Steve Childs takes us on aNORFOLK

microadventureTHE UK MAGAZINE FOR RECREATIONAL PADDLERS

GREAT COACHING ARTICLES FROM:

Issue 3 July 2015

UK

Paddling across Scotland

Sonja Jones

David RossetterPaul Bull

Ric

hard

Har

pham

GREAT GLEN

Great River O

use

PROJECT 24

Interview with…ALAN WARD

Contents

Not all contributors are professional writers and photographers, so don’t be put off writing because you have no experience! PaddlerUK magazine is all about paddler to paddler dialogue: a paddler’s magazine written by paddlers. Next issue is Sep 2015 with a deadline of submissions on Aug 10th.Technical Information: Contributions preferably as a Microsoft Word file with 1200-2000 words, emailed to submissions@thepaddlerezine.com. Imagesshould be hi-resolution and emailed with the Word file or if preferred, a Dropbox folder will be created for you. PaddlerUK magazine encourages contributions of any nature but reserves the right to edit to the space available. Opinionsexpressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishing parent company, 2b Graphic Design Limited. The publishing of an advertisement in PaddlerUK magazine does not necessarily mean that the parent company, 2bGraphic Design Limited, endorse the company, item or service advertised. All material in The PaddlerUK magazine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission from the editor is forbidden.

Patagonia, ChilePhoto: Erin Bastian

EditorPeter Tranterpeter@thepaddlerezine.comTel: (01480) 465081Mob: 07411 005824www.thepaddlerezine.com

Advertising salesAnne EganTel: (01480) 465081advertising@thepaddlerezine.com

CoversAlan Ward by Dave Wortley

Contents

PADDLERUK 3

Issue 3July 2015

004 An interview with…Alan Ward

014 CoachingPerfecting static turns by Paul Bull

018 Project 24Paddling the Great River Ouse by Richard Harpham

026 Kicking Multiple SclerosisPaddling the 60-mile Great Glen by Sonja Jones

036 Norfolk microadventureScolt Head Island by Steve Childs

046 ChileThe wilderness of Patagonia by Erin Bastian

060 CoachingTransfer of knowledge by Dave Rossetter

065 Two nations separatedBy Steffan Meyric Hughes

068 Testing, testingTons of new kit reviewed and tested

Additional contributor credits: Aidan Egan Tranter, Dave Wortley, James‘Pringle’ Bebbington, Dale Mears, Chris Brain, Erin Bastian, Richard Harpham,and Phil Carr.

PADDLER UK 4

The PaddlerUK reveals thepersonality of the well-known

freestyler of the groundbreaking FUSE video…

Photos: Dave WortleyVideo: James ‘Pringle’ Bebbington

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W

Before we start – just let our readers know a littleabout you, your family, background, etc.I’m from a very small village called Stokenchurch inBuckinghamshire, about 40 minutes west of London, and about15 minutes from Hurley Weir. My dad started kayaking whenhe was 11 and has been on the water as much as possible eversince, so naturally he encouraged me to start kayaking just assoon as I could hold a paddle. He’s a BCU Level 5 Coach andused to run a canoe/kayak shop and even made my first kayak(a Nipper).

here and when was your first paddle? I started out at Marlow Canoe Club, where Imet some of my best friends in between squirtturning Blades, RPMs, Attacks and Prozones. Itackled my first river (the Dart Loop) at thetender age of 10 years old and picked up myfirst sponsorship deal with Pyranha at the age of15 at Marsport the Canoe Shop’s open day backin 2002.

What gear are you currently using and why?The kind people at Palm Equipment keep me dryand warm, Robert from Robson Paddlesgenerously keeps me with a paddle in my hand,Matt from Perception keeps me afloat in myfavourite Wave Sport Kayaks and James fromMelon Optics keeps the sun out of my eyes.I use what I believe to be the best kit, made to thehighest standards so that I stay dry, compete at mybest, train at my best and generally enjoy my timeon the water because I’m a firm believer that if Idon’t enjoy it I won’t put my all into it.

Where and what was your first paddle and competition?I’ve been in and around boats all my life, Iremember watching the water swirl off my dad’scanoe blade when I was only a few years old inthe sunshine, on our way down a gentle river fora picnic with my parents’ friends. Not long afterthat messing around in a swimming pool withsome fibre glass kayaks.

My first competitions were the PeakUK freestyleseries, from which I have very fond memories ofdancing to Burdock, and doing all sorts of stupidthings, some of which we’re lucky to have walkedaway uninjured from !

My first international was the Pre-Europeans inSort, Spain in 2002 ? Mark Birkbeck drove JonBest and me out in his pimped out Transporterroad trip style with the sub in the back pumping.

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What got you hooked on freestyle kayaking?Going to the canoe club and messing aroundwith friends started me off, then travelling andhaving a great time at competitions andparties, the thrill of competing and just lovingbeing on the water carried on my enthusiasm.A kayaking friend of mine said recently that ina lot of cases, “the friends you make throughkayaking are the ones who stick around.”Proof of that is she is getting married toanother of my kayaking best friends this year.

Any advice for those starting in freestyle kayaking?Join a club to start off, make as many friendsand talk to as many kayakers as you can, traveland enjoy being on the water, whatever theweather. No matter what you want to takefrom the sport, it’s important that you enjoy itand you’ll find that you can never put yourpaddle down!

Tell us about the spots you tend to paddle the most frequent – both at home and abroad. What are your favourites?Hurley – in a word. It’s my local, it’s a place that Ilove to paddle whether it’s on two, three orfour gates as long as it’s running I’ll be there asmuch as I can.

If Hurley is too high then you’ll see me bustingout my tow-rope at Marsh, bouncing aroundat Sunbury or if it’s too low I’ll be at Lee Valleyhaving a great time on the crystal clear water.

I have too many favourite spots abroad to listbut way up at the top has to be the WhiteNile. The combination of rich culture,scorching sun, amazing parties, peacefulrelaxation and great people mean that itshould be top of any freestylers list. If youhaven’t been then go! Get in touch with mygood friends Sam and Emily from Kayak TheNile and they’ll make you feel very welcome.

Which young guns are coming through the ranks to challenge in freestyle?Hugo Scott (Hugo 1) and Hugo Anthony(Hugo 2) have already started blazing throughthe freestyle scene and took home the firstand second places at GB team trials this year.

I’ve been working closely with Hugo Anthonyin particular from the start of his freestylecareer and both he and Hugo Scott are evenstarting to challenge me at times.

They’re great young lads, and good fun to beon the water with.

What is the biggest accomplishment in your career?I took home Gold at the 2005 WorldChampionships as a Junior (U18), which was areal highlight, but more recently I’m reallyproud to have come 5th in the 2013 WorldChampionships considering I was (I believe)the only man in at least the top ten to have afull time job.

I’ve also been on the GB Team for some 12years now and have enjoyed every minute.

What are your goals for the next 12 months?I’m currently coming out of winter gymtraining stronger than I have ever been andstarting to get back on the water to build upmy water based fitness. So you could sayeverything is on track for the Worlds this year,in which I hope to place at least in the topfive. However I have been suffering from ashoulder injury and I am still searching for adecent sized wave I can train on, so we’ll see!

I’ve also been planning a trip out to Austria forSickline, which should not only be great funbut I also hope to be at least competitive. It’sdifficult to have a realistic idea of where Ishould aim for because I haven’t done muchriver racing, but since my competitive attituderuns in my blood I will be aiming to achievemy best.

What would be your ultimate achievement?To win the Freestyle World Championships asa junior and man – that has been my goalsince my first international competition andI’m not ready to give up yet. Every year I learnmore and get closer to my goal.

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https://vimeo.com/user15297342/fuse

Who are your kayaking buddies?I’ve made lots of friends over the years, bothlocally and internationally, whom I love goingfor a paddle and having a beer with. I amhowever, still best friends with a few people Istarted out with – Piers Bucknell, SamConibear, Scott Simmonds and Doug Cooper.

If you had to choose one last thing you wanted to achieve within freestyle before giving it up what would that be and why?To win the Worlds, it’s been my goal since Istarted international competition and I’ve notmade it yet. I want to prove to myself andeveryone else that I can do it and with a fulltime job.Can you talk about yourtraining? Greatest inspiration? Role models/who/what kept you motivated?If you truly want to be the best in the worldyou have to know deep down what yourmotivation is.

It took me years to figure mine out, it is quitepersonal and it’s what pushed me to achievethe top five at the 2013 Worlds. The feeling ofnot achieving what I know I should. WheneverI need motivation, that’s the feeling I imagineand it pushes me onwards.

My dad started me off in my kayaking careerall those years ago, and because of that he willalways remain to be a role model andinspiration. Other role models and inspirationsare the people I want to beat, they push meto try harder, adopt their styles and ultimatelybeat them.

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If you could head anywhere in the world to freestyle where would it be and what appeals about the location?Right now I would love to move to Canada, notjust because of the huge water and incrediblefreestyle it offers but because of thesnowboarding in the winter! It’s become a realpassion over the years and if the mountainswere closer I’m not sure which would win…

Tell us a bit about your coaching setup and how you help others to improve?The only time I have ever struggled to enjoycoaching was when I got on a Hurley for fourhours of coaching when the car park was threeinches deep in snow!

I really enjoy seeing people improve and enjoytheir kayaking and like to pass on myknowledge as much as I can.

I happily coach any level of kayaking frombeginner to expert at weekends and eveningswhen the light and water levels permit.

I like to spot small things to change in people’stechnique that naturally solves much largerproblems that others have over complicated.It’s this style of simple and encouragingcoaching that I most enjoy.

Apart from kayaking – what other sports do you like?Snowboarding is top of the list, keeping fit inthe gym, climbing (preferably bouldering),wakeboarding when I can and I’m always keento try any other outdoor sport.

You’re the kayaker in the excellent FUSE video. Any other vids in the pipeline we should look out for?There’s been a lot going on recently with myinvolvement in the Freestyle Committee asPublicity Officer, building my new website andmoving house so I haven’t had much time tothink of any new inspirations but watch thisspace!

FUSE was great fun and it’ll be a tough one tofollow up on.

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If you could paddle with anyone in the worlddead or alive who would it be? The 2003 GB Team – fantastic group of like mindedpeople.

Pick two celebrities to be your parents…Bear Grylls for the adventures, not sure who I’d pick as amum.

Which famous person would you most liketo see play you in a film?Brad Pitt – legend!

Favourite iPod track?Oh That I Had – Ruby Frost and Mt. Eden.Kill Your Heroes - AWOLNATION.

Cats or dogs?Dogs.

Facebook or Twitter?InstagramBut if I had to chose between those two I would sayFacebook: www.facebook.com/AlanWardCoachingShameless plug!

An ideal night out for you is?International competitions usually have the best parties.

What one luxury item would you take withyou on a desert island?A satellite phone, but I suppose that’s cheating.

What would I find in your refrigerator rightnow?Not much, I tend to live day-to-day. Milk, chillies, ale, ginand general healthy food, nothing processed or fast food.

