I’ve just spent the last 4 days based in North Wales on the REC First Aid Instructor Training course. Our base for the duration was Llandegla Forest and the awesome One Planet Adventure Mountain Bike Centre. The course was delivered by Leo Hoare and Nicole Henrikson of Getafix Ltd and was quite simply superb. Shooting [...]
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Spreading My Wings
So I manage to get out and paddle a lot, particularly given the time commitment a young family brings. However, most of my sea kayaking in recent years has been confined to the Solent. I love it and never get bored of repeating paddling routes, however the time has come to spread my wings. I [...]
4* Sea Assessment – Lessons Learnt
It’s done. Several months of practice and planning (and one aborted assessment due to candidates dropping out) and I’ve passed my BCU 4* Sea Assessment. Whilst in the grand scheme of things the 4* leaders award is not perhaps the hugest achievement in the world, when you are head down and focused preparing for an [...]
Quick Release Contact Tow System
I recently wrote a brief article on one version of a Cross Over Contact Tow system. Although it has some real positive points, one negative aspect of the Crossover System is the lack of quick release. This article provides a look at an alternative contact tow set-up that is solves the quick release issue. Thanks [...]
4* Sea Leaders Kit List
Paddling kit is a source of endless discussion, tinkering at the best of times. When preparing for some form of assessment it can border on the obsessional. As part of my preparation for assessment with the BCU 4* Leaders award, I spent a long time thinking through the kit I was going to carry and [...]
REC Advanced First Aid Course
Having attended a superb REC Emergency First Aid Course run by Owen Burson (Isle of Wight Sea Kayaking) and Nicole Hendriksen (Get A Fix) back in February, I signed up immediately for the REC Advanced First Aid Course they were offering. Our base for the two days was Owen’s Freshwater Bay HQ where we made [...]
Review: Understanding A Nautical Chart
Whilst 1:25 and 1:50 Ordnance Survey maps are superb for Sea Kayak route planning and navigation, Nautical charts offer another ‘view’ of the coastal landscape. ‘Understanding A Nautical Chart‘ by Paul Boissier is a new release from Wiley Nautical aimed squarely at helping people read and understand the huge array of data contained in a [...]
Ocean Paddler Issue 27
The latest issue of Ocean Paddler Magazine is about to hit your local Kayak shop. For subscribers, digital links have just been emailed out with the printed copy landing on doorsteps shortly. Issue 27 has the usual range of articles and reviews whilst the digital issue has a bumper 30 extra pages of content. Included [...]
Into The Wind Trailer
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 [...]
Zegul Baidarka
One of the fun aspects of reviewing sea kayaking kit for Ocean Paddler Magazine is the chance to try some interesting, exciting and at times unusual equipment. One of the boats I’m just about to start paddling for a forthcoming review is the Zegul Baidarka. This is certainly going to be an interesting boat to [...]
