Lepe To Cowes
Arriving at Lepe Beach for 9am I found the winds light, sea state good and very little traffic in the Solent. My planned paddle up Beaulieu River was abandoned in favour of a paddle over to the Isle of Wight, specifically Cowes.
As the main shipping channel runs between Calshot and Cowes this is a difficult crossing point due to the large volume of traffic that uses this stretch of the Solent. From large oil tankers to ferries and fast cats, as well as a large number of sailing boats.
Lepe to Gurnard offers a less busy route, with clear views as you cross at 90 degrees to chanel. It is then a short hop along the coast to Cowes. Read more
Your Paddle Survey
I am interested the types of paddles that sea kayakers are currently using. To undertake some simple research I have added a poll to the Solent Sea kayaking website (on the right hand side of the home page) which allows you to choose the features your primary paddle has, for example 2 piece split, asymetric blade, bent shaft.
I would be grateful if you could take the time to tick the features relevant to you and hit the ‘vote’ button!
Review Werner Corryvrecken Paddle
The Werner Corryvrecken paddles are a serious bit of kit. Serious in terms of features, performance but also cost. At £289 you need a very understanding bank manager and partner/spouse to consider purchasing a set. If you can overcome this hurdle - is the effort worth it?
For a predominantly high angle paddler looking for larger asymetric blades this answer could well be yes.
Nice Way To End The Day
I am lucky enough to live a matter of minutes from Hythe Marina, on the edge of Southampton Water. Whilst it’s not the most picturesque stretch of water it provides an interesting paddle. I often leave about 8pm, after my 3 year daughter is tucked up in bed, and can be on the water by 8:10 giving me a hour and a half to either push on up to Calshot (my ‘keeping fit’ route) or spend time dawdling about practicing strokes and surfing on the little swells caused by the Fast Cat ferry service to the IOW.
Tonight I was rewarded with the sort of view paddling back that makes you feel glad to be alive, banishes the stress of the day and lucky to be out in a sea kayak! Thought I would share… (Click image to enlarge)
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