From my little knowledge I do not think a Canadian style would be great for the sea. Your more likely to be bobbing around in the sea.Originally Posted by LRB255
Last edited by sprite1275; 29th July 2020 at 17:02.
Open Canoe's aren't really suited to "beach" activity, though they can be interesting to surf.
I have used one one the sea in a "harbour" environment without issue, it's the waves that make life interesting.
They are best suited for lakes, rivers and sheltered water as once you capsize unless you are confident and competent in self rescue then i'd say it's a no for the sea.
Thanks guys sort of guessed it may not be quite suitable but girlfriend really liked the style of them and that it appeared you sat a bit higher out of the water
As above, canoes are not great for sea travel. The two things that canoes do not like are cross waves and wind... both of which can sneak up on you in the ocean. However they excel at rivers and lakes. Flipping a canoe pretty much means a swim to the shore... on a river this isn’t usually a problem it in the ocean with currents it very much can be.
Plus the loss of the canoe. Even if you accept the risks for yourselves, it will prove expensive.
It’s genuinely a bad idea.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
When in the army I completed the Devizes-Westminster race in a K2 with a colleague of mine. It was a somwhat tough non-stop 125 miles in snow, including many portages, some caused by solid ice on the water and we did it after training on the Kennet and Avon in mid winter, learning to cope with capsizes in freezing water.
Great fun !and it made the kayaking and canoeing that I did subsequently during the summer in pleasanter circumstances an absolute joy. My advice would mirror some others on here, get some training in the basics from a club with a good instructor, it will reduce risks and make the whole enterprise an absolute joy.
Finally got one. This should be arriving next week
Just managed to bag the last one of a small batch to enter the UK. Now to start researching some good stretches of rivers to try out.
Paddle Points has put-ins, slipways and parking.
https://gopaddling.info/paddlepoints/
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Nice one, great little site.
Don't foreget that for a lot of the waterways you will need a Rivers license.
Easiest way to get this is by joining British Canoeing which also gives you liability insurance as well.
Finally acquired 2 single kayaks over the weekend, Ocean Frenzy. These were 2nd hand and stumbled across them via a friend of a friend, very lucky as been following kayaks on eBay and they have been fetching crazy money and dealers having no new stock at all
We also wanted a tandem sit on but again dealers no stock and 2nd hand crazy money. Managed to secure a new one from a builder (Tootega). They had stopped making doubles for now but agreed to make one for a week turnaround so extremely happy and kids delirious
Next on the list is a paddle board (solid board) so would welcome any advice regards suitable makes, sizes etc from any paddle boarders out there
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Lidl were selling inflatable kayaks the other day!
You know what they say about Lidl - “you go in to buy some bread, milk and soap but come out with a flux core welder, a BBQ and a massage chair!!
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Did a day 1 to 1 kayak course Monday round a part of the coast of Anglesey (Bull Bay)
Started in the classroom being shown how to plan a trip taking the tides, wind direction, equipment etc into account. Very intuitive. We then headed out to Bull Bay. The weather was dull but clear/followed by drizzle and reasonably mild considering with a force 4 breeze. There was a lot to cram in in only 1 day so overloaded occasionally when trying to remember things but my technique was improved from my limited sit on paddling time, paddling style improved and felt more comfortable albeit my back was tired by the time we got back even though the wind was assisting us
Went into some lovely little caves and shown correctly how to negotiate theses. What I found fun was following and hugging the coastline, ie following the rocks as the waves and swell movement added to the fun and darting in between rocks. Saw some lovely nature along the way and ended up at an old brickworks for lunch, it was drizzly by this time but warm and wet. Saw some porpoise out feeding and a seal
Managed to stay dry albeit a couple of near misses whilst practicing sweeping turns and locking the knees etc to get more edge. I did get wet at the end though, we were just about to get ashore when he said we hadn’t practiced a roll and assisted rescue. “Would I like to try it”couldn’t have faced the ribbing back home if I’d have said no thanks, went better than expected but blooming cold, goodness knows if it had been less mild
Anyway great day had and highly recommend if you think it may be your cup of tea, so the hunt now begins for a sea kayak followed by dry suit (might as well be as comfy as can be) and all the other expensive trimmings to go with it
Sorry no pictures out on the water as wasn’t brave enough to try and multitask
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Sea kayaking in closed cockpit boats like those in the photograph can be a magical experience. My son and I were white water kayakers eg full on. However an afternoon spent around the sea caves of Oban being followed by inquisitive seals won us over.
Mine was the orange one for the day, plastic boat, the instructors was fibreglass
I also called into a local boat builder yesterday, apparently a famous guy in the kayaking world (Nigel Dennis) Had a good chat and a sit in a couple of kayaks for size. He also sells 2nds so maybe a cheaper deal to consider. I’m looking at a day trip boat/surf kayak as probably won’t be going on any expeditions (as of yet anyway 😂)
You said you were looking for recommendations for a solid paddle board, any reason why you are not considering an inflatable paddle board?
Yes, I was thinking solid as storage is not an issue, also it’s very rocky where we are so guessing potentially easier to damage?
I am by no means an expert on the subject and have never used a solid board, I'm not offering advice as such I was just interested in your choice reasons.
Certainly if you have the storage then you have definitely solved one of the major and most obvious draw backs of owning a solid board, and you may well be right regards a solid board being the best choice when using within a rocky environment also.
I have been told by friends that own solid boards that they can be damaged fairly easily, being big and heavy things to manoeuvre both in and out of water. I have also read that inflatable boards are often the preferred choice for white water river boarding where rocks are a risk.
From my own limited experience my inflatable board is extremely solid, tough and very well constructed, but I have never used it where there are rocks.
You asked about sizing in your earlier post, I don't know if sizing advice is the same for inflatable as it is for solid but I'm guessing it is? So if it helps you, my board is 10ft 8" and it very easily supports me at 13 plus stone and my 4 year old daughter on it at the same time with zero board flex.
Either way I hope you get the paddle board that works best for your needs, they are a lot of fun for the whole family, and the right choice is the board that best suits the environment and type of boarding you plan on doing.
ETA. Lovely photos you posted of a gorgeous environment to be doing your kayaking and boarding, I'm very jealous mate.
Last edited by dustybottoms; 30th September 2020 at 21:16.
Finally whittled down my search for a boat, ended up with the Valley Gemini in plastic which I trialled on Lake Windermere last week. It was a close call between the Valley Etain, Romany Surf and Gemini but opted for the plastic Gemini version as will probably withstand the frequent rock bashing and regular capsizing better. Just need to sort paddles now :)
^^^^^^^^
That looks lovely . What a great day for it too . Where is that ?
Funnily enough, I brought mine out today for the first time in a good while . It was only the Bridgewater Csnsl nearby but it was good to blow the cobwebs off the boat .
I’ll be sure to use it more often for the rest of the season .
I've done a lot of recreational kayaking. Always good to get a days tuition first which is what I did some time ago. It really is something that anyone can do though. Really enjoyable once you're set up. First pic is Ha Long Bay. Amazing experience in surreal surroundings. Then the Harbour Club beach in Shoreham and finally a canal which wasn't really very good for getting the kayaks in and out of the water due to the steep sides. Something to consider when you choose a location. But very tranquil. Haven't been out at all this year due to the covid and my kayaks are stuck in the barn In France!
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Were just off the firing range at Hythe (Kent)
I wish you had taken the picture with your watch and posted in the Guess Where thread. I’d have at least won this one
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I did think thatI wish you had taken the picture with your watch and posted in the Guess Where thread. I’d have at least won this one
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