Quinn 2.03.33 2 Rebecca Skirrow +2.13 3 Dougie Porter + 2.68 4 Matthew Pritchard (C1) + 2.5 Results of the canoe final: 1 Mat Howes 2 Matt Beck 3 Ryann Quinn

ThePADDLER 84

PADDLER Salty

086 Need a tow?

Sea kayaking towing systems by Jennifer H.Yearley

094 Sea Leader Awards

Q&A with Robert Chandler by Adriana Eyzaguirre

100 India

The west coast of India by Kaustubh Khade

110 Nicaragua

The Caribbean coast by Claire Cripps

CHECK OUR h wit red ctu a f nu Ma

e in prid

NEW

aria Bav

DISTRIBUTOR

www.en.prijon.com/PRIJON-UK-2.html

Made in Germany Innlaende 6 83022 Rosenheim

Phone: +49 (0) 8031 / 3037-0 Fax: +49 (0) 8031 / 3037-99

info@prijon.com www.en.prijon.com

prijonkayakpaddles

To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.com or call +44 (0)1480 465081

WWW.EN.PRIJON.COM

ThePADDLER 85

ThePADDLER 86

By Jennifer H. Yearley BC Advanced Sea Kayak Leader ACA L4 Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor

TOW? N E E D

A

A tow system is a fundamental piece of safety equipment in sea kayaking. For anyone who paddles regularly with others, this equipment provides an important insurance policy that everyone in the group will make it back safely, even if a member of the group gets injured, gets sick, or over-extends and finds themselves unable to contend with the conditions, such as an afternoon wind that has kicked up stronger than expected. Tow systems provide an important way we can look after each other out on the water, and anyone who paddles regularly with other people ought to have one and learn how to use it.

BUT! There are an enormous number of different tow systems available, with large amounts of variation in what they offer in terms of features, lengths, and complexity. Figuring out what makes the most sense for you and the paddling that you do can be a challenging task.

Here we cover much of the variation that you may encounter, with different manufacturers offering different specific options relative to these major themes.

Question #1: Long or short?

Tow systems in the simplest sense can be broken down into two major categories: long and short. Long tows are the classic sea kayak tow systems and typically will involve, at a minimum, some sort of bag with a belt that can be fastened around the waist, and which stores a length of rope with a carabiner on the end. Rope lengths are variable, but will typically range somewhere between 30 feet and 50 feet.

Thirty to 50 feet of rope is a heck of a lot of rope. Why so much?

After all, the more rope you have, the more tricky it can be to make sure the line deploys cleanly without tangling, the easier it is to get various pieces of equipment (paddles etc) caught up in it, and the more challenging it is to re-stow when the towing task is completed.

These are absolutely real and serious issues every time a tow line is deployed. So why would you want a long line? The answer is to be able to accommodate towing in rough water, especially following seas. In a following sea, the direction of the waves/swell you are paddling through is the same as the heading of your boat. A following sea can be great fun to paddle in, as you can surf the swell, which is not only fun, but can help you get where you want to go faster and considerably more easily than would be possible if you were just paddling in flat water.

ThePADDLER 87

ThePADDLER 88

However, when towing someone in a following sea, the towed person can quite readily be picked up by the swell and surfed right into you.

This risk is greatly increased when towing someone on a short tow line. For myself, I used to prefer using a relatively short tow line (17 feet) as my go-to. This simplified all the complications I’ve listed above. I used this system comfortably for a good while. However, it took just one towing practice session in a following sea for me to realize the high degree of hazard associated with this.

At one point, a friend I was towing got picked up by a wave, and shot right past me as she manoeuvred to avoid killing me with her boat.

Shortly thereafter, I found my bow being surfed right toward the base of the skull of another friend towing me on a similarly short line, and then diagonally across the back deck of another. We need to be aware that most people placed on a tow are not going to be performing at their best! I do not personally want to have to rely on their surfing skills to keep me safe if I have them on a tow. That day, I changed to a longer tow system (35 feet), which is now my routine go-to. Short lines have their advantages, but when towing in rough water, particularly with a following sea, a longer line is unquestionably the safer answer.

One system that tries to incorporate multiple options in a single package is the NorthWater Micro Tow:

In this system, there are two carabiners rather than one. Deploying the first carabiner (labelled ‘1’ in the diagram below left) releases 17 feet of rope, a length sufficient to accommodate a wide variety of scenarios. In instances where a longer line is required, the second carabiner (labelled ‘2’) can be released, yielding a total of 50 feet of rope.

This versatility is excellent, but the system does require that the correct carabiner (carabiner #1) be released first, in order to function correctly.

Accidental deployment of carabiner #2 to start with yields a chaotic mess. One can learn to deal with this, and swapping out the first carabiner to one that is of a different type than the second one (as shown in the picture) can help in recognizing the appropriate first carabiner to deploy, but the system is more complicated than most, and can easily be deployed incorrectly yielding many headaches.

Type of bag

Other features to think about in long tow systems include the type of bag they include for stowing your line, whether they incorporate any floatation aids to prevent your carabiner from sinking, and whether they incorporate shock absorption, to help mitigate the yanking and pulling effects of the tow line on your body that will intermittently be felt even when towing in flat water. Examples of these are illustrated below.

For instance, the line in the NorthWater Dynamic Tow system is not contained within a bag, but in a cylindrical tube of fabric, which wraps up tight with Velcro but can be fully opened and laid almost flat like a pizza, as in the illustration above. This has the potential to speed stowing of the line after completing a tow, but can also make it hard to know what you are aiming for as you try to re-organize the line in the confined space in your lap beneath your buoyancy aid.

NorthWater Micro Tow

As with many of these variations, it is largely up to personal preference whether you find this easier or more complicated than stowing into an actual bag.

Having a float near your carabiner (the one illustrated below is foam) can prevent your line from sinking if you accidentally drop the carabiner. However, it also typically means that the line will not freely deploy from the bag until you open the bag manually to release it.

When towing in rough water, particularly with a following sea, a longer line is

unquestionably the safer answer

Having a float near your carabiner can prevent your line from sinking

Inclusion of a bungee attached to the line can mitigate yanking forces on your body (one example of this is provided right – low tech, but effective). Not all tow systems have these, and it is a matter of personal preference how important you feel this is to your comfort while towing.

While there are quite a few variations, many of the features you select in a long tow system will ultimately come down to personal preference.

Whatever system you settle on, becoming familiar with its features and how to use it comfortably is the most important part of all.

You do not want to try to figure out how your system works at the moment when you are presented with the need to help someone out with a tow! Practice in advance is the key.

Inclusion of a bungee attached to the line can mitigate yanking forces ThePADDLER 89

ThePADDLER 90

The cow/pigtail itself is a very simple system, consisting of ring, short line with incorporated bungee for stretch, and a carabiner (bottom left).

So what about short tow systems?

What are these and why might you want one of them? Short tow systems come in an even more bewildering array of flavours. The majority of short tow systems will fall into the two to six-foot range, with some tows extending out to 12 feet or so. Some of the shortest of these systems, the so-called ‘cowtail’ or ‘pigtail’ systems (the names are interchangeable despite the calling to mind of quite different creatures) are typically in the two to four-foot range, incorporate an internal bungee that allows them to stretch, and are specifically for use with a rescue PFD. Rescue PFDs are specialized PFDs designed for use in whitewater river kayaking, and the particular complexities of their design are outside the scope of this article. However, one feature that rescue PFDs have that is used with many short tow systems is a built in belt system, that accommodates the fixing of a ring to which a line or purpose-built short tow system may be attached, as illustrated above.

Short tow systems as a general rule are useful mostly for towing over short distances, a feature that distinguishes them from long tow systems. One practical use a system like this can be put to, (depending on the conditions), is to tow a boat back to a paddler that has gone for a swim and become separated from it.

A contact tow line as sold through NorthWater

Systems like this can also be used to help keep a paddler and their boat close to you if you are having to assist them with a contact tow (perhaps they have become separated from their paddle), or if they have become sufficiently unstable due to injury or illness that they need to be supported in a rafted tow to get back to safety.

Double-carabiner, short line

For those who do not have a rescue vest but would still like the flexibility of having a shorter line in addition to the long line of a traditional long tow system, one option is a simple, double-carabiner, short line often carried on the front of one’s boat, right in front of the cockpit, as illustrated to the left.

Such a line is often just referred to as a ‘contact tow line’.

Such a line is sold through North Water, but is simple enough in structure that many paddlers elect to make their own contact tow lines.

ThePADDLER 91

ThePADDLER 92

Short lines like this can be used for reuniting a swimmer with their boat, for holding a contact tow or rafted tow close to you (bottom) or to maintain an anchor tow on a paddler that you do not want to drift too far away from you, (right).

One important thing to note about the specific contact tow line in these images, is that it is the only system discussed to this point that does not have a ‘quick release’ mechanism. While the presence of a quick release mechanism may be slightly less essential for short tows of this type, quick releases are, in general, an essential safeguard.

If you as the tower find yourself in a circumstance where you need to extract yourself from the tow because it has become hazardous to you, there must be a way for you to do this quickly and easily, without having to access the towed person’s boat to release the carabiner. For any tow system you consider acquiring, make sure you understand the quick release system it comes with and are happy with it.

Care of tow systems

All tow systems involve rope or webbing of some sort, and this rope or webbing can fray and wear.

To make sure that the line holds and maintains its integrity when you want to use it, it needs to be inspected regularly and well cared for.Take the line out, rinse it well and dry it whenever you have taken it with you out paddling. Even if you have not deployed the line in a tow, sand can accumulate within the bag and the line, and can affect the line’s integrity, so rinse out the grit and hang the line out to dry thoroughly before stowing.That way, when you need to use it, it will be in good shape for you, ready to go.

ThePADDLER 94

Sea Leader Award Q&As with…

ROGER CHANDLER

By Adriana Eyzaguirre

In 2016 Roger Chandler started a new course to prepare participants for the new Sea Leader Award. The course is built as an extended two-week period in which paddlers can dedicated all their focus to improving their skills working on the practical, the psychological and the theoretical.

The interview is a Q&A with Roger that aims to obtain useful tips and advice for paddlers working on improving themselves and preparing for leadership awards.

What benefits do you see in coaching the same paddler over an uninterrupted period of time?

If an individual is at the right level and fit, this can be an amazing spring board for a person to really develop their sea kayaking skills and have greater clarity on what they need to do when they leave.

As an experienced coach an assessor you can give us a lot of insight and advice on the technical and interpersonal skills which I would like explore with you:

In your opinion, what are the qualities of a Sea Kayak Leader (4 Star)? Someone who is personable; approachable; good communicator and inspires confidence; has good technical skills and can clearly manage themselves in the conditions. Motivated and happy. Is able to adapt and change the plan, can empathise and connect with individuals, able to look at the small and the big picture.

ThePADDLER 95

ThePADDLER 96

What are the key things to prepare before assessment?

This is very individual and hopefully your action plan, gives direction. Sometimes it’s a clear need to focus on technical skills, such as their roll is poor. Go and get specific coaching and begin to put this skill into a mixture of environments. Don’t set up, but capsize in a stern rudder position, left and then right. Paddle forwards, gain acceleration and capsize in a forward paddling position and roll. If air gets caught in the drysuit and tends to trap you on the surface, make sure you walk into the water and allow the air all to escape.

If a person’s technical skills are in a good place then it’s much easier to focus on the process of leadership – task (what needs to be done – big and small picture); team and the individual’s needs. Make sure you paddle with others known and unknown. Setting up the conditions to get as close to an assessment as possible will really help with reducing stress.

I feel it’s about keeping fear in check and what I have found is it’s easier to

develop the physical

and technical ability first

What are the most common reasons why candidates fail during assessment?