If we came to your house for dinner, whatwould you prepare for us?Hot spicy wings (blow your face off hot), a big salad, homemade wedges and some delicious ale.

If you could be a superhero for one day, whatsuperpower would you choose and why?Immortality, that way I could do absolutely anything withno consequences.

Favourite sports team?England - Rugby.

What three words would you use todescribe you?Fun, outgoing and driven.

12

Quickies…

PADDLER UK 12

Top notch Alan - many thanks for your time

PADDLER UK 13

ThePaddler 14

Foundation Open Canoe Skills

By Paul Bull –UKCC Level 3 Coachat Paul

In our paddling history, at one time we will have all been taught the forwardand reverse sweep stroke - a big wide stroke, starting at the front of theboat and finishing at the rear - “like you’re painting a rainbow in the water”!However, have you ever questioned whether the sweep stroke is the bestway of statically turning an open canoe?Does your boat travel forwards when attempting a turn? Is there something that’s more efficientand effective? When paddling solo, once my students have grasped the concept of a sweep andreverse sweep stroke I’ll then introduce them to “Pivot Turns” and the affects of heel and trim.

Perfecting static 1 2 3

4

65

Lets say we want to turn our canoe towards the side that we’re paddling on. In terms of strokes we coulduse a reverse sweep, or we could use the “Inside Pivot Turn. Lets explore the two in more detail:

The Reverse Sweep:Kneeling on our thwart in an offset position, facing a little towards the side we are paddling on, we wind-up our core muscles as we reach to the back of the boat. As we unwind our core, sweeping the paddle ina wide arc from the back of the boat to the front, with the back of the paddle blade active and usedthroughout the stroke. If we were to use our thumb as a flag or marker, it would be pointing upwards. Asa consequence of this action the front of the boat turns towards the paddle. If we need the boat tocontinue to turn then we take the paddle out of the water and repeat the stroke until the desired amountof turn has been achieved.

ThePaddler 15

Bull Coaching

turnsThe Inside Pivot Turn:For this stroke the initial wind-up, paddle positionand kneeling position is the same as for the reversesweep stroke. However, after the first half of ourreverse sweep has been completed (as the paddlereaches an angle of about 90 degrees to the boat)we roll the top hand towards our body anddownwards so that our indicator thumb is nowpointing down. This action has switched the activeside of the paddle from the back of the blade to thepower face. We now continue the arc towards thefront of the boat - almost like a long bow draw. Inthe case of an inside pivot turn, if we want tocontinue to turn the canoe we can neutrally slicethe paddle through the water from bow to sternand repeat the stroke.

So what’s the difference? The paddle has travelled the same distance - allwe’re doing differently is using both sides of thepaddle blade with the inside pivot turn versus theback of the blade with our reverse sweep. Thedifferences may be subtle but they are significant:

With the reverse sweep stroke, as the stroke nearsthe bow, our muscles have already unwound totheir fullest extent and the stroke loses power.

With the inside pivot turn, once we switch theactive blade side at 90 degrees, we engage adifferent set of muscles and wind up our core again,making the start and finish points of the strokeequally as effective and powerful.

I often set this as a guided discovery task for mystudents to go and find the differences. Thefeedback speaks for itself as they feel thedifferences for themselves. Go and try it if youhaven’t already done so!

ThePaddler 16

Spinning around…When discussing open canoeing, I often hearthat one of the barriers to this discipline ishow hard people find canoes to manoeuvre.Well there are a few things we can do to makeit all a lot easier for ourselves. If we continueour breakdown of the inside pivot turn thenthere are a number of options:

We can heel (or edge) our boat towards theside we’’re paddling on. This changes the shapeof the boat in the water and makes it mucheasier to turn. The more we heel the boat over,the easier the boat will turn.

We can also change our position in the boat,or trim, for the desired outcome. The morestern heavy we are for the inside pivot turn thetighter we will turn, or spin on the spot. Themore neutral to bow heavy we are the widerour turns will be and the further the boat willtravel backwards with each stroke

Turning the other way…We could use the forward sweep to achievethis, but let me introduce the more efficient“Outside Pivot Turn”. This is essentially a crossdeck bow draw, followed by a forward sweepstroke. To set up for the cross deck bow drawwe reach across the bow towards our “off-side”, and with our indicator thumb pointingup, plant the paddle as wide as we can, anddraw the bow of the boat to the paddle. Wethen lift the paddle out of the water and moveover the bow of the boat and start the forwardsweep.

The initial bow draw maximises our turningpotential by initiating the turn, with the sweepcompleting it. To make the turn more effectiveyou can heel or edge your boat towards yourcross deck draw by moving the knee nearestthe centre line of the boat into the other bilge,before changing the edge back and completingmy forward sweep stroke.

Paul BullPaul is an enthusiastic full time UKCC Level 3 Coachwho’s passionate about helping people to developand enjoy kayaking and canoeing whether thatsmore advanced skills on the more technical orbigger volume rivers of the UK and Europe or grassroot sessions nearer to home. Paul delivers a rangeof BCU and personal skills courses in both canoe

and kayak. More information about Paul and the courses he offers canbe found at www.paulbull.co.uk or via Facebook atwww.facebook.com/PaulBullCoaching

What will different trim positions do tothis turning stroke? Well, why don’t yougo and explore and let me know yourfindings…?

Happy paddling!

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Project 24 is a series of 24-hour human powered micro adventures on foot,paddling, and cycling to challenge ourselves and our potential. Project 24 isthe brainchild of husband and wife team, Ashley Kenlock and RichardHarpham to provide an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors withregular adventures. We hope it is aspirational to encourage others to

participate and challenge themselves and ask big questions.

By Richard Harpham

Richard is a professional adventurer who hascompleted over 7,800 miles of adventuresaround the world. Our family and friends willhopefully also join us on different challenges forencouragement, fun times and to share theexperience. You can follow Project 24 as we

tackle some of Britain’s most iconic locations atwww.richadventure.com.

Our first 24-hour challenge was walking for 24hours on the beautiful Pennine Way, in winterwith deep snow, freezing conditions andwhiteout blizzards. Our second was…

24 hours canoeing on the River Great Ouse

The adventure was to canoe the River GreatOuse, upstream of Buckingham down towardsour home in Bedford. Despite being the fifthlargest river in Britain, 50% of it does not haveaccess rights (we can only access 3% of therivers and water in England and Wales – see

www.riveraccess.org.uk). For me personallyI was really excited to be exploring the top

section of our river (non-navigable) having livedin Bedford for a large part of my life. Previously I

had paddled the 78 miles downstream ofBedford to the Wash in Norfolk and we also runa canoe, kayak and SUP business located on thispart of the River. www.canoetrail.co.uk

The canoe challenge was in the close fishingseason.

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PROJECT 24

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We launched at a tiny village called Radclive,negotiating our way past the local sheep andover a fence to get on. Our team consisted ofmyself, my brother, Matt, (in a canoe), Jay Goss,one of our coaches (kayaks) and a couple offriends, Tom Rowland and Ed Taylor(kayaks). Tomand Ed has contacted us the previous yearwanting to learn to kayak and do a charitychallenge and we had become friends.

We set off close to mid-day and paddled down toBuckingham wading and dragging our boats to getpast shallow stretches which reminded me of asimilar trip at the top of the Thames. We arrived inthe county town of Buckingham passing old stone

bridges and meandering past the back of theUniversity. Since the river is not widely accessed italso means portages and obstacles are not easy totraverse.

A different challengeWe also found different places were the river wasblocked with fallen trees, debris and other rubbish.Each one posed a different challenge to get pastwithout losing considerable time. The best optionswere to wriggle and pull our boats through smallgaps, bushes and branches without getting out.

We shot various weirs and carried around manyobstacles. It was tough going and we worked as

PADDLER UK 20

As with many challenges getting to the start line is sometimes tricky

Getting ready for launch

teams to move the kit, waterproofs and rationswe had with us. To pass the time we also beganto count the number of footballs we found lostin reeds or blockages and you will be amazed atthe final total. On one occasion we wadedthrough deep mud on an overflow channel nextto a large sluice.

Plenty of laughterLaunching in the longer touring kayaks resultedin instability and one of the team capsized. WhilstI observed with plenty of laughter my brotherjumped straight in to try and affect a rescue. Theresult in deep mud was a swimmer in a drysuit

(the rescued) and my brother soaked in cag andshorts (The rescuer). After much laughter, achange of clothes and plenty of advice aboutlook before your leap we paddled on!

It was amazing how the river changed from deep,slow and meandering to shallow, narrow flowthrough the rural countryside. On severaloccasions we were the source of much curiosityfrom bullocks who insisted on chasing us downthe river bank. As dusk approached we made itto Milton Keynes and the aquaduct where theGrand Union Canal passes over the River GreatOuse. It was a great photo opportunity so Ijumped ship and walked up to get some pictures.

PADDLERUK 21

The team:Richard Harpham Matt, Harpham, Jay Goss, Tom Rowland and Ed Taylor.

Matt rescues Ed after capsizing

Once darkness descends it becomes a differentmental challenge as we literally couldn’t seeanything. We were fortunate to have USEExposure Lights which helped show the way. Asfatigue set in we began to introduce simple rewardstrategies at the portages including coffee, maltloaf and jelly sweets. Portages become moredifficult with high banks, narrow paths and slipperyput-ins in the dark. The combination of tired armsand minds coupled with finding our way in thedark meant things were taking longer.

New paddlerThe pace began to slow as a couple of the teamnodded off in their boats. In some ways it waseasier for my brother and I, as we were used topaddling together and I think it helped to be in acanoe working together. As we approachedNewport Pagnall, the home of Aston Martin, wewere planning to rendezvous with another friendand fellow member of Viking Kayak Club, DomMilner. This provided a great boost to tiredpaddlers and also changed team dynamics withnew conversations and chat. The fact that one ofour mates would venture out at 1 am after acharity function also meant a lot to us.

Dawn slowly arrived although never quite ‘broke’in the usual sense of stunning iconic sun rises. Wewere closer now to home territory with local

villages we knew and had paddled from time totime. We stopped for a quick comfort break andwithin five minutes both Jay and Matt were asleepwhere they sat. By the time we reached HarroldBridge we had found daylight and felt like wewere on the home straight but as so often therewas still a sting in the tail to come.

We finished just north of Bedford at OakleyBridge having been hammered by storm forcewinds for the final few miles with gusts estimatedover 30mph. We would loved to have made it asfar as Bedford, only a tantalizing 12 miles away butgiven the long and difficult portages this seemedmore than a bridge too far. A massive thank youto our support team who brought us two hotmeals and really brightened up the mood.

