Issue 20 October 2014
ThePaddler ThePaddler ezine com ezine com ..
International digital magazine for recreational paddlers
ENGLAND’S Southwest COAST STEVE Childs INTERVIEW SHOOTING great PHOTOS Tim Gent
TheTootega man’s design philosophy
Series - Dale Mears
RegularPaddler
KayakPaddler
SaltyPaddler
SUPPaddler
CanoePaddler
Contents
Norwegian sunset Photo: Jonas Svensson, Norway Editor
Peter Tranter peter@thepaddlerezine.com Tel: (01480) 465081 Mob: 07411 005824 www.thepaddlerezine.com
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Anne Egan Tel: (01480) 465081 advertising@thepaddlerezine.com
Covers Kayak: Steve Brooks on the Lower Uhl, India by Ute Heppke SUP: Connor Baxter and Izzy Gomez by Matty Schweitzer and Tom Servais Salty: Frode Wiggin, Norway by Wivian Wiggen Canoe: Susannah Gent, Cornwall by Tim Gent
Additional contributor credits: Phil Carr, Aidan Egan Tranter, Paul Hyman, Franco Ferrero, Pete Astles, Ute Heppke, Matthew Harpham, Don Beveridge, Caren Forbes, Waterman League, Matthew Chebatoris and Chris Aguilar Not all contributors are professional writers and photographers, so don’t be put off writing because you have no experience! The Paddler ezine is all about paddler to paddler dialogue: a paddler’s magazine written by paddlers. Next issue is December 2014 with a deadline of submissions on November 1st. Technical Information: Contributions preferably as a Microsoft Word file with 1200-2000 words, emailed to submissions@thepaddler.ezine.com. Images should be hi-resolution and emailed with the Word file or if preferred, a Dropbox folder will be created for you. The Paddler ezine encourages contributions of any nature but reserves the right to edit to the space available. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishing parent company, 2b Graphic Design. The publishing of an advertisement in The Paddler ezine does not necessarily mean that the parent company, 2b Graphic Design, endorse the company, item or service advertised. All material in The Paddler ezine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission from the editor is forbidden.
004 The Paddler’s Planet
Issue 20
October 2014
By Christian Wagley
006 Eight of the Best
The best paddling films from around the planet
008 Photo of the month Mr PeakUK Junior by Pete Astles
010 Scottish Festival of Paddlesport 24-26th Oct ober
012 Testing, testing
Tons of new kit reviewed and tested
024 Photography
Dale Mears tips on watersport photography
032 Grenada
Ecological paddling by Tez Plavenieks
038 The best of British
Interview with Tootega’s Steve Childs
046 England
Southeast estuaries by Tim Gent
058 Dress for success
Paddler’s clothing by Mark Crame
066 Norway
Four easy steps to rolling by Frode Wiggen
072 US and Canada
Alaska to Whitehorse by Richard Harpham
084 Interview
TriWaters Tour’s Troy Glover
092 Amazon River, Peru & Brazil
Part two: the finish in Brazil by Darcy Gaechter
102 India
First descent of the Lower Uhl by Steve Brooks
116 SUP World Series Champions Five minutes with Connor Baxter and Izzi Gomez
124 Australia
Winter training down under by Kai Nicolas Steimer
134 South Africa
The Dusi Marathon by SUP by Corran Addison
146 Kenya
Christmas coastal SUP by Craig Rogers
160 Interview
Quickblade Paddle’s Jim Terrell
ThePaddler 3
h e c i l vi s e o l L o K
Photo: Joan Vienot
ThePaddler 4
Paddlers take action on climate change For more information on how you can participate wherever you may be on the Planet visit www.supradioshow.com/wpftp Stay tuned for my weekly podcast of The Paddler’s Planet with my guest host Christian Wagley on www.supradioshow.com,
By Christian Wagley
My own concern about climate change led me to take an active role with an environmental group in my town, and our work is making a difference in our community. As paddlers, we are attuned to the natural world, and so are natural and easy allies in the international climate movement.
I know that my life as an avid kayaker is a big part of my motivation for action, as it’s connected me with nature far more intimately than I could in nearly any other way. “Where we are Standing Up And it’s led me to meet and to learn about so many for the Planet!” other paddlers involved in the movement.
project looking at the impacts of climate change and localized pollution on the health of the Lake. On her 1,300-mile journey she also noted her observations of flora and fauna, and the interactions between the resident human population and the Lake. Only from a clean, quiet, human-powered craft could Anna see and experience the Lake in such detail, and leave behind nothing but a brief ripple on the surface of the world’s largest lake.
The island nations of the south Pacific are some of the most vulnerable to climate change, as the rising sea floods these low-lying lands and their distinct cultures. One response comes from the group 350 Pacific, which In British Columbia, Bob Purdy has paddled his stand up organized the building of traditional canoes that native paddleboard every day since January 1, 2011, in order islanders took to Australia to help communicate their to ‘change the way we live on the planet’. A gentle and concern about climate change. gregarious soul, I met Bob at the 2013 World Paddle In Vanuatu, the canoe building project included for the Planet, an event that grew from his desire to traditional dances, discussions on the cultural values of help create that ‘change’. canoe-building and the history of sailing between Now in its third year, World Paddle for the Planet islands plus a ceremony to allow the spirits of the brings together paddlers around the world to paddle island’s high chiefs to travel with the canoe-builders on for the ‘change’ over a weekend of education, activism, their climate mission. The changing climate that and fellowship. Bob leads with his wisdom and kindness, threatens to drown these islands is driven largely by the as well as his sheer dedication. Through his leadership, burning of fossil fuels in industrialized nations like he attracts many more to get involved and to take Australia—hence their mission to the ‘fifth continent’. action where they live. The paddling community around the world is made-up Paddlers are also contributing to the scientific research of so many passionate, concerned, and thoughtful that is documenting climate change and helping us people. It’s no doubt another part of why so many of make the best decisions on how to respond. One is us love to paddle and love spending time with our American, Anna Gleizer, a recent graduate of fellow paddlers. It’s also part of what puts us on the Dartmouth University, who undertook an amazing front lines of the discussion, and the action, needed to journey in order to study the changes. transition our planet to a clean energy future. Anna circumnavigated Russia’s Lake Baikal in a kayak, along the way collecting hydrology data for a research
Your paddles, courses, jobs and travels http://hennessyhammock.com (888) 539-2930 US/Canada 1-250-539-2930 International Email: info@hennessyhammock.com
MOUNTAIN SPORTS HOLIDAYS AND OUTDOORS ACTIVITY COURSES http://www.pyb.co.uk l 01690 720214 l info@pyb.co.uk
Explore Milos Island, Greece 6 Day-trips with 8 nights B&B for â‚Ź560 pp. Genuine hospitality, quality equipment, an amazing place to paddle. BCU qualified coaches. We are open all year, everyone is welcome.
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Canadian Wilderness www.paddlersinn.ca
Creekiando at Quebec!
de Ugarte Burbank Canada
A Time-Lapse Adventure
rustadmedia.com Norway
Austrian Lines
Twelve Productions Austria
Chelan Gorge - 2014
Daniel Patrinellis United States
Spurd Teambuilding
Monovation United Kingdom
Sea Kayaking Alaska 2014
Jonathan Arnow United States
Canoeing Bloodvein River
Paul Kirtley Canada
2014 Battle of the Paddle
ThePaddler 6
Matty Schweitzer United States
ThePaddler 8
Month
Photo of the
“Look, Dad’s just made me a new life jacket!” Mr Peak UK Junior. Aged 10 months…
Photo: Pete Astles http://www.peakuk.com
“For us it represents absolutely everything that is fun about sit-on-top kayak paddling. It’s a veritable surf machine that will have beginners and experts alike grinning from ear-to-ear” Canoe & Kayak UK magazine
pulse 85 length: 259cm / 8.5ft width: 72cm / 28.5” weight: 17kg / 34lbs max load: 95kg / 210lb hull: planing ‘C’
MSRP £359.00
pulse 95 length: 288cm / 9.5ft width: 75cm / 29.5” weight: 19kg / 37lbs max load: 125kg / 275lb hull: planing ‘C’
MSRP £379.00
pulse 120 length: 373cm / 12ft width: 75cm / 29.5” weight: 26kg / 59lbs max load: 185kg / 408lb hull: planing ‘C’
MSRP £529.00
www.tootega.com
ThePaddler 10
An Fhèis Mhòr – Scotland’s Festival of Paddlesport 24th-26th October 2014 Dewars Centre and Perth Leisure Pool, Glover Street, Perth PH2 0TH www.scapaddleshow.org Facebook: SCAPaddleShowTayDescent Twitter: SCAPaddleShow
Free Entry!
What’s on What’s on What’s on
The Scottish Canoe Association’s annual Paddle show has been a firm fixture on the Scottish paddling calendar for many years. In 2014, it is expanding into An Fhèis Mhòr, Scotland’s Festival of Paddlesport. For a whole weekend, Perth will play host to every flavour of paddling activity – all free of charge!
The Pool
For the first time, the Festival includes pool sessions: Lesley Mackay will be demonstrating the ancient art of Greenland rolling, and canoe polo teams will battle it out in a series of short matches.Visitors can paddle too – bring your swimsuit! Perth Canoe Club will set up a slalom course for anyone to race on, and each day will see open Come and Try sessions, with kayaks, surf skis, coracles, kit boats, stand-up paddleboards and more. Coaches will be on hand for those who’ve never paddled before, so bring your friends, children, and partners and get them on the water!
Talks and workshops
The Festival will feature explorers and experts, from all disciplines. Justine Curgenven will recount her latest journey, sea kayaking along the Aleutian Islands with Sara Outen. Callum Strong has spent the summer running the white waters of South India, while Chris Scott prefers the flexible option, and has packrafted down many of Scotland’s least paddled rivers. The workshops will cover life-saving skills such as sea safety with the Coastguard, and first aid essentials with Cory Jones.You can also learn about fishing, ornithology, canoe manufacture, photography and filming.
The retail hall
The Festival is the biggest single gathering of retailers in Scotland, offering a unique chance to try, compare and browse before you buy. Every stall is manned by experts, who can give you personal advice to make sure your money is spent on the best kit for you. Reed and Nordic Outdoors will keep you warm year-round, while Scottish Kayaks, Endless River and many more will help you find the perfect boat.
It’s also a great place to meet those who specialise in more unusual craft, such as surf skis (Roughwater Gear), packrafts (Backcountry Boating), kit boats (Fyne Boat Kits) and coracles (the Coracle Society).
The top providers will also be there, to help you find your next holiday, hone your skills, or start from the very beginning, in any discipline – including Glenmore Lodge, Explore Highland, and Sea Kayak Milos.The Scottish Canoe Association and their affiliated clubs can point you in the right direction for regular paddling opportunities, local to you.
The Films
The weekend will kick off on Friday 24th with an informal, drop-in afternoon and evening of short films, including some of the award-winning “This is the Sea” series. If you’re paddling the Tay Descent, it will also be a chance to see the course before you run it!
The Tay Descent
On 25th October paddlers of all ages and abilities, in any craft, will launch from Dunkeld (long course: 23 miles) and Stanley Mills (short course: 7 miles) to paddle their way down the Tay to Perth. Scotland’s longest river provides a mix of flat water and rapids, and the event can be run as a race or a gentle tour. Registration is open at www.taydescent.org, or you can stand on the banks and cheer the participants.
Practicalities
Please note that parking around the Dewars Centre will be limited on the Saturday – Broxden Park and Ride provides a fast, regular service to the door, and is signposted on the approaches to Perth.
ThePaddler 12
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Testing, in association with
in association with
Tootega Kinetic
www.tootega.com/en-gb/ By Peter Tranter
We all like attention to detail in whatever we buy or experience – it reaffirms a level of trust between the seller and buyer.That’s exactly the feeling I felt when handed Tootega’s new Kinetic sit-on-top kayak – it oozes craftsmanship.
So on a beautiful bright sunny morning we launched into the Great Ouse at Ely for a few hours of fun and to put the Kinetic through its paces. This type of slow moving river is one of the natural environments for Tootega’s new sit-on-top, as it is primarily designed for bridging the gap between playing on the beach and touring on the river. For touring, storage space is essential and the Kinetic has it in spades for a 10-foot long kayak.The bow hatch uses a Kajaksport seal cover to keep it secure, whist the screw top mid hatch is conveniently located close to the seat for cameras, phones etc.The stern tank well is more than large enough to carry a dry bag and completes the Kinetic’s outstanding ability to carry all your gear. The well also carries one of those details we mentioned in the opening paragraph – an embossed Kinetic logo. For capabilities it’s not needed in the slightest but it shows a certain pride and loving care for the product. One item that does certainly affect the boat’s capabilities is the retractable skeg. Located again very conveniently in front of the seating area, you give the string a little pull and hey presto – more tracking than you care to mention and it was pretty good in the first place. Another little pull retracts the skeg back into place within the hull – it’s a beautiful and well designed answer to having to stretch to the rear of the boat to lower the skeg and requires no effort whatsoever.
The benefits of the skeg are obvious with the Kinetic and it tracks beautifully when deployed. Stability is also very important particularly with a sit-on-top as your centre of gravity is higher than a regular cockpit kayak. It’s easy to lean the Kinetic right onto its rail and still stay dry and we regularly sat side saddle with ease.The ultimate examination of its stability is of course is to stand up and the Kinetic passed with flying colours.
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Low profile foam panels. Slimline front pocket with inner compartment, key ring clip. 3D anti ride-up waistbelt. Easy Glide strap adjustment throughout. Continuous loop failsafe shoulder straps with strap keeper pockets. Reflective detail on shoulders, front and rear panels.
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Palm have made a really good looking and highly functional PFD with the FXr. It has taken the FX, which is a superb PFD to a new level. Palm has a PFD that I think will be a huge success with a wide range of paddlers who will love the fit and comfort of the PFD. Creekers and river runners will like the robust fabrics and addition of the rescue belt. You have therefore a PFD that can be used equally as well in a number of different scenarios. The only negative I have spotted is the odd fact that Palm may have inadvertently created a lower cost PFD that is actually better in many respects that the Amp PFD.
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Of considerable help with all of this is the seating position, that places the kayaker from seat to footrest firmly in the middle of the boat and therefore able to control without compromise. The seating area is in a slightly elevated position, which helps to keep the seat area dry. The front pocket is huge and is easily accessed via a Which brings me back to where we started: attention large zip. Inside is a useful clip in point, D ring and small to detail. Everything has been designed from scratch mesh panel for keys etc.The zip is easy to spot as it is in with the new hybrid 'c' hull forming the basis of the a contrasting colour to the rest of the PFD.The pocket design and a well though out solid feel to the Kinetic, and the foam slab sit low on your body, which again complimented by the custom built handles, fittings gives great levels of movement for paddling and dare, I and other little flourishes. say it, makes swimming pretty easy. In conclusion we are highly impressed with the build In addition to the main pocket is a small knife pocket. quality, craftsmanship and superb attention to detail – This is located above the main pocket and runs the Tootega Kinetic elevates the sit-on-top kayak to a horizontally at the top of the foam slab. The pocket is whole new level and at a very affordable price when easy to find/access and is fastened shut with a pressconsidering its UK heritage and very generous lifetime stud. I have tried a couple of folding knives in this warranty. pocket and have found that it works well.
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The stability gives the kinetic a very nice balance between manoeuvrability and tracking resulting in a very easy going kayak that is controlled with the minimum fuss and paddle strokes.