In many cases a person, was simply not ready. Not enough time has been spent on their action plan, they booked because the three years between training and assessment was running out. They knew about a weakness yet did very little about this. In brief, specifically a poor forward paddling style, lack of efficient and effective roll, not looking or performing comfortable in the moderate environment. From a Leadership side, too task focused, ending up doing it all themselves, overlooking the needs of the individual and sometimes the team. No real awareness of the requirements and level of the Sea Kayak Leader Award (4*)

What scenarios would you tell candidates to prepare and rehearse?

We have all heard horror stories about complex incident management scenarios. Nothing specific. Get efficient with various techniques and strategies, such as contact tows in a mix of conditions, use of a towline and re packing the bag effectively, create a list of various scenarios that you think could happen and practise

What is your advice for paddlers that lack self-confidence?

Take time out to explore where this comes from and is this something that needs a separate approach? If someone lacks self-confidence, the impression I get is that they don’t trust themselves. Honestly ask yourself and consider, what is it they don’t trust? And is being a leader of others in a moderate water environment the best move forwards?

In many cases it tends to be a comfort zone issue. The comfort zone needs stretching and at the appropriate pace. For example, if its leading others then start with a couple of people you trust and talk to them about the day. Slowly or at the appropriate pace increase the environment conditions until you are moving through moderate conditions. Grow, learn and reflect on

www.exploraexpeditions.com

working the techniques to resolve them. Manage the scenario all by yourself and then the same scenario but this time, you involve and coordinate the team. Be clear and understand when would the leader get involved and when would you use the team.

your practice. Now introduce those you don’t know, so you begin to create a similar situation, as per assessment.

If it’s related to a technical skill like rolling for example, consider how many rolls do you do each time you go out and increase the number.

As mentioned earlier don’t set up for a roll. If it’s a real lack of self-confidence, cross training can really help for example swimming front crawl – this puts your face in the water… and rhythm needs to be found with breathing effectively. Get creative.

How do you practice being a leader?

Consider do I do this in my professional life? If so begin to transfer those skills and abilities. Get a bunch of buddies who are happy to be led and go paddle. Clubs can be useful and many have a peer paddlers option, so as to support aspirant sea kayak leaders. There are many theories on leadership, have a look, buy a book and try experiment with different style and see what works in different situations.

How can we all deal with fear and that internal force pulling us back?

Firstly, fear is important, otherwise we wouldn’t have reached where we are now! Secondly, it’s worth considering who are you doing this all for? If it’s to impress others, forget it. If it’s for ourselves and our motivation is clear, keep on going. Personally, I feel it’s about keeping fear in check and what I have found is it’s easier to develop the physical and technical ability, first.

If this is strong, for example I’ve been going swimming and doing 40 or so lengths front crawl, twice a week. I’m feeling strong and what’s more, I’ve now got a solid roll, because I’ve put time and energy into it.Then guess what? Fear is smaller. Our mind and bodies are linked. Our logical self has a much greater chance of managing and controlling our emotional self.

What we feel in the body effects the mind and so on. Performance psychology has come a long way now and is slowly filtering down to the rest of us.

ThePADDLER 97

www.exploraexpeditions.com

What general words of advice do you have for anyone aspiring to obtain the Sea Kayak Leader Award (old BCU 4 Star)?

What do you hope to gain from achieving the BC award? What’s your motivation? Be clear on these two questions, because you will have to invest time and energy. Do more than one Sea Kayak Leader training course, gain feedback from others and importantly, selfreflect. Keeping a reflective account on what

you’re learning, so you can measure progress.

Get bespoke coaching on specific areas you need to address, as this can often involve video feedback and can be really powerful. Book an assessment date 6-9 months ahead, sort out your Leadership Registration (LR) form and work towards this date. If possible, take a few days off or a week before hand and paddle in the area and settle in (after all you have just spent the last 1-2 years working towards this date, so why not approach it and give yourself the best chance. You are worth it!

About Roger: Roger is based in Anglesey and is a BC Advanced Sea Kayak Leader (5*) sea trainer and assessor, as well as safety training course provider with the BC Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning (CNTP) and the Open Water Navigation and Tidal Planning (OWNTP) course. He holds a national diploma in youth work, a degree in development training, has over 20 year’s experience of working in the outdoors and is the director of Coastal Spirit. 2017 marks 10 years for Coastal Spirit!

Roger has paddled and led groups in the Southern Ocean and Chilean Patagonia, the Mediterranean Sea, such as, Sardinia and Turkey with a circumnavigation of Sicily (10/2010). Paddling throughout the UK with a 1,000km paddle around Wales (using the canals inland), West Coast Canada, the Gulf Islands and above the arctic circle, to Norway’s Lofoten Islands. He has paddled solo out and back to the Isles of Scilly, lead a group across the English Channel and crossed to Ireland. In 2013 he achieved a long-time dream and paddled the 900nm around Ireland. Early on in 2016 he paddled with good friend Barry Shaw, around Mallorca, Menorca and completed the 60 km open crossing form Menorca back to Mallorca.

ThePADDLER 100

INDIA People think of expedition kayaking as you versus the elements. Fighting out brutal conditions, the sun and hostile terrain. But long before the first paddle stroke, way before your kayak touches the water there is a larger fight to be fought.

Story: Kaustubh Khade

I live in India. A land often associated with strong religious beliefs, snake charmers and elephants. And cricket (a lesser known sport that today isn’t much more than mass entertainment in the 12 odd countries that still find it relevant). In reality, India is a country that is growing up, or being forced to grow up, very quickly and often the smaller picture is forgotten or lost. One of those stories is kayaking.

Which brings us to why kayaking the west coast of India was important. Indians are no different to most people in the fact that they love a success story. So, when we returned from the Asian Games with six silver and three bronze medals, we thought we had done the job. Roll on limelight! But alas, it wasn’t to be.To snap people out of it, India needed a story that hadn’t been told before. An adventure that was truly Indian.

K A Y A K I N G T H E W E S T C O A S T O F

ThePADDLER 101

ThePADDLER 102

People think of expedition kayaking as you versus the elements. Fighting out brutal conditions, the sun and hostile terrain. But long before the first paddle stroke, way before your kayak touches the water there is a larger fight to be fought.

I live in India. A land often associated with strong religious beliefs, snake charmers and elephants.

And cricket (a lesser known sport that today isn’t much more than mass entertainment in the 12 odd countries that still find it relevant). In reality India is a country that is growing up, or forced to grow up, very quickly. And often the smaller picture is forgotten or lost. One of those stories is kayaking.

Which brings us to why kayaking the west coast of India was important. Indians are no different to most people in the fact that they love a success story. So, when we returned from an Asian Games with six silver and three bronze medals, we thought we had done the job. Roll on limelight! But alas, it wasn’t to be.To snap people out of it, India needed a story that hadn’t been told before. An adventure that was truly Indian.

Joe Glickman

The idea to kayak the entire coastline of India first came to me when Joe Glickman wrote to me on Facebook and asked me to read his book Fearless. If not for that bolt out of the blue, maybe none of this would have happened. With a coastline of 7,500 kms, India has vast unexplored treasures and yet only one beach destination, the party state of Goa.

Epic 18x

When I dreamt of the project three years back, I knew that finding sponsors for such an adventure would be uphill. I just didn’t imagine the hill would be on fire and it would be raining gasoline the whole time. Nonetheless, prepared to go it alone, I planned a pilot project to the bigger event. I imported an Epic 18x into the country. I’d like to say this was easy, but with shipping delays and a 47% import tax (and greedy palms along the way) it cost me more time and money than one would imagine. However, in Feb, 2015 and running a good two months late into the sabbatical I’d taken from work, I finally owned the kayak that Freya Hoffmeister used for her circumnavigation of Australia. Step one complete.

My pilot was a project to kayak from India’s financial capital, Bombay (Mumbai) to India’s beach destination, Goa. A 600km route by land, immortalized by road trip movies about youth, drink and the ‘quest-for-all-things-youthful’. My foray by sea would mimic a ferry route that shut down decades ago, but more importantly, would be heavily fraught with tourists and could gain the right kind of publicity for a sport that needed it.

After four months of training, I set off to kayak this distance from the Gateway of India, a historic monument that sits at the mouth of Bombay’s harbour. A collection of friends and family had assembled to see me off, and the NGO I was raising money for, Magicbus, had sent down 30 kids to celebrate the occasion. So in the morning hours of Valentine’s day, 2015, I embarked on my 17-day trip to Goa. Condé Nast Traveler poked fun at my date with the sea, but as most kayakers with a day job will relate to – the best day to hit the water is Saturday.

Despite my training and long hours on the water, the first four days were brutal. India, with its proximity to the equator, is not cool at the best of times. With us slowly creeping into summer, the mixture of heat and being drenched the whole time, coupled with very little sleep, hit me hard. And by the time I reached the holy village of Harihareshwar, I had a fever and a stiff cold. I popped a pill that knocked me out for a full day and my forced rest day was spent loitering along Harihareshwar’s pristine beaches and standing at rock faces as the spray caught my face.

ThePADDLER 103

ThePADDLER 104

When I launched on the sixth day, my body was still sluggish and I laboured through just 22kms of kayaking, each creek or river slowing me down, until I finally hit the fishing village, which would be my home that night. I gained some sleep over the next few days and some good distances too, and by day 10 I had reached Ratnagiri, where a relative hosted me at his beach house.

Longest day yet

I had run through two-thirds of the journey and the fresh fish and hospitality did wonders for both the body and spirit. On the 12th day I set off to kayak 43 kms, the longest day yet, and that’s when Murphy kicked in. Everything that could go wrong did. I was forced to take shelter in a fishing village that was off course, costing me precious time and effort. As I launched after lunch, I fought the tide and wind and thanks to a full moon, the water got really choppy 5kms before landing. For the first time in years I felt I was going to be thrown in. I crash landed on a beach with no food and water left and no means of communication with the outside world.

The wave that had brought me in took away my glares and my right contact lens, rendering me half blind on a beach that I realized was cut off by rock. After 43 kms of kayaking, I walked 6kms half blind off the beach to find safety, only for them to inform me that the spot I had landed had regular leopard sightings! Armed with six more people, I went back for my kayak and 12kms later I called it a night. Arguably the most fun day yet.

Landing in Goa

The next few days were tame in comparison and even though I was averaging 35-40 kms a day, by the time I landed in Goa, I was still raring to go.

It was the longest an Indian had ever kayaked before and newspapers ran with it. Redbull, which had shy-ed away from investing were happy to cover it. And I was invited to a TedX to talk about it www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSpv0MMR-vY. I felt it was a great start, but not the final chapter. I returned to corporate life and it seemed to welcome me back. But exactly a year later, I felt the need to finish what I started. And in march, 2016 I quit my job entirely to take on the bigger project of kayaking the coast of India.

Now for the complete west coast

India’s coastline can be chalked up to three parts – the west coast, the east coast and the islands.

The peninsula starts on the west at Gujarat, tapers to the southern tip at Kanaykumari, Tamil Nadu and then up again to the east at west Bengal. While kayaking is new to India, we have a sailing legacy peppered with accomplishments and I met two of India’s sailing greats to discuss the weather window in which to take on this trip.

November was ideal though arriving in Kanyakumari in February left me open to the cyclone season in the Bay of Bengal. My parallel discussions with sponsors drove us to a harsh reality – I would have only enough of a weather window to do the west coast.

I had roughly six months to train, plan the route, informing authorities, work on finding sponsors, building some media momentum. The Bombay – Goa pilot definitely helped open doors, but it was a coin toss as to how people reacted. Permissions themselves are not easy to come by. Tensions with Pakistan were brewing and having suffered an attack by sea in my own city, I could understand why authorities were reluctant to sign off on an adventure with so many variables (if not loose ends).

ThePADDLER 105

ThePADDLER 106

Before launch, I had goodwill sponsors and soft commitments from an outdoor watch company.