PADDLER UK 22

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Canoe & kayak hire Stand up paddle board safari Wild campsite located next to river Tuition, guided tours & multi day trips Canoe & kayak sales Group deals, kids parties & corporate days Activity vouchers, bushcraft & adventure activities Other locations including the River Thames, River Ivel & River Wye

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The final tally of footballs turned out to be 43,five rugby balls and more tennis balls than it waspossible to count. Since the top section of theRiver Great Ouse of restricted we wouldsuggest it should only be tackled during the closefishing season (March to June). However if youwant to explore the navigable section then youcan drop us a line info@canoetrail.co.uk orvisit www.canoetrail.co.uk and we canprovide canoes, kayaks, SUPs and even use ofour woodland campsite adjacent the river forfamilies, groups and of course kayak clubs.

You may also join Viking Kayak Club if you arelocal to Bedford to experience a wide range ofpaddling disciplines from racing to Slalom. (VikingKayak Club is the home of Etienne Stott, 2012Canoe Slalom C2 Olympic Champion 2012).www.vikingkayak.co.uk

Rich and AshRichard is a human powered adventurer andpaddler who has completed over 7,800 miles ofadventures by kayak, canoe, ski and bike. He runswww.canoetrail.co.uk with his wife and cofounded www.inspiredlife.org which inspiresyoung people and communities. He is amotivational speaker drawing on his stories fromadventure, in corporate life and managing theGhana Ski Team at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.Richard’s adventures test equipment in the harshestconditions and he is proud to be supported by:Paramo Clothing, Valley Sea Kayaks, Up NorthAdventures, www.bambooclothing.co.uk ,Leatherman tools, Scott Skis, Mountain Fuels,Canadian Affair (airlines), Aquabound Paddles, ReedChillcheater, Surly Fat Bikes, USE Exposure Lights,Garmin GPS systems, Sealine Drybags. Richard andAsh are members of Viking Kayak Club.

PADDLERUK 24

Your Project 24?Project 24 hinges on a strong personal and team challenge based around what ispossible within a 24 hour period? How far could you kayak, SUP or canoe, or evenrun within 24 hours? You can set your own challenge, or as part of a team, hopefullyraising a few quid for charity. We are not full time athletes nor do we have endlesshours for training so it is about a ‘can do’ spirit and getting out there.

We would love to hear from you with details of your challenge or adventure.What did you do? What charity did you support? (contact us @www.richadventure.com)

We believe that, “The best adventure is the one that you take…start now, and ofcourse stay safe!”

So in case you were wondering we managed to cover 55 miles in our two man canoe in 24hours which given tricky portages, the mini kit mountain to allow us to be self supporting andchallenging weather was pretty satisfying. Watch this space for the next one.

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The Questscombine great lookswith comfort and efficient cruising performance.Quests are ideal travel kayaks. Very light, yet rugged-ly-built with space-age polyurethane materials whichcontain no toxic chemicals – the planet will thank you!

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The Questscombine great lookswith comfort and efficient cruising performance.Quests are ideal travel kayaks. Very light, yet rugged-ly-built with space-age polyurethane materials whichcontain no toxic chemicals – the planet will thank you!

www.pakboats.comEnfield, New Hampshire, USA

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PakCanoes areexcellent for remotewilderness trips or adventurescloser to home. Light-weight, compactfor easy travel and storage, yet rugged, dependable andeasy paddling.

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

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PakCanoes

www.pakboats.com

(603)632-9500 • info@pakboats.com

Kayaking is fun…Bruce Jolliffe Kayak Coaching

Kayaking Catalonia – Spanish PyreneesIn 2015 we will be offering our:

Revolutionary Week – for budding freestylers, freeriders and freedom fight-ers. Focussed on playing, both park and play and downriver fun. (Freestyle 3Star and possibly 4 Star available on request). 4-11th July.Improvers Evolution Week – for river runners that wish to push their gradein as forgiving a learning environment as is possible. 11-18th July.Learn to Guide Week – for those that wish to grow their river sense andlook after others on the water, this includes the BCU WWSR and 4 Star WWLeader course. 18-25th July.

http://brucejolliffe.com

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It’s amazing to think that May 2014, I wasfinding it difficult to walk up stairs or walkaround town for longer than 45 minutes, openjars and bottles with my hands, not to mentionthe battles I was facing with lethargy andgetting used to peculiar sensations and painthroughout my body. Now, not only have Ikayaked across Scotland, I did it two daysshorter than the recommended time frameand with energy and strength spare to do it allover again.

Under the guidance, support and belief frommy coach, Chris Brain, I have paddled my wayto strength, both physically and spiritually, andin turn, to a new way of life. This has been awhole new league of rehabilitation; paddling, inall forms, beats the gym hands down.

When I started this journey six months ago withCoach Brain, I struggled to paddle to midday, andthere was definitely a very noticeable slumppost 2pm where I would become so weak thatmy paddling would rapidly deteriorate. Backthen, I even found a regular bag of shoppingincredibly difficult to lift, let alone share the loadof carrying a kayak; Chris used to have to doeverything for me, that’s probably why he hassuch big muscles now.

At all times, Chris employed S.M.A.R.T to mypaddling which enabled us to maintain focus inorder to complete the quest of both physicallycompleting the challenge, and the journeytowards expedition fitness. This technique willbe at the fore of my mind at all times during myfuture paddling career.

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Student-coach symbiosisSix months of kayak training has led up to May’s incomprehensibleachievement; in three days, rather than the recommended five, a team of 10 ofus paddled the full 60 miles of the magnificent Great Glen by sea kayak andopen canoe, and wild camped loch side. As hoped, I kicked Multiple Sclerosis’butt, raised approximately £1,500 for charity, and to top it all off, I met someincredible people and saw and did some magical things along the way.By Sonja Jones

Five intothree will go

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Coaching sessionsOur coaching sessions were so varied that I feel we hadprepared for every possible eventuality. Although we weren’tgoing to do any river running on the trip, the skills I obtainedduring those sessions crossed over to the flat and openwater environments, such as how important the core is forefficient kayaking. I am especially thankful for the 50mph gustsand freak weather that we experienced during a particularlychoppy open water training session on Bala Lake; no matterhow fresh and gusty the weather became during the trip, Ifelt competent and confident to see it through, whilst havingenormous fun surfing the waves along the way.

Getting out on the water and having lovely picnics andadventures in freezing (in the main) to sizzling temperaturesweren’t the only aspects of my training regime.

I had a daily routine of Theraband exercises to help buildstrength back up in my arms (particularly the one thatsuffered paralysis) as well as squats, crunches, and press-upsto increase the power in my core.

In order to maintain motivation, Chris created a spreadsheetusing the magical ‘Cloud’ which we were to update once wehad completed some exercise, and where we could writemotivational messages to each other, especially when thesheet looked sparse – Chris could be quite the Army Officer,even with those funky dreadlocks. This was particularly usefulin the early days to get into the habit of training, as eventhough we were physically apart, it was like having anexercise ‘conscience’ on my shoulder, a ‘cyber coach’. At thebeginning I could only plank for five seconds, but by the timewe reached the expedition, I was able to plank for at leastone minute at a time – what a victory.

Chris has surpassed my expectations in a coach and hasempowered me to believe that anything is possible. I nolonger believe in disability, I only believe in ability, and Icertainly don’t consider the option that I can’t do something,only that I can – there is always a way. I hope that one day, Itoo will be good enough to coach others to reach theirpersonal paddling potential, and take them on adventures.

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I think the key to a successful coach-student relationship nomatter your strengths or weaknesses, is complete honesty andcommunication. Some hurdles that you might have may beinvisible to the naked eye, such as lethargy, pain, or processingproblems. If you don’t communicate that you do not understandsomething and that the instruction needs rephrasing or that youare in pain or tired and need a break, how can they support youwhilst being the best possible coach they can be in order ensureyou are achieving your maximum potential?

From day one I knew I needed to be 100% open with Chris,and by doing so, the support and guidance I received wasunquestionably bespoke, where in the end, he knew me sowell, that he was able to read me with ease, and so a trustingand almost innate symbiosis was born. He would take me farout of my comfort zone, but would be aware of any limitsshould they arise, and was always on hand with a buoyancyaid sweet treat.

I no longer believe in disability, I only believe in ability

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Meet the teamInitially the trip was simply a rehabilitative goal, but astime moved on, it became so much more than that.

The more we talked about it, the more externalinterest grew in what we were doing, where wedeveloped from a team of two to a group of 10paddlers conquering The Great Glen:

Bottom left to right: Chris Brain (The Boss ), DanielHorsfield, Charlotte Lever, Beth Godfrey, AndyLees (Go Kayaking North West), Jane Langton (mydear friend), Arron Hodder (Jane’s handsome boyand dear friend), Mathew Wilkinson (Pyranha), ErinBastian (our documentary maker), and that’s me inthe middle.

The group had a range of abilities, from neverhaving paddled a canoe before right up toprofessional instructors. Fear not for the newbies,as they each shared a canoe with a professional.On a trip such as this covering vast expanses ofdeep open water, having experienced paddlerswith additional skills in rescue and first aid isabsolutely paramount; especially because theweather can change in a heartbeat where thewater can go from glassy to moderate waterenvironments and beyond in a region where helpmay be miles away – this did happen for us.

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No matter our team members’backgrounds, as Coach Brainrightly said “Every single personbrought something unique to theexpedition, whether it wasmotivation, technical skills andknowledge, marshmallows or evensongs, everybody was 100%valued and earned their place”.

It was a trip of firsts for everysingle person regardless ofexperience, be that physicallypaddling, doing this particularroute, wild camping, or evenkayaking along a canal rather thanwhite or open water. The bond

we share as consequence willremain with us for a life time. Atthe end of the expedition, Chriscommented “I am so proud ofwhat we all achieved, overcomingour fears, personal expectationsand what we accomplishedultimately as a team” – I echo hissentiments.

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Fully loaded with cargo, we paddled unsupportedand wild camped over three days, 60 miles fromFort William to Inverness.

The surrounding mountains, wildlife, and forestscould have placed us anywhere in the world, and tome, it felt like we were on another planet. Some ofthe gang likened it to Canada and New Zealand -how lucky we are in the UK, to have such a majesticlandscape all within a train or car ride.

On day one, the weather took a sudden turn fromsunshine to hail, rain, rainbows, and Force 5 windseliciting moderate water. I remember a moment,where I was surfing some waves (there was nothingelse to do but surf in that situation - awesome) withsleet beating against my face with my hood up andglimmers of rainbows between the veil of diamondsfalling from the sky, at that moment, I fell in love. I had afixed grin, my heart was pounding, and I didn’t wantthe deliciousness of this erratic weather to end – whoneeds to pay a fortune to go on a rollercoaster, whenyou can surf the elements for free.

Deeplyimmersed inMotherNature andeach other’scompany, Iquicklyforgot aboutmodern life.I felt atpeace and athome.

The route

Glimmers of rainbows between the veil

of diamonds falling from the sky

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This, along with toasting marshmallows on thecampfire on our own secret island on Loch Nessand physically crossing the finish line, along withthe awesome company and general frivolity, were myabsolute highlights of the trip. To be honest, I loved itall and would do it all again tomorrow.