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www.nswatersports.com
View Palm FXr Specs: video Length: Width: Weight: Max load: Hull:
Features:
310cm / 10.0ft 74cm / 29" 22kg / 48lb 140kg / 310lb Hybrid concave
Fully adjustable skeg system 24cm Kajaksport hatch Adjustable footrests 15cm day hatch New Hybrid ‘C’ hull-form Large rear tank-well
13 ThePaddler 11
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kuk.com
two new pants in the 14.
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Tech specs:
Weight: 750 g
in association with
in association with
www.nswatersports.com
www.nswatersports.com
01642 01642520234 520234
KS-Inuksuk Paddle http://kajaksport.fi By Frode Wiggen
ultisport Pants are om tough x2.5 Material: carbon with reinforcements Looking for a new greenland style paddle? Kari-Tek places. The flat Made in Finland Then perhaps try this new paddle from Kajak United Kingdom ckcord waist and ro ankle seals make Sport – Inuksuk. 01292 571 019 al not only for http://www.karitek.co.uk pen boating, but spot is between FX and FXr is the addition of The Kajak-Sport’s latest paddle their the handcrafted www.palmequipmenteurope.com activities such as Palm’s rescue belt. This is the same system used on By Phil Carr Greenland paddle made in Finland. ing, saving you Palm’s entire rescue PFDs and includes aSea metalKayak OOban The FX PFD from Palm Equipment has ace in your luggage! ring for clipping in to. The belt is threaded through been around in one formthe or another Named Inuksuk,forthe paddle was officially launched United Kingdom the fabric of the PFD, which gives the PFD a really Pants are made years and has been one of Palm’s top sellers cleanoflook. Both the metal O-ring and 1631 565 310 at Paddle Expo, Nßrnberg atnice theandend September +44 co-friendly recycled throughout its lifetime. In 2013 Palm took belt can be easily removed. eature an Aquaout withoverhauled the paddle being maderescue available for sale after the FX and totally its fit and the http://www.seakayakoban.com double Aquaout The FXr like the FX is a slab design that is put on material used.the expo through their dealer world wide network. etch neo cone over the head. The slab is a much better fit than on The front pocket is huge and is easily accessed via a The new FX has been such a success that it seemed ls. The Semi Pants NewtoYork Kayak Companylarge zip. Inside is a useful clip in point, D ring and small the previous FX model, as it has been shaped to create something historical and to make sense toKajak-Sport move things up awanted gear and develop ost scenarios and contour with your torso. A better fit is a United safer fit. In States mesh panel for keys etc.The zip is easy to spot as it is in a rescue vest using the same platform. Palm have done profile they erfectly Peak’s new unique with the latest technology and addition available, the low design of the FXr allows for a contrasting colour to the rest of the PFD.The pocket exactly this and have released the FXr in early 2014. +1 (212) 924-1327 range of movement. Adjustment and the foam slab sit low on your body, which again have succeeded. This paddle great looks very much the part! to all of the straps is simple and straightforward. The http://www.nykayak.com waist I have used the FX for almost a year for playboat gives great levels of movement for paddling and dare, I ultisport and Semi duties and have used a Palm Extrem River Vest whilst band/belt is coated with a rubber material (3d anti say it, makes swimming pretty easy. available now and The West Greenland style Inuksuk has smooth and ride up), which helps to keep the PFD in place. out in my creek boat of river runner. The FX is a d £115 In addition to the main pocket is a small knife pocket. wellI was finished which are comfortable in Kayak Academy superb bit of kit and intriguedseamless to see how edges, the The fabrics used are pretty heavy duty 500D Cordura, This is located above the main pocket and runs FXr would measure againsthigh-end both the FX core and construction allowed reuse.upLight United the same as used in the more expensive Extrem RiverStates horizontally at the top of the foam slab. The pocket is Extrem PFDs. Vest and to those used in the dry top design the blade profile to make it match morein colour efficient easy to find/access and is fastened shut with a press+1 866 306 1825 range.The FXr is available in Sherbet (a bright orange In many respects the FXr is just the same as the FX. stud. I have tried a couple of folding knives in this without fibrillation. The profile also offersbluehigher yet and Aqua http://www.kayakacademy.com with contrasting zips/stitching) (a bright The majority of the features have remained the pocket and have found that it works well. bluegood with lime green zips/stitching). same. However, some improvements been stable traction have for maintaining cruising speed. Nice little touches Palm have made a really good looking and highly made in a number of key areas. The easiest change to like the contrasting stitching and reflective piping really Gadermann Kajak-Import functional PFD with the FXr. It has taken the FX, which the FXr stand out. Split construction with 13 cmmakes length, the adjustment is a superb PFD to a new level. Palm has a PFD that I Germany offers plenty more options in use. With length think will be a huge success with a wide range of +49 4052 983 006 paddlers who will love the fit and comfort of the PFD. adjustment Inuksuk will basically fit all paddlers with http://www.gadermann.de Creekers and river runners will like the robust fabrics different style of kayaks. and addition of the rescue belt. You have therefore a PFD that can be used equally as well in a number of The paddle is awesome for both rolling and paddling. Portear Kayaks y Complementos S.L.U. The only negative I have spotted is different scenarios. the odd fact that Palm may have inadvertently created Inuksuk has a matt finish and an oval loom, which gives Spain a lower cost PFD that is actually better in many you a very good grip. 963 565 555 respects that the Amp PFD.
Palm FXr PFD
The locking system is on the outside of the paddle, and the fit is very tight. The flex on this paddle is also very good and makes it very comfortable to use.
http://www.portear.com
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We are Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre located in the heart of Cairngorms National Park. Learn, develop or qualify in an adventure sport of your choice. Our goal is to inspire adventure by teaching beginners, coaching intermediate/advanced and delivering training and assessment courses for leaders and instructors.
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01642 01642520234 520234
Magic carpet ride – Nah Skwell SCOW 12.6ft www.nahskwell-sup.com By Tez Plavenieks
Standing on its defined sweet spot the SCOW Innovation is a difficult thing to grasp when reaches an impressive top speed for its size, especially you’re used to convention. Nah Skwell’s up and downwind at coastal venues. It picks up small SCOW is a case in point. With appearances to moderate bumps easily and projects the paddler very different to perceived ‘normal’ stand up Palm FXr PFD into paddle boards it could leave many scratching spot between the FX and FXr is the addition of the next stroke. Changing course is a doddle with www.palmequipmenteurope.com Palm’s rescue belt. This is the same system used on wider blade sweeps easily keeping it on line – it slightly their heads in wonder. By Phil Carr Palm’s entire rescue PFDs and includes a metal OThe FX PFD from Palm Equipment has doesn’t lock on course as a sharper nose SUP would. ring for clipping in to. The belt is threaded through The rounded been around in one SCOW’s form or another for nose and dinghy-like bow the fabric of the PFD, which gives the PFD a really years and has ensures been one of Palm’s top sellers this in mind, paddling across chop and wind is a heads turn anytime you rock atBoth thetheput in.O-ring With nice and cleanup look. metal and throughout its lifetime. In 2013 Palm took rescue belt can be easily removed. little trickier – the tail and nose feeling quite loose, There was a lot interest the FX and totally overhauled its of fit and the during testing with The–FXr the FXthe is a slab design that is put on material used.inquisitive looks and questions preferring to weave more than expected. Moving back it like seems SCOW over the head. The slab is a much better fit than on The front pocket and is easily The new FX has is been such a success that it seemed a touch alleviates this, especially whenis huge weighting a accessed via a on many paddlers’ radar, but hesitancy due to lack of the previous FX model, as it has been shaped to large zip. Inside is a useful clip in point, D ring and small to make sense to move things up a gear and develop downwind edge. This engages theforsharp wide convention may be causing doubts? contour with your torso. A better fit is a safer fit. In mesh panel keys etc.rail Theand zip is easy to spot as it is in a rescue vest using the same platform. Palm have done profile design of the FXr allows for addition the low a contrasting colour the rest of the PFD.The pocket tail, pushing the bow in the direction oftointended exactly this and have released the FXr in early 2014. range of movement. Adjustment The term ‘dinghy’ has alreadygreat been mentioned, and in to all of the and the foam slab sit low on your body, which again travel. straps is simple and straightforward. The waist I have used the FX for almost a year for playboat gives great levels of movement for paddling and dare, I fact, Nah Skwell’s design team have based the SCOW duties and have used a Palm Extrem River Vest whilst band/belt is coated with a rubber material (3d anti say it, makes swimming pretty easy. Nah Skwell boards (like all brands) have a distinct feel, on sailing boatsTheofFXthe name. You can up), which helps fully to keep the PFD in place. out in my creek boat of river runner. is a same ride In addition to the main pocket is a small knife pocket. superb bit of kit and I was intrigued to see how the by the term ‘glide’ – the understand their thinking – during sessions the heavy noseduty 500Dsummed The fabrics used are pretty Cordura, up mostly for them This is located above the main pocket and runs FXr would measure up against both the FX and the same as used in the more expensive Extrem River SCOW is no exception. Keeping it the tracking requires a pocket is floats efficiently above the water like a magic carpet. horizontally at top of the foam slab. The Extrem PFDs. Vest and match in colour to those used in the dry top easy to find/access and ison fastened shut with a presstad more effort than a pointy bow, when very flat Standing forward of the centre is a unique feeling with range.The FXr is available in Sherbet (a bright orange In many respects the FXr is just the same as the FX. stud. I have tried a couple of folding knives in this contrasting and Aquawater, (a brightbut there’s no denying The majority of the have almost remained the momentum driven thefeatures SCOW hovering with – much as blue youzips/stitching) would feel pocket the and have found that it works well. blue with lime green zips/stitching). Nice little touches same. However, some improvements have been from a single paddle pull. A relaxing ride, due to its perched on the bow of a boat. Palm have made a really good looking and highly made in a number of key areas. The easiest change to like the contrasting stitching and reflective piping really PFDdirectional with the FXr. It changes has taken the FX, which latitude roll, which along functional with easy makes the FXr stand out. Nah Skwell bill the SCOW as: ‘a race board that is a superb PFD to a new level. Palm has a PFD that I give it considerable inherent stability, resulting in a think will be a huge success with a wide range of overcomes the drawbacks of conventional ‘sharp sweet fitness/cruiser or racer. paddlers who will love the fit and comfort of the PFD. nose’ boards – but also applicable for downwinders’. Creekers and river runners will like the robust fabrics andNah addition of the rescue belt.invested You have therefore a The stock fin is good, with Skwell having We can certainly see lighter paddlers using the PFD that can be used equally as well in a number of some time and effort in this department to reduce SCOW to good effect in comps – once the initial different scenarios. The only negative I have spotted is draft and weed catch. If racing thethat SCOW, hurdle of unusual looks has been vaulted. Not needing the odd fact Palm maytrying have inadvertently created lower cost is actually better in many different skegs for tuningacould stillPFD bethat a good idea. the board trimmed flat, to avoid bow rolls and respects that the Amp PFD. associated swims, means the SCOW will suit all Features include: paddlers though. � �
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Watch the video
Conclusion
An unusual looking but innovative beast, Nah Skwell’s SCOW is a head turner, but one that performs. Floating effortlessly above chop, its magic carpet ride is most at the fore when sweeping coastal venues. Admirable top speeds make it applicable for lightweight racers while downwind aficionados, who paddle in moderate swells, will appreciate its pick up and glide traits. Price: £1199 for OSSE full wood sandwich, £1599 for OSSC full carbon and both inc. anti weed fin.
For more info on the SCOW head over to www.nahskwell-sup.com and www.kaisports.co.uk in the UK. Email info@kaisports.co.uk and naishuk2@aol.com or call Jon on 02380 840777.
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Great Barford Barford
ʁ Canoe & kayak hire ʁ Stand up paddle b board oard safari
Bromham
ʁ Wild campsite located next to river ʁ Tuition, guided tours & multi da ayy trips ʁ Canoe & kayak sales ʁ Group deals, kids parties & corpo porate rate days
The Embankment
ʁ Activity vouchers, bushcraft & adventure activities ʁ Other locations including the River Thames, R River iver Ivel & River W Wye ye
Bedfordshire Canoe Trails
Call Ashley on 07960 087235 or Richard on 07710 616520 Proathlete ltd trading as Canoe Trail
ler
10
s Pants
in association with
Boardworks SUP with System X Distribution
kuk.com
two new pants in the 14.
g
Testing, testin
ThePaddler 18
in association with
www.nswatersports.com
www.nswatersports.com
01642 01642520234 520234
For paddle mitts, I've got to hand it to Crewroom www.crewroom.biz
By Paul Hyman, Founder of Active360
ultisport Pants are om tough x2.5 As a kayaker I've got used to having cold hands in winter. For years I looked for gloves with reinforcements places. The flat which actually work in whitewater and surf with air temperatures below 5c which is ckcord waist and fairly common in the UK. After buying some very expensive and some less expensive ro ankleBoardworks seals make Surf will be using ones which all failed to make much difference, I gave up and got used to using pogies. al not only for System X Distribution to pen boating, but spot between the FX and FXr is the addition of www.palmequipmenteurope.com Boardworks Inflatable activitiesdistribute such as The last straw when a used classic Palm’s rescuewas belt. This is thepaddling same system on Scottish rapid in heavy snow, I took off my expensive By Phil Carr ing, saving you Palm’s entire rescue PFDs and includes a metal OSUPs andThe Badfish SUP products watersport gloves and continued with bare hands deciding that I was actually better off without the FX PFD from Palm Equipment has ace in your luggage! ring for clipping in to. The belt is threaded through been around in one form or another for gloves as I could at least put my fingers in my mouth in the eddies to restore some sensation. to the European Market. System the fabric of the PFD, which gives the PFD a really Pants are made years and has been one of Palm’s top sellers nice and clean look. Both the metal O-ring and X recycled is basedthroughout in the UK and co-friendly its lifetime. In 2013 Palm took With SUP, are obviously rescuepogies belt can be easily removed. useless so I tried various open-palm mitts which made a marginal eature an Aquaout theto FXretailers and totally overhauled its fit and the distributes in difference but orputwere double Aquaout The FXr likeeither the FX isreduced a slab designgrip that is on ineffective. Mitts are generally better than gloves as keeping material used. Germany, Switzerland, Austria, etch neo cone the head. The slab isita easier much better than on fingersover together makes to fitget hands warmed up. WeThe tried best of and these out on our frontthe pocket is huge is easily accessed via a2014 The new FX has been such a success that it seemed ls. The Semi Pants Sweden, Norway and Finland. This the previous FX model, as it has been shaped to large zip. Insidedifference is a useful clip in point, the D ringwind and small to make sense to move things up a gear and develop Greenland SUP expedition but found none of them really made much once ost scenarios and contour with your torso. A better fit is a safer fit. In mesh panel for keys etc.The zip is easy to spot as it is in will be thea rescue firstvest time Badfish SUP using the same platform. Palm have done theprofile icecap erfectly Peak’s new addition the low design of the FXr allowsup. for blowing across Arctic picked a contrasting colour to the rest of the PFD.The pocket exactly this in and Europe. have released the FXr in early 2014. will be available great range of movement. Adjustment to all of the and the foam slab sit low on your body, which again straps thing is simpleabout and straightforward. Theis waist I have used the FX for almost a year for playboatThe good open-palm that you can easily take your fingers to operate a camera, gives great levels out of movement for paddling and dare, Iuntie ultisport and Semi “SystemX isduties a major player the and have used a in Palm Extrem River Vest whilst band/belt is coated with a rubber material (3d anti say it,amakes swimming pretty easy. to the paddle. available now and a knot, etc, without taking off the mitt. Also, the open-palm gives better connection ride up), which helps to keep the PFD in place. out in mySports creek boat of river runner. market, and The we FX is a d ÂŁ115 European Paddle addition to the maincan pocket is a small And when you are not sure if it’s quite cold enough, but may Inget colder, you wear theknife mittpocket. around superb bit of kit and I was intrigued to see how the The fabrics used are pretty heavy duty 500D Cordura, were looking a distributor thatboth could This is located above the main pocket and runs FXrfor would measure up against the FX and your wrist soasit’s to put on inExtrem an instant. the same usedready in the more expensive River horizontally at the top of the foam slab. The pocket is Extrem PFDs. reach the canoe/ kayak market in Vest and match in colour to those used in the dry top easy to find/access and is fastened shut with a pressrange. FXr is available Sherbet (a bright orange In many respects FXr is just the same as the In FX.2013 weThestarted our incollaboration with Crewroom, a localstud. company outdoor Europe. One of our topthe performing I have trieddesigning a couple of folding knives gear, in this and contrasting blue zips/stitching) and Aqua (a bright The majority of the features have remained the pocketand and have foundpaddlesports that it works well.in winter. startedwithlooking at what would help to keep people enjoying SUP other brands is Badfish, it is the only River blue with lime green zips/stitching). Nice little touches same. However, some improvements have been have made good looking and highly Effective paddle mitts were of the around witha really designer Jordanna Andrews specific SUPmade brand, and itofneeds toThebeeasiest change contrasting stitching and top reflective pipinglist. reallyI threw some ideasPalm in a number key areas. to like the PFD with the FXr. It has taken the FX, which makes theher FXr stand and showed my out. collection of ineffective mitts and gloves functional and explained why I thought they didn’t sold through speciality retailers that is a superb PFD to a new level. Palm has a PFD that I work. We came out with the new Crewroom paddle mitts. These are what need understand whitewater. SystemX think will be aexactly huge success withyou a wide range–ofgrippy paddlers whodown will loveto the0c. fit and of theare: PFD. and designed to keep hands warm when wet or dry in temperatures Thecomfort features distributes some of the top brands in Creekers and river runners will like the robust fabrics whitewater, and we are lucky to have • 0.5cm neoprene back hand for superior wind protection.and addition of the rescue belt.You have therefore a PFD that can be used equally as well in a number of our logo on their ‘brands’ page.â€? Says • Reflective branding for night-time visibility. different scenarios. The only negative I have spotted is Boardworks’ National Sales Manger Ryan the odd fact that Palm may have inadvertently created • Pull-tab, ideal for pulling on easily when your hands are cold. a lower cost PFD that is actually better in many Guay. • Fleece-lined mitten design helps generate natural heat. respects that the Amp PFD.