Also, I only had clearance from the home state of Maharashtra. Armed with that, and a girlfriend who had decided to cycle with me the whole way, I set off from Bombay, with mum and dad in tow.

It was a two day 1,200km drive with a kayak and a cycle to the launch site of Dwarka, Gujarat. At the west tip of India, it’s the mythical home of Lord Krishna, a god known for mischief and love.

Seemed apt for a trip that would ruffle feathers and hopefully have the country fall in love with kayaking. We managed to do the former straight from day one when we tried to enter the sea through the river, a symbolic start given the religious standing of the river (Also, lots of people to cast me off).

The cops were ready to play spoilsport and I had to literally wrap up as they wouldn’t let me enter the water. From suggestions of driving back 800kms to the capital to launching clandestinely from another spot, none of the options looked favourable. I spent days running between multiple government offices, each more sympathetic to the cause than the last, but none of who could put a seal to paper. On the third day, I ran into divine luck when the head of the Coast Guard in Okha’s Western command knew of my exploits from Bombay to Goa and backed the expedition. He drove the 30kms down to launch me the next day and with that we were on our way.

A fairly edgy start

A crowd gathered as a seemingly alien white object stood next to a shiny hybrid cycle and a cache of smartly dressed white coast guard officers saw me descend the holy steps that led to the river. Commander Harish More flagged me off and it didn’t take the whole of Dwarka too long to hold their breath as a six-foot tall wave formed right at the river mouth to welcome me. I broke through to be greeted by its bigger brother and by now on shore people were getting fairly edgy.

Finally I broke through only to realize that I hadn’t got my spray skirt on perfectly and I was kayaking a bath tub. I laughed and bailed out water.

The local scuba diving team had followed in their raft and it trailed me for a few kilometres. Then, in truly Indian tradition, they asked me on board so they could felicitate me. I stood 2kms off shore in an orange raft, one of the boys bailing water for me, while the club president wrapped a scarf around my neck and gave me sweets and prayed for my safe passage. I was helped back in and we parted ways. I spent most of my first day laughing at how alien (and warm) all of this was to the world of kayaking.

Gujarat is not the state that comes to mind when Indians think beaches. For one, it’s a dry state. i.e. No alcohol. Prohibition has achieved a couple of things – it’s kept the beaches from being tourist havens and it’s driven the illegal consumption in the state through the roof. The former is sad given how beautiful the waters are.

ThePADDLER 107

ThePADDLER 108 Glorious untouched waters

Every day I spent kayaking in Gujarat drew my attention to the pristine beach sides and the glorious untouched waters.This did nothing to mitigate the problems I faced with the wind though.

The state curves semi circularly and the whole coastline is dotted with windmills for a reason.

Despite starting at first light, I would soon be blinded by the glare. The wind, coming from port side, was constantly blowing me off shore and often I would find myself way off course after an hour of paddling. Paddling 2-5 kms off shore, land would be just a line, a windmill a rice grain.

A fairly powerful rice grain though, and I found myself cursing the wind fairly often.

On days two and three, I spotted a dugong while he was playing at being a shark with its fins, a sea snake that had been watching and my fair share of flying fish. I yearned for the whale sharks that were seasonal in the area, but they hadn’t read the local papers, which were abuzz with the news of a couple whose, “Romantic getaway was seeing them conquer land and sea.”

Marine police

At Porbandar I was received by the coastal city’s swimming club. Kayaking past 30 bobbing heads in green blue water is not something I’m used to, let alone having conversations with them about this spectacular trip of ours. Our time in Gujarat was a pendulum of hospitality. On the one hand people we’d never met before invited us home

https://goo.gl/maps/iCPqj8dnCyN2 and showered us with delicious food and on the other, the marine police were so active that I would land at a deserted beach and before I’ve done my cooling down exercises three cops in civilian clothes would ask for my papers.

I even got caught in the midst of a three way sea-safety drill between the Coast Guard, marine police and land police. The morning paper came to my aide and a call to the Indian Coast Guard certified that I was ‘clean’. By the time we had reached the southern tip of Gujarat itself we had had enough encounters to last people a lifetime.

And we had just begun.

Read the conclusion to Kaustubh’s expedition in the autumn/fall issue of the Paddler.

Interesting links

Sponsors video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITLXX9Osx CQ&t=2s To see more photos from the expedition see www.instagram.com/paddlehardindia

ThePADDLER 110

T H E U N F O R G E T T A B L E C A R I B B E A N C O A S T O F

Photo: Staying cool while paddling a TRAK portable kayak through the canal that was hand dug; its purpose was to provide a route that would avoid the open seas during times of bad weather.

NICARAGUA It was March 2015 and Braden and I were on pursuit for the only thing that would offer relief in the balmy tropics – the life aquatic. Fresh off a boating trip down the longest river in Central America, we ended up in an impoverished port town teeming with opportunity for exploration.

We arrived one morning to a fishermen’s port in a lagoon, with no expectations really. Hopping aboard an old weathered panga with an old weathered fisherman, we hitch-hiked our way down part of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

Words: Claire Cripps Photos: Braden Gunem

ThePADDLER 112

Conversations with Miskito fishermen

Slogging along on his sea turtle speed motorboat, we experienced quite the visual voyage through this lagoon – old growth mangroves surrounding us on all sides, crocodiles timidly flopping into the water, a world of fiercely squawking birds above us.

Eventually, this journey ended in a beach community with indigenous people, the Miskitos – upon our arrival, the whole town rushed out to meet us at the wharf. It was here, on first encounter, where a town elder insisted we sleep in his daughter’s bedroom.

As creepy as it might sound, we agreed. And ended up staying for a while.

This was a land that appeared to be forgotten by the rest of the country. On a map, it appears that the region hosts numerous pathways – twisting rivers, brimming lagoons, miles of coastline. No roads and, all of this is smattered with these incredibly colourful, tribal inhabitants. We watched children climb to the tops of coconut trees in six seconds flat, and we shared fish with middle-aged men who journeyed out into the sea each day in dugout canoes with trash bags as sails.The world here felt just like the scene of a pirate movie.

And after this rather short encounter in these wild and untamed parts, we knew we’d be back.

March 2017 Fast forward, two years later, March 2017. There we stood at the same wharf where we originally hopped aboard with the old weathered fisherman. This time, however, we had a much more robust plan ahead. A bit of web surfing steered us to the perfect craft for this trip – TRAK fold-able sea kayaks — seemingly magical boats that could be packed in a suitcase and suitable for air travel (and chicken-bus travel, and bigger-boat travel, and taxi-cab travel).

We assembled the boats with the assistance of about 10 Miskito men, shaking their heads in confusion when we told them we were taking them all the way to Pearl Lagoon.The men belly laughed when we explained our trip itinerary, and waved us off until the port was just a speck in the distance, never to be seen again.

Altogether, we paddled about 150 miles through the braided backwaters and occasional open seas of the Caribbean coast. With our sights set on camping in mangroves, we were exposed to a new awakening of the worst zombie apocalyptic mosquitoes ever encountered. The sun would set, and immediately, with air heavy of flying, ferocious vampires, we’d be forced to retreat for an early evening into our mosquito net hammocks, with all our clothes under us as protection from the ‘booty biters’.

Part of the local welcoming committee

ThePADDLER 113

Mangrove camping 101: Cook before the sun goes down to avoid mosquito annihilation

ThePADDLER 114

Nights when we didn’t haul our TRAKS over the obstacle course of mangrove branches to camp, we were instead hauling them, usually with the assistance of a gaggle of local children, onto a random front porch in a village. Each community greeted us, complete strangers, as their crazy out of towner cousins arriving for the night. We’d tie leaders with proud papas, chase pigs with kids, help grannies hang their laundry, and converse about anything from manatee hunting, to mermaid sightings, to why on earth Trump’s wife wouldn’t move into the White House.

Each day’s journey provided something new – observing a young mother hull rice with primitive tools, high-fiving her an hour later after she hit a home run at a tribal softball team practice, and then tearing up as she passionately belted a song she wrote in her kitchen later that same night. A three-hour tribal language lesson with a lobster diver who had witnessed two diving deaths in six months. True, the landscape alone was enough to hold our attention, but it was the encounters with these Miskito people that captivated us.

Claire, a ICU Registered Nurse, administers an antibiotic to a baby that has had diarrhoea and vomiting for over four months. Her father travelled two days by boat to obtain the medication

Sunrise camping in the ‘Nicaraguan Serengeti’

In a world where traditional culture seems to be mottling away rapidly, this sector of the coast showed one that, although changing, still has an element of preservation. And, in this region where sea kayaking expeditions just don’t really exist, we were grateful for the opportunity to have crafts that inspired confidence and travelled easily – our TRAK kayaks.

Each community greeted us, complete strangers, as their crazy out of

towner cousins arriving for the night

ThePADDLER 115

ThePADDLER 116

PADDLER Kayak

118 Teaching kids to paddle

By Corran Addison with forward by Graeme Addison

126 Northern Ireland

World Surf Kayak Champs preview interviews

134 Interview with…

Bex Band on the Paddle Pickup expedition

144 Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania 2800km of the Danube part 2 by Sam Brenkel

154 United States

Just around the Pointe expedition by Scott Edwards

162 Italy

Sea, lakes and rivers of Central Italy by Susan Walker

ThePADDLER 118

The Art of teaching young kids to paddle “The first rule is this: paddling is YOUR passion, not your kids.Your young child is probably far more interested at slinging rocks at the kayak, and chasing butterflies with sticks, than paddling”

Foreword by Graeme Addison

Getting a kid into kayaking in the 1980s was nothing like what happens today. In those years rivers were little known, strange beckoning places that begged to be explored.Yet we had little idea of the fluid mechanics of moving water, river kayaks were still built on the Eskimo model – long, pointed and roomy – while the romantic idea ruled that you should commit to long, long journeys of survival to purify the soul.

There was a literature of kayaking akin to Joshua Slocum’s Sailing Alone Around the World. The kayaker was a self-reliant, hardbitten yet starry-eyed soldier of misfortune who returned from the watery wilderness with tales of crocodiles and wild tribesmen. At least in South Africa that was the picture.

Corran came from this tradition. He made a remarkable transformation from a kid adrift with Dad in unknown backwaters to a designer genius at the cutting edge of international paddling culture.

Underneath it all, though, the old vision and yearning peeps through.

We consumed tales like the 60s book on canoeing in Southern Africa by Willem van Riet, written in Afrikaans, Stroom Af in My Kano (downriver in my canoe). It was the film Deliverance that really fired us up. Never mind the hillbillies and the deadly archery, just the river scenes were enough to inspire dreams of conquering continents with no more than a paddle and highcowled, home made fibre-glass shell.

Corran was an eight-year old when we tried our first multi-day today trip on the upper Orange River near the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. It was not that I as his Dad, had any grand plan to turn him into an adventurer for life. I just took him along because it seemed the natural thing to do with one’s firstborn.

No high tech kit. No hype or futuristic hopes. Just let’s do this thing – together. It was a thrilling, muddy,

sunblasted experience ending with a night in an abandoned bus, starved and lost, rather reminiscent of Jon Krakauer's book on Chris McCandless.

The dream survived. It was one we shared with many South Africans who turned away from the horrors and dehumanization of apartheid in search of something decent and fulfilling.

These dreams came to full fruit when South Africans tackled the Amazon – a courageous, farcical, conflicted expedition brilliantly chronicled in Joe Kane’s book Running the Amazon. That book owed as much to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as it did to Jerome K Jerome’s satirical Three Men in a Boat.

Neither Corran nor I were on that trip but our mentor was – Jerome Truran (no relation to the satirist) but it was Jerome who led the trip through its most frightening gorges. Once at the top of the flatwater Amazon, some 5000km from the coast but only 6m above sea level, he departed for wilder places.The trip had fallen apart anyway by then.