On this trip, we paddled around eight hours a day (afar cry from struggling to paddle to midday) and hadto carry luggage and portage four sea kayaks andopen canoes around many lock gates. As a word ofcaution regarding portaging, particularly at FortAugustus with its five locks, should you wish toembark on the Great Glen, in the words of teampaddler, Andy Lees, “don't over pack. The extra weightis a nightmare” and if you have a mix of kayakers andcanoeists, Andy found that, “the slow pace of ourprospector fully laden, meant we were always at theback chasing and it was quite tedious. Mix thepaddling up a bit with some sailing, and leave sometime spare for the chippy in Fort Augustus!”

Some of the gang likened it to

Canada and New Zealand - how lucky we are in the UK

As our training sessions went on, we beganto realise that this is a story that needssharing and felt a documentary would be theperfect way of doing this.

After a serendipitous sea kayaking trainingsession with Erin Bastian at The LadiesPaddle Symposium, she very kindly offeredto join us on our adventure up in Scotland tofilm the expedition from start to finish.

The aim of the documentary is multifaceted; itintends to raise awareness of what life can belike with Relapse Remitting Multiple Sclerosis,and to inspire ordinary people to embark onadventure, no matter how big or small, or whathurdles you may have to jump in order to makeyour dreams become a reality.

You can watch the trailer below and keep youreyes peeled for the release of the full film – wehope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyedmaking it (one of my many firsts on the trip).

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Documentary

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Kayaking has not only been arehabilitative tool; it has alsoallowed childhood me andadult me to meet, physicallyand mentally. I feel I havediscovered my inner explorer,from the days of tipis andhay-bale dens. Kayaking hasallowed me to be reborn.This is the beginning of alifetime of adventure.

Watch Erin’s video: https://vimeo.com/129386715

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BY

Steve Childs

We live in a world with ever-increasing demands on our time,constant bombardment ofinformation from every angle, andthe expectation that response tomessages / phone-calls / emails /tweets should be instantaneous,regardless of time or day sent.It is easy to get trapped, trapped in anendless cycle of work without time to‘decompress’ trapped in a rut of being soattached to your smart phone, tablet, orcomputer that you never truly spend qualitytime with friends and loved ones, andtrapped into the mindset that you don’t havetime to do anything about it.

The ironic truth is running a kayak companyis no exception – there is always a reason towork late, always a reason to spend anotherevening working on a new design rather thanpaddling what you already have, and courtesyof a wonderful network of dealers aroundthe world – always someone you need tocall, regardless of the time of day or night.

So the new year’s resolution in theTootega and Silverbirch office was to dosomething about it…

Nothing huge and involved, thatwould defeat the point. Butrather taking little opportunitiesto tie in paddling trips withdelivery runs and meetings, andperhaps one ‘night out’ a monthwhere we would down tools at5pm and head off to exploreone of the endless paddlingoptions right on our owndoorstep, the only caveat beingwe had to be back at work by9am the next morning!

Once we started thinking abouttrips we could do that were‘within range’ for an eveningadventure we were staggered.There are literally hundreds ofinteresting paddles on ourdoorstep here in Norfolk –almost all of which we hadoverlooked until now, andseveral of which looked likereally interesting and varied trips.

One that really stood out for uswas a circumnavigation of ScoltHead Island on the NorthNorfolk Coast.

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Norfolkmicroadventure

In itself a stunning paddle through a mixture ofremote salt marshes, little creeks, and open sea,but one that could be made better by tying it inwith some seasonal foraging – surely the idealmodern world ‘antidote’?

l Start/finish

Campsite l

https://goo.gl/maps/keun4

Our planning was minimal, again another pointof our overnight ‘microadventure’ was to keepthings simple and uncomplicated – we consultedthe tide times, checked for any dangers orrestrictions in the area, and checked when theSamphire and mackerel seasons would begin –20 minutes of planning had us a date wheneverything would align.

As luck would have it the day came around veryquickly and was matched with perfect weather.We finished work, loaded up our gear, and madethe hour or so drive out to the coast.

We arrived at Brancaster Staithe just before6.30pm, it was about three hours before hightide and the creeks and inlets had just started toflood. We got our gear together, loaded ourboats, and got ready to set off.

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Useful info…Start point: Brancaster StaitheGrid reference: TF 79199 44331.

End point: Brancaster StaitheGrid reference: TF 79199 44331.

Distance: 18-20km dependant onroute through the marshes.

Best tide time to leave: 2.5-three hours before high water atBrancaster.

Tide times can be found here:www.deepdalefarm.co.uk/tides/

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Now I don’t know about you, but paddling has amagical effect on me. The second I push off fromthe bank all the thoughts and worries whizzingaround in my head just seem to vanish. All thatmatters is the paddling itself and the worldaround me. This trip was no different – theabundance of wildlife, classic Norfolk sailingboats, and endless rolling sand dunes instantlyfelt a world apart from everyday life and with allthe distractions it didn’t seem to take mucheffort to paddle the few kilometres from thestaithe to the sandbank marking the westernend of the island and our pathway out into theopen sea.

We were paddling around the island in a clock-wise direction. By setting off at mid tide thisallowed us to get out into open water abouttwo hours before high tide which gave us a fewhours of helpful tidal flow along the outside ofthe island and plenty of time to cross theshallow bar at the eastern end of the islandbefore the salt marshes started to drain again.

The second we crossed the sandbank and gotinto open sea we dropped several strings ofmackerel feathers with the aim of catchingdinner. The helpful tidal flow meant we couldhave a leisurely paddle along the outside of theisland and it seemed an ideal time to fish.

The scenery was incredible – not a soul insight, and from the outside the island lookedmore like a desert island than a small offshootof the Norfolk coast. We would have stoppedand had an explore, but Scolt head island isinternationally renowned for its population ofSandwich Terns (amongst others) and it wassmack bang in the middle of breeding seasonso we chose to treat the entire island as a nogo zone!

I’m not sure what distracted us most – thefishing, the impressive displays put on by theTerns, or the incredible scenery, but it didn’tseem to take long to get to the eastern end ofthe island and our inlet back into the saltmarshes and the inner side of the island.

Sadly we hadn’t caught any fish yet, perhaps itwas just a little late in the day when we startedto fish, perhaps we were just rubbish at it,either way it didn’t matter too much as we hadbought some with us so we decided to packdown our gear and paddle in to findsomewhere to camp.

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Useful info…Scolt Head Island: A nationalnature reserve and an internationallyimportant breeding site for Terns.During the breeding season severalparts of the island are subject tolanding restrictions and it isimportant these are respected. Youcan find out more information here:

www.nnch.co.uk/Scoltheadisland.pdf

Samphire: Samphire is a seavegetable that grows abundantly inmarshy shallows and on saltymudflats. It has a crisp texture andtastes of the sea. It is delicious lightlyboiled and served with butter. Oftenreferred to as ‘poor man’s asparagus’it has become increasingly popular intrendy bistros and restaurants overthe past few years. Samphire seasonis late May to late August. Readabout some cooking tips forSamphire from David Truzzi-Franconiin PaddlerUK magazine.

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Once on dry land James and Aran started tounpack our kayaks and get our campsite set upwhilst I went in search of some Samphire. Turnsout that unlike the Mackerel, this isn’t veryhard to find! It was everywhere around us, anda few quick handfuls gave us as much as wewould be able to eat.

Whilst James got the BBQ nice and hot andthe fire going Aran and I stripped the freshgreen samphire shoots from the woody stemsand popped them into some water to lightlyblanch before adding some butter.

We also got some local new potatoes on toboil and made a few vegetable kebabs to go onthe BBQ with the Mackerel. All in all not a badmeal for a ‘school night’ and definitely not abad meal to rummage up on a deserted beach.

We ate dinner as the sun set over the marshes.With a drink in hand, a roaring fire, and someimpressive aerobatic displays by the Terns overhead it was hard not to feel smug and was onlymade better by the fact we were completelyout of sight of the real world and with theadded benefit of absolutely no phone receptionto distract us, we talked well into the night!

The morning greeted us with bright sunshine,but with some ominous clouds on the horizonand some rumbles of thunder in the distance wedecided to get a move on and get on the water.

We left our campsite about 30 minutes beforewe had intended, which meant an extra fewhundred metres of walking across the flats, butwas more than worth it to get ahead of thosestorm clouds!

Once on the water we headed up the mainchannel that runs up the inside of the islandcalled Norton Creek. About 400 metres or sofrom the end of the island the creek splits intotwo channels. It is worth having a little look at amap before getting to this point as the obviousright hand channel is NOT the correct route,Norton creek actually continues along the leftchannel, the right takes you a fair way into theisland before abruptly stopping, but this is notobvious from the water.

A kilometre further on again we took anotherleft hand channel this is actually a detour fromNorton creek called Trowland creek. It does adda little distance to the trip, but takes you rightout into one of the remotest parts of the marsh,and was well worth the effort.

Soon enough we rejoined the main channel ofNorton creek, and were back insight ofBrancaster Staithe – our start/endpoint.

All that was left to do was paddle across the openstretch of water outside of the staithe that formsat higher tide heights and up the last few hundredmetres of creek back to the car park. At this pointmother nature treated us to a pretty impressivelightning show, which definitely sped up ourpaddling, but thankfully never got too close!

We didn’t hang around in Brancaster for long aswe needed to get back to work, but whilstdriving back it began to sink in how much wehad achieved in an evening, how much we hadexperienced, and how easy it had been to do.

We will never overlook our backyard again, andwhen those stresses and strains of modern lifeget a bit much – we know exactly how to easethem – go boating!

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Useful info…Hazards/restrictions: As already mentioned,please make yourself aware of the national naturereserve restrictions. There can be significant tidalflow at both ends of the island and in the creeks atcertain tide heights – please make yourself familiarwith the local conditions before setting off. Athigher tide heights the flooded marshes are verypopular for sailing and windsurfing – keep an eyeout for other water users.

Sea conditions can change quickly, please checkthe sea state and weather before leaving – ifunsure, please contact the local coastguard!

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http://www.tootega.com/en-gb/

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Accessing the hidden wilderness of

Sea kayaking is just an excuse to travel the world, access hidden wildernesses andexplore the corners where no one else goes. It offers the opportunity to take on achallenge so huge, even you question whether you’ll reach the finish line. I now have abad case of the sea kayaking expedition bug. When I look at maps I see new routes,when I see islands, I have an overwhelming desire to explore them. This is how I endedup, in the remotest region of Patagonia, toughing out blizzards and eating freeze driedfood, for weeks on end.By Erin Bastian

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Patagonia is an incredibly hostile wilderness, known for itsrugged landscape, inhospitable mountains and rapidlychanging weather. A region, which is shared by bothChile and Argentina, yet divides Chile almost in two, dueto the untameable barrier it creates for roads andtransport. The west coast consists of an intricate maze offjords and islands, where a single tiny village is the onlycivilization for thousands of kilometres.