Palm FXr PFD
System X will be focusing on inflatable SUPs for 2015 and revealed the product lineup at Paddle Expo in Nuremberg Germany. They will be stocked with inventory by January 2015. For more info contact System X: Tel +44 (0) 1189 773 709 Fax +44 (0) 1189 773 775 info@systemxeurope.com www.systemxeurope.com
• • • • • •
Silicone grip palms. Features Palm hole to help keep a sense of connection with the water and toinclude: poke your hands through and Low profile foam panels. not lose your gloves in the water. Slimline front pocket with inner compartment, key Safety clip to keep gloves safely attached when not in use. ring clip. 3D anti ride-up waistbelt. Adjustable cuff for the perfect fit. Easy Glide strap adjustment throughout. Continuous loop failsafe shoulder straps with Articulated design. strap keeper pockets. Glued seams reinforced with stitching to hold up in difficult Reflective conditions. detail on shoulders, front and rear panels. â—? â—?
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The first ones have arrived in our perfect Indian summer so it’s too warm to test them in action. We have a few tests lined up which include placing a colleague in a deep freeze. Watch this space.
Win yourself a pair of Crewroom's bespoke paddle mitts With the wintry weather drawing in, now's the perfect time to win yourself a pair of Crewroom's bespoke paddle mitts. Just answer the two simple questions below. The answers can be found on Active360's website www.active360.co.uk and on Crewroom's www.crewroom.biz 1. When was Active360 (Think360 Sports ltd) founded?
2. Fill in the blank for the following product which can be found on the Paddle section of our website www.crewroom.biz: ______ Long-length Circuit Boardie (Mens) Send your answers to comp@thepaddlerezine.com and the first five to be drawn will win a pair of the gloves. Draw will be on November 30th 2014.
Vi
Paul Ramsdale. River Dee. Image: Pete Astles
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'HVLJQ
ler
10
s Pants
in association with
AstralYTV PFD
kuk.com
two new pants in the 14.
g
Testing, testin
ThePaddler 20
in association with
By Phil Carr ultisport Pants are Firstly the Astral YTV PFD is not om tough x2.5 with reinforcements available in Europe but thanks to the places. The flat Internet it is super easy to get hold of ckcord waist and I have had mine for a number of ro ankleone. seals make al not only for FXr PFD weeks andPalm was able to put it through its pen boating, but www.palmequipmenteurope.com activitiespaces such as in a number of different By Phil Carr ing, saving you environments. The FX PFD from Palm Equipment has
ace in your luggage!
The foam is incredibly light and moulds to the body really well. The lack of bulk and little weight does feel odd for a short while and I forgot it was actually there, which I believe is a testament to its design. The range of movement for either paddling or even swimmer is excellent, and whilst swimming the side adjustment straps and waist belt keep the PFD from riding up without being uncomfortable.
The simplicity of its I design is its strength and allows the YTV to be a piece of kit that can be used for kayaking, canoeing, sailing or even for use on a SUP without feeling that it’s getting in the way. There are very few high-end white water PFDs with the same number of features that could be used effectively in such a wide range of watersports without feeling as if they were getting in the way.
www.nswatersports.com
01642 01642520234 520234
Canoe Camping www.pesdapress.com
Author:Tim Gent ISBN: 978-1-906095-48-2 Publisher: Pesda Press Proposed Price: ÂŁ16.99 Publication Date: December 14th, 2014 Format: approx spot between the FXpaperback; and FXr is the addition of 220 pages; 200x230mm (landscape); colour photos.
Palm’s rescue belt. This is the same system used on Palm’s entire rescue PFDs and includes a metal Oring for clipping in to. The belt is threaded through the fabric of the PFD, which gives the PFD a really nice and clean look. Both the metal O-ring and rescue belt can be easily removed.
been around in one form or another for The YTV is Astral’s on aone slimmed down Pants are made years andtake has been of Palm’s top sellers co-friendly recycled throughout its lifetime. Palm lightweight PFD. The YTV is put In on2013 ‘over thetook head’ eature an Aquaout the FX and totally overhauled its fit and the and is kept in place by a number of broad straps double Aquaout The FXr like the FX is a slab design that is put on material used. etch neo coneare adjusted at either side (two each side). that over the head. The slab is a much better fit than on The new FX has been such a success that it seemed ls. The Semi Pants the previous FX model, as it has been shaped to The shoulder straps are thinner and are again to make sense to move things up a gear and develop ost scenarios and contour with your torso. A better fit is a safer fit. In a rescue vest using the same platform. Palm have done profile design of the FXr allows for Not a great deal of padding is found erfectly adjustable. Peak’s new addition the low exactly this and have released the FXr in early 2014. on the PFD so would not provide any significant great range of movement. Adjustment to all of the straps is simple and straightforward. The waist I have used the FX for almost a year for playboat ultisportprotection and Semi ifduties youand were shoulder carrying your have used a Palm Extrem River Vest whilst band/belt is coated with a rubber material (3d anti available now and ride up), which helps to keep the PFD in place. in my portage. creek boat of river runner. The FX is a a long d ÂŁ115boat during out superb bit of kit and I was intrigued to see how the The fabrics used are pretty heavy duty 500D Cordura, FXr would up againstdesign, both theAstral FX and Despite its clean andmeasure uncluttered the same as used in the more expensive Extrem River Extrem PFDs. Vest and match in colour to those used in the dry top have still managed to incorporate two zipped range.The FXr is available in Sherbet (a bright orange In many respects the FXr is just the same as the FX. pockets. Both of which are of equal size and can with contrasting blue zips/stitching) and Aqua (a bright The majority of the features have remained the easily swallow a small compact camera,have a karabiner blue with lime green zips/stitching). Nice little touches same. However, some improvements been a number key areas. The YTV easiestischange or set of carmade keys.in On the offront of the a to like the contrasting stitching and reflective piping really makes the FXr stand out.
patch that can be used to strap a knife to.
www.nswatersports.com
In his new book Tim Gent shares his enthusiasm for and experience of travelling and The front pocket is huge andcamping is easily accessed via an a from large zip. Inside is a useful clip in point, D ring and small open mesh panel for keys etc.The zip is easycanoe. to spot as it is in a contrasting colour to the rest of the PFD.The pocket He body, covers and the foam slab sit low on your whichplanning again gives great levels of movement paddling selecting and dare, I a for journey, say it, makes swimming pretty easy.
the right canoe and
In addition to the main pocket is a small knife pocket. equipment for the This is located above the main pocket and runs horizontally at the top of thejourney foam slab. The youpocket are is easy to find/access and is fastened shut with a pressplanning and how to stud. I have tried a couple of folding knives in this pocket and have found that itpack worksyour well. canoe. All
the traditional Palm have made a really good looking and highly skills functional PFD with the FXr.of It has taken the FX,such whichas campcraft is a superb PFD to a new level. Palm has a PFD that I fire lighting, cooking think will be a huge success with a wide range of who will loveas theare fit and comfort PFD. on an open fire, campsite selection and many morepaddlers are explored, the moreof the modern Creekers and river runners will like the robust fabrics lightweight options. and addition of the rescue belt. You have therefore a PFD that can be used equally as well in a number of If you read Tim’s book you will be inspired to paddle off into the distance and experience different scenarios. The only negative I have spotted is the joys of a waterborne nomadic existence‌ even only for Palm a break from our modern the if odd fact that may have inadvertently created a lower cost PFD that is actually better in many sedentary lifestyle. respects that the Amp PFD.
About Tim
Features include:
Low profile foam panels.
Tim has enjoyed an outdoor life since childhood. Farming, conservation and key Slimlineforestry front pocket with inner compartment, archaeology have provided a working environment inring theclip.field, and contributed to an 3D anti ride-up waistbelt. understanding of the land. While paddling and camping Scandinavia to the Easyfrom Glide Arctic strap adjustment throughout. Continuous loop failsafe shoulder straps with Mediterranean coast, he has absorbed more, and hopes he is still learning. â—? â—?
â—? â—? â—?
strap keeper pockets.
Reflective shoulders, and rear panels. Writing about fishing, hillwalking, canoeing and camping, Tim detail had on the first offront many magazine articles published in 1990. He is a regular contributor to Canoe and Kayak UK, The Paddler ezine and Bushcraft and Survival Skills, and often writes for The Great Outdoors. â—?
When not camping, Tim and Susannah live in Devon, England, midway between Dartmoor and the Atlantic coast.
Vi
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ler
10
s Pants
kuk.com
two new pants in the 14.
ultisport Pants are om tough x2.5 with reinforcements places. The flat ckcord waist and ro ankle seals make al not only for pen boating, but activities such as ing, saving you ace in your luggage!
Pants are made co-friendly recycled eature an Aquaout double Aquaout etch neo cone ls. The Semi Pants ost scenarios and erfectly Peak’s new
ultisport and Semi available now and d ÂŁ115
g
Testing, testin
ThePaddler 22
in association with
in association with
www.nswatersports.com
www.nswatersports.com
01642 01642520234 520234
Klingon Empire
www.immersionresearch.com By Phil Carr
For many years I exclusively used Playboater decks. I have owned quite a few and found them to be superb. However, moving on to a new boat in this case meant getting hold of a Palm FXr PFD new deck.The Klingon Empire from spot between the FX and FXr is the addition of www.palmequipmenteurope.com Palm’s rescue belt. This is the same system used on Immersion Research had originally been By Phil Carr Palm’s entire rescue PFDs and includes a metal OThe FX PFD from Palm Equipment has Pyranha Jed, as I wanted bought for my new ring for clipping in to. The belt is threaded through been around in one form or another for fabricbungee. of the PFD, which something with a dry liptheand An gives the PFD a really years and has been one of Palm’s top sellers nice and clean look. Both the metal O-ring and throughout itsorder lifetime.to In 2013 Palm IR in thetook US was made and a couple rescue belt can be easily removed. the FX and totally overhauled its fit and the of weeks later it landed.The Since then the FXr like the FX is a slab design that is put on material used. playboating I am very Klingon Empire has been my go to My better fit After over the head. The deck. slab is a much than on over three hours of The front pocket is huge and is easily accessed via a The new FX has been such a success that it seemed the previous FX model, as it has been shaped to impressed with the build quality andis afituseful of the large zip. Inside clip indeck. point, DIt’s ring and small other spray decks have not seen the light of to make sense to move things up a gear and develop contour with your torso. A better fit is a safer fit. In mesh panelthat for keys etc. The zip is easy to spot as it is in a rescue vest using the same platform. Palm have donesize been constructed in such a way it is shaped and day unless a different wastherequired. addition low profile design of the FXr allows for a contrasting colour to the rest of the PFD.The pocket exactly this and have released the FXr in early 2014. great range of movement. Adjustment to allcontours of the with the shapeand of the a cockpit. Alllowofonthe foam slab sit yourseams body, which again The deck aarrived in a water resistant Cordura bag, straps is simple and straightforward. The waist I have used the FX for almost year for playboat giveswith great levels of movement for paddling and dare, I have been glued and taped the outer band of band/belt isplenty coated of withkit a rubber material (3d anti duties and have used a Palm Riveruseful Vest whilst which hasExtrem proven for keeping say it, makes swimming pretty easy. material in a really tough Kevlar based fabric. ride up), which helps to keep the PFD in place. out in my creek boat of river runner. The FX is a together whentoused in the my larger kit bag.The deck itself In addition to the main pocket is a small knife pocket. superb bit of kit and I was intrigued see how The fabrics used are pretty heavy duty 500D Cordura, This is located the main pocket The Klingon Empire has been used above extensively over and runs FXr would measure up against FX and is made of both thicktheneoprene that has been precisely cut, the same as used in the more expensive Extrem River horizontally at the top of the foam slab. The pocket is Extrem PFDs. the last year and it is fair to say that the deck has Vest and in colour to those joined and then taped to provide a match product that not used in the dry top easy to find/access and is fastened shut with a pressThe FXr is available in Sherbet (a brightperformed orange In many respects the FXr is just the same as the FX. stud.It’s I have tried aa couple of folding knives extremely well. taken hammering in in this only looks right but also has arange. good quality feel. As with with contrasting blue zips/stitching) and Aqua (a bright The majority of the features have remained the pocket and have found that it works well. that time and still looks pretty good. The bungee, all new decks ithave is always idealime togreen get zips/stitching). it on the Nice little touches blue with same. However, some improvements been a good have made a really good looking and highly like the contrasting and reflective really glue, decals are allPalm made in a number of key areas. The easiest taping, as new and the Kevlar boat and leave it forchange shortto while. The deck stitching was fitted for piping functional PFD with the FXr. It has taken the FX, which makes the FXr stand out. edging has been a lifesaver on a number oflevel. occasions a few hours and initially was tough to get on. After a is a superb PFD to a new Palm has a PFD that I think will be a huge success with aI wide where I would have wrecked most other decks. haverange of few hours after making the initial fit, the deck shaped paddlers who will love the fit and comfort of the PFD. no holes and no leaks whatsoever. itself nicely and is a dream to get on. Creekers and river runners will like the robust fabrics As I try many boats over the course of a season, it’s important to me that a deck works well on a wide variety of boats and has provided an excellent fit (XL cockpit) on a range kayaks from Wavesport, Dagger, Pyranha and Zet.
