A nice little video featuring Paul Kuthe paddling in some impressive tidal races. Shot and narrated by Bryan Smith and Fitz Cahall. Worth a watch.

Over the summer I spent several days working alongside staff from Liquid Logistics as part of my 4* preparation and coach reinstatement process. On one of the sea kayaking day trips, guiding a group of 6 or so clients, we had a GoPro camera out with us and one of the Liquid Logistics staff has just posted up a video from the trip which I thought I would share. There is also a gallery of photos from the day which can be seen here.

For those interested, I’m paddling the all white sea kayak (as well as being the grinning idiot giving the big thumbs up to the camera), and Hey Jill, check out the Adanac Paddles hat!!

Great day out with a great bunch of people – nice to have a video record of the day!

Into the Wind is the DVD of the successful Round Ireland 2011 trip undertaken by Team Expedition Paddler (Jeff Allen & Harry Whelan). Produced by Romany Productions, it is due for release later this year. The trailer hints at this being a cracking DVD with some stunning footage from filmmaker Vaughan Roberts.

The DVD will cost £19.99 with £1 pound from each sale being donated to the Ovarian Cancer Action charity supported by the expedition.

Thanks to Ocean Paddler Magazine’s Editor Rich for access to the Vimeo version of the trailer.

Useful Links

Romany Productions – Website for purchasing DVD and discovering more about Vaughan Roberts work.
Round Ireland 2011 – Website from the successful expedition
Ovarian Cancer Action – Charity Website
Ocean Paddler Magazine – Ocean Paddler Magazine Website

The name Derek C Hutchinson is one familiar to generations of sea kayakers and there is no denying his huge influence on Sea Kayaking around the world. It’s certainly a name I remember from my childhood, sitting looking through the kayaking books on my parents bookcase. His book, Complete Sea Kayaking sat alongside ‘Living Canoeing’ by Alan Byde and early editions of the BCU Handbook. In fact, my first Sea Kayak, a second hand P&H Iona is a Derek Hutchinson design.

This video clip was shot in 2007 at the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium in the USA and makes for interesting viewing. There are some interesting and diverse responses to this interview which were posted back in 2007, over on Paddling.Net.

The original poster of the video added the following note:

An interview with international sea kayak authority Derek Hutchinson at the 2007 West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium demo beach: he shares his thoughts on the BCU, kayak and paddle design, Greenland Style, paddling in England, and the origin of modern sea kayaking. Kayak designer Matt Broze of Mariner Kayaks also makes an appearance.

Useful Links:

USK Instructors Bio – USK Website Page about Derek C Hutchinson

It seems that 2011 will be the year of the ‘Safety & Rescue’ DVD for Sea Kayakers. With Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown 2 covering this topic (review coming shortly), Sea Kayak Essentials 2 from Nick Cunliffe and Matt Gibbens and Reelwater Productions (Bryan Smith with the Body, Boat, Blade team).

This particular trailer is from Reelwater Productions Bryan Smith and Body, Boat Blade duo Shawna Franklin and Leon Somme. They have teamed up to create Sea Kayak Rescues which they describe as a comprehensive modern guide to rescues for all paddlers. Due for release any day, I will be interested to see how this film differs from the two british offerings, not only in content and technique but also filming and presentational style.

The fact that there are three potentially competing products is, in my humble opinion, a fantastic thing. In fact I don’t see them as competing but complimentary products. Having three different perspectives and approaches to the same topic can only provide a wider range of ideas, techniques and solutions.

This is akin to receiving training/coaching from different coaches or paddling with lots of different kayakers. Everyone has their own style and little nuggets of information or technique and I relish to opportunity to experience the variety and add those gems to my own paddling ‘toolbox’. So bring it on folks, the more the merrier!

I’ve been re-watching a lot of the episodes from Bryan Smith and Fitz Cahall’s ”The Season: 1′. The filmmaker and podcaster duo are deep into filming series 2 at the moment. The highlight of series 1 for me was the set of episodes following paddler Paul Kuthe. The four episodes featuring Paul are 2, 8, 12 & 19 and I thought I would post them up here for those people who may have missed ‘The Season: 1′.

Episode 8

The Season Episode 8 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Episode 12

The Season Episode 12 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Episode 19

The Season Episode 19 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Useful Links
The Season – Season TV Website
iTunes – Link to iTunes page where you can subscribe to The Season
Paul Kuthe – Paul Kuthe’s Blog

It shows Pete Astles, owner of Peak UK, demonstrating how to test the amount of buoyancy in a buoyancy aid. He makes it all look very simple and it’s got me interested in testing some of the buoyancy aids I have. An interesting little clip, worth watching.

Public Relations Officer Isla Reynolds has also published the following News Release.

Kamchat Kayaking

Worth a watch.

Related Links
Kamchat Kayaking

Some nice video work which, as one of the UKRSGB Forum members commented, gives a really good sense of scale to some very exciting paddling conditions.