Two nations

Did

you

kno

w:

The area of Patagonia spans a massive 1,043,076 km

²,occupying almost half of each country and yet o

nly

home to less than tw

o million inhabitants.

PADDLERUK 4848

Puerto Eden is a brightly coloured fishingvillage patched together with wooden walkways and bodge materials scavenged fromgoodness knows where. The people eek out asimple living by fishing, collecting muscles andshear determined toughness. The village has agrand backdrop of towering mountains all stillcaped in thick snow; spring was only justsettling in. We somehow persuaded the onlytourist ferry to drop us off there, so that wecould continue through the fjords to thenearest town Puerto Natales, still some 600kmfurther south as the crow flies.

Excitement buzzed around the village with thesight of crazy strangers and brightly colouredkayaks. Enjoying the atmosphere, we chattedaway to interested locals, in a classic mix of

world recognised sign language (pointing), andbroken English. Attempting to pack the fiveweeks worth of food and gear into our boatswas no easy feat and with the nod from thePort Captain we were ready and raring to takeour first few paddle strokes.

The nerves bubbled away at each stroke wetook as we paddled deeper into the heart ofPatagonia. I knew only in theory what layahead, icebergs and glaciers, whales and sealions, violent storms and swift tides. Thisadventure was to be my biggest test yet. Toreach our goal we needed to paddle a distanceof 800km over the course of five weeks andtough out some of the harshest weather I haveever witnessed.

I knew only in theory what lay ahead,

icebergs and glaciers, whales and sea lions, violent storms and swift tides

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and myself made up our small team of three. Jokes andstories entertained our rainy first few days and thelandscape fascinated me – it was like nothing I hadever seen before. Bushes so thick that access to theland would be limited only to the rocky banks belowthe trees and steep sided mountains framed thechannels with intimidating stature. For hours wepaddled with no possible landing opportunity, as themountains seemed to fall directly into the sea.Streams would pump down the steep inclines creatingwhite creases through the rocky crags and above thetree line, lingered the still melting winter snow.

Our journey would take us to the heart of Patagonia,as close to the ice fields as it was possible toapproach from the sea and to the very tip of a fjordcalled Estro Peel, where glaciers flow directly into thesea. The first week was littered with blizzards and hailstorms as we began to learn the difficulties of locatinga possible camp spot and thanked our decision toinvest in our toasty Palm Dry suits. The first taste ofPatagonia's unpredictable and powerful weather hadus realising the state of play for the next four weeks.

We woke one morning to blue sky and mirror stillwaters where hunting dolphins broke the glass-likesurface, sending circular ripples for miles. Thereflection of the mountains in the water addedimmense depth to the already dominating landscape.The rhythm of paddling continually ticked along likethe second hand of a clock as time was nowmeasured by light and dark, hunger and fatigue. Ourgoal was to paddle 30km a day and in the calmcondition this was a pleasure. During this period ofhigh pressure weather, we reached one of the largestGlaciers in Patagonia, Pio XI. Standing about 60metres in hight and 5km in length it was colossal!Chunks of ice regularly broke from its front surfaceand crashed into the calm water below. Shock waveswould travel out, thrusting the large floating icebergsaround with an unnerving amount of ease.

The dry weather was short lived and the inevitablewet weather soon greeted us again. Winds helped andhindered us in equal proportions, but always withfierce strength. Gusts would hurtle down the steepsides of the fjords, rumbling as they grew closer,before knocking us sideways as we griped our paddlestightly. When the waves picked up the Albatrosseswould come out to play. They provided endlessacrobatics and performed breathtaking manoeuvreson the face of the growing waves. At least theydistracted out attention from the unnerving windsand occasional open water crossings.

Lee Franklin, Mike Burnett

The reflection of the moun added immense depth

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ntains in the water h to the already dominating landscape

Did you know

:There are six national parks located in Patagonia, each w

ith their own unique charm

s:Torres del Paine (C

hile), Los Glaciares (A

rgentina), Laguna San Rafael (Chile), N

ahuelHuapi (A

rgentina), Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) and A

lberto de Agostini (C

hile)

PADDLER UK 5151

the tip of Estro Peel, the more testing the weatherconditions became as the cold seeped into ourbones through our now damp thermals. Slipping intoour cold wet fleece each morning, took incredibleamounts of motivation and by this point we had notfelt the warmth of the sun in over ten days.

As the fjord began to narrow the currentscontrolled our forward progress and the pinnacle ofour trip was now within touching distance. The lastcorner of this dead end channel narrowed toaround 20 metres. The ebbing tide nearly alwaysdominated due to the influence of the melt waterflowing through. Moving onwards we carefully

dodged the hefty icebergs that were all being swiftlycarried by the currents. We weaved our waythrough the crunching, grinding and clashingmotorway of ice, until we reached the bowl wherethe western side of the ice field flows down off themountains.

What met us here was staggering. Five colossal blueglaciers dropping into the sea, steep jagged rivers ofice, cracking and booming ricocheted around thenatural amphitheatre, this place was certainly alivewith activity. Chunks fell regularly off the glaciersfront wall, creating yet more icebergs to choke ourescape passage. A single night was incredible but

ThePaddler 52

The closer we get to

ThePaddler 53

certainly enough, it was hard to sleep with the noiseof the ever moving ice, and the cold and wet wasnow becoming intolerable.

The next morning we headed west, retracing oursteps through the narrow ice choked channels. Onceout of the high mountains there would be apossibility of dryer weather, but an increase in wind.The wider channels offered less protection, but thebreeze was dry enough to air our damp kit. The lowlevel islands didn't build rain clouds as much, and weenjoyed warm evenings by drift wood fires. Theluxury of washing cloths was now on the cards, and Itook full advantage of one dry breezy evening.

It amazes me how much you appreciate the tinythings in life when on expedition. Clean dry socks orfinding that long lost mars bar, does wonders formoral. I strangely enjoy the simplicity of the dailyexpedition routine and the things to stress over, suchas the route we to navigate and the weatherforecast. We floated past colonies of loud smelly sealions basking on the rocky islands and started tospot previously rare sights of local fishing boats, anearly sign we were getting closer to Puerto Natales.

steep jagged rivers of ice, cracking and booming

ricocheted around the natural amphitheatre

highlight of the trip was when we bumped intoan old red fishing boat, which didn't look muchmore than a floating garden shed. The fishermengreeted us with excited smiles and curios eyes,undoubtingly questioning what we were possiblybe doing out here. We explained our journeyand they seemed suitably impressed with ourefforts. The next thing we knew they wereswinging a king crab over the side, offering usthis spiky and very much alive creature. Our eyeslit up with the thought of our fresh food inweeks. We feasted that evening on meaty crablegs, it is easy to say that it was the best seafoodI have ever tasted.

Time had hurtled by, and distance had graduallybeen swallowed up by our determined paddling.Before we knew it we only had days left to go.The pushy winds now truly on our side, thrustedus ever closer to our finishing destination. Wedreamt, talked and thought of only pizza andchocolate. The finish was so close now we couldalmost smell our celebratory pizza.

The biggest

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Did you know:Ushuaia is the world’ssouthernmost city and is abusy port and adventurehub; cruises and tours toAntarctica also departfrom this seaport forindividuals yearning toexplore the world’sseventh continent.

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As if it were a reward on our last day we weregreeted by blue sky and silky still waters. Ourfinal hurdle was crossing a wide open gulf but inthis weather is was a total pleasure. Fishing boatstooted and waved as we approached the fishingharbour and it felt as if word had got around ofour travels (although that may have been myimagination). Stepping out of our boats to take inour first taste of civilisation in weeks, was mind-blowing. People, roads, cars and buildingsoverwhelmed our senses and a feeling of utterachievement soon flooded our bodies.

Its almost unbelievable to me that a journey I’ddreamt up, just by looking at a map, was nowengraved into my memory as life changingexperience. It is crazy to think of the amount ofwilderness you can explore from a kayak and Ican’t help but think this will not be my last seakayaking expedition.

Linkswww.erinbastian.comTwitter & Instagram: @erinbastian

Watch Erin’s Patagonia video:http://vimeo.com/117658247

To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.comor call +44 (0)1480 465081 PADDLERUK 57

The UK’s largest sea kayak shop and so much more…Choose from the very best sea kayaks from the very best manufacturers. Brands carried include

National Kayak SchoolTrips, expeditions and courses for all levels of ability.

To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.comor call +44 (0)1480 465081PADDLERUK 58

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Transfer of learning is the ability to applyknowledge learned in one context to newcontexts.

Transfer of learning occurs when the learner: l Recognizes common features among

concepts, skills or principles.l Links the information in memory.l Sees the value of utilizing what was learned

in one situation in another.

By building up ways to help students with theirability to tap into previous learning, schemasand past experiences we can speed up thelearning.

The following are some examples of ways thatcould apply to us and hopefully give theinspiration for coaches and leaders to look intohow they aid their paddler’s development.

Problem solvingPreviously I touched on the work of Brymerand Renshaw (2010) about the constraints thatwe could change to aid in a paddler’sdevelopment. This ability for a paddler toproblem solve by looking at how the task is

achieved in a different way or in a differentenvironment or seeking ways for the individualto reduce the effort. By changing theseconstraints the paddlers are continually lookinginto their past experiences as to how they haveachieved the task previously and forces thelooking into the internal question of, “What didI do previously?” and in turn therefore, “Whatdo I need to do this time?”

This works well with those that have anoutcome already achieved and therefore havethe knowledge that they can complete the task away. When paddling harder waters, newer watersor trying to do something new this tapping intoprevious knowledge allows the transfer of whatis common between the new task and previous.

Tasks can also be set where the paddler hasn’tpreviously done it. By using questioning withthem about how they might go aboutcompleting the task with periods of discoverywill tap into previous learning. This could belinking to similar manoeuvres from other areas,understanding form other areas such as waterflow knowledge etc.

By Dave Rossetter–paddlesport instruct

In a previous article I mentioned the work of Simon & Chase, 1973 aboutthe 10,000 hours rule. Where to become good at a skill, or more especiallyto become an expert we must put in the time and practice, especiallydeliberate practiceThat article looked at various ways to help us with this practice. This one however, isconcerned about building on this and the work of others to aid us in our development.

Sir Isaac Newton back in 1676 stated in a letter about his attempt to, “See a littlefurther” phrased, “By standing on the shoulders of giants.” This built on the writingsof theologian and author John of Salisbury back in the 12th century. The meaningbehind this seeing further by being taller isn’t about being superior but by using thework of those that went before aids us by adding their knowledge to ours, this in turnmoves on our development.

Definition

Transfer of – knowle

PADDLER UK 61

Problem solving at what ever stage a paddler isat forces tapping into existing knowledge andopens up new areas for the paddler to go andexplore.

AnalogiesThese are great ways of piggy backing onpreviously learnt set of rules or guidelines forsimilar movements. Lots of sliding, riding andgliding sports follow similar structures. Thiscould be where you look as you are goinground corners. Consider the skier lookingdown the fall line, getting their body into aposition where the skis can then follow the arcround. How about the biker taking a cornerlooking into and beyond the turn could thesesets of principles aid you in turning a whitewater kayak through arcs on a river?