The deck includes a dry lip around the front and side portion that really helps get a good seal on a wide range of cockpits. In addition the inner surface has contact with the boat and is coated in a silicon type material and it helps hold the deck in place.
and addition of the rescue belt. You have therefore a
Even in the largest of surfPFD the came thatdeck can behas usednever equally as well in a number of different scenarios. only negative close to imploding. I’ve got to put this The down to theI have spotted is the odd fact that Palm may have inadvertently created shape of the deck created during construction and a lower cost PFD that is actually better in many the fact that the inner part has that contact respects the Ampwith PFD. the boat.
Features include: The deck provides an excellent fit on all of the boats I profile foam panels. have used it on, other than Low on the Jackson Karma Slimline front pocket with inner compartment, key which was a real struggle the ringfirst clip. time I used the 3D antiI ride-up boat, but to be fair the XL deck have waistbelt. won’t fit a XXL Easy Glide strap adjustment throughout. cockpit without a bit of a struggle. And beingstraps with Continuous loop despite failsafe shoulder strap keeperboats pockets.the deck used on a huge number of different Reflective detail on shoulders, front and rear panels. has still retained it shape and grip. A sound investment! � �
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Vi
SUP Mag UK is your one stop shop for all things stand up paddle related from our green and pleasant land. Awesome travel features, spotlight focus interviews, with the stars of the sport, grass roots level reports, gear reviews and everything else in between. BIG savings over the printed version also comes with support for mobile devices - no need to install apps at all with HTML5! Optimized for all major mobile platforms including iOS, Android and Win8. And it’s available in print. Printed on top quality matt paper with thick laminated covers - it’s top notch! To subscribe to the digital copy visit: http://joom.ag/fbqb Prefer the app? Download the Joomag app from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/joomag/id454833442 and read your purchased ezine through the app on IOS. To subscribe to a printed copy visit: www.standuppaddlemag.co.uk/subscribe.html The printed paper copy costs £6.99 inc P&P for a single issue or £19.99 inc P&P for a subscription of three magazines. Due to demand, next year there will be four issues starting in February 2015. Please check the website for details and yearly subscription rate. If you have any queries please call: 01480 465081 Email: subs@thepaddler.co.uk
USE
ThePaddler 24
HOW TO
THIS THIS TO SHOOT Step one of a three part series on the tips and advice on how to shoot top notch watersport’s photography.
By Dale Mears
ThePaddler 25
ThePaddler 26
Photography for most can be a minefield. With new cameras coming out every few months, it’s becoming harder to decide what to buy to meet your needs.You have to ask yourself one question; what do I want a camera for? Close up action shots of the latest moves, your paddling buddies dropping off a sick waterfall in beautiful locations, lifestyle shots on that big adventure you are heading out on this year or maybe even to capture your clients on a recent training course. Well hopefully I can give you some pointers and advice for your perfect set up. Me; I got into photography after a trip to Norway with friends, we left with nothing but a video camera between us, a foolish move! I still think back to the sights we saw and the fun times we had along the way. Ok so we had camera phones and a few point and shoot cameras… cough… even with today’s advances in technology point and shoot cameras and mobile photography still can’t compete with a Digital SLR. Action Cams hadn’t really taken off and even still these have their limitations.
Luckily Ric Moxon and Monika Gokey who joined us on the trip had a DSLR. I had seen them before but never really thought about buying one until that trip, the quality of the photos was unlike anything I’d seen before. I got home and started saving – I had to have one of these cameras. I bought one within a couple of months and then the learning curve began.
I didn’t know what I was buying so I tried a few in store and went on the fact that one felt nicer in my hands than the next and the rest was history. The past five years have been a massive learning curve. I now find myself being asked by a lot of paddlers what should I buy? Well there is no easy answer but hopefully in this segment I can provide you with some food for thought.
st camera
1
Let’s start with buying your first camera. Expect to pay between £400-600 (UK) for an entry level set up. For this kind of money you should get a DSLR with lens and most online retailers or camera shops will offer you deals, which include an SD or Flash card (to store your photos) and a battery. Shop around as it can be much more rewarding than buying online where you can’t try it. My advice for anyone starting out is to speak to your friends and find out what they use, it’s always good to be able to try other peoples’ lenses and maybe even buy their old ones. Entry level DSLR cameras often have limited features that most will not need for the first year or so until you get used to your gear but the most noticeable thing I found was that cameras at this level take less frames per second – usually around three. If you want to take multiple bursts of action then ask yourself is three photos per second fast enough? I quickly found out that this was not enough when capturing freestyle kayaking. An entry level DSLR is also most likely to be manufactured out of plastic which can be light and often feel cheap. If you want a lightweight slightly smaller size DSLR for carrying around then go for one of these. Do not get hung up on the megapixel size you won’t notice the difference. Most DSLR will come with full HD video capability these days so you should be fine to film with all DSLRs. Canon for the moment seems to have the edge on Nikon for filming, but Sony have some great offers too.
If you have a bit more cash to play with and you want to invest in something that will last you a bit longer
then the second option is to buy an intermediate DSLR. Expect to pay around £600-1500 (UK). An intermediate camera will provide you with a little bit more for your money, expect a few new settings, about 6/7 frames per second and a much higher build quality.
Some models in this range will feature a part magnesium alloy body with much stronger, heavier, weather proof qualities. Obviously if you are on the bank and want something a bit more hardwearing that at worst can take a few knocks through heavy use then these will be for you. For your extra money also expect to get faster autofocus, more autofocus points, a higher megapixel rating and better noise control. Both entry level and intermediate DSLR cameras are DX format. You may have heard of cropped sensors, which basically means the DX formats have a smaller sensor allowing the manufacturers to make the smaller, lighter cameras. An FX (full frame) sensor is larger in size and this is better as it achieves more light gathering information and therefore features less image noise. If you do have some more money you can always opt for a pro level camera but expect to pay anything from £1500, as recently both Nikon and Canon have both brought out more affordable full frame (FX) cameras. If this is you, you shouldn’t really be reading this! Expect better quality images, faster performance, larger image size, sharper images and the list goes on. If you do buy a full frame expect to pay more for lenses and accessories.
If you want to take multiple bursts of action then ask yourself is three photos per second fast enough? I quickly found out that this was not enough when capturing
freestyle kayaking
ThePaddler 27
ThePaddler 28
A common lens for the entry level photographer to combine with their kit lens is the 70-300mm focal range, ideal if you are wanting to zoom in
close to the action
Lenses
You may have heard people talk about the quality of their glass; a camera lens is a very important part of your set up, just as and in fact in some ways more important than the body itself.
Most entry level and intermediate cameras will come with a kit lens usually 18-55mm; these are cheap due to a small focal range. The larger, more unusual the focal range then usually the more expensive. If you want a single lens to take with you in your kayak or canoe consider an 18-200mm. As our eyes see at around 50mm the 18-200mm will give you the ability to shoot a wider angle shot and zoom in on that all important detail from afar. A common lens for the entry level photographer to combine with their kit lens is the 70-300mm focal range, ideal if you are wanting to zoom in close to the action, not so if you want a nice wide shot. Lenses that offer you these focal ranges are often referred to as zoom lenses or telephoto lenses and are ideal for action photography.
If you buy an entry level or intermediate camera one thing to watch is that due to the cropped sensor the actual focal lengths of the lens will not be accurate. In fact you must multiply them by the crop factor. Nikon has a 1.5x crop factor so a lens that states 18-55mm would actually be 27-82.5mm. A 70-300mm (105450mm) and so on. Most use 1.5x or 1.6x crop factor and charts can be downloaded online if you’re too lazy to do the maths. You can also buy prime lenses; these have a fixed focal range and offer no zoom. The most common is the 50mm these prime lenses offer sharper images and usually much better colour. They are also a lot faster.
When buying a lens consider the speed of it. People often refer to the speed of the lens being fast or slow based on its maximum aperture when compared to similar focal ranges; basically a larger aperture (smaller f-number) will let more light into the lens allowing you to take the same exposure at a faster shutter speed.
Tripod
I generally do not use a tripod and shoot hand held but it’s always a good idea to have a tripod if you want to film or have a long lens you struggle to hold sturdy. I always carry a Joby Gorillapod Focus with ballhead X combo, these flexible tripods are so versatile – I can throw it in my bag, it’s lighter than a large tripod, easy to carry and can be wrapped around rails, posts etc. and therefore can be used in many different scenarios. Pictured is the top of the range model but there are smaller models that are suitable for DSLR such as the SLR Zoom, which can hold up to 3kgs. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
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Memory cards
When buying a memory card check to make sure what your camera will take. Some will take SD cards and some manufacturers use flash cards. The only thing to consider is the size you require and the speed the card can be written to. Aim for a 10 speed which is up to 45mb/s this will ensure your card can keep up with your camera.
I recommend you check Tait Troutman, Steve Rodgers, Darin McQuoid and John Rathwell if you want some inspiration.
Bag
The last thing you’re going to need is a good bag; I recommend a bag for general day-to-day purposes and a waterproof bag to carry your gear on the water. For land-based activities check out Lowepro for some great quality bags, there are many manufacturers but I have always preferred Lowepro as their bags are well built, have excellent features and most come with a waterproof cover if it’s wet. For taking on the water the most popular amongst paddlers is the watershed dry bag range, these are high quality, which have been proven to be very watertight. I’ve seen and heard of paddlers throwing these bags down waterfalls when portaging drops and grabbing them at the bottom. Lowepro have also recently released their Dryzone range and I am currently using a Dryzone 20l. This is suitable to take on the water and offers far more padding for your gear than the Watershed bags. I guess as with anything this is down to personal preference so check out both options. Don’t forget to try them for size first to make sure you can get them in your boat! I hope this has taught you something new or maybe spurred you on to make a purchase. Photography is great fun and really does go hand in hand with paddle sports. Capture your adventures your way, and make sure to share your results with everyone on Facebook and other social media sites.
More from Dale at www.facebook.com/DaleMearsPhotography Twitter @DMPhotogrpahy
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Amber of Conservation Kayak
Making learning fun and active will bolster the message being communicated – ensuring it’s something that sticks with the student. As humans we’re always taking on board new things, but how much of that we keep stored in our grey matter depends on the teaching methods employed.
Story: Tez Plavenieks Photos: Tez and Fi Plavenieks/Conservation
Kayak
Paddling to protect ThePaddler 33
ThePaddler 34 Conservation and kayaking
Conservation Kayak is run by passionate paddlers, and environmental educationalists, Amber and Jamie Barrett. Both have extensive paddling experience, are trained guides and are fully clued up and knowledgeable about Grenada’s flora, fauna, wild and marine life. When guests decide a spot of paddling is for them they’ll not only be treated to views of the island from a unique perspective; they’ll also learn about Grenada’s sensitive ecology. In particular Jamie’s knowledge of the overhanging mangroves is something resembling encyclopaedic.
Mangroves play a vital role in establishing and stabilising coastal areas; no engineering or technological solutions have been found that work as effectively. They provide crucial protection to shorelines from damaging storms, hurricanes, waves and floods. Mangroves also help prevent erosion by stabilising sediments within their tangled root systems that act like a natural mesh. They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from nearby land therefore making them excellent breeding grounds and nurseries for many species of sea dwelling animals. But money talks - and so developers are forever circling, ready to pounce and erect their latest hotel, apartment block or marina. Balancing much needed tourism development with an understanding of mangrove protection is an ongoing challenge.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron - Immature
Grenada is a little island nestled at the bottom of the Caribbean archipelago famed for its production of nutmeg and mace.Visited mainly by tourists in the know it’s a haven for kicking back and soaking up good vibes.The Spice Isle is also a great place for watersports – in particular kayaking. What I didn’t realise was quite how educational my paddle trip was going to be.
Animals and wildlife
Grub’s up
Paddling across bubblegum blue water it’s possible to glimpse blue herons sheltering from sun’s UV – biding their time to pounce for a fishy meal. Other animals often appear during Conservation Kayak trips too, eager to check out this merry band of paddlers and inspect the goings on.
Jamie has teamed up with Grenadian local Hazel Da Breo for an expedition to raise awareness of the need to balance ecology and development. It was at this point I learned about the proposed kayaking challenge.
It’s not just flora and fauna that gives character to this colourful, tropical island. Marine and wildlife also add to the vibrant and picturesque spectacle.
As we navigated into open water, abundant shoals of fish flashed, danced and swam underneath our boats, sometimes disappearing into the deep blue, only to materialise a few minutes later, just below the surface. For anyone who appreciates nature there’s certainly plenty to keep your gaze occupied in this part of the world. Along with insightful educational experiences, memories of what you see will stick with you forever more – it’s much more tangible learning in the outdoors than staring at textbooks in a classroom.
Balancing much needed tourism development with an understanding of
mangrove protection
Little Blue Heron
is an ongoing challenge
Red Mangrove trees
During our lunch stop, on a deserted white sandy beach Robinson Crusoe could have been shipwrecked, I was keen to hear more about the efforts Conservation Kayak were undertaking to prevent the loss of plant and wildlife in Grenada.
Round Grenada – Paddle to Protect Grenada is a fairly large island if you’re intending to paddle a wee boat along its circumference – an exercise that Jamie and Hazel, with support from Amber, will be undertaking sometime in 2015.
The idea is to promote their feat and in doing so increase awareness of Grenada’s conservation issues. They’ve already grabbed a portion of high profile media attention, with plenty more planned.
A lot of preparation is still yet to be completed. As far as anyone is aware no one has attempted the route by sit on kayak and there are many pitfalls. Tit bits of information about tides, current and obstacles have been whispered but until the duo actually set off there aren’t any certainties – other than it’ll be hard work! Many recci points around Grenada are inaccessible and high vantage points don’t really give fine details. Motor boats are an option for checking out potential hazards but this is expensive and funds are scarce. Plus there’s an element of discovery and adventure by not knowing what to expect. Some may say this is foolhardy but the group has extensive experience in the ocean and will hopefully be able to deal with all eventualities.
Green Iguana
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Heading back to base on the final leg of the round Hog Island kayak trip I take in the fabulous surroundings. Lush tropical green vegetation, a steady Trade Wind to temper the soaring heat, bird song and the occasional splash of fish as their dorsal fin breaks the surface – what’s not to love about this beautiful part of the world? What's special about Grenada is that this Caribbean Island has always taken a much more cautious and restrained attitude to development than some of its more well known neighbours, like Barbados or Antigua. That unspoilt beauty and fragile ecological paradise needs protecting, and Conservation Kayak is a great example of how sustainable tourism can work in practice. Jamie of Conservation Kayak
You can find out more about Conservation Kayak and the paddling trips by visiting www.conservationkayak.com Special thanks to – Grenada Tourism Authority (www.Grenadagrenadines.com) British Airways (ba.com/grenada) Kalinago Hotel (www.kalinagobeachresort.com) Flamboyant Hotel (www.flamboyant.com) Grenada Horizons and Dive Grenada (http://divegrenada.com)
Tez Plavenieks
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ThePaddler 38
Talking kayaks, and design with ex-GB freestyler, surf fanatic and co-owner of Tootega‌
Steve Childs
Hi Steve Whilst well known on the UK kayaking scene, can you give our international readers a little information on your background in watersports and how you came to start tootega? I started paddling at the age of seven – I was immediately hooked!