He coached us in paddling skills and taught us the lore of playboating. The rest is history – the history of new generations of kayak design and new paddlers doing their thing on rivers (now a known quantity) with the best kit and brightest sponsorship.

How does a Dad – now and back then – feel about exposing a tender youngster to the real dangers of river-running? People die every year in unpredictable situations out there. Corran sometimes told me he was getting ‘frights’. If anything that pushed me to spur him on. I guess there’s something in our evolutionary nature that prompts risk taking on behalf of a kid. Survival of the wettest?

It's the dream that survives.

Graeme the Riverman

GOOD DAD BONMUM

By Corran Addison

ThePADDLER 119

That’s it. So, when in doubt – get out!

you’re done.

All it takes is one good scare, and

ThePADDLER 120

If you're reading this article, it’s because you’re thinking of taking your young children out into a whitewater river environment. That’s great news... bravo for introducing them to the life you love so much.

All it takes is one good scare, and you’re done.

That’s it. So, when in doubt – get out!

However, You need to be smart. You’re not out there on your own. You don’t take a two-year old (or eight-year old) into an environment that could cause problems. There are some basic

If you yourself are not completely and utterly comfortable in the environment you are considering taking your child, DON'T DO IT. If you're a class 3 boater, do not take your child into class 2. If you're a class 5+ boater, then class 2+ makes sense. If you're a class 4+ boater, then

common sense ‘rules’ you need to follow if you want to both inspire your kid to continue paddling, and be safe.

class 1+ makes sense. If you’re a class 3 boater – just wait until they are old enough or go to the lake instead. Be smart – it’s not worth it!

Now I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject. I only have one kid, and so my experience and knowledge is based largely on the learning curve we have explored together.

But prior to having a kid, I did help others who had kids and here and there taught kids of various ages to paddle. In essence, I’ve already given the game away in that first line – teaching your kid to paddle is going to be a learning adventure for both of you. No two kids are alike, and so no two kids will need the same stimulation, encouragement, or will enter it with the same passion.

I started my kid out when he was not even able to sit on his own, putting him on a paddleboard in 10cm high ocean waves, taking him to swimming classes, and generally exposing him to water. By the time he was 18 months old, we were sitting in a kayak together on flat water and small class 1, splashing and playing. By two and a half, we were running the chicken line of the Lachines in Montreal together, in a ducky and also sitting in the front cockpit of my creek boat (neither of which was ideal, which lead me to develop the Terrible Two).

Honestly, the first rule is this: paddling is YOUR passion, not your kids. Your young child is probably far more interested at slinging rocks at the kayak and chasing butterflies with sticks, than paddling. What you’re hoping, is that continual exposure to paddling over several years will eventually make paddling your child’s passion too. But there are so many ways you can go wrong in this endeavour, turning them off paddlesports, perhaps forever.

ThePADDLER 121

ThePADDLER 122

Parallel to this, he’s been riding balance bikes, has a motorcycle, a Quad, can ski and snowboard.

We’ve exposed him to a very active life. Bangs and bruises are all part of life – it’s all he knows.

Arguably, when he was too young to really have opinions of his own, it was easier to get him to go paddling. Since he turned three, it’s harder as he has his own ideas as to what he wants to do with his time and so we’ve developed our own little game to get him suited up, and into the boat. Once in the kayak, he loves it: it’s getting a three-year old to concentrate long enough to actually get him dressed and into the kayak that’s the challenge.

We do two things, but you’ll find your own.

While he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, we play a game where each piece of gear put on gets him a gummy bear. Half the time he spits them out within seconds, but to him it’s the game of having gotten another one. Often this extends to a gummy bear after each rapid or wave surf. Whatever works to get him into the boat. As I said, once in, it’s easy sailing.

The second (and he must get this from his mother) is he’s a consummate womaniser. He loves women, and will do almost anything if one is watching, and better yet, if he gets to show off.

So we have a few female friends we’ve roped

into going along, and when they’re there it’s almost a race for him to get dressed and into the boat so he can show off and tell them how to do it. Each kid is different – this is what works for us. You’ll find your little ways.

Remember, this is your passion – not your kids. Not yet.

As my son got older (about three), so suddenly he started to put together the concept of risk and danger and then all of a sudden he went from being comfortable in the Lachines, to afraid of even the smallest waves. Massive waves that would completely envelop him at two and a half, and have him screaming with delight, now frightened him. So we started to swim small rapids. We’d both wear all our gear, and swim down a 500m section of class 1-2 together, spotting waves, chasing sticks… whatever it took to make it a game. At first I would manoeuvre him, so no waves hit him in the face and over several weeks our daily swims became a hunt for waves to swim into and get splashed with.

His comfort zone in the kayak went through the roof as a result. So play, make it fun, and make it not about paddling, but about things your kid will identify with – chasing ducks on the water, ‘racing’ the other people in kayaks with you, hunting down sticks…

Massive waves that would completely envelo with delight, now frightened him Always paddle with someone else as your spotter and back up.This person is always checking on the kid and letting you know how he’s doing. It’s advisable to paddle in stuff where the kid is generally not getting a face full of water but on the odd occasion when it happens, immediately ask your spotter for a visual ok.

Is the kid having a good time or in distress?

The moment your child is not having an awesome time, stop. It’s not worth scaring him or her away from whitewater because you’re over eager. Keep reminding yourself: this is YOUR passion, not your kids (not yet). If you want it to become theirs, you need to go slowly, and always keep it fun.

In the event of a swim (however unlikely it’s got to be in your calculations) your priority is your kid, not the equipment. That's why I designed the front cockpit in arms reach; so I can grab my kid

op him at two and a half, and have him screaming

ThePADDLER 123

ThePADDLER 124

and yank him out. Once you know you’re going in, reach forward and grab your kid, blow your skirt with your knee (you need to use a ‘cheap’ bungee style skirt that will pop off with little more than your knee pushing upwards from the inside, and your child’s skirt must equally pop off on its own with you pulling him or her out).

Make sure that your child is wearing a life jacket that cannot come off and will roll them onto the back. Don’t for a moment give your gear a second thought – you can get another one.

Positive reinforcement on the water is key Talk to your kid. Encourage them. Make it fun.

Keep it a game. They’ll have a great time, but they need to feel like you are 100% in control of the environment. Even if you momentarily feel like things have gotten out of your comfort zone, never let this be known. As far as your kid is concerned, everything was always part of the plan. Better for them to tell you they didn’t like what you did, and you apologize, than to let them know you didn’t mean to do that.

Always make the paddling experience about them and about you two doing something together. It’s not about you. The love for rivers and paddling will grow in time. Have someone video tape you, and then after the day show your kid so they see themselves in action. Point out how cool they are. I remind my son that none of his friends can do what he can do, and it makes him feel special, and wants to go back.

My son, after two years of paddling, is now able to read whitewater amazingly well. I ask him to point out the lines he wants us to go, and with amazing clarity he is able to point (most of the time) to the correct line. He can tell the difference between a surfable wave, and just chaos, and points them out for a surf. This gives him a sense of control of his environment and of what we’re doing out there, as opposed to simply being taken for a ride.

Know when to call it quits

You know your kid. You know when he or she has had enough, versus just being three with a two-minute attention span. Your spotter needs to know this too. It’s better to stop and get out too soon and deal with complex shuttles, than to take it too far and put them off paddling.

Obviously, if you're paddling with a 4-5 year old (vs 2-3yr old) or older, then things change. Now you can go to the pool. You can practice things like wet exit, forward tuck and possibly even rolling, etc. It's completely different for a 4-5 year old than 2-3 and you have to think and paddle that way. You can reason and explain to an older kid what’s going on and why, rather than just being constantly encouraging.

Once more, if your skill level and comfort level is not one where you are absolutely sure you can do this safely, then don't do it.YOU need to use good judgment.

Enjoy yourself out there and be safe!

LAUNCH A LIFETIME OF ADVENTURES Gear for the next generation that’s ready for a lifetime of adventure. Our new Rocket pants make a two-piece set with the Rocket jacket, and they both play nicely with the rest of our kids sized gear.

gear for paddlers

palmequipmenteurope.com/rocket

KAYAK

ThePADDLER 126

W O R L D

S U R F

C H A M P I O N S H I P S

This autumn, Northern Ireland will take centre stage as Portrush plays host to the World Surf Kayak Championships.

Splashing into action from the 20-28th October, the event will attract around 150 competitors from as far away as Australia and the United States and is expected to draw world-wide attention to what is certainly one of Northern Ireland’s most impressive coastlines.

Organised by CANI, the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland, the event is supported by Causeway Coast and Glen’s Council and promises an action packed week of spectacular displays of surf kayaking off the north coast.

In this interview, former World Champion, Andy McClelland, age 23, gives us the scoop on the man behind the world title…

fiRst AnD foREmost, AnDy, hoW Do you fEEL About thE WoRLD suRf kAyAking chAmPionshiPs EvEnt coming to youR homEtoWn?

I am absolutely thrilled to have the biggest kayaking competition in the world coming to my home town. I have watched the sport grow over the past 10 years in Northern Ireland from something that no one had ever heard of (and probably quite scared of), to a thriving sport with a very strong junior division.

Having lived in Portrush all my life and grown up on the beaches, I know just how good the surf can be here, on its day when the conditions are right it is undoubtedly one of the best breaks in Ireland and arguably one of the best in the world.

I have competed all over the world, surfed some amazing breaks and met a lot of great people so I am very proud and excited to welcome these people to Northern Ireland and share with them the surf that Portrush has to offer.

WhAt is youR DAy job?

I am a Physiotherapist. I studied and lived in Belfast for four years which was only an hour away from the surf – can you guess what helped me choose to study there? I am back living and working in Portrush again, I can hear the waves from my house. hoW DiD you gEt into thE sPoRt?

As a kid I always took part in the Coleraine Council summer schemes. I remember one year I was looking through the brochure and I saw kayaking. For whatever reason it caught my eye, I hadn’t the first clue what kayaking even was but I was fairly sure it was something to do with the water and something I had never tried before so I was keen to give it a go. My poor mum queued in the leisure centre on morning from 6am to secure my place.

I enjoyed the four-day course so much, I instantly had the bug. I joined the local club, the Causeway Coast Kayaking Association where I developed my skills and experience. I realised surf kayaking was what made me smile and living so close to the beach in Portrush, it made sense for me to get involved in that. hAvE you ALWAys bEEn thE sPoRty tyPE?

Yes and no. Like any young boy I was always into sport but I was never very good at any ball sports in school. It wasn’t really until I got into kayaking and found something that I really enjoyed that I became a bit more athletic and took it seriously.

WhAt AttRibutEs Do you think suRf kAyAkERs nEED to succEED?

Surf kayaking and surfing alike are very unique sports in that there are so many factors that come in to play to be successful.

It couldn’t be more different to sports like athletics or rowing where pure fitness plays such a key role. Surfing is largely a skill based sport where it takes years and years of grafting on the water, in hundreds of different conditions, reading the waves and practicing the same moves over and over again.Yes, fitness plays a very important role in being successful but fitness alone will not win competitions.

Surfing is also very much a social sport, I for one would not be doing it if I didn’t enjoy it and have fun. I like to think that the best surfer on the water is the one that is having the most fun, surfing is not all about results at the end of the heat.

WhAt Do you think is thE Winning foRmuLA to Win this EvEnt?

Portrush and the local area can provide such a mix of conditions that it will challenge every surfer regardless of what type of waves they are used to riding or where they are from.The North Coast of Ireland can have some very big and powerful waves when there is a big swell so surfers will have to be very confident in heavy surf and not be scared of the wipeouts! Having said that, just like any surf spot in the world, it can have its small days too where it is important that surfers can generate their own speed and have the strength to throw the boat around. hoW hAs it AffEctED youR PERsonAL LifE – gooD oR bAD?