When coaching river running tactics a recentanalogy is finding the ‘booster’ pads. If you have

ever played any computer games then you willbe aware of these areas that once you passover them they speed up your character. Thereare times when you want them and times whenyou don’t. As you play games you learn theones that access new areas and the ones thatyou need to avoid. Tapping into this analogyfocuses the mind in looking for these areas.

I am sure that if you have been coaching for awhile you will have many that you use. Frombeach balls between your chest and paddle,billows between the blade and boat in a sternrudder, pushing on sponges during strokes,riding a bike round a corner, paddlers box etc.The list goes on.

These analogies give the learner somethingthat they can visualise or imagine happeningand therefore add to their existing knowledgeand develop from there.

tor at Glenmore Lodge

edge/practice/learning

Capturing learningThinking back on sessions from when I wasworking in outdoor centres and talkingthrough with those in outdoor education thenthe ability to capture the learning of whateverthe task happens to be is critical for thepersonal development of the learner. Howoften at the end of a days boating do wecapture the learning from the tasks that wewere involved in?

This can be from successful and unsuccessfuloutcomes. Spend time to talk this over in a waythat can shape what you do with theinformation. Sharing the experience and thenplanning to do something with the newknowledge the next time out builds thepatterns and schemas required to move in ourability. Too often we share what happened butdon’t turn this into knowledge that can beaccessed at a later date.

ReflectionsThe previous article looked at ‘if’ and ‘then’questions as way to be reflecting on the activity.This works well within the transfer of learning.What we can also look at though is criticalthinking where in our own time we have theopportunity to make clear and reasoned thoughtout observations of what happened during theperformance. Using this as a plan going into thenext performance and then reflecting on both ofthese aids in the decision-making process andbuild up this bank of knowledge.

With these reflections it gives the opportunityto challenge your thoughts against the differentenvironments and / or different paddlers. This

aids in pattern recognition and what works inone place gives the start of the problem solvingfor another situation.

Going boating!That’s what it’s all about after all! Get out thereand gain knowledge / experience. Paddle thesame rapid a few different ways. Work the riveror flow and see what the outcomes are. Thenusing some / all of the ways described earlierto add to your knowledge.

Without having experience we will struggle toreflect. To ‘see further’ we need to get theinformation that is available, use it thenimportantly challenge it and own it! It needs tobe yours to move on not just what someoneelse has said.

Take the practices that you have been shown /working on and put them into context. If theskill should be used on a journey – do ajourney. Does it work?

If you are coaching then look to set practicesthat put the skill into the context of where itwill be needed.

SummaryCoaches – what do you do to aid your paddlers withtransferring existing knowledge / practices / learninginto the new or current task?

Tap into your existing ‘rules’ or ‘guidelines’ and usethese to help you problem solve new areas as theyunfold.

Happy Paddling!

Dave RossetterDave is the full time paddlesport instructor at Glenmore Lodge – Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre.He has been involved in the development of the new awards and provides expert advice throughout theindustry on all things to do with coaching, safety, leadership and personal paddling. He is passionate about all thingspaddling and specialises in white water kayak and open canoe where he will most often be found. He issupported in his paddling adventures and coaching by Pyranha Kayaks, Mad River Canoes and Palm Equipment.

http://www.glenmorelodge.org.uk/ http://www.pyranha.com/http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/ http://www.madrivercanoe.co.uk/

PADDLER UK 62

http://www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

PADDLERUK 65

This Americanisation is all the more strange in aculture that (outwardly) at least has come tovilify, or even reject American values. Evenwould-be leaders of Britain lapse into Americanslang, like Ed Miliband, whose answer to JeremyPaxman recently, on the question of whether ornot he was tough enough to be PM, was thespeakeasy-vintage “Hell Yeah!”. Sometimesthough, American terms are better than theirBritish counterparts. Even Fowler and Fowler,the best commentators on English usage therehave ever been, are fair-minded enough tocomment in The King’s English that ‘fall’, forinstance, is a superior word to ‘autumn’ in everyrespect: more descriptive, more Anglo-Saxon,and shorter.

The willingness of English to accept new wordsis its strength, say some. This is not usually true:new terms usually displace old ones rather thancomplement them, and growth throughignorance is just lexicographical cancer.

So the challenge for those of us who care aboutour language is, therefore, one of judgement: ifan American word or phrase is better than anEnglish one, let’s use it. “Go big or go home” is,for instance, a lot stronger than “do your best orleave now”. If it’s not, let’s get high on our own(dwindling) word supply instead.

Access, egress/put-in, take-outAccess points and egress points sound like AlanPartridge trying to write the Highway Code. TheAmericans open their score on this one, withthe vastly preferable “put-in” and “take-out”.

You call it class, I call it grade…let’s call the whole thing offSteffan Meyric Hughes on two nationsseparated by a common language

STEFFA

N MEYRIC HUGHES

Steffan has beenpaddling on and offsince 1988, when hefirst stepped into aPerception Mirage.He is a keenhistorian of thesport and author ofCircle Line: aroundLondon in a SmallBoat (2012). Thesedays, he paddles adark blue JacksonAllStar (2010). He isa full-time yachtingjournalist in his dayjob.

American modifications to English used to be a staple lament of the English. We usedto complain bitterly that they removed the ‘u’ from ‘colour’, ‘favour’ and so on; thattheir expression was intemperate and crude, their new words so often rooted in theenthusiasms of the day rather than in the scholarly traditions of Greek and Latin.These days, most of us just speak in American English – perhaps unconsciously (“I’mgood” for instance, has largely taken over from “I’m well”). Nowhere has thisbackdoor cultural hegemony been stronger than in kayaking, starting with the word‘kayak’ itself. When I started paddling in the late 80s, we were all canoeists, doingcanoeing in… canoes. Our magazine of choice was, of course, The Canoeist. No onewent boating, the only sending that was done was of letters and postcards and peopledid not fire things up. They just got on with it.

PADDLERUK 66

BonyShallow… I have no idea where this comes from.Like most exuberant argot, it has the tang of thenew world to it. But then it could be a Britishexpression. Either way, it’s more descriptive thanthe old terms “scrapy” or just “shallow”.

Bow rudder/duffek stroke/hanging draw The bow rudder (UK) or the Duffek stroke(US), is now redundant in all but slalom, althoughit’s still a graceful and powerful way to turnsharply without adding forward or reversespeed. It is named (in US English) after theCzech/Swiss paddler Milo Duffek who inventedit and developed it in the 1950s. The Britishterm, bow rudder, is more instantlycomprehensible, but loses the historicalconnotation. The term ‘hanging draw’ takes apoor third in this race.

Break out/eddy out Break-out is the English term here. Both seem todescribe the move well enough, so we might aswell stick with the English.

Gnarly 1970s US surfer slang, by the 80s, it hadsprouted a secondary meaning – its antonym.Like ‘bad’, ‘wicked’ and ‘sick’, it can be used as aterm of approbation but rarely is this side of theAtlantic. It’s more often used in kayaking in its‘noun form’ – gnar, and often used to describeNorwegian creeking – and why not?

Grade/Class Because the Americans lack an evolved classsystem, they class rivers instead. Actually, that’sprobably bollocks, but it makes me laugh. All thesame, let’s stick with the word “grade”.

Hip flick/hip snap Flick is the English term, and it’s moredescriptive. So forget about hip snaps.

Inspect/scoutWe used to ‘inspect’ rapids in the good old daysof wetsuits, beards and long boats. Now, the USterm ‘scout’ seems to have taken over.

Kayak/canoe You could almost write an essay on British usage ofthe Native American term ‘kayak’ over the years.The distinction is one that Americans, with their richtradition in both, have always understood andobserved. In reality, Americans go ‘boating’ andBritish kayakers, these days, go paddling. I suspectthe reason is simply that ‘kayak’ although a beautifulword to behold (it’s almost a mirror-imagepalindrome) is awkward and ugly to voice. Thismagazine has got it right: the best term is “paddler”and “paddling” even if your civilian friends thinkyou’re at Margate beach with your trousers rolledup to your knees.

PortageSame word, different pronunciations. The USpronunciation that rhymes with ‘Nigel Farage’ issimply abhorrent, as awful as ‘pasta’ with a longinitial ‘a’ or homage (again, to rhyme withFarage). The proper pronunciation is ‘portidge’.Please never say it any other way!

Photo:Steve Brook

Sieve/strainerI’m sure we used to call these things ‘sieves’ inthe old days, but ‘strainer’ has become theaccepted terms. In the kitchen, sieve is a finemesh (for sifting flower and so on) and strainerrefers to colanders and so on, for quicker,simpler straining of, say, pasta. I suspect ‘strainer’ isthe more American term.

Send This is a strange expression that evolved fromclimbers (say climbers) and skiers (say skiers). Itsounds very weak, as though the perpetrator hassent some sort of agent down the river and isre-living the experience vicariously (“I sent itdown that drop”). Stupid really.

Sick Sick is to now what ‘bad’ and ‘wicked’ were toyesteryear. I suspect it’s US in origin, althoughurban etymology is famously woolly. It’s powerful,intemperate antonym that works vividly. If I couldget away with using the word to mean anythingother than vomit, I would.

Spraydeck/sprayskirt We don’t wear skirts. We wear decks. A point toEnglish

Stopper/hole A stopper was a stopper until some clever-clogscame alone talking about hydraulics. Then it wasall holes – ledge hole, play hole, munching hole,river-wide hole, retentive hole (that’s just plaindisgusting), and so on. The glossary of MikeJones’s Canoeing Down Everest (1976expedition) refers to ‘holes’ and ‘stoppers’ andeven ‘hydraulic jumps’. Whether English orAmerican, ‘hole’ has won. I mean no one is evergoing to refer to a “play stopper” are they?

Sweet Sweet is as weak as ‘sick’ is strong. It has overtonesof sentimentality and lacks ambition as a word. It’sAmerican urban English at its very worst and shouldbe avoided by all. For some reason it’s sometimesuttered in a revolting faux-yankee crooning falsetto.Thankfully the sort of person who’s about to say itusually has it written on his hoodie as a warning soyou can avoid them on sight (that’s the ed told:)

Next month: EJ and others explainthe history and development offreestyle terminology

PADDLERUK 68

Dagger Roam sit-on-top kayakwww.dagger.comBy Richard M. Harpham

Available in two sizes at 9.5 and 11.5,the Dagger Roam is Dagger’s new sit-on-top, which is designed for both flatwater and easy going white water.

The Roam is a fantastic sit on top with highquality fittings and a responsive design, it is athome on flat water or surfing on the sea. Themix of strong secondary stability coupled withgreat handling makes the Dagger Roam abrilliant boat that can be surfed, edged andpaddled hard.