Initially my background was in marathon and recreational whitewater, but this quickly developed into a passion for freestyle kayaking, every possible spare moment was spent on the Thames weirs, or any other play feature I could persuade someone to give me a lift to… In 2000 I got on to the GB freestyle team and spent the summer traveling around Europe – from the European championships in Norway to the Euro cup finals in Switzerland. We were spoilt with an endless number of big wave features and I became horribly addicted to powerful, dynamic wave moves.
Once the summer was over I ended up moving to Norfolk (UK) which isn’t exactly blessed with many wave features and so started spending more and more time on the ocean.
About this time I met James, who I now run Tootega with. He was a like-minded spirit and we quickly started paddling as often as possible together, bunking off work and going AWOL anytime there was good surf within driving distance. From the day I met him, James was interested in boat design, but it wasn’t until I came back from a trip to surf Teahupoo in Tahiti in 2003 that we seriously started to discuss designing a kayak together.
Taking my experience from riding heavy and hollow waves, James’ knowledge of boat building, and a lot of input from top waveski shaper Kevin Andriessen, we shaped our first kayak – the Envy, and took it to the World Surf Kayak Championships in Ireland in October 2003.
The next bit is a bit blurry, but the Envy was so radical that it created a lot of interest from people who wanted us to develop kayak designs for them. Initially we designed a few more surf kayaks, but somehow this turned into sit-on-top development.
In 2008 we were finally in a position to leave our day jobs and become full time designers, initially for someone else’s brand, but in 2010 we launched Tootega in a quest to design exactly what we wanted without compromise in terms of design or quality.
In the summer of 2011 we decided it wasn’t just enough to own our own brand, we needed to have control of production too, and so we begun building our own factory here in Norfolk, and since our first kayak left the production line in the winter of 2011 we haven’t looked back. Main pic: James (left) and Steve (right) at Tootega’s production facilities in Norfolk
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Each and every kayak you manufacture is made at your factory in Norfolk, why is this important to you? Consistency and control!
Where does the company name originate?
The name Tootega comes from ancient Inuit mythology.Tootega was a wizened goddess who could walk on water, and was a protectorate of the Eskimo fishing fleets.
Tootega have a very impressive manufacturing facility, custom outfitting and warehouse in Norfolk – why did you choose that area of the UK in which to set Tootega up?
Making our product in our own facility not only gives us absolute control over the materials we specify, how we make our boats, and of course quality but it also allows us to be very reactive to market demands – we can change what models and colours we are producing at the drop of a hat.This means less stock and better service to our customers. Another key advantage of having not only the production, but the product design and mould tool manufacture onsite is we can consider how a kayak is going to be made as we develop the design itself – ultimately meaning stiffer, lighter, and more durable kayaks!
Norfolk has one of the most progressive engineering sectors anywhere in the country. Within 15 minutes drive of the factory we have three different formula one teams, and a whole raft of other experimental facilities. Put simply, it’s a great place to find the skills and equipment to try new and innovative things (we also get some amazing surf now and then).
Are you personally involved in the design process of the kayak – how does your wide experience of kayaking help in this area?
Yes, James and I head up every design project. Between us we have over 40 years paddling experience in a huge variety of craft, and we couldn’t do our job without it. Knowledge and theory are vitally important for sure, but understanding how something will ‘feel’ in the water can only come from experience, a few good beatings, and plenty of trial and error!
What area of the design process do you personally feel is most important and how do your kayaks reflect that? Seating position – simple!
A well thought out kayak or canoe design should all revolve around something we call the centre of effort, it’s essentially the balance point for you sitting in the kayak.
What are the hidden little extra details you may find in a Tootega kayak?
We have a process called engineered strength. Once a design has gone through basic testing and we are happy with the general shape and size of the kayak we work to incorporate shape and feature that increases stiffness, increases strength, or increases plastic thickness in a key area. Everything should by effected by this little theoretical point.The low point in the rocker should align closely with it allowing you to affect the kayaks trim forwards and backwards, the wide point in the plan shape should also relate to it allowing you to control direction more easily with body and head rotation, and the volume distribution should be linked to it in a way which allows the kayak to sit trim in the water. Get the centre of effort wrong and the best design in the world won’t paddle properly, which is why I say it’s such an important consideration.
A great example of this is the drainage gulley around the central hatch in our Pulse and Kinetic ranges.This gulley isn’t actually primarily there to drain water. It is there to add corrugation to the seating area, helping stiffness. It is there to ‘trap’ plastic during the moulding process, helping to make the seat area thicker. Finally it is there to isolate the hatch from the flexing you will inevitably get as you move around on the seat whilst paddling, helping to prevent the hatch from leakage.
Any design aspect of a Tootega kayak that you would consider to be the signature idea? Every kayak model we design is truly unique and always started on a blank piece of paper so it’s hard to pick a specific ‘signature’ feature – perhaps this is our signature idea in itself?
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Your newest model the Kinetic 100, what is it about this boat that excites you so much? The Kinetic is the result of direct feedback from customers at demo days across the UK and Europe over the past few years. Many really need a longer, more touring inspired kayak for the type of paddling they wish to do, but are understandably hesitant about the size and weight, especially if it’s their first kayak purchase.
So the aim with the Kinetic was to create a compact and versatile all-rounder. Something in which they could truly try a little bit of everything, whilst still maximizing speed and efficiency for those flat water paddles.
It has loads of exciting new features, including a fully adjustable skeg system, all of which are designed to make it the most versatile 10ft (3.1m) sit-on-top on the market today!
Designing kayaks or paddling kayaks – if you could only do one – which one? Impossible to answer – designing things people love and seeing their enjoyment is a pretty massive rush, but you can’t do that properly without paddling…
Finally, if you wish to tell us, what’s in store for the future?
The future’s exciting! We’re working on some new construction techniques that blend elements of aerospace composites with the most durable of external surface materials – hopefully this will open up exciting new design possibilities, and not just in sit-ontops…
The sit-on-top market itself is evolving. Siton-kayaks are fast becoming a third genre in our sport alongside traditional canoes and kayaks. It is no longer enough to offer poorly designed, cheaply made product, and just sell on price alone. Customers expect more… More specific designs, more connectivity with their kayak, more durable build quality, more choice of construction techniques. Over the next few years you will see more specialist models entering our range, and not just in polyethylene plastic.
Thanks Steve for your time and all the best of luck for the future…
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ThePaddler 44
Canoe Paddler 046 England
Southeast estuaries by Tim Gent
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Story: Tim Gent Photos: Tim and Susannah Gent Salcombe Castle, Devon Photo: Tim Gent
Where rivers
meet the sea England’s Southwest estuaries
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Something is on the move beyond the sand dune, a small flickering knot of herring gulls following watchful overhead. The soft burble of an idling diesel engine grows, and as a dull silver radar reflector appears above the marram grass, a boat’s bow breaks out beyond the dune’s end. Not far from a small but lively port, the spell of this still golden dawn had to be broken eventually, and this seems a suitably gentle intrusion.
English Channel side
The variety of river outlets on the
of Devon is amazing to behold, and there are ten to choose from.
As the small trawler drifts slowly downstream on the falling tide, a lone figure works at the stern, shaking knots from a tangle of green tackle. By the time we have our canoe at the water’s edge, the fishing boat is a speck on the horizon beyond Doom Bar.
We launch into a world of soft blue, the unblemished sky overhead reflected in a taught flawless sea. Sliding out onto this shining expanse there is the odd sense that we are working our way up a very gentle slope. We seem to sit in our canoe on a vast shallow upturned glass bowl.
It is only as the sandy bottom finally drops away below us, colours falling from yellow to green, before sliding into the dark, that the surface is broken. As we approach a shoal of bass basking in the early morning sun, they swirl on mass, diving below the buckled expanse to leave bubbled silver darts streaked beneath the hull. Another Cornish estuary day is alive. Noss Mayo on the Yealm estuary, Devon
Near the mouth of the Taw-Torridge estuary, north Devon
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A study in red and blue- just to the east of the Otter estuary, Devon
Jutting out boldly into the Atlantic,
England’s Southwest peninsular is a defiant granite mass. Devon and Cornwall may be part of the busy end of a very busy country, but large chunks of the interior are still high, bleak and reassuringly unwelcoming. No more than the smallest human population (at least for England) is spread thin across this expanse of bog and shattered tors. Up here, high winds are accompanied by high rainfall, and countless small streams dance across this elevated and elevating land. These feed rivers that carve through the hard metamorphic rock, then cut across the clay remains of their past erosion, before bursting out between the cliffs and into the sea. These estuaries, ever changing, and hovering almost uncertainly between river, sea and land, make great places to canoe.
In all, Devon boasts eleven. The only English county with two separate coastlines, these estuaries are divided particularly unevenly to leave only the unruly Taw– Torridge outlet on the north shore. This dune-flanked watercourse, semi-wild and prey to seven-metre tides, is a place to launch a canoe with care. Much of southern England may be tame, but not this estuary, especially not as a spring tide thunders back against a northerly breeze to rejoin the sea.
Unkempt and uninhabited
So wild are the dunes and the tides that scour this estuary that the Royal Marines choose to train here. Paddle along the sandy-beached river edge of Braunton Burrows on the north side, and you’re more likely to see a camouflaged landing craft than a sun lounger. But unkempt and uninhabited as they are, the dunes provide a home to an incredible range of flowering plants and
birdlife. Curlew, dunlin, ringed plover, godwits, sanderling, turnstone and numerous other waders patrol the water’s edge. It is said that over 2,000 oystercatchers have been recorded here at any one time. A list of all the flora and fauna to be found around the mouth of these two rivers would run for pages. All this results in the burrows forming the core of Britain's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. That’s an international designation that places this estuary alongside Ulluru (Ayer’s Rock) and Yellowstone National Park.
One estuary to the north then. So what about the south coast? Well the variety of river outlets on the English Channel side of Devon is amazing to behold, and there are ten to choose from.
Deep river valleys
Most of these southern estuaries are more accurately classed as rias – deep river valleys, flooded by the rise in sea levels following the last glaciation. As a result, filled with a good depth of water at whatever stage of the tide, the lower stretches of the Exe, Teign, Dart, Yealm, Erme and Avon estuaries have each provided sanctuary for seagoing vessels for centuries. This also makes them very fine places to canoe, and although you will find plenty of sand (and mud) along the upper reaches at low water, there is always somewhere paddlable to be found. Marking a watery divide between Devon and Cornwall, Plymouth Sound provides a meeting point with the sea for the Rivers Plym, Tamar, Tavy and Lynher. This vast fortress-flanked expanse of water, another ria, heaves with boats and history.
Evening light over Falmouth
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The Royal Navy
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presence might not be as obvious as it was when I first visited the Sound as a boy, to peer up in awe at the massive overhang of HMS Ark Royal, but any canoe journey in sight of Drake’s Island is still likely to be crossed sooner or later by something grey and vaguely menacing. Pleasure boats are also numerous, at least in summer, filled with suitably impressed visitors taking in the many highlights produced by the estuaries almost fabled past. These are mixed in with fishing boats, yachts and some fairly hefty crosschannel ferries. If you enjoy the free fairground ride provided by a good-sized ship’s wake, you won’t be disappointed here.
Tamar
As the scale of an estuary is defined by the distance the tide reaches upstream, the full extent of the flood as it pushes inland up the Tamar makes this a long as well as an impressively wide estuary. Even 19 miles from the sea, the tide is only halted artificially by Weir Head above Morewellham.
While the Tamar provides this impressive tidal encroachment on inland Devon, the River Axe at the east end of the county manages no more than a rather puny two miles or so. The flood extends an even less impressive mile and a half up the very pretty Otter nearby, although this tiny river does hold (for the moment at least), England’s only resident beaver population – all three of them. Small and nature filled, this estuary is probably bests left uninvestigated, and, in good weather, the coast here provides a very good alternative.
Cornwall
Cornwall might not have any large tree-gnawing mammals, but it does possess its own rias. And while it may have only four, or four and a half if you count that equal share with Devon of Plymouth Sound, Cornwall makes them big. The immense spread of water that stretches out between Falmouth and St Mawes, then up Carrick Roads (a wet road, for boats) is said to represent the third largest harbour in the world. Fringed with pretty villages, bays and inlets, it is certainly popular, and somewhere to sharpen observational skills afloat. It’s definitely not the destination for any paddler seeking solitude, at least not in the summer months. But for any canoeist that enjoys boats, particularly wooden boats of all ages, functions and size, a day on the Cornish rias of the Fal, Fowey, Padstow Bay or Helston River in Cornwall, will be one to remember. Not that a visit to a Southwest estuary has to be busy.
Even in summer the mouth of the Gannel, set close alongside Newquay on the north Cornwall coast is usually pretty quiet. With each low tide exposing a lot of sand, this isn’t an area lined with expensive moored yachts. Visited by canoe at full flood from a car park near the town, it can be a real pleasure though. Fall back with the ebb to do beachy things during the day, and you can even play in the tiny remains of the river before letting the next making tide waft you back to your metal steed. Just watch out for soft sand along the river edge.
While it may have only four, or four and a half rias if you count that equal share with Devon of Plymouth Sound, Cornwall
makes them big
The entrance to Boscastle
The Otter, right at the mouth to the sea (and as far inland as we wanted to paddle)
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Large or small, busy or quiet, each South Above: Boscastle, where the Jordan meets the sea
has its own charm. Visit Exeter for example, to paddling out down the country’s oldest canal towards the broad sandy mouth of the Exe. You could then turn sharp left to work your way up this river, re-enacting the arrival of the Romans that built the city, or the Vikings who later used this convenient water highway to sack it. Alternatively, paddle out from Looe on a fine day to circumnavigate St Georges Island, or leave Totnes at high slack water, to drift down to the boaty wonder of Dartmouth. Here, with the castle alongside, you could catch mackerel or even bass, before letting the tide lift you back, perhaps visiting Greenway, once home to Agatha Christie, on the return journey. In good weather you might choose to push out beyond the protection of the estuary. Meet the Atlantic swell to inspect the pier jutting out from Teignmouth for example, leave those otters in peace and inspect the red sandstone cliffs to the east of the Otter, or peer down into the depths of Starehole Bay beyond Salcombe. Here, you might catch a glimpse of the Herzogin Cecilie, a fourmasted barque, lost in 1936, and now a popular diving location. Whether you spot this once proud vessel or not, the bay makes a lovely spot for a picnic, and another great fishing area.