I owe an awful lot to surf kayaking. I am so lucky to have competed and travelled all over the world doing what I love. In the last few years I have been to America, Australia, Spain and Portugal to name a few countries. Over the past ten years, I have had so many unique opportunities that I would never have had if it wasn’t for surfing.

So yes, it has affected my personal life but only ever in positive ways. Obviously when you are at the business end of training for a contest, you have to make a few sacrifices when it comes to socialising but when you enjoy training and have your mind set on a bigger goal, these small sacrifices seem insignificant.

ThePADDLER 127

ThePADDLER 128

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ARE OUT ON THE WATER?

I’ve been kayaking for more than ten years now and I still get as excited every time I am getting ready to go out, especially when the surf is pumping. I always thought the novelty of it would ware off eventually but it just never has!

The buzz of catching big waves or hitting a big turn just turns me into a little kid and you couldn’t take the smile off my face when I am having a good session. There is definitely no better way to unwind after a busy day at work than getting on the water for an hour, even if the conditions aren’t great. The sea has a very special quality in that it is a very mindful place to be and get some time out. It is also a great place to catch up with other surfers because everyone is there for the same reason and the craic is always good.

A view from the coach…

WhAt IS yoUR tRAININg SChEDULE LIKE? IN CoMPEtItIoN MoDE?

As I said, there is no substitute for time on the water and so it is important to be surfing lots of different types of waves. There difficult thing about this is the forecast can vary so much and most of our waves are generated from large Atlantic swells in the winter so this time of year there tends to be long flat periods with no waves. When there is waves, I am out every day for sure but this time of year I do a lot of gym training and flat water paddling for fitness. I do a bit of boxing too to keep things exciting.

Marty McCann, 43, from Whitehead Co Antrim is the kayak coach and trainer behind Ocean Addicts, operating as a British Canoe Union (BCU) coach and Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) trainer/assessor maintaining the National Governing Body (NGB) standards, codes of conduct and best practice.

Marty has been involved in kayak sport since he was eight years old. For the past 16 years, he has been progressing through the BCU coaching scheme to gain the highest standard of qualified coach. Surf is Marty's main paddle sport discipline; however, he is also an active whitewater and sea kayaker gaining a wealth of experience paddling in the UK, Ireland, Norway and the French Alps.

In this article, Marty gives us his insight into his journey and the up and coming Surf Kayaking World Championships, which are taking place in his home country of Northern Ireland, and what he thinks it takes to be a world champion…

ThePADDLER 129

ThePADDLER 130 Hi mARty,youR job sounDs LikE onE mAny suRf kAyAkERs AsPiRE to, How/wHy DiD you DEciDE to bEcomE A coAcH?Â

I decided to begin the coaching pathway in the 1990s because I knew that by coaching and teaching, I would also understand the complexities of paddle sport skills for myself.

Through coaching I could earn money, introduce and assist people in the sport, spend my working day on the water, teach beginners to advanced paddlers and consequently improve my own self-awareness, social awareness, sports specific knowledge and physical and mental well-being. Since then my

outlook on coaching has changed, become broader in thought and the values above are what I attempt to support in athletes, paddlers and the coaches/instructors I teach.

HAvE you comPEtED in comPEtitions sucH As tHis in tHE PAst?Â

I competed in surf kayak competitions many years ago, but not World Championships. I have competed in many waveski competitions at World Championships, World Cup, Europeans, and AWWP Pro Tour. These have been in various locations from Portugal, France, Reunion Island, South Africa, New Zealand.

What age Were you When you got into surf kayaking?

I didn't begin surfing kayaks and waveskis until 1994, so I was 21 years old when I began.

However, I was first introduced to kayaking on a two-week summer camp in Athlone when I was eight years old – since then I haven’t looked back. did you study sports at sChool?

I studied GCSE PE and played rugby for the school. As you progress through coaching levels you study coaching and reflect on your practice during work-placed practice and one’s own participation. I studied coaching science at University of Ulster and also Youth Work at the UU Magee campus. I found Youth Work transfers very well and complements coaching.

I then studied a Postgraduate Diploma in Performance Coaching (Paddle sport) at University of Stirling Scotland. I also attained the level five coach qualification in surf, and coaching Ireland tutor qualification. hoW do you feel about the Championships event Coming to your hometoWn in northern ireland?

I think it is great, and good for the sport in Ireland. There is no better place to participate in our sport than on Irish waters.

What attributes do you think surf kayakers need to suCCeed?

That is a difficult question to answer as what any athlete needs to succeed is unique to them and very much context specific. Succeeding will take many forms depending on who you ask. If a paddler is performing well then, their idea of success may be to win or make the top ten, for others it may be getting through one heat or even just making the team. It all depends on the lens in which they view success and where they are starting from. However, they need to spend a long time on the water building environmental awareness and as a physical attribute in the process.

Mindset plays a huge part in success in my opinion. By ensuring you are strong, fit, eating well, sleeping well, staying hydrated, and visualising performance and spending time on the water you will have a psychological advantage and more likely to have a strong mindset.

What do you think is the Winning formula to Win this event?

The last paragraph but also being relaxed and a flow state prior to and during comp week. hoW does the sea at the north Coast Compare to other events you have Competed in?

It’s definitely colder, which could be difficult for some visiting competitors. Surf conditions, like anywhere, can be hit and miss. If it is breaking well it will be very challenging. East Strand can deliver very good powerful waves. speCifiC health benefits of surf kayaking to the body?

Health benefits in terms of physiology are similar to those of interval training in that the paddlers sessions are a combination of high and moderate intensity interspersed with period of rest/recovery. I believe there are psychological benefits to participating in activity in beautiful outdoor environments. In addition, the nature of surf and paddle sports is that they provide moments of having to deal with adversity, therefore, circumstances that require an athlete to dig deep are beneficial. So, for example, rolling up after a beat down from the surf and then having to sprint paddle back through the breaking surf. A paddler will be starting from a point of having just been holding their breath. Then have to recover whilst paddling at 60-70 per cent toward set waves that could deliver another beat down. In this position, the individual is dealing with adversity and I believe that is good for building resilience and stoic values. in terms of performanCe and results, Who’s the most impressive that you have Worked With and What made them stand out?

I have worked with lots of paddlers over the years – and they all stand out for different reasons. Some are impressive because of their work ethic, some because of their social interactions with peers and competitors, some because of their performance level and also because of their ability to deal with various levels of adversity.

131

ThePADDLER 132 WhAt WiLL it tAkE to Win thE comPEtition?

Being adaptable is crucial. In my opinion, the more time you spend dealing with adversity the better your ability to adapt to various circumstances. hoW Do noRthERn iRELAnD AthLEtEs comPARE to othER intERnAtionAL AthLEtEs?

They are great! As well as being top performers they are also great ambassadors for the sport and the province. Ulster has world-class surf when conditions are right. And they are 'right' fairly often. However, in terms of training it’s important to go out in conditions that are not optimum, so there are generally always training conditions available. We have athletes from all over the province competing Derry/Londonderry, Antrim, Fermanagh Donegal and Down.

WhAt ADvicE WouLD you givE to A novicE intEREstED in tRying thE sPoRt?

I’d advise joining a kayak or canoe club and developing some fundamental skills before taking some specific surf kayak or waveski lessons. Take lessons and spend as much time on the water as possible. hoW oftEn Do you PARtAkE in thE sPoRt?

I surf waveski regularly but I'm in a boat pretty much everyday.

WouLD you REcommEnD suRf kAyAking to othERs AnD Why?

Yes, absolutely! I think sport in general is important for developing as a person. The life skills you learn are transferable and definitely strengthen the character. The psychological benefits to taking part in surf kayaking in beautiful outdoor environments like Northern Ireland are a great stress buster.

Deadline for entries to the World Surf Kayak Championships closes on 20th September, to enter, visit: www.surfchampionships.cani.org.uk

01479 861 256 www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

Join us on Scotland’s famous rivers this Autumn.

Offering the full range of British Canoeing coaching, leadership, performance, safety & CPD modules

qualifications

white water kayaking

open canoeing

Stand up paddle boarding

sea kayaking

BEX BAND

ThePADDLER 134

Interview with…

Paddle Pickup was put together by adventurers Bex and Erin Bastian who wanted to do something about an issue that really upset them – ocean pollution.

Before we start – just let our readers know a little about yourself, family, background, etc.

I grew up in Basingstoke with my parents and sister and had a pretty regular childhood. When I was younger I liked doing a lot of things, but was not good at one thing specifically. I certainly wasn’t sporty or outdoorsy and neither was my family.

It was only as I was reaching my later teen years that I discovered camping for the first time and really enjoyed it. Where I could, I continued getting outdoors but these were usually very tame pursuits as I didn’t have anyone to go with or even know how to develop this passion.

After finishing university with a degree in film, I moved to London where I tried a number of different careers from fundraising to teaching. In 2016 I decided I had had enough. 9-5 living wasn’t for me and I wanted more from life. I quit my job, packed up my life and headed off on a big adventure with my husband. Since then my life has been one adventure after another. I make a living on the go through blogging (www.theOrdinaryAdventurer.com) and leading expeditions. Last year, I also set up a community called Love Her Wild (www.loveherwild.com) which is all about encouraging more women to find their wild side.

It’s hard work managing a business on the move but it’s also incredibly liberating and free.

It’s a dream life!

ThePADDLER 135

ThePADDLER 136

Where did the idea of being an adventurer first come to mind?

The concept of adventurer only even entered my vocabulary in March 2016. Growing up I knew about big explorers - Ranulph Fiennes and Bear Grylls types - but I thought this world was just for wealthy, ex-SAS, Everest climbing, Pole reaching men.

I attended a Night of Adventurer evening and everything changed. Suddenly I saw ‘real’ people going on what I like to call ‘modern day adventures’. The kind of challenge that involves you jumping on your bike, wild camping and eating pasta for a week because you've only got a few hundred quid in your pocket.

Suddenly I found adventure that I could relate to.

Even make money from. So my journey began!

When did you first start kayaking and canoeing?

My kayaking experience (like all my adventure sports) is minimal! I find that going on an adventure is the best way to improve and get inspired by a sport. So I’m really looking forward to our Paddle Pickup expedition and learning from Erin Bastian who I know will be a great teacher.

Photo: Erin Bastian

When did you first become aware of environmental issues and in particular, ocean pollution?

Last year I hiked 1,000km across Israel. Since then my view on the world and nature has not been the same. After spending so much time just myself and the vast desert and appreciating how great and beautiful our wild spaces are, I have a burning desire to protect it and the animals that call it home.

I’ve always had a fascination with the ocean and marine life and my environmentalist drive really tuned in on ocean conservation while developing myself as a diver. Particularly when I saw the disgusting amount of plastic in our seas and on our shores.

The last year I have dedicated myself to learning and sharing as much as I can about environmental issues. I’ve really focused on the power of raising awareness and connecting people to nature through adventure. We really can make a difference as individuals!

www.paddlepickup.com

Have you done any type of training for the Paddle Pickup expedition?

The marketing and logistics involved with this project has been huge so I’ve barely had any time to train. It’s been a real labour of love. I do still try to start everyday with exercise - be it a HIIT session, run or yoga – and have focused more on my core and arm strength.

What is the main message you want to get out there on your Paddle Pickup expedition?

Photo: Chris Brain

It is easy for us to ignore the plastic pollution problem because, for the most part, it sits far out in the deep ocean out of sight. But it is very real and very scary!

Eight million tons of plastic is dumped in our oceans a year. Just think about that! You should also know that virtually every piece of plastic that has ever been created still exists in some form. It never truly degrades, just disintegrates into tiny pieces. So every time we use plastic and throw it away, it is another piece added to this humongous mass of plastic rubbish on our planet. Is this the kind of world we want to leave our children?