It includes plenty of practical features for daytrips and micro adventures with a main forwardhatch with room for dry bags and camping kitand a smaller rear hatch. There is a small dropskeg allowing the boat to track better in windyconditions. The seat system is adjustable withside straps and a comfortable foam seat andpaddlers can increase their connectivity inmoving water with thigh straps.

Behind the seat is a net bag system allowingfurther space to stash luggage and kit. All of thefittings are well thought out with carryinghandling with elastic shock cords and sidemounted handles balanced for easy lifting. Thefoot rest system is fully adjustable allowing youto ensure a comfortable paddling position. The

hull also has drain holes located in the legchannels that can be plugged with foam bungs ifdesired.

The Dagger Roam represents a new generationin high performance sit on tops offering a greatblend of manoeuvrability, speed over the waterand quality fittings to allow paddlers to explore on rivers and lakes and also enjoy playing onmoving water.

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Updated hatch designfor improved seal and

dry storage

Contour surround seatsystem with leg lifterand side bolsters

New thigh strips forimproved ergonomiccomfort and durability

Multiple storage optionswith rubber hatch andattachment points

PADDLERUK 69

Specs:Dagger Roam 9.5Length: 9' 7"/294 cmWidth: 31"/79 cmMax Capacity: 250 lbs/112 kgDeck Height: 18.25"/46 cmBoat Weight: 52 lbs/24 kg

Dagger Roam 11.5Length: 11' 6"/350 cmWidth: 30"/76 cmMax Capacity: 300 lbs/136 kgDeck Height: 17.5"/45 cmBoat Weight: 59 lbs/27 kg

At a glance – featuresAdjustable foot rest systemSelf draining hullKnee braces for surfing/white waterCarrying handlesAdjustable padded back supportFront hatch (40 litres)Rear zip bag INTEGRAL

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Performance 4Durability 4Fixtures and Fittings 5Responsiveness 5Value for Money 4Transportability 3

PADDLERUK 70

PeakUK TourliteStorm Hoodywww.peakuk.comBy Peter TranterThe Tourlite looks quite unique in theflesh. Lightweight, waterproof, abrasionresistant, breathable X2.5 Ripstop Nylonand the individual styling make for acompletely different kind of look, whichis hard to ignore as signified by the SUPInflation Day on the Thames in March,where the Tourlite gained plenty ofattention from fellow paddlers.

The Tourlite slips on with ease and is a doddle tosecure. Wrist neoprene seals with Velcroadjustment, grip as tight as you like. There’s asingle neoprene waist and a very adjustable largehood, which has dual sided elastic cords toadjust to a perfect fit with a storm flap to keepthe rain out. Everything about the Tourlite has avery reassuring quality feel with smart reflectivedetailing as you would expect from a companywith the reputation and standing of PeakUK.

The Tourlite Storm will keep wind and moistureat bay with ease and to ensure excellent levelsof performance and comfort, which is aided bythe articulated arms and shoulders for greaterfreedom of movement and a zippedventing front. Two large zipped sidepockets allow for decent storage.

In summary, PeakUK’s Tourlitestraddles many areas ofpaddling from sea kayaking,kayak fishing and touring tostand up paddling. Layer up

correctly underneath for chilly sessions and it willprotect you from all but the harshest ofelements.

The Tourlite is also available in short and longarm versions with an Aquaout neck seal.

The Tourlite Hoody has beengranted the Glenmore Lodge Sealof Approval and that should be allthe recommendation any paddlershould need.

Tech specsl Articulated cut with bent elbows.l Fully taped seams.l Breathable and durable light weight X2.5

recycled polyester with 10m waterproofing.l Zip opening neck and large adjustable hood

with easy stow toggle.l Aquaout wrists and waist seals.l Easy access side zip pockets.

Sizes: XS. S. M. L. XL. XXL

Colours: Orange. Green.

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COVERT 9.3, ARGENTIERE, FRANCE

BUILT WITH PASSION

MODERN TOURING AND WHITEWATER CANOESPROUDLY DESIGNED AND MADE IN THE UK.

BROADLAND 16, NORWICH, NORFOLK

© Kelvin Horner, 2015 Argentiere, France

PADDLERUK 72

For the past few years I have been usingImmersion Research (IR) decks for bothplay boating and creek duties. Now theyhave set out to create a leading Class Vspray deck – one that would hold up tothe punishment unleashed on it by themost extreme paddlers in the world.

To achieve this, the material used must be robustto survive tough walk-ins/outs, offer superiorimplosion protection and fundamentally ensurethat water has the most difficult of times findingits way into the kayak.

For most of my paddling career (28yrs+) I haveused Play boater decks and it has only beenImmersion Research who have been able totempt me away from the brand. Prior to gettinghold of the Royale I have owned a couple of IRdecks for a number of years. The first is a randbased (more on that later) skirt the Special Kand the bungee based Klingon Empire.

Now if you combine the features of the Special Kand the Klingon Empire you get The Royale. TheRoyale features the finned rand from the SpecialK with the materials and construction of theKlingon Empire.

The rand:The rand is essentially a thick rubber band that isglued to the neoprene deck material. The randhas a tri fin design profile that allows it to sealreally well against pretty much every boat I havetried it on. The rand has a relatively low stretchand can be a little difficult to attach to certainboats. As expected it is harder to attach to aboat than the bungee based Klingon Empire butnot overly so. Fitting it to the boat overnightprior to its first use certainly helped.

The system is incredibly dry and the seal evenaround shallow cockpits is extremely good. Thedeck has been mainly used on my Dagger Jitsuand Wavesport Recon and I have experiencedzero water getting into the boats, which I findutterly astounding.

Kevlar:Around the high wear areas IR have used aKevlar based 4-way stretch material. If youspend a great deal of time on the water, findyourself hiking through the bush on a portageor are generally harsh on your gear this extrare-enforcement is a must.

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The Royale spraydeck by Immersion Research www.immersionresearch.euBy Phil Carrwww.unsponsored.co.uk

The material has also been extended beyond the deck tocreate a dry lip or apron around the front/side edge of thedeck. This increases the level of fit of the deck against the boat.The design reduces even further the chances of water enteringthe cockpit via the underside of the rand.

The deck also has a number of other good features. Theseinclude a nice and bright hi-vis grab loop and a large area ofsticky silicon coating on the inner side of the deck that willspend its life in contact with the cockpit. Again this helpsprevent the chances of deck implosion and makes the deckstick.

The size I use is an XL deck with L tunnel waist (33-36”). XL orbig deck will fit almost the entire current crop of kayak designsfrom Dagger, Liquidlogic , etc. With the Royale having a lowstretch rand it is critical that you get the right size for your boatand if you are unsure of the size you need check outwww.skirtfit.com which is a great resource for all paddlers.

Pros:l Tough deck that will take a beating.l Stays put no matter what you throw at it.l Good fit on a wide range of boats.l Really dry.

Cons:l Tough to get on initially.l Low stretch means getting the right size is more critical than

with a bungee based deck.

Overall the Royale is a very impressive piece of equipment thatis unlikely to let you down. Both fit and performance is good.

The Royale will be my go to deck until it wears out, but afterwell over a year’s worth of heavy and regular use, I’m not surewhen that will actually be! islanderkayaks.com

New for 2015, the Approach is the do-it-all kayak

in our range of sit-in kayaks. Nimble in waves and

currents, it can hold a steady track with its retractable

skeg, and it has plenty of stow space for longer trips.

HULA CALYPSO PARADISE II STRIKE

SIT-ON-TOPS AND KAYAKS

islanderkayaks.com

New for 2015, the Approach is the do-it-all kayak

in our range of sit-in kayaks. Nimble in waves and

currents, it can hold a steady track with its retractable

skeg, and it has plenty of stow space for longer trips.

HULA CALYPSO PARADISE II STRIKE

SIT-ON-TOPS AND KAYAKS

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PADDLERUK 74

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Helly HansenHydropower 4www.hellyhansen.comBy Peter TranterWhen unpacked and observed for thefirst time, I was a little skeptical on thedurability of the Hydropowers – theylooked a little flimsy and fragile looking.

However, the saying, horses for courses comesto mind. Unlike the all-terrain shoes I had beenwearing for weeks that were great for traversingslippery rocks, etc, these shoes come into theirown when working around the quayside and ona variety of slippery surfaces and that’s owed tothe excellent siping traction pattern on the sole.

Their practicality also comes to the fore with thelow cut design, draw cord lace system and largeheel loops, which makes them a cinch to get onand off. Add to this a purposeful lightness with agenerous wider fit than most shoes, which I, andyou’re onto a sure fire winner.

The open-mesh construction makes thembreathable, adds flexibility and helps to dry them

out relatively quickly. The shoes have a comfortableinternal moulded EVA removable midsole whichboasts a quick-dry antibacterial surface.

Summing up, first impressions don’t always countas the very well constructed Hydropowers havebeen resilient with superb grip making them idealfor all watersports.

Specs:Upper: l Synthetic/Mesh for support and breathability.l Helly Wear protection.l TPU stability and protection frame.Midsole:l Internal, moulded EVA Removable midsole.l Serdia, Clarino; Antibacterial technology.Outsole:l Ultra Storm Grip.l Multi-directional grip system.l Siping traction pattern.

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New tootega‘Hydrolite’ Pulse

Tootega kayakshave taken theiralready lightweight

Pulse 85 kayak and reduced the weight byalmost 20%.The brand new ‘Hydrolite’ Pulse 85 by Tootega kayaksweighs in at a class leading 14kg, making it one of thelightest adult sit on tops available.

The Pulse 85 is already a firm favourite with smallerpaddlers, families, and those who want to play in the surfthanks to its compact size and levels of stability – the superlightweight Hydrolite version will only help to increase thePulse 85’s popularity yet further!

Tootega kayaks continually work on new material andproduction process research and Hydrolite is the productof the gains made through some of this research.

Available to order now in either Electric blue orCandyfloss pink.

Specs:Length: 259cm/8.5ftWidth: 72cm/28.5”Weight: 14kg/30lbsMax paddler: 90kg/195lbsHull: double concave

MSRP: £399

www.tootega.com

Tel: 01953 455666

THE PERFECT STORM

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STRATOS 14.5L

A high performance tourer. Smooth and forgiving for

beginners, with performance that experts will relish,

the Stratos is stable and predictable in calm or stormy

water. Fast and effi cient on fl at water, playful in

currents and waves. Available in two sizes, 14.5S and

14.5L to suit you. The Stratos changes the rules.

THE PERFECT STORM

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STRATOS 14.5L

A high performance tourer. Smooth and forgiving for

beginners, with performance that experts will relish,

the Stratos is stable and predictable in calm or stormy

water. Fast and effi cient on fl at water, playful in

currents and waves. Available in two sizes, 14.5S and

14.5L to suit you. The Stratos changes the rules.

THE PERFECT STORM

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STRATOS 14.5L

A high performance tourer. Smooth and forgiving for

beginners, with performance that experts will relish,

the Stratos is stable and predictable in calm or stormy

water. Fast and effi cient on fl at water, playful in

currents and waves. Available in two sizes, 14.5S and

14.5L to suit you. The Stratos changes the rules.