Just the view from Devon’s River Avon of Jenkins Quay and its boathouse, set tight below the low cliffs of Bantham Sands, makes a trip to the Southwest worthwhile. Man-made structures surely don’t come much prettier than this functional mix of stone, timber and thatch. Or perhaps you could just begin your canoe investigations where we started this article, launching from Rock or Wadebridge to revel in the sand, sky and sea perfection of Padstow Bay. Two wilder bits to mention though – a natural one produced by the sea condition over Doom Bar as the tide rushed backwards and forwards, the other manmade, once everyone rises, perhaps rather muzzy headed from their holiday evening revels in Rock or Padstow, to head out onto the water in anything fast they can find. The early paddler gets the calm. If one estuary might deserve a little more attention, it is the mouth of the Jordan at Boscastle. It may be small, more of a crack in the cliffs than an estuary, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty. In good weather you can meander out to marvel at the benefits this tiny refuge offers on this rugged coast. In bumpier conditions a canoeist can find plenty of entertainment just inside the zig-zag entrance, edging out carefully to play in the fractured remnants of those unceasing Atlantic rollers.
Exeter Canal, connecting the city with the Exe estuary
Tamar Estuary
An estuary provides a taste of wild beyond the cliff or sand-dune edged mouth, but with enough of the
comfort of land
to leave the experience memorable
hwest estuary
A good storm and low tide here, combine to produce a sea dragon. As waves pound the seaward side of the rocky defences, water is forced at high pressure through a sub-cliff tunnel to spew clouds of cool spray breath across the harbour entrance. Each misty exhalation is followed by a radiating wave.These might not be very big, but each is fun to play on.
Doused periodically with that icy sea-monster breath, it is as if the Atlantic, irritated by the protection the little harbour offers the small boat user, is taking this last chance to make its presence felt. If that’s the case, this great ocean must find each of England’s Southwest estuaries rather irritating. The sea may be a fine place to canoe, but not everywhere, and always with an eye on the everchanging weather. An estuary offers the perfect compromise. Caught between open sea and the bank pressed river upstream, an estuary provides a taste of wild beyond the cliff or sand-dune edged mouth, but with enough of the comfort of land to leave the experience memorable for all the right reasons.
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Salty Paddler 058 Dress for success
Paddler’s clothing by Mark Crame
066 Norway
Four easy steps to rolling by Frode Wiggen
072 US and Canada
Alaska to Whitehorse by Richard Harpham
ss e c c u s
al he s ar ak all ed n it’s at ng he it nu o t rum we . Kay not pos ersio ng sed , bei d t n d o n o r co to et f at to ddle but st ex imm wr me sea es a me he ons tern ; wh pa ice mo for go im the lak Cra t of esti e in ing t to cho the ss ings ill be on and rk a e re th w tly s ne u h th ha f O of q ss t clo s w s o rs ar to d fe if s it os iver y M p acro dle nt a erm dle lly sa d, a te m e r . B o o l ds pad r ta in t pad era ing rne tra o th cale n n n o s un ding imp ved top ge mai nce nce ly t the o p s r ar s er n i e o g it a l s it o ice of r is c ill co s ap wn e r is ry b wel as s adv ues ody I w ition r do ve are able sual iss er b ugh nd we e is rs suit u the ow ho r co s lo T e e gle are . Th s to he l trip. mila gre n a es rs de s t r , si de e u oic yak allu far a f yo s go few h c ka his o o nt a all ile t l in s tion me ays f o h ita ra iron alw u w d ely v e d env ost n a lut th as lm a so r for far r is b a o as te a es n it m enig in w e s b atur s le er p m e t
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r o f ss e r D
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A
typical (sea) launch will see a minimum of water reaching up to knee height and any waves will splash or soak to the upper thighs at least.Those same waves will invariably wash over the bow on launch which will flood the paddler’s lap and until the water drains out through the scupper holes that feature (with varying degrees of practicality) on all sit on tops the chosen clothing will bear the brunt of the onslaught. All days are not created equal and a fine day in late summer is most definitely not compatible with an end of winter sea that’s been cooling down for months. So, dress for immersion. It has always seemed that kayak anglers have tended to originate from anglers rather than kayakers. Most commonly they come from having their feet firmly on the ground though some boat anglers make the switch due to the ease of portability and access to shallower and/or tighter fishing marks. The first thing to mention is that the use of flotation suits is about the worst possible idea and waders aren’t really advisable either and while I regularly use paddle kit on boats there is little, if any crossover the other way! Think kayak. Think immersion.
Paddle clothing
I will keep repeating myself, as it is so important: dress for immersion! A PFD will keep the wearer afloat and offer some protection to the body core in terms of impact and insulation but will not keep hypothermia at bay and this is a killer. Water temperature is always colder than the surrounding air temperature and movement over the skin wicks heat away and even in the height of a British summer a pair of swimming trunks is not a sensible choice no matter how nice it seems on the beach. On the surface the paddler will be more exposed to an unobstructed wind too and this will also cool the body. A shirt would alleviate this but only on the surface; it will have no insulating properties once wet. There are many choices available to the paddler though some are of more use than others.
Wetsuit
The first choice of many starter paddlers – reasonably cheap to buy, readily available and designed to work in water these would seem the obvious choice. Were the objective to be in the water or the expectation of regular immersion high then these would indeed be useful but they are not designed as surface wear on a kayak where a paddler might hope to remain. Cheaper multi-purpose wetsuits are not comfortable to wear over extended periods either, not being cut with paddling in mind and often having exposed
stitching. A Farmer John wetsuit has its uses for summertime paddling, having a generous amount of space beneath the armpits while providing the desired insulation properties in a wet cockpit. Some high-end wetsuits, such as those designed for winter surfing with built-in insulation, are more suitable but still not as good as purpose-designed clothing and not necessarily any cheaper.
Cag and pants
A waterproof spray top combined with waterproof trousers, especially those sealed at neck, wrists and ankles will often be seen worn by sit-inside paddlers and would appear to be the ideal choice as a yearround option. However, while suitable on the surface any immersion will render it ineffective due to water gaining entry around the waist. With no spraydeck to keep this area covered and a cockpit open to the elements it serves only to keep the paddler comfortable during normal use as a windproof and spray-resistant layer. This combination does have its place in summer on calmer or more sheltered waters but should not be relied on otherwise.
Surface drysuit
For British kayak angling the first choice must always be a surface drysuit. Designed purely to keep the wearer dry in wet conditions, be it immersion or exposure to water, these provide a comfortable outer shell which is sealed at the neck and wrists with either latex (most watertight) or neoprene (most comfortable, especially glideskin) or a combination of both; some models have seals at the ankle though those supplied with either latex or waterproofed cloth built-in socks are preferable. Surface drysuits differ from diving ones in that they have no purge valves, a different cut that is more generous towards arm movement and are generally produced from a breathable material. The latter allows the drysuit to be used yearround, as they have no real insulating properties, being merely a barrier between skin and water. This allows warm summertime paddling to be carried out without excessive discomfort with only a base layer (sufficient for surface and water temperatures) or harsh midwinter kayaking with multiple layers or insulated undersuits beneath it. This versatility, when utilised effectively, allows effective temperature regulation and will ensure the maximum chance of resisting hypothermia.
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Other options Bib and Brace
I can’t wait until spring; as soon as I hit my birthday at the end of March I’m thinking of leaving my drysuit behind and slipping easily into my bib and brace. No more neck or wrist seals, a lot less sweat, far more freedom…yet dry legs, back and most importantly feet. The dress for immersion rule is stretched inasmuch as I will get a soaking if I end up in the water however the parts of the body expected to be immersed in normal use, i.e. from feet to waist, are all protected from the water.
ankle thus minimising water ingress. One important factor to bear in mind is correct sizing. In the midst of winter feet get cold, suffering from permanent exposure to wind in an open cockpit (or the flow of water if keeping feet over the side) and so extra socks are likely to be worn (I typically wear a normal pair followed by one or two thicker pairs) beneath the drysuit sock and it is a good idea to order a pair a minimum of two sizes larger than would be normally chosen.
Headgear
Underclothes
With a surface drysuit, it is easy to wear normal clothing underneath, subject to the time of year, and while a pair of jeans and a t-shirt isn’t the most suitable attire they are more than adequate for those quick sessions on the spur of the moment. For myself, a thin cotton base layer in summer gives way to a fleece one-piece undersuit in spring and autumn; when the temperature drops in the winter I curl up inside a diving undersuit, all with the same outer garment. From a single pair of thin cotton socks through to a couple of pairs of thick woollen boot socks (allow more space than you would in a pair of shoes) it is easy to remain comfortable year-round while on the kayak and protected from the cold to varying degrees if you should find yourself immersed.
Footwear
Good footwear is vital. Consideration needs to be given both to shoreside and on-water use; transporting the kayak to the water’s edge may involve terrain such as sand, mud, shingle, grass, concrete or rocks and so a suitable sole that can cope with these multiple terrains, in regards to both support and grip, is necessary. On the water other considerations come into play; the sole needs to be flexible and the whole boot must be suitable for immersion as well as being slim enough to fit comfortably within the available leg space. For warm waters, beach shoes or a short wetsuit boot are both of use while paddling though less suitable on dry land however neither will keep feet dry. A popular option for year-round use is a portage boot. These are often waterproof provided that they are not immersed over their tops (though they can be tightened to minimise leakage) and are full-length boots that cover the calf. Featuring a gripped sole they are hardwearing, comfortable and insulating. Both types of boot can of course be worn over a drysuit and some models feature a sleeve, which lowers over the boot to the
In bright conditions a peaked cap or hat, especially a lucky one, will keep the sun off your head and face and relieve some of the glare both from the sky and reflected from the water and neck protection flaps should also be considered in the midst of summer. In colder temperatures though a knitted cap is more suitable, especially as a large percentage of body temperature is lost through the scalp. In extreme temperatures balaclavas or headover-style head coverings come into their own and Russian-style Ushankas are a superb choice when anchored with the wind behind. Brightly coloured headgear also aids in increasing visibility on the water, the head being the highest visible point. Neck snoods covering the gap between drysuit collar and hat are also worth purchasing for the amount of increased comfort they provide.
Gloves
Wind chill on the hands is a significant factor in a lack of comfort while paddling or sitting at anchor. Neoprene gloves or mitts are useful to keep the wind off and also provide insulation when wet, ensure that they are thin enough to maintain good contact with the paddle or fishing equipment and aren’t too tight around the wrists as this can restrict blood flow and increase discomfort. Open-palmed mitts are more useful for the kayak angler than pogies, which cover the hands while paddling but also allow skinto-paddle contact and can be flicked off the fingertips to allow tackling and baiting up.
Brightly coloured headgear also aids in increasing visibility on the water, the head being the
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So what am I currently wearing each season?
Well, across the board a pair (or two) of heatholder socks over normal socks and a pair of size thirteen Palm Kola Portage boots (I take a size ten shoe normally). I will base this on summer and winter with spring and autumn being a mixture of the two dependant on conditions on the day.
Summer
Over a thin full-body under fleece (my children know that the current onesie fashion follows my lead!) I wear a Palm Ion bib and brace. This is described by Palm as a 3-layer combination pant and bib featuring waterproof relief zip and socks. When partnered with a twin-waist jacket this bib pant makes a two-piece immersion suit for all seasons. Features include 4D articulated cut XP4layer socks with Nylon 320D soles,Velcro adjustable neoprene waistband, 1.5mm neoprene vest with adjustable braces, a vent mesh rear section, flexible TIZIP MasterSeal front relief zipper and reinforced seat and knees with reflective details. If it’s cooler, windy, showers are expected or I have to launch or land through surf then I also wear a Palm Oceana Cag; a midweight, all-weather coastal touring jacket featuring a water-resistant inner collar that covers the lower face, adjustable and lined with fleece with breather holes and a zip on the neck to open for ventilation. The wrists have natural latex gaskets with adjustable outer cuffs, which are cut long to protect the back of the hands. Sleeves are pre-bent and there are no underarm seams. The storm hood can be adjusted as needs dictate and stored within the collar. There are water-resistant zipped pockets on the chest and right sleeve and the waistband can be adjusted with neoprene and Velcro. All seams are fully taped and the hood, cuffs and sleeves have reflective details. In saffron, this makes me highly visible to other water users. Headgear is a cap for protection from sun and glare that won’t make me overheat.
Winter
I‘m nice and snug at this time of year in my diver’s undersuit – when buying a drysuit ensure that you can fit comfortably while wearing more bulky clothing, can
paddle comfortably and can still reach round to undo zips. The drysuit I wear now is the Palm Aleutian. Featuring natural latex gaskets at the neck and wrists with adjustable over cuffs, articulated sleeve panelling with no underarm seams, a flexible TIZIP SuperSeal across the shoulders and welded-in relief zipper. An adjustable storm hood designed to provide full movement when wearing a helmet underneath keeps the wind off. Water-resistant zipped front and sleeve pockets allow me to carry spare kit and an adjustable neoprene waistband with asymmetric cut cinches everything tight. It also features an elasticated drawcord at the waist, seamless crotch and pre-bent knees, relaxed fit leg with Velcro adjustable cuff, cut-in 4-layer Cordura 330D material at the elbows, seat and knees and breathable XP 4-layer socks with Nylon 330D soles.There is reflective detail at the hood, neck, cuffs and ankles too.
Designed specifically for ocean use, the Aleutian provides protection, warmth, visibility and comfort. Again I have it in saffron for visibility; one of the major reasons for choosing this suit is the hood. With my back to the wind it provides enhanced protection and reduces heat loss through its windproof properties and of course the protection if it rains goes without saying. Standard wear is a neck snood and a knitted watch cap with a polar hood when it’s really cold.
Then it’s just the boots; I have been using Palm Kola touring boots for a few years now and wouldn’t settle for a shorter boot again. A knee length 5 mm neoprene touring boot they are comfortable waterproof and warm in cold conditions, have good grip with a mediumfirm sole and include adjustable webbing closure,Velcro adjustable bridge and heel straps, glued blind-stitched and hand taped seams for strength and waterproofing, a reinforced bridge and toe area, low profile heel cup and a Smooth Skin lined opening. This all adds up to me being comfortable and protected whatever the season and whatever the weather and whatever I’m doing whether fishing, paddling, surfing or even wading through chest-high water. There’s nothing to gain by scrimping and remember – dress for immersion!
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From
to roll-mania
Text: Frode Wiggen Photos:Wivian Strand Wiggen
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I am not afraid to admit it.
I have been afraid of the water my whole life! I have never been a good swimmer and as a youngster I was always in shallow end of the swimming pool at school, so I could put my feet on the ground if needed. In fact, at the age of 41 was the first time I have been swimming in the ocean! And now, here I am rolling in a tight low-volume Greenland style sea kayak in deep water with the paddle beneath the hull! The pieces of foam inside the kayak ensure that I am really stuck. If you had asked me a couple of years ago if I was going to do that, I would have laughed out loud – that would of been totally insane!
So what happened?
I started to paddle to overcome my fear of the water and soon realized kayaking was going to be a big part of my life, but I had to do something to feel safer as I felt very uncomfortable under the water. I was even out of my comfort zone being in the kayak with drysuit and PFD with small waves. At the same time I wanted to learn how to roll. As first of all, it seemed like a smart thing to know how undertake one if I flipped over and secondly, it looked as cool as could be!
So I sketched out a plan, which started with getting some advice from friends and the rest I sorted out in the jungle of tips and tricks on the internet! The most important thing to get in place is a partner. A partner that knows and respects your fear of the water, a partner you trust, that will support you to reach your goal. Lucky for me, my wife has the same interest as me and she also wanted to learn how to roll. So with the most important thing in place, it was time to get started! We did not want to make it more difficult than necessary, so we put away all the gear that we did not need: PFD, helmet, float, pump etc. All that gear can be added after you have done your first roll. Then I bought a pair of swimming goggles, nose clip and a hood. With the goggles I could see what was going on. Try to relax, see if I could see some crabs with nice shells while hanging upside down with the nose clips allowed me to stay under water longer when I was upside down and the hood prevented water from getting in my ears. Some people can become very dizzy if they get water in their ears so the best option is to wear a tuiliq – it keeps you completely dry! Then we found a place with as flat water as possible – again, do not make it harder than it need to be. So with my gear in place and my partner ready to help, it was time to get started!