Just by cutting back on single-use plastic (plastic we use once and throw away) we can make a difference. The biggest culprits are bags, straws and water bottles. If enough people started asking for their drink without a straw, the bars would stop giving them as default.

They would then order less, which would cause the manufactures to respond by creating an alternative product. It starts with us!

Bex’s Paddle Pickup expedition paddling partner

Erin Bastian How did you meet Erin and have you paddled together before?

I came across Erin when I first heard about her great new company, Evoke Adventures. She set up this kayaking company to offer authentic and environmentally friendly expeditions.

They were very in line with the ethos of my own company, Love Her Wild, a community for women in adventure I sent Erin a quick email and soon discovered we had even more in common. It took less than a week for us to set up Paddle Pickup and to get this project off the ground. We make a great team and are both really driven by our passions to our bit for the world.

We have not paddled together before. I can’t wait to get on the water at the start of the expedition and to see our Paddle Pickup vision come to life – it’s going to be very special!

ThePADDLER 137

ThePADDLER 138

What have you witnessed about the best and the worst of our world and environment on your travels?

incredible; I have never seen stars like it. I felt amazing just feeling the wind in my face and the complete silence except for the waves. I want to be back there now!

I’ve seen a lot of things that make me upset.

From carless dumping of rubbish. A complete disregard for the lives of animals taken for meat.

And huge factories destroying wild spaces.

Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met on your travels?

But I do have hope. There are lots of protected areas and in these you can see untouched views and free roaming wildlife - how it should be! Nature does have a way of replenishing and adapting itself, it just needs the care and space to do it.

If you could capture just one ‘feel good’ moment in your expeditions, which would it be and why?

It’s so hard to pick one! The first moment that came to mind was being on night watch in the middle of the North Sea while I was sailing from Sweden to the UK. The sky was

This is even harder than the last question! I can’t begin to tell you how many lovely, kind and interesting people I have met on my adventures.

I did once meet a man living on Utila Island who carried a mop around claiming that it was his wife. I also witnessed him spend a lot of time tying to convince people that he saw a whale shark do a flip out of the water (this wouldn’t happen)! He’s probably up there with one of the most interesting…

I had been hiking through the desert for days without seeing anyone, when suddenly a school group appeared from nowhere. Of course, I chose that exact moment to do a spectacular fall, face planting on a rock. It actually really hurt and I felt like an idiot because I’d tripped over nothing! Not quite the hardy adventurer image I was hoping to give.

Tell us about how you manage the risks on your adventures?

I always play it safe. I know my limits and make sure I am prepared to the level I need to be for the adventure I am doing. In this instance I know very little, but I have Erin. An experienced, qualified and confident kayaker who I trust to lead the group.

Gut also plays a big part. I’ve changed my plans and pulled out of things because something doesn’t quite seem right on the inside. I think it’s important to tune in and listen to your instinct.

www.paddlepickup.com

Your most embarrassing moment?

If you could head anywhere in the world to paddle, where would it be and what appeals about this location?

Norway, Alaska or Canada! It’s the vast open spaces and dramatic landscapes that really draw me to these places.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to somebody thinking of packing it all in to be an adventurer?

I would start by asking yourself if this is really what you want to do. From the outside my life can look amazing. It is amazing but, like everything, I have my realities. I have to work very hard (more than I ever did before) to make my businesses work.There’s a lot of uncertainty and being on the road means I miss a lot of things that make having a base nice. A lot of people can create a huge amount of adventure and satisfaction in their lives while still holding down a job. Find what works for you.

ThePADDLER 139

ThePADDLER 140

www.paddlepickup.com

If it is what you want, start by giving yourself a security net - some savings to fall back to. Get a sabbatical even so you can test the water. Get a website set up early on and start networking at festivals and events.

Then go on adventures, this is an important part of being an adventurer! If you are serious about making some sort of career out of it, then you are also going to have to work as you go – filming, blogging and sharing. It’s harder than you think.

If you would like to know more about how you can make money as an adventurer and how I made it work for me, I have a dedicated page on my blog: www.theordinaryadventurer.com/ how-to-be-an-adventurer/

What do you do to relax?

I love spending time with my young niece and nephew. They bring out my fun side and make me laugh endlessly.

Have you ever been scared and if not – what would it take?

Every day! I’m always scared. Every adventure I do, I feel like an imposter, like I’m not good enough, or strong enough to succeed. And I have the same fears when it comes to my blog and Love Her Wild. I’m scared that I will fail.

Photo: Erin Bastian

I don’t think these fears have got less but I do think I have got better at ignoring and managing them. And that’s what I want to share with other people who are letting the voices in their head hold them back from going on an adventure. I’m not especially fit, or smart or talented and if I can make it happen, you definitely can.

I’m also afraid of the dark!

Where do you see yourself 20 years from now?

Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever looked that far into the future. I’d like to have a family and a little eco-house somewhere quite and not too far from the sea (if the government will let me!).

I hope that Love Her Wild will succeed and that I can inspire thousands of women to go on adventures. But that I have more time to dedicate to conservation work. I’d also like to write books.

I guess the main thing for me is that I still have the freedom that I have now. Working for myself, travelling and being able to challenge myself through adventure when I can.

Help us put the life back into our seas Join the Marine Conservation Society and receive your welcome pack, free gift and the opportunity to help look after our precious marine environment

www.mcsuk.org/join

Promo code: Padsum17 E: info@mcsuk.org

T: 01989 566017

Registered Charity No (England and Wales): 1004005 Registered Charity No (Scotland): SC037480

W: www.mcsuk.org

ThePADDLER 142

Quickfire questions:

If you could paddle with anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be?

I just want to paddle with the great Erin Bastian!

Pick two celebrities to be your parents…

J.K.Rowling and Sylvia Earle

Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film?

Jennifer Lawrence

Are you a bathroom/shower singer and if so what do you sing?

YES! Bob Marley and Sia

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook

An ideal night out for you is?

Camping with friends (not that they’d ever do it!)

What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island?

My husband What would I find in your fridge right now? Hummus

If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?

Take out curry…too tired to cook

What’s the most boring question you are often asked?

Don’t you know that we are ‘designed’ to eat meat? I get this all the time because I’m a veggie. It’s really boring. Leave me alone!

If you could be a superhero for one day, what superpower would you choose and why?

To transform into a Blue whale so I could go for a trip to the deep sea Favourite sport’s team?

Harlequins, rugby

Favourite film?

The Chorus

Favourite musical track?

Under Pressure, Queen

What three words would you use to describe you?

Worrier, sensitive, determined

Any final shout outs?

I’ve recently started using Vivo Life as I’ve made the move to a plant based diet and they are amazing. Never felt fitter or healthier in my life!

Thank you so much Bex for taking the time out to speak to the Paddler and the very best of luck for Paddle Pickup,

Photo: Erin Bastian

www.paddlepickup.com

ThePADDLER 143

ThePADDLER 144

If I thought that the first month on the Danube River had been eventful, I would soon find out that it was a mere warm up for the adventures to come. I was half way through the final section of my JOG to the Black Sea, a 5,000km journey from Scotland to Romania.

Prior to the trip, I had spent a grand total of about 45 minutes kayaking in my entire life.This meant that the first few weeks were a combination of learning to kayak and improving my kayaking skills. By the time I reached Serbia, my skills and fitness had improved sufficiently and the kayaking section of each day was proving less and less troublesome.

By Sam Brenkel

2

DANUBE 2 8 0 0 K M

O F

T H E

the conclusion

ThePADDLER 145

ThePADDLER 146

What was proving to be

more of an issue however, were the before and after sections of each day. I was discovering that kayak touring presents a lot more issues than cycle touring.You are completely stuck to the river, whether it be eating, sleeping or anything else, everything must be done in extreme proximity to the river. Unlike cycle touring, where a few kilometres detour to find food or shelter is no problem, travelling by kayak means that even something a couple of kilometres from the river is a real effort to attain.

In addition to this, when touring by bike, the day tends to end once you’ve reached your destination, you simply ride to wherever you need to go and park up, again this is not the case with kayaking. It seemed that almost every day, the climax of the days kayaking was only half the story; hauling a fully laden kayak out of the water, finding a suitable place to secure it for the night and finding myself food and shelter were proving to be equally challenging and abundantly more eventful than the day on the river.

In Veliko Gradiste, I was warmly greeted by the hotel owner, who after a long discussion, finally understood my request to get to a supermarket and shepherded me into a taxi. I pointed on the map to the supermarket and we sped off. We arrived and I asked the driver

if he could wait there while I went inside and then take me back to the hotel, despite speaking absolutely no English, I was confident that he agreed to this plan. With the luxury of a taxi outside, I bought a lot of supplies, including about five litres of water.

Fully laden, I headed back outside to find the space that the taxi once occupied was now filled with nothing but Serbian dirt. I stood for a bit, eating crisps and mulled over my options, eventually concluding that I didn’t really have any, I would have to walk. I was walking for about 10 minutes, constantly checking for taxis, when a taxi pulled up beside me. It was the same driver. I still to this day have no idea where he went but I was mightily relieved to see him.

The next day, I left the hotel and headed back to the river. It was a sluggish morning, the weather wasn’t good and due to a vast increase in the width of the river, the current had slowed enormously. I took a break from paddling and flicked onto my emails to find two from the owner of last night’s hotel. The first email was a kind one, noting that I had departed without paying, the second was a warning email explaining that if I didn’t return, then she would call the police.

Setting up PayPal

I honestly assumed that the money for the hotel had been directly taken from my card and had therefore left without a trace. She didn’t know that I was kayaking, so there was no real danger in her threat to call the police, but I did feel bad, so I replied and asked if there was any other way I could pay. She said that I could pay using PayPal.This required me to set up an account, verify my identity, put money into my account and transfer it to her, all whilst floating down the river, wasting a lot of time, which would prove crucial later in the day.

The next part of the day took me throw high sided mountains, which on a nice day would’ve been quite spectacular.Today however, the wind was now so strong, that I could do nothing but keep plodding along.The kilometres passed and soon I was reaching my destination. I came around a corner and in the distance, I could see the mountain side covered in the town of Donji Milanovac. Distances on the river can be quite deceptive, I knew I still had about 10km and that it would be touch and go for me to arrive before sunset.

I was going as fast as I could, but the wind was now making kayaking extremely difficult. The wind was coming from behind me, meaning that if I could keep the boat straight, I was effectively surfing down the river. Normally, I would’ve just sat back, ensured that the kayak was straight and let the river take me, but I was bitterly aware of the impending darkness, so I ploughed on.

The waves that were previously behind me, were now coming directly from the side and

growing angrier every minute

The river had bent in a way that meant I was on the wrong side. About two kilometres from the town, I decided that I best start heading across the river. It was about 1km wide at this stage, immediately I knew this crossing could be treacherous. The waves that were previously behind me, were now coming directly from the side and growing angrier every minute. I got about half way across when the first large wave threw a decent amount of water into the boat. This happened a few times more, the kayak now half filled with water.

I was now sitting in water and could feel that the kayak was significantly lower in the water. About 200m from shore, the kayak became so full of water and so low in the water, that any wave, no matter the size, was now bringing in more water. I needed to remove the heaviest thing from the boat before it sank, me. I jumped out, almost tipping the kayak over in the process and began swimming to shore. It was now dark and just to compound the misery, it had started to rain.

ThePADDLER 147

ThePADDLER 148

The river pierces through the steep sided gorge, creating a

dramatic atmosphere

when combined with the growling thunder

I finally reached the shore, but couldn’t find a suitable place to exit. Eventually I managed to haul myself out of the water, but there was no way that I would be able to get the kayak out, especially now that it was full of water. I looked around and saw a ramp about 100m away. I jumped back in and dragged the kayak over to the ramp, hauled it out of the water and used the last of my now severely diminished strength to tip it over and remove all the water.