PADDLERUK 76

http://www.easycover.euBy Dale MearsKayaking photography has moved onleaps and bounds due to the accessibilityof digital cameras and their reduction insize, meaning it’s now much easier tocarry your camera on the river or thebank. Prices are dropping so morepeople are buying cameras and catchingthe bug. However, the big questionremains: how do you protect yourcamera?

On the bank often brings dust, dirt, damp andsplashes of water, now if your buying your firstentry level DSLR it’s likely that it’s a plastic body

and not as water-tight as some of theintermediate/advanced DSLRs available. You cancarry your camera in a dry bag to protect it whennot in use but what do you do when want to usethe camera? Maybe you run the drop, get outonto the bank and reach for your camera in yourbag? However, you’re wet through and water isdripping off your helmet and kit all over yourcamera and accessories?

Maybe this isn’t the case and you’re in Uganda saton the bank between rides getting some shots of

EasyCover Siliconecamera cases

How you install ithttps://youtu.be/AhJbl9rgJYA

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01642 520234THE UK�S ULTIMATE ONLINE PADDLESPORT STORE!in association with www.nswatersports.com 01642 520234

your mates. Its’ hot and dusty and everything you own isbrown from the dirt. There are many scenarios whereyour camera is in the firing line for dust, water or dirtdamage but there is now a good solution.

Easycover are a dutch company specializing in protectingyour camera gear and have a huge range of productsavailable. I recently took ownership of an Easycoversilicone case. I have owned silicone cases for mobilesphones for years, it’s nothing new, so when I saw themfor DSLR cameras I thought why not? I first noticed themat the NEC Photography Show and went along to meetthe guys at Easycover.

Impressive product range

They were really helpful and the product range wasimpressive. The cases protect your DSLR body from dayto day dirt, moisture, sand, dust etc, and they are custommoulded to fit individual models which they do reallywell. They obviously add a bit of size to your camera butnot enough to cause any ergonomic problems. In myopinion they also enhance your grip, featuring manytextured grip panels on the case. I find even when myhands are wet I have a much better grip on my camerathan holding the body alone.

To fit these cases you slide your camera body in throughthe bottom and stretch the silicone case around yourcamera. To protect the screen they also come with twoscreen protectors and a built in clear plastic screenguard. The case obviously keeps any splashes off the bodyyet also allows you to easily wipe your camera clean afteruse in a dusty environment.

My buttons do not show wear and tear on those I alwaysuse and I no longer get scratches form day to day use. Ialso no longer worry about putting my camera down onthe bank or concrete. The camera is protected frommost things and better still my camera stays in goodcondition so will have more resale value.

I cannot recommend these camera cases enough, youcan buy them in a range of colours and better still theyonly cost around £20, which is a bargain!

Easy cover also stock a range or silicone lens rims toprotect your lenses from knocks and wear and lens bags.

Forget

your PFD

Smooth looks and sculpted foam hide handwarmers, pockets

to swallow up every trip essential, and rear storage for your

drinks bladder. This one’s so comfy you can forget you’re

wearing it.

palmequipmenteurope.com/peyto

PEYTO TOURING PFD

Forget

your PFD

Smooth looks and sculpted foam hide handwarmers, pockets

to swallow up every trip essential, and rear storage for your

drinks bladder. This one’s so comfy you can forget you’re

wearing it.

palmequipmenteurope.com/peyto

PEYTO TOURING PFD

Forget

your PFD

Smooth looks and sculpted foam hide handwarmers, pockets

to swallow up every trip essential, and rear storage for your

drinks bladder. This one’s so comfy you can forget you’re

wearing it.

palmequipmenteurope.com/peyto

PEYTO TOURING PFD

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Palm Meander Women’s PFDwww.palmequipment.comBy Anne EganThe Meander is Palm’s entry leveltouring PFD‚ designed to be lightweight‚slimline‚ and easy to use. A low profiledesign with a simple‚ secure zip andbuckle closure.

I found the Palm Meander to be a an excellententry level touring buoyancy aid. There is plentyof adjustment with the low profile designallowing a full range of movement of theshoulder and arms. The light weight constructionadds to the comfort.

The Meander has a small internal breast pocketwith security ring as well as a much larger frontzipped pocket again with internal security ring.

It is an attractive looking PFD that overall givesgenerous amount of movement with a slimprofile and at the moment is my choice of PFD,especially when SUPing.

Tech specs:l Nylon 420D ripstop Entryl YKK front zip entry Fit l Reflective detailsl 3D anti ride-up waistbeltl Adjustable strapsl Front zipped pocket with clip-in pointl Small inside chest pocketColours: Purple, red and blueSizes: XS/S (40 N)‚ M/L (45 N)‚ XL/XXL (50 N)

PADDLERUK 78

To advertise email: ads@thepaddlerezine.comor call +44 (0)1480 465081 PADDLERUK 79

FatYak Kayaks, PDA Group, Slade Way, Roughmoor Industrial Estate, Williton, Somerset TA4 4TBTel. 01984 632026 www.fatyak-kayaks.co.uk

ghmoor Industrial Estate, Williton, Somerset TA4 4TBT www.fatyak-kayaks.co.uk

WWW.seakayakGreeCe.Com

Explore Milos Island, Greece 6 Day-trips with 8 nightsB&B for €560 pp. Genuine hospitality, quality equipment, an amazing placeto paddle. BCU qualified coaches. We are open all year,everyone is welcome.

Canadian Wilderness www.paddlersinn.ca

http://hennessyhammock.com(888) 539-2930 US/Canada 1-250-539-2930 InternationalEmail: info@hennessyhammock.com

PADDLERUK 80 in association withw

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Palm Vantage Women’s jacketwww.palmequipment.comBy Anne EganThe Palm Vantage is a beautifullydesigned jacket for use in both paddlingand off the water. It’s 3D cut facilitatescomfortable movement along with thepre-bent elbows. The wind and the rainare kept at bay by the waterproof outerlayer and heat is retained whilst alsobeing breathable from the inner layerconstruction.

Style wise the jacket really has that look whichallows uses in a variety of environments -including the pub! Personally I used it on mySUP whilst paddling on the Thames and also tokeep the cold wind out whilst walking on atypically chilly walk through St James Park inMarch. The hood is generously constructed andadjustable and the peak allows great visibilitywhilst staying dry. The dropped hem at the backis helpful in keeping one's behind dry whilstpaddling or walking. The wrist cuffs are easy toadjust to keep the water out and the waistadjustment again helps retain the heat andkeeps the wind and water out.

The Vantage comes in only one colourcombination of purple and turquoise but it’s onethat I like. All in all an perfectly lightweight towear and carry, with an essential large frontpouch in which to store large items or to warmyour hands as it is fleece lined and very cosy. Avery impressive practical jacket.

Colour: PurpleSizes: WS‚ WM‚ WL‚ WXL

SpecsMaterials: XP 2.5-layer fabric Pockets: YKK AquaGuard zipped

kangaroo pocket. Handwarmer pocket with fleece lined backing

Weight: 406 g (WM)Cut: Female specific 3D cut Neck seal: 1/4 zip opening Wrist seal: Velcro adjustable cuffs Waist: Drawcord adjustable waist

Dropped rear hem Hood: Volume adjustable‚ helmet

compatible storm hood

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Y: www.canoelondon2015.com

Since the launch of the Sweet Strutterbaseball type helmet Sweet have beenat the forefront of kayak helmet design.As a result is very rare not see at leastone Sweet helmet when you meet adecent sized group of paddlers on thewater.

For the last few years the Sweet Strutter(2012 model) has been my main helmet but Iwanted one with a little more coverage andwithout a peak.

Now it is important to note that to really get ahelmet that offers you the right level ofcomfort and protection it is important to try anumber of them on. It would be very easy toselect a helmet based upon what your mateswear or what see you see on the many videoedits online. But everyone has a differentshaped head and the most expensive helmeton the market may not be the one that offersYOU the best level of protection. After tryingon everything that was available and retryingthem all I settled on the Sweet Wanderer.

Additional comfortThe Wanderer is made from an ABS shell withcarbon inserts for additional re-enforcement inkey areas. The carbon can be seen around thefour vents on the top of the helmet. EPPpadding inside the helmet is moulded withinand is covered in a removable Coolmax linerfor additional comfort. The straps are alsofitted with a press stud system that allows theoptional ear pieces (available separately) to beused when it gets a little colder.

The Wanderer provides excellent all roundhead coverage and is also very comfortablewhen worn. Personally I find that theWanderer is a much better fit for me than theRocker, as it doesn’t seem to pressuncomfortably against my forehead. This is animportant point and really highlights the needto try helmets on.

The Occi-grip which has upgraded internalsdoes a really good job, the helmet feels snugbut comfortable and stays in placer even whenthe straps are unclipped. Importantly theWanderer is certified to CE EN 1385 - whichis white water use up to Grade 4.

w

gThePaddler ezine test station. If youw

antyourproductreviewedanditwillbeofinteresttopaddlers - email us: reviews@thepaddlerezine.com

www.nswatersports.com

01642 520234

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01642 520234

in association with

in association with www.nswatersports.com 01642 520234in association withw

01642 520234THE UK�S ULTIMATE ONLINE PADDLESPORT STORE!in association with www.nswatersports.com 01642 520234

The Sweet Wanderer – the poor man’s Rocker?www.sweetprotection.com/whitewater-kayak/By Phil Carrwww.unsponsored.co.uk

PADDLERUK 82

The Sweet Wanderer Helmet comes in at around £120,which is around £50 cheaper than the Sweet Rocker and asearch around the net can find Wanderers for less than £100.The small visor (now fully integrated on the new model)keeps water and sun (if it’s around) out of your eyes so youcan focus on the task at hand.

Style wise I don’t think that the Wanderer is the prettiesthelmet around and the Rocker is certainly better looking. TheRocker also has the option of using a large visor, which offersa little more flexibility.

So how does the Wanderer compare to the Rocker. TheWanderer is cheaper than the Rocker, but I don’t think thatthis is the whole story. Is it a poor man’s choice? No, I dothink that the Wanderer offers Sweet’s excellent quality andprotection at a more reasonable price than the Rocker rangebut the big thing for me is the fit.

I could own a Rocker and I did for a short period of time butthe fit wasn’t comfortable for my head. The Wanderer isshaped slightly differently and for me is the smarter andbetter choice. I am secure in the knowledge that Sweet offersome of the best looking and more importantly, functionaldesigns in the market place and I am very happy to have myhead protected by a Sweet Wanderer.

Sweet Wanderer helmet features:l Carbon fibre reinforcement keeps your head safe without

added weight.l High impact ABS shell offers great durability and protection.l EPP padding w/Coolmax liner.l Occi-grip tensioning system.l Direct ventilation keeps air flow on the head.l Self adhesive fit pads can be placed between the shock

absorbing liner and the stitched liner for fit perfection.

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