Here is what I did…
Exercise 1: ●
●
●
Tuck forward on the fro with the hands under th
Turn your head to the s you can see what is goin
Let your partner count then turn your kayak 36 slowly and controlled. R exercise until you feel s are ready to move on.
ont deck he hull.
side, so ng on.
to three, 60 degrees Repeat this safe and
Exercise 2:
The next step is to expand the time under the water. Let your partner turn your kayak 180 degrees, hold it there for three seconds and then flip it up again. Soon you will realize this is no problem. So your question is now how long can I stay upside down? Well let’s find out!
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Exercise 3:
Your partner does as usual, count to three and flip you over. Then he/she will wait until you knock at the hull before he/she flips the kayak over again.
Do this exercise over and over again, until you feel comfortable. Try to expand the time under water each time. How long can you be upside down?
Exercise 4:
Now, you really want to overcome your fear. Do the same as you did in the beginning. Roll 180 degrees, and then do a wet exit. Expand the time with three seconds and then try to stay as long as possible upside down before you exit. When you do this, your partner will be beside you to secure.You are safe, try to relax and do all the movements slowly and controlled.
Repeat this exercise as many times as you need to feel safe and secure.
Then sign up for a rolling class! Not just a rolling class, but also a rolling class with a great instructor. Don’t be afraid to tell your instructor that have been afraid of the water so then he/she will have this in their mind on the class. If you already have this in place, you will get much more from the rolling class, and you will feel much safer! Get out there, practice and roll!
Pete Astles. Dorset. Image: Paul Ramsdale
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JUNEAU TO WHITEHORSE VIA THE CHILKOOT TRAIL
By Richard Harpham
My third expedition to Alaska, northern Canada and the Yukon was about joining up my two previous expeditions. I had previously sea kayaked from Vancouver Island to Glacier bay, Alaska, via Juneau and also canoed from Whitehorse to Circle, Alaska leaving a mere gap of 240 miles. This trip would involve sea kayaking from Juneau to Skagway, hiking the infamous Chilkoot Trail (taken by ‘the Stampeders’ during the Gold Rush in 1896-1898) and then using a packaraft to paddle over 100 miles from Lake Bennett down to Whitehorse. Each prospector had to carry one tonne of supplies, which could mean hiking the trail up to 40 times. Many of them used the local Chilkoot, Chilkat and Stikine Indian Packers (first nation) for this.
Richard Harpham on Favourite Channel
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JUNEAU TO SKAGWAY (105 MILES Arriving back to Juneau was exciting, I had loved it the first time round and now I was heading back with my brother Matthew. We knew our plan was ambitious; to travel unsupported carrying kit for all stages of the expedition, albeit we would leave our sea kayaks at Skagway to be picked up by Above and Beyond Alaska (http://beyondak.com/) who had helped us on our previous Inside Passage trip. Before leaving Juneau we decided to try out the packarafts, super lightweight one-person rafts built in Alaska. We had reconnected with our friends from the park service and Suzanne Mcgee and decided what better location than Mendenhall Glacier. We arrived at the beach there and to the amusement of tourist and locals alike began to inflate our rafts.
At this point my brother made a schoolboy error and opted not to use the small horseshoe seat for the floor of the raft. We paddled towards the main ice floe and glacier wall and spent time getting plenty of iconic pictures. During this time my brother’s backside started to freeze with prolonged contact with the thin rubber floor of the raft leading to chill blains on his bottom. This of course, was a source of amusement for the rest of the trip. We were ready to head out onto Favourite Channel with one item missing from our kit, white fuel for the stoves, we dodged the prolonged showers and drank coffee trying to source the fuel. Eventually after a few hours we set out in the rain with heavily laden sea kayaks for Skagway. It was great to be back in the wide-open spaces of the Alaskan waters, with huge mountain ranges, snowy caps and plenty of wildlife. Along with the rain, whales also joined us for the rest of the day.
Our destination for the day was a small cabin nestled in Berners Bay. Approaching the cabin it was clear that someone had beaten to itDebbie. and we Itwere the high energy that isus Kayak turnsgreeted out webyhad met on our last trip to Alask
Waterfall close to Skagway
Arriving at Skagway, an iconic gold rush town, highlighted that age-old debate whether
‘size is important’
as we kayaked up next to one of the huge cruise liners
S)
ka on the Inside Passage in a small inlet. What are the chances? Only in Alaska and the Yukon is the answer. The weather improved and we were treated to glorious sunshine and a sunset to remember as we watched sea birds, eagles and whales traversing Berners Bay. Berners Bay has been the scene of a legal battle over mineral extraction versus protecting the environment. It reminded me of the words of the First Nation boat builder, Ed Carpenter we had met in Bella Bella two years before, “What will we tell our children about why we have over consumed the planet?” Morning and we pushed onwards up the channel towards Haines and then Skagway amidst more rain but our spirits were high after drying out. We spotted an abandoned lighthouse for lunch and played hide and seek with the local seal colony. Like so much of the marine highways in Canada and Alaska you are accompanied not only by stunning wildlife but also the occasional huge cruise ship. We camped the second night on a rocky outcrop way above the rack lines, which afforded us a grand view of our journey route.
We were excited at completing phase one of the expedition. Arriving at Skagway, an iconic gold rush town, highlighted that age-old debate whether ‘size is important’ as we kayaked up next to one of the huge cruise liners. Our conclusion was that we were proud to get there under human power. We would continue on foot and over the Chilkoot Trail, the historic gold rush route. We spent a day in Skagway finding out about the history including the boom times, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad (WP&YRR ) through to Carcross.
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HIKING THE CHILKOOT TRAIL (42 However, we were facing a sterner test, hiking over the mountains carrying all our kit including our packarafts to then paddle a further 110 miles down to Whitehorse. I have done some portages in my time but over 40 miles was definitely a challenge. We organized permits for the National Parks (Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park USA and Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada) as we would be crossing the border into the Yukon Territories. In our planning we had omitted to note the 8-9 mile walk from town to the start of the trail at Dyea. Given our human powered remit we were forced to grit it out. It was tough going and our packs weighed almost 35 kgs with packarafts, food, paddles, cameras and additional large Sealine bags as the rucksack stitching was failing with the weight.
It was like a tough day in the green gym as we huffed and puffed our way up the trail.The initial stages were low level hiking with some interesting marsh areas with walk boards, brush and trees and occasional camps and points of interest. We were using Mountain Fuels drinks to replace nutrients, salts and lost energy and it became like a vampire thirst between each drink. We made slow progress trying to find ways to adapt to the weight – kayaking had been so much easier with the kit stowed in our boats. We passed Finnegan’s Point and Canyon City heading for a campsite aptly named Pleasant Camp. Our forefathers carried almost one tonne of supplies as a pre-requisite of entry into the Yukon and Canada. We adjusted our attitudes and took some ‘toughen up’ pills. Morning arrived and we began the ritual again, this time with a few aches but otherwise into a routine. It began to get steeper, with more boulder fields and scree with snow also covered parts of the trail as we climbed. We had a break at Sheep Camp before
tackling the Scales and the Golden Steps and the final climb before entering the Yukon. Sat in the snow surrounded by old artefacts and machinery there was an incredible stillness and calm. Like my previous trips to this part of the world, it felt very spiritual and I felt at peace.
The next few hours climbing up the Golden Staircase to the border crossing were arduous as we kicked steps into the snow on the steep climb. One slip would mean sliding and falling a hundred metres or more on the steepest section. Our heavy packs, one front and back meant we kept disappearing up to our waists in the soft snow, frustrated and exhausted in equal measure. Reaching the border crossing, signified by a waving Canadian Flag, a small hut and long drop toilet filled us with joy. It was all downhill from here and the view down into the Yukon was incredible. We would pass through two avalanche zones, one of which had been quite recent.The Yukon side of the pass was easier but now we kept falling through the snow into streams and gullies where the snow had begun to thaw and melt. We made it safely to Happy Camp. We cleared the snow line and followed the swollen river on foot past a series of small lakes until it detoured and crashed into a canyon of white water and serious rapids. We re-joined it at Lindeman Lake and shuffled towards the trailhead at Bennett. There was a fantastic historic camp settlement at Lindeman City with lots of information and displays. Arriving at the Bennett Lake trailhead felt like a great achievement and we were delighted to finally put our rucksacks down. We made camp and padded about on the sandy shore feeling content. We explored the old railroad station and church hoping to get a soft drink, sadly it was all shut up.
hundred metres
One slip would mean sliding and falling a or more on the steepest section
MILES)
Matthew Harpham heading down into the Yukon from the pas
Richard walking along the board walk on the lower trail from Skagway
The pass at the top of the Golden Staircase
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One of the highlights of the trip was the train passing us with
passengers waving
which definitely lightened the mood
PACKARAFTING T
Matthew filming the railroad on Lake Bennett from his Alpackaraft
Richard resting on the trail
TO WHITEHORSE (100 MILES) This part of our plan was a work in progress. We had not paddled the packarafts fully laden with kit. We had also expected flow on the river and lakes but we didn’t find any. We did a test run with our kit and confirmed it was like paddling a bath-sized jelly – 100 miles didn’t seem such a treat any more! (Packarafts are bombproof and the lightest in the world but not necessary designed for 100 miles in three days). We set off the next morning with a slight head wind and about a foot of chop. One of the highlights of the trip was the (WP&YRR ) train passing us with passengers waving which definitely lightened the mood. After a nine-hour paddle we made it to the bridge at Carcross. We abandoned our kit on some decking at the end of the lake and went in search of supplies. The snow covered mountains that flanked our route made this another magical place to camp. Teeth gritted we paddled on from lake to lake and towards the end of the day we entered Marsh Lake, a shallow lake as far as the eye could see. We made camp about a third of the way down it. The end was in reach, one final day and one final push and we would make Whitehorse.
the river channels and canyons. It also brought a headwind and so head down we battled on cursing the elements. Several miles later we rounded a corner to find Miles Canyon, another treacherous place during the gold rush with strong currents and waves. Now it is more peaceful with the Whitehorse Dam in place. As we paddled past a few locals in speedboats in the Canyon and others jumping into the aquamarine waters enjoying themselves. We were a source of some amusement and comments. The hydroelectric dam at Whitehorse was just round the corner and so we portaged for the final time. Slightly fatigued and not concentrating I loaded my kit into my pack and promptly fell over backwards. I stood up quickly dusted myself down and checked that no one had seen me, in the middle of nowhere! We skirted the dam and re-launched into the first real flow we had found coupled with a large wave train. Clear of the spillway we floated down into Whitehorse.
The MacBride Museum of Yukon History in Whitehorse, Our finish point.
We woke early stashed our kit and set off. A couple of hours in, we passed a boat fishing on the lake and chatted to the skipper, “Hey that looks old school in those craft. Where are you going? Dawson City?” We replied, “No we did that last year.” It then dawned on us it was Mark from Up North Adventures, the outfitters in Whitehorse who had supported our previous expedition. Only in the Yukon could you be in the middle of nowhere and meet another friend! The end of the lake brought a change of scenery as we entered
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Mission accomplished
It was great to be back in Whitehorse and we had joined up the pieces of our previous adventures. We caught up with Mark from UpNorth who commented we only visited in fair weather and we should return in the winter. He challenged us to follow Alex Van Bibbers epic 500-mile adventure through the McKenzie Mountains in 1942. Watch this space for more on Ski to the Edge at www.skitotheedge.richadventure.com/
Watch Richard’s video of the expedition: http://vimeo.com/85578080
Paddling the Yukon River, sea kayaking in Alaska and hiking the Chilkoot Trail is accessible to anyone with determination.You can do short sections and guided trips with help from local companies and outfitters.
Richard Harpham: Richard is a human powered adventurer and paddler www.richadventure.com. He runs www.canoetrail.co.uk with his wife and cofounded www.inspiredlife.org which inspires young people and communities. Richard is proud to be supported by Paramo Clothing, BC and Alaska Tourism, Bamboo Clothing, Leatherman tools, Scott Skis, Mountain Fuels, Canadian Affair (airlines), Aquabound Paddles, Reed Chillcheater, Surly Fat Bikes, USE Exposure Light, Up North Adventuress, Meridian Zero and Garmin GPS systems.
Futaleufu Rafting Multi Sport with Bio Bio Expeditions Trips December - March Multi-sport trip in the heart of Patagonia! Activities include: whitewater rafting and kayaking the Class IV-V Futaleufu River, hiking and horseback riding, flyfishing, daily yoga classes and mountain biking! Stay at our deluxe riverside adventure camp with hot tub, sunset bar, massage, wine tasting, and more!
All level of kayakers welcome! http://www.bbxrafting.com
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Kayak Paddler 084 Interview
TriWaters Tour’s Troy Glover
092 Amazon River, Peru & Brazil
Part two: the finish in Brazil by Darcy Gaechter
102 India
First descent of the Lower Uhl by Steve Brooks
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The line from the source of the Vaal River to the ocean via the Orange River is the largest continuous water body within the borders of South Africa with a distance of 2,500kms. In January, three adventurers, Canadian Troy Glover, Australia’s Brett Merchant and South African Franz Fuls will follow this line from the source of the Vaal River close to Breyten to the mouth of the Orange River at Alexander Bay. The team will be engaging with local communities on river conservation, with a focus on education and biodiversity. In February and June next year, The Paddler ezine will be featuring their adventures and journey. In the meantime we are delighted to interview Troy. Troy Glover looking through the binoculars out into the pack ice on Walrus Island, Nunavut during a spring paddling trip to James Bay.
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W
here did the idea of the Tri-Waters Tour originate?
Our team leader, Franz Fuls, is the brain behind the project. Based in Ermelo, South Africa close to the source of the Vaal River, he has witnessed the slow deterioration of the watershed. He felt the need to do something about this and began seeking likeminded adventurers with a passion for environmental conservation.
Navigating the dense fog coming off the pack ice on James Bay
What are the aims for the tour?
We aim first to raise awareness around impacts to the river’s biodiversity and the importance of this biodiversity in supporting clean, healthy water to drink and use to support agriculture. In order to accomplish this, we also aim to improve the understanding of how biodiversity acts as a fairly precise indicator of the overall health of the river and surrounding watershed. With this understanding, we aim to tie it all together by educating people regarding potential human impacts on the biodiversity and what the costs of these impacts are to the health of the river and thus also the people who rely on this river.
Why the Vaal River in South Africa?
Our project leader, Franz Fuls, has been given the opportunity to witness the slow deterioration of the health of this river within a tangible timeline. The Vaal River’s route to the sea just also happens to be the longest continuous waterway within the borders of South Africa and directly supports 12 million of the country’s 51 million people.
I’m a 25 year old adventure kayaker, photographer, and teacher. I was born in London, Canada to parents who were as passionate about being out on the water as I now am. I spent the better part of my childhood living on a boat touring around Canada’s great lakes.We would pack the boat full of food and other necessities and then leave port. I remember waking up many times, looking through my porthole at the endless blue that lay outside, wondering where we were now. I then spent my teenage years kayaking Ontario’s cottage country lakes and rivers living in a small cabin on a quiet lake. I certainly owe a lot of my sense for adventure to how I was raised.