Amazingly, all my equipment had come through the capsizing unscathed and I was back on the river the next morning, the imposing figures of the two Djerdup dams looming on the horizon. Before reaching the dams, I passed through the famous Iron Gate region, a favourite of most Danube travellers.The river pierces through the steep sided gorge, creating a dramatic atmosphere when combined with the growling thunder.

As expected, getting past both dams proved troublesome. At the first, I was twice sent from the Serbian side to the Romanian side and back again, apparently angering the Romanian police in the process and adding 8km onto the days kayaking before a cruise liner approached the Serbian side, allowing me to join it in the dam and progress down the river. At the second, I was caught by an armed policeman trying to find a shortcut passed the dam and was forced to spend three hours waiting for a ship to come before finally being allowed through.

Now beyond the final dams on the river and with nothing but clear water ahead, the currents began to pick up again. The only thing now slowing me down was the ever-present bad weather. The winds sweeping across the now vast Danube were creating conditions that I imagine were similar to sea kayaking. This not only slowed my progress considerably but also increased the chances of another on board flooding. Fortunately, I was now more prepared.

My spray deck, which up until this point had been nothing more than a glorified night time cover to keep bugs out of the kayak, became my most prized piece of equipment.

The warm hospitality that I experienced in Serbia, continued into Bulgaria. From the fisherman that bought me beers and dinner upon my arrival, despite us not being able to exchange even a word of common language, to Nick the self-appointed tour guide that we stumbled upon in the decrepit town of Oryahovo. Past both dams, reunited with Toby and Hugo and the weather improving, we began to speed down the river, making what felt like unstoppable progress to the Black Sea. The temperatures were now reaching scorching level, which gave us a nice excuse for regular breaks and swims in the river. We managed to find some amazing camping spots, eating dinner while watching the sun drop into the river that we were calling home. This all changed once we entered Romania.

ThePADDLER 149

ThePADDLER 150

The succeeding days were the toughest on the trip, the weather had

deteriorated completely,

subjecting us to brutal wind, rain, thunder and lightning

First Romanian night

The river had been half Romania for a few weeks; first it was shared with Serbia and then with Bulgaria, but for the last few hundred kilometres, it would be exclusively in Romania (with the exception of a short section of Ukrainian shared water). After a day of rain, we spent our first Romanian night in a hotel. Returning back to the kayaks the next morning, I noticed that one of my compartments was ajar. I quickly discovered that some of my equipment had been stolen, including my waterproof jacket, not ideal with thunder and lightning predicted for the next two days.

The succeeding days were the toughest on the trip, the weather had deteriorated completely, subjecting us to brutal wind, rain, thunder and lightning. Morning two in Romania started just as morning one had, returning to the kayak to find more stuff had been stolen. Moral was low and kayaking was incredibly tough; but after a few days, the weather began to improve, lifting the spirits as I approached the final section of the river, the Danube Delta.

Another common occurrence in Romania was being stopped by the river police who, despite being initially suspicious, were always incredibly friendly and helpful. Even allowing me to store my kayak in the police station overnight to avoid my supplies being reduced further.

The police stoppages proved to be the only real disruptions for the final two days as I entered the Danube Delta, the final section of river before it empties into the Black Sea. An area of great natural beauty, the Delta proved little distraction, I was now very eager to reach the river’s end.

Shortly after the coastal village of Sulina, the river opened up, revealing the great expanse of water stretching out way beyond the horizon.

5,000km from the starting point, the JOG to the Black Sea was complete.

ThePADDLER 151

ThePADDLER 152

https://goo.gl/maps/P1viEhYTiNp

The finish

I’ve found that finishing a long tour like this has a very anti climatic feel to it. There is no great sense of achievement, there is no one waiting at the finish with a medal and a participation t-shirt.

On this occasion, all that was there was a large body of water and the prospect of having to paddle back up stream for 10km, hoping to arrive at the hotel before nightfall.

It isn’t until weeks, months and years later that you’re able to fully appreciate the journey and comprehend how big an achievement it has been. Before leaving for home, I wandered down to the river, it had been an eventful 49 days on the Danube, not always positive but definitely memorable and certainly never boring.

FOLDING Canoes & Kayaks

Quest Folding Kayak

The Quests combine great looks with comfort and efficient cruising performance.

Quests are ideal travel kayaks. Very light, yet ruggedly-built with space-age polyurethane materials which contain no toxic chemicals – the planet will thank you!

Puffin Saranac

Puffin Kayaks are perfect travel companions.

Great stability and paddling performance make Puffins enjoyable on the water. With good looks and light-weight price, they are a pleasure to own.

PakCanoe 170 in PakCanoes the Arctic The folding PakCanoe is your ticket to remote wilderness travel - and is equally at home taking your children for a spin closer to home!

PakCanoes are excellent for remote wilderness trips or adventures closer to home. Light-weight, compact for easy travel and storage, yet rugged, dependable and easy paddling.

www.pakboats.com Enfield, New Hampshire, USA (603)632-9500 • info@pakboats.com

POINTE

ThePADDLER 154

For two years, the dream was dreamt, plans were made, budget cuts made to fund the dream, routes pondered over again and again. An entire room dedicated to maps, calculations of miles and could it be done.

BY SCOTT EDWARDS

J U S T

O F

A R O U N D

C O U R A G E

T H E

A N D

D E T E R M I N A T I O N In late February of 2017 Traci Lynn Martin drove to the shores of Lake Huron from her home in Missouri to check the ice conditions and what time frame would be early enough for her to chase her dream of breaking the one year mileage record for paddling. It would mean 8,600 miles in nine months, a monumental undertaking by anyone’s perspective. It seemed the ice had retreated far enough for Traci could get a two week plus head start on what laid in front of her. After losing her mother to cancer and knowing full well that she had left things she dreamt of undone, Traci set out to make her dream come true.

After saving for two years, scrimping and saving every penny possible, working extra shifts, arranging to have her mortgage paid for a year and a leave of absence from her job as a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse, and prior to that spent four years in Adult Intensive Care Units, and gaining backing from Stellar Kayaks, Kokatat, RPC3 paddles, Chota and other sponsors who offered supplies to keep her fed, Traci bought a used camping trailer to support her nine-month expedition.

She loaded up and headed north to Fort Gratiot State Park and Lighthouse to begin the journey of a lifetime.

Traci Lynn Martin is a highly decorated endurance Surf Ski racer, having acquired myriad medals and trophies over the years as well as being a triathlete, all this while battling Rheumatoid Arthritis, an autoimmune disease that can be debilitating to say the least. Her work as a Registered Nurse, Traci came in contact countless times with people with chronic diseases and challenges who had virtually given up on living their life. It was this that inspired Traci to dedicate her expedition to inspiring others battling whatever challenges they faced and that they could still continue pursuing their dreams.

ThePADDLER 155

ThePADDLER 156

On March 9th, Traci and her support driver and trailer arrived at Fort Gratriot to launch. It was a very cold and windy day, which was a harbinger of things to come. In her dry suit, full hood, life jacket secured and paddle in hand, she shoved off to begin her journey ‘Just Around The Pointe’.

Traci’s first day on the water was a decent one, ticking off 20 miles, and boosting her confidence that she had made the right decision, despite being literally frozen into her PFD and dry suit.The spray and waves had covered her in water that quickly froze.Traci had to actually step into a hot shower to get them to defrost.The second day was one of foreboding; high wind and waves forced Traci to retreat after logging only about half a mile. Sadly, it was a harbinger of things to come.

Pack ice

As Traci approached the Grindstone area at the top of the ‘thumb’ of Michigan, winter returned with a vengeance.Traci found herself having to hunt for open water to put into, pushing ice flows out of her way with her paddle as the wind blew the pack ice in closer to shore than was safe.Traci was implored by many not to try and paddle past it, but she was determined to crank out as many miles as she could.This is when the two mishaps that have gotten Traci and Just Around The Pointe so much flack from the paddling community of the Great Lakes and elsewhere.

The first trouble Traci encountered was a broken rudder, and then losing touch with her ground support team for some time. It was very difficult to manoeuvre the surfski without the stern rudder and no one could reach Traci. She had her VHF radio with her and another of the ground support team did, as well. However, communications broke down and to venture as to why would be speculative at best. Cell phone signal was non-existent. One of the people on the ground looking for Traci got very concerned and called 9-1-1.

To their credit the Huron County Sheriff ’s Department responded quickly, but there was no rescue deployed that night. Traci made it to shore on her own, and refused any medical assistance. There has been a lot of banter about whether this was a rescue or not. Yes, the authorities were on the scene, but Traci navigated herself to safety and to the warmth and protection of her trailer and support team.

Traci, undaunted by the situation, did make the decision to fall back and regroup and allow the

ice to retreat

and delivered her safely to shore. She did not require medical attention, and was admonished by the authorities not to go back out in such conditions. Traci, undaunted by the situation, did make the decision to fall back and regroup and allow the ice to retreat.

She packed up not long after and headed back to her home in Missouri and to the waiting arms of her children. It was during this time Traci re-evaluated her plans and her routes and set her sights on being the first person to circumnavigate the Great Lakes by paddle power. This seemed to be a much more reachable goal and she would have enough time to do it, and do it safely.

Back after two weeks Frightening

A few days later, despite warnings from the Sheriff ’s Department and many local kayakers, Traci’s determination to continue on her journey was dealt a very frightening hand to deal with.Traci was out on Lake Huron, battling wind, waves and freezing cold and the wind shifted, blowing miles of pack ice up against the beach, making it impossible for Traci to get back to shore.

It took all her courage and all her skill to simply remain upright. Again, the authorities were called and this time Traci did need to be rescued. There was no way to make it to the beach and safety.

Huron County deployed their airboat crew and pulled Traci and her Surfski out of Lake Huron

Traci was off the water for two weeks, when she returned to where she last came ashore and since then has faced all the daunting challenges of the Great Lakes and at the time of this writing, has paddled her way around half of Lake Huron, circumnavigated Lake Michigan, and is at the time of this writing approximately 100 miles from the Soo Locks which will complete Lake Superior, and, since those two days in March has done so without any incident.

She is the first person to circumnavigate Lake Michigan in a Surf Ski and will be the first to do the same on Lake Superior. She has successfully morphed herself from a kayaking drag racer to a Baja 500 paddler who happens to paddle a surfski rather than a traditional kayak. I’ve taken

ThePADDLER 157

ThePADDLER 158

Today,August 27thTraci has paddled 2,324 miles and they have not been easy

to calling her a SeaSkier, a hybrid paddler who has combined the two skill sets and may actually be revolutionizing expedition kayaking, if for no one else but herself.

Today, August 27th Traci has paddled 2,324 miles and they have not been easy, although she has covered a high of 42 miles in one day, and paddling in conditions that would turn many back to shore. High winds, confused seas and foul weather have not dampened her resolve.

Puncture wound

Traci’s Surfski suffered a serious puncture wound that was luckily caught and repaired in one day.

The generator that is essential to powering the trailer (Traci’s medicine for RA needs to be kept cold always, or it’s useless) has had its issues and finally has been replaced by Champion Generators and her medicine is stable.

Traci has also had to battle her Rheumatoid Arthritis through the cold of Great Lakes, as well as a bad case of bronchitis that actually turned into a full-blown case of Pneumonia. In fact, Traci had felt so sick, she finally went to an urgent care facility where she was given an inhaler and antibiotics. The ironic part of it all is that her highest mileage day was achieved pushing her way through the Pneumonia and always driving herself forward. She was also stung in the face by a wasp, to which she is allergic, causing her face to swell and one eye shut.

Traci’s paddling, I think the constant cold that irritates her Rheumatoid Arthritis and has her constant pain has been the worst. Yet, she has paddled through over 2,300 miles of it.

Remarkable hospitality

However, despite the obstacles that have stood in her way, Traci has also been welcomed by the communities she has paddled through, being offered hot meals, hot showers, a real bed and a safe place to both rest and heal. It is here that I know Traci would like to thank all those who have opened their hearts and homes to her and made those tough days a little easier. The hospitality she has been shown is absolutely remarkable and the numbers of people who have been part of it, are far too many to name in just one article, a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all of those offering aid and comfort.

The route now is concentrating on the Great Lakes and conditions permitting, Traci should have Lake Superior finished in the next few days and will push on to finish Lake Huron.

Not only is an expedition of this magnitude physically challenging, it is also mentally and emotionally challenging as well. It is noteworthy that through the steep learning curve that the Great Lakes presents and every other bump in the road, Traci’s spirit remains high and her resolve to complete Just Around The Pointe, Great Lakes edition is as strong as ever.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Great Lakes region of the United States, they are five inland seas at the very top of the Midwest. Traci’s paddling has had her travelling in both the United States and Canada. The weather there is unforgiving to say the least and can change at a moments notice.

More akin to inland seas

It is also very cold around the Great Lakes.

While much of North America is dealing with summer Fahrenheit temperatures in the 80s and 90s, the other morning Traci woke up to a balmy 40 degree August morning. If you have never seen pictures or videos of the Great Lakes, do not be fooled by the word ‘lake’.

These are not placid bodies of water that you can float around on. The fury of the Great Lakes forced shipping companies to redesign their cargo vessels to be safer and the bottom of the Great Lakes is littered with the wreckage of literally hundreds of ships where the lakes have won the fight. Of all the things that have effected

ThePADDLER 159

ThePADDLER 160

Traci Lynn Martin To learn more about Traci Lynn Martin you can visit her website at www.justaroundthepointe.com, follow her on FaceBook www.facebook.com/groups/45 3369874831383/ Track her progress via RaceOwl at http://raceowl.com/JustAround ThePointe and the Instagram page www.instagram.com/ justaroundthepointe/ Or via the Spot GPS tracker posts on the FaceBook page.

Go Fund Me page Traci has funded this expedition almost entirely on her own and unforeseen expenses are to be expected, but Just Around The Pointe has had more than its fair share and has no huge corporate sponsor with bottomless pockets. If you are so inclined, Just Around the Pointe has a Go Fund Me page where any help would be gratefully appreciated. https://www.gofundme.com/ just-around-the-pointe

Traci is scheduled to finish Lake Superior on August 31st

It goes without saying that an expedition of this magnitude cannot be done alone. Traci would like to pass along her thanks to every person she came in contact with who offered her aid and comfort, they have truly made a difference.

She specifically wants to acknowledge the following:

Scott Edwards: project manager, advisor, sponsorship liaison, social media co-ordinator. If any one wants to offer assistance, accommodations or sponsorship, Scott can be reached at 610.299.8468 or kayakbirder@gmail.com Bill Noble: support driver and navigator who has given freely of his time to supporting this project.

Tab McBane: global positioning and tracking co-ordinator who monitors, troubleshoots and posts SPOT Global Tracker updates.

Marv Kuziel: support staff. A local from Port Austin, offered assistance one weekend and has now become an invaluable team member who eight times has driven wherever she was to assist along the route.

Hogan Haake: owner of Raceowl.com who maintains, organizes and stores the data which will verify Traci’s efforts for the Guinness Book of World Records.

John Peterson: who has managed the finances for the expeditions.

Traci would also like to thank her sponsors, without whom this expedition would have never happened.

RPC3... not only donated three paddles, but also donates 25.00 for every paddle they sell if you type Traci in the code box at checkout. Stellar Kayaks, who designed Traci’s Surf Ski. Kokatat who have managed to help Traci keep the cold at bay. Spot Global GPS Tracking. PowerFilm Solar that keeps Traci’s electronics charged and working when off grid. Hammer Nutrition who provided high nutrition food that fuels the engine that is Traci.

Chota Outdoor Gear who were kind enough to make sure Traci’s feet stay warm and dry.The waters of the Great Lakes never get warm. Seattle Sports for their generous donation of dry bags.

The Great Lakes Cruising Club for their support. Sweet Protection whose helmet is protecting Traci from the rocks and cliffs that all but define the Great Lakes. Dane Fortney and Shore Tee Footstakes for providing the shadow boat on a long open water crossing Also; Source; Snugpak; Multimat; Hammock Bliss;The Outfitter of Harbor Springs, Too Cool T-Shirts and Quilts.

https://vimeo.com/184781882

ThePADDLER 162

ITALY T S L R C

h e E A S , A K E S , I V E R S o f E N T R A L

Mention Italy in the paddling world and worldclass whitewater comes to mind for many.

However, the kayak has always been a means of discovering, travelling and never more so than the more gentler seas, lakes and rivers of central Italy.

Discover the cultural beauties of an unusual Italy, between Renaissance and medieval villages, a journey into history, in the streets of taste, a voyage of discovery between sea, lakes, rivers and islands.

By Susan Walker, Vancouver, BC, Canada ThePADDLER 163

ThePADDLER 164

Abruzzo, Marche, Lazio and Tuscany. Regions that you may have never considered as a destination for a kayak trip. Everything was organized by Marco of the Travelinkayak agency (http://www.travelinkayak.com) focusing on special trips in the Mediterranean for small groups, which offered us a new and different, unexpected journey.

We are often oriented to think of the journey as an escape from civilization, a return to our origins, to the wild, to nature. However, travel can also be culture, culture is history and history is a hitman constructed landscape of civilizations, peoples, affairs, travel and trade.

The Mediterranean

In addition to some fantastic kayaking spots such as Greenland, Scotland and Canada, there is a place full of history, the heart of civilizations, where for centuries there is a tradition of travel, where cultures have met, fused, welcomed, hosted and related: this ancient sea, the Mediterranean, has infinite beauty and diversity.

Italy divides the Mediterranean at its centre, and it is right in the centre of Italy that I discovered areas unknown to many paddlers and surprisingly interesting to be discovered from the point of view of the kayak. We travelled in

Travelinkayak offers cultural trips in kayak, real experiences: an original way to see and understand the Mediterranean, its cultural aspects, its tastes, its civilizations.

In a 12-day trip, we paddled in two different and fascinating seas: the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian; a karstic river known to the ancient Romans, with clear and cold waters; three Alpine lakes in the mountainous region of Abruzzo; two lakes of volcanic origin embedded in Etruscan culture and lastly, remote islands in the centre of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is difficult to condense into a few words the landscaping and cultural richness that we have been able to admire and discover. We moved from one natural park to another through untouched environments, charming countryside landscapes, mountain areas between medieval and renaissance villages. Travelling in Italy is like crossing a different country every two hours; it is difficult to understand every aspect of this nation, so intrinsic of history and habits. One

The Tirino river in the region of Abruzzo

ThePADDLER 165

ThePADDLER 166

A Trabucchi on the coast of the nature reserve of

Punta Aderci

thing that really surprised me was the friendliness of the people we met, people with a wonderful humanity, everywhere we received a reception not as tourists but as friends. Thanks especially to the guide that took us to places we would never have discovered alone.

Travelling by yourself is not difficult, but you lose the authenticity of the knowledge that only a local can give you. We only ate and drank local products, we had a special experience by seeing how Mozzarella cheese is made, to admire how they make hand-made pasta, understanding the differences of the regional wines, experiences that alone were a trip inside the journey.

with the backdrop typical of the southern Mediterranean, it has beautiful trails from Peschici to Vieste and from Vieste to Mattinata and a series of huge caves and long beaches.

The promontory is particularly exposed to the winds coming from the shape of the Adriatic Sea. It’s always better to check the locals for the forecasts that here, can be unreliable. It is possible to connect this itinerary with a small but interesting archipelago north of Gargano, named the Tremiti Islands. The Adriatic Sea is rich in history and its inhabitants have a very strong and lively relationship with the water.

Adriatic Sea

The coast of the Adriatic, a sandy and flat coast at first sight, becomes unexpectedly interesting in the most exposed stretches of the promontories such as Monte Conero, a splendid sight with white cliffs stretching over the sea with a wonderful 11th-century Romanesque church and the beautiful Sirolo village with its sea view.

The Conero is a very typical Mediterranean setting. Clear cobblestones and beaches of white stones whitewashed by caves, small bays, crags and coves. The Adriatic is a shallow sea and its waters have very bright blue colours that contrast with the white rocks. The recommended itinerary is from Portonovo to Numana where you can meet many paddlers.

Moving south down the coastline, there’s also the chance to explore the nature reserve of Punta Aderci, a beautiful area between the green countryside and the incredible Trabucchi (ancient fishing machines from the Phoenicians).

Travelling south once again and the Gargano National Park offers great itineraries for coastal paddling. A clean sea and enchanting landscape,

ThePADDLER 167

ThePADDLER 168

Abruzzo region

From the Adriatic coast you have to travel inland to discover the lakes and rivers of the Abruzzo region. The Abruzzo lakes are sparking clean and overlooked by the peaks of the surrounding mountains with enchanting landscapes. Lakes such as Barrea, Bomba and Scanno are small in size but with stunning colours and surrounded by beautiful medieval villages on their slopes; The karstic Tirino River, with its splendid clear waters is considered to be amongst the cleanest in Europe. Paddling can be alternated by trekking or a horseback rides.

Lazio region

In the north of the Lazio region, which also contains the city of Rome, there is a very little known area called ‘Tuscia’ – an area inhabited since ancient times, a homeland of the people of the Etruscans, an ancient pre-Roman civilization.

It is an area rich in medieval history and beautiful villages overlooking the water like Bolsena, Marta, Pitigliano and Sovana.

Lake Bolsena has a completely different environment to the Abruzzo lakes. It is a lake of volcanic origin created 300.000 years ago and the

biggest volcanic lake in Europe. Clear water, two islands.There are several itineraries as well as the possibility to circumnavigate the lake. It is not difficult to find wind conditions and short, steep waves; you can have fun in downwind if you have the right skills. In the lake there are outstanding Etruscan archaeological remains visible from the kayak but it is not easy to find them.

https://goo.gl/maps/ B55Ahb3FvUr

Tuscany region

In Tuscany, we paddled the promontory of Monte Argentario and the Island of Giglio, two very different environments. Monte Argentario is a paradise for paddlers and can be paddled from Porto Santo Stefano to Porto Ercole, under favourable conditions. Also very nice the itinerary from Talamone to Marina di Alberese, immersed in the Maremma Regional Park. If you have time spent at least one day on both routes.

As an extension, there is the small but beautiful Giglio Island right in front of the Argentario.

ThePADDLER 169

ThePADDLER 170 Food and wine

In the Marches region, you have to taste the Moscioli (mussels typical of this area) and Crescia, a kind of special local pizza. The fresh and dry wine is Verdicchio, produced in two very limited areas and for those who prefer red, the Red Conero, an exquisite wine produced only in the limited Conero area.

In Abruzzo you will taste mountain dishes such as the Arrosticcini Abruzzesi (typical sheepskin skewers) and the exquisite Mozzarella that matches perfectly with the rich and intense Montepulciano D'Abruzzo red wine.

At Gargano, you will enjoy delicious tomatoes with fresh cheeses such as Burrata and the seasoned Caciocavallo, all dressed with the magnificent Gargano oil, one of the best in the world.

I could go on forever, but I do not want to cherish or tempt you with the typical tastes, which are completely different in other areas. It’s amazing how food, culture and history are so different in such short distances.

The best hospitality is offered by agriturismo (real farmhouse) and other little guesthouses run by families in this area who care for guests with true passion.

During your travels, do not miss the chance to visit the small towns and villages that, in addition to being enchanting, give you an idea of the pleasure of living in Italy and above all, the peace and tranquility with its rhythms. There are so many and beautiful, but if you can choose one away from the tourist streams, stop in a bar for a coffee, stroll through the streets, spend some time there. No hurry.