You are paddling with Australian Brett Merchant and Franz Fuls of South Africa – what are the attributes you look for in a fellow paddler?
I look for paddlers who are equally as passionate and driven to be padding as I am. While I haven’t completed a trip of this length before, I can attest to the fact that it is essential for all members of a paddling team to be in it for the right reasons and to have this passion and drive for when times get tough. Much of the paddling I have done has been on remote Arctic coastlines in Canada’s far north where conditions can be frigid, rough, gnarly, and extremely dangerous if you don’t have people who will remain by your side. Both Brett and Franz clearly have what it takes and are fully committed to making this project a success.
Mini-SASS is a citizen science biodiversity monitoring tool you will be using on the tour – how does this work?
We are very excited to be working with Mini-SASS. Essentially, it’s Google Earth for scientists and individuals interested in the health of watersheds near them where users can submit biodiversity monitoring results to be published on the map which is made publicly availably on the Mini-SASS website. They provide a PDF kit where all the necessary forms and identification keys are found. Beyond this, you only need a net and a sorting bowl or sieve. You record which class your findings belong to which gives scientists an idea of what the overall health of that water system is. We will be delivering workshops on how to use this kit and upload results as we paddle the length of the Vaal and Orange Rivers.
On an expedition to highlight the cultural and ecological significance of the Tawich Marine Region we were graced by calm sunny days for much of the trip.
Both Brett and Franz clearly have what it takes and are fully committed to making this
project a success
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How do you personally try to balance your consumer habits with those of conservation?
This is a question which is integral to who I am. Firstly, I only buy gear which I feel is necessary to enjoy the sports and activities I enjoy - safely. When you really boil this down, you don’t need a lot of gear to be a paddler. The Inuit paddled thousands of kilometres of Arctic coastline using only bone, skin, and driftwood. I am a strong advocate of purchasing high quality gear that serves its purpose well and lasts. When it finally must be retired, I believe in gear which can easily be recycled or composted. There are many companies out there who are doing just this and I am proud to be working with many of them. Also, I almost always purchase second-hand clothing and gear. Again, when it was a high quality product to start with, it will serve you just as well as the last person.
After travelling all over the planet which has been the most memorable experience?
My most memorable would probably be my paddling trip to become the first person to connect the Cree communities of Wemindji and Chisasibi on the Eastern James Bay coastline. This was my first attempt at a long trip on exposed water. My paddling partner and I were stormed in on the first day for two days which was followed by perfect paddling conditions for the remainder of the trip. We paddled through vast expanses of spring pack ice, saw numerous seals and rare waterfowl, and stumbled across an ancient Inuit settlement on a beautiful treeless island. A trip I will remember forever I’m sure.
What and where was your first kayaking adventure?
I began kayaking when I was a young boy with a dockside neighbour who had a tandem kayak. I immediately fell in love with the freedom of the craft. My real kayaking adventures though, began in the remote northern community of Wemindji on the subarctic coastline of James Bay. I joined a fellow teacher who was paddling regularly in the region and decided this was a sport I should become a part of. I spent the better part of the next five years paddling up and down this coastline to remote islands, vast subarctic beaches, and among powerful swells of the Arctic Ocean.
Navigating the dense pack ice on James Bay involves careful consideration of routes, dodging fast moving massive icebergs that can crush a kayak in seconds, and gruelling portages up to a couple kilometres across thin rapidly melting ice.
Which drives you the most – interacting with the various peoples you meet along the river or the paddle itself?
While the majority of my paddling trips so far have been in extremely remote wilderness settings, I would say I am most looking forward to the people I will meet along the Vaal and Orange Rivers. I have spent the past five years teaching in First Nations communities across northern Canada sharing cultural traditions and stories around the campfire and over meals. I am hoping to connect with the numerous indigenous peoples who’s traditional land we will be paddling through. There is no better way to learn about a place than through those who’s families have lived there as long as time itself.
What is the biggest accomplishment in your career? Right now I would say my biggest accomplishment is making it this far! Five years ago, I would never have imagined myself being able to join an international paddling team on a trip like this. It is truly a dream come true.
What would be your ultimate achievement?
Which gives you the most satisfaction: photography or paddling? The most satisfaction for me would come from photography which often results in my paddling there. I enjoy knowing I came home with a beautiful image by paddling somewhere far away using only my own strength.
I’m a paddler and going on vacation, where would you recommend?
I strongly recommend checking out some of Canada’s northern paddling destinations such as James or Hudson’s Bay or even up into the Canadian Territory of Nunavut. Though expensive, it will certainly award you with a beautiful mixture of aboriginal culture and remote wilderness. Definitely go in late spring once the ice has let up.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
In 20 years I see myself paddling regularly, training for the occasional expedition, teaching others about the importance of environmental conservation, healthy local food, and active living.
My ultimate achievement would be to know I have formed one successful collaboration through my paddling which led to a change in practice resulting in a healthier, more bio-productive river and that this collaboration spored into an incalculable number of additional changes in practice.
Scout Trip | Upper Vaal http://vimeo.com/97590584
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OK Troy, let’s finish with something short If you could sit down and converse with somebody for an hour - dead or alive who would it be?
I would definitely say Jon Turk, the adventure kayaking guru and environmental advocate who recently circumnavigated Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic.
Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film? George Clooney.
Favourite iPod track?
Crucify Your Mind by Rodriguez.
Favourite athlete outside of paddling? Ueli Steck the Swiss Alpinist.
Favourite film?
180º South, Directed by Chris Malloy.
What would you do with $20 million?
Pay off my student loans and donate the rest to Conservacion Patagonica.
What would I find in your refrigerator right now?
Organic vegetable from the famers market, organic cream from a local creamery, a jug of craft beer, and three lamb jerky sticks.
If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us? Roasted free-range meat and root vegetables with some homemade preserves.
What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island? Fishing rod.
Biggest turn-off? Fast food.
If you could be a wild animal – what would it be? Polar Bear.
Fill in the blanks: I am ____
Stoked about going to South Africa for this upcoming expedition.
Cats or dogs? Dogs
Facebook or Twitter? Twitter
An ideal night out for you is? Sleeping on the tundra in my tent
Thanks for all of your help on this and the questions - I really appreciate it and all
t and snappy‌
Sunsets on these remote tundra islands are spectacular. This one came right before a couple days of torrential downpour.
d for being really patient in answering all l the very best for theTri-WatersTour.:)
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By Darcy Gaechter Don, Midge and I paddled into the Red Zone 21 days into our trip. As we approached the true flat water, we began to feel the effects of a legacy of violence. This region has known only temporary calm over the past five centuries. The people we saw on the lower Mantaro had become more skittish. In the upper reaches of the river the people were outgoing, curious, and talkative. Down here, while we might still get the occasional wave, most people quickly darted back into the forest after seeing us. This, in turn, made us more edgy and we started looking for camp spots at the bases of inaccessible cliffs where we thought that land travelling people couldn’t get to us.
R
K
RIV THE
RED ZONE
KAYAKING THE AMAZON… THE PLANET’S LARGEST VER FROM SOURCE TO SEA PARTTWO
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Cat interested in fish cleaning at Iquitos
Peru
Murdered
Apprehension levels were high after all of the stories we’d heard. In 2011, a Polish couple – Jaroslaw Frackiewicz and Celina Mroz – were murdered while canoeing down the river. We passed the site of this crime seven days into the Red Zone. In 2012, Davey du Plessis was shot multiple times with a shotgun while he was travelling alone down the river. He survived thanks to the help of some nearby villagers.This same year, West Hansen reported being held at gunpoint at on multiple occasions. These stories were in the forefront of our minds, and weighed heavily on our imaginations, as we cautiously made our way downriver. Like in most places, the majority of the people in the Red Zone are good people. We met exceedingly kind people there; but they are reasonably wary because so few outsiders travel through this area that don’t want to take something away with them. Whether it is lumber, cocaine, land, people, or energy, most interlopers are on the hunt while in the Red Zone causing the locals to be protective and suspicious. This, consequently, has led to some tragic events. Fortunately, the worst thing that happened to us was the punishment of our Red Zone liaison. Cesar Pena had been through the Red Zone the year before with West’s expedition. When he returned home to Iquitos, Peru, he vowed he would never travel through that zone again. Given nine months to forget this oath, Cesar agreed to accompany us and travel through the Red Zone one more time. He travelled in a motorized canoe carrying our gear and lending us diplomatic help at checkpoints along the river.
Hanging out with the guards at Poyeni on Tambo river
At a small Ashaninka village – not one of our official checkpoints – the locals were upset that we hadn’t stopped to talk to them and they called us back.They weren’t mad at us, because we didn’t know any better. Cesar, on the other hand was in trouble. As our ‘guide,’ they explained, he should know the rules and, because of this blunder, they were going to punish him!
Sun protection is difficult on the amazon
the Red Zone
PERUVIAN AMAZON
Whether it is lumber, cocaine, land, people, or energy, most interlopers are on the hunt while in
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ASHรกNINKA PEOPLE
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Peru
W m
Kids near the peru colombia brazil border
It is believed t use the body
What does punishment mean to the Ashaninkas?
During the next ten minutes, my mind was racing as the chief of the village lectured us on why they needed to be vigilant to protect their people.They needed to protect the kids, in particular, because many gringos come to steal the organs of the children – we would come to learn that this fear has deep historical roots in Ashaninka culture. In addition, they needed to assure themselves that we were not drug traffickers or logging scouts. Throughout the lecture, they kept repeating that Cesar must be punished.
Bigger naval escort near Requena
We all expected the worse, and wondered how we could save Cesar. Then, the oration was finished and sentencing came. To atone for his faulty guiding, the Ashaninkas demanded that Cesar drop to the ground and give them 50 push-ups. His laughable castigation gave us all a huge relief. We suppressed our giggles as to not antagonize Cesar’s punishers into a harsher sentence. This was the tensest encounter for us, and it ended with all of us laughing together when Cesar could only pull off 49 push-ups. Aside from this incident, a couple people shouted “pishtako” at us from shore. This insult has a double meaning of “face peeler” or more literally “cut the throat.” Tied into the organ stealing, it is believed that white people kidnap children, peel off their faces, use the body fat for mysterious uses and then sell the organs of their victims. This belief most likely stems from the fact that early Franciscan missionaries would kidnap children in order to ‘save’ them, and from the fact that Spaniards often treated their wounds with the fat of their enemies. More recently, Shining Path rebels – who often came from cities and looked ‘white’ in comparison to the Indigenous – did kidnap many children. They used the children as soldiers and labourers in the coca fields; and while it is not documented, could very well have sold their organs on the black market. Such an act was certainly not beyond the realm of the Shining Path ethos. But this name calling happened only twice. Overwhelmingly the people treated us with incredible kindness. Everyone was cautious, to be sure, but once we produced all the paperwork and documentation they were looking for, they literally smothered us with their kindheartedness.
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Peruvian navy giving us cold beers and letting us enjoy the air conditioning on their ship
BRAZIL/ATLANTIC
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Young girl heading down to river for bath time
us out to sea
The waves will crush us, and the tides will car
they w
ry
warned
Heavy traffic
After making it through the Red Zone, we still had over 5,000kms of flat water to paddle. Happily, we found many distractions. We now had huge ships, barges and ocean going tankers to dodge, and during certain hours of the day, there was heavy traffic. Storms were frequent. High velocity upstream winds created breaking waves that reached as tall as three metres in bad storms. Visibility was reduced to less than one metre on a regular basis, which made barge and tanker dodging more challenging. Pink and grey river dolphins kept us entertained, as did curious fishermen who would motor up next to us and give us incredulous looks when we told them where we had come from and where we were going. Confluences with rivers as big as we’d ever seen (prior to the Amazon) continued to impress us, as did the man-sized catfish we saw fishermen pull from the river, the birds, the rain, the howler monkeys, and the lightning strikes hitting the river. As we got further into Brazil, we found more diversions to cure our boredom. Now we were being warned about river pirates and about the treacherous condition of the river as we neared the sea. There had recently been a lot of piracy in the lower river. For the most part they were robbing people but the rare, unlucky boat crew had been killed and the occasional boat stripped down completely for its lumber and other parts. The police and navy were helpless against these perpetrators because, by this point, the river was vastly wide and braided. The pirates could hide in a myriad of side channels off already hidden side channels. In a mazy waterway so complex it was a pirate’s world, not ours.
Exposed crossings
We hired two armed guards in a little town called Almeirim to help ensure us safe passage to Belem. As for the rough waters ahead, for that we could only hope that our years of white water experience would serve us well. Numerous people told us we would never make the open and exposed crossings in our little boats. Ten metre long boats had been blown over and sunk to the bottom of the river they told us. The waves will crush us, and the tides will carry us out to sea they warned. We had to remind ourselves that people had made it before us, and that we knew the capabilities of our kayaks and ourselves better than the watermelon farmers predicting our doom. On some level, we just had to hope for the best. Near the town of Obidos, almost 1,000kms from the Atlantic Ocean, we started feeling the tides in a serious way. We were able to paddle against them for another week or so, but eventually the tides and accompanying winds were so strong that even at full effort we made downstream progress at a rate of less than 1km per hour! The winds were so persistent that even paddling with the tide we often only accomplished 3-4km per hour. With the constant wind in our faces, the ceaseless waves
Passenger boat heading to Manaus
crashing over our decks, and with nothing in front of us but water so outstretching that we could see the curvature of the earth, it was easy to believe we had been put on a never ending watery treadmill.
Brazilians have the best sun hats
We persevered on our daily grind and little by little made progress towards the Atlantic. December 21st, day 147, we left our support boat behind because they were afraid that the open ocean conditions we would encounter to get to our stopping point would be too much for them. As we set off into the by now very wide bay, conditions were as rough as we expected them to be. We paddled with the tide, but as we had become accustomed to, against the wind, and averaged 4kms per hour.
Combat roll
Incredible flocks of red ibis (these birds are unbelievably red) kept our spirits up as we slogged towards our stopping point. Sideways breaking waves coming off the mudflats posed a problem and finally got the better of Midge. He flipped, but pulled off a combat roll in his heavily loaded sea kayak. Despite the shallows, a rescue here would have been extremely difficult. The mudflats consist of incredible sucking mud that, as I learned later that night while looking for camp, is impossible to walk through and exhausting at best to crawl through. We battled our way downstream – although it certainly didn’t feel like a river anymore – for six hours to Ponta Tiapu, an old lighthouse where a couple of source to sea expeditions had ended their trip. We arrived at 6:30pm just as the tide was coming back in and it was getting dark. After my failed mud excursion, Don found an outcropping of sharp basalt rocks that would give us temporary relief. We had dinner as we waited for our rock island to get flooded by the incoming tide. By 8pm it was totally underwater. We got back into our kayaks and paddled around a little mangrove bay and found a solid piece of basalt that was still out of the water.
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River life
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The three of us huddled there until it too disappeared under the water. That was 9pm. We got back in our kayaks and waited. Midge clung to a tree while Don and I bobbed and paddled around. The waves coming into our bay were relentless and rest was impossible. Finally at 12:30am the tide had receded enough that we were able to get back on our rock outcropping and lay down. The three of us huddled up on a jagged piece of rock no bigger than a dining room table and slept.
At 5am, we were awakened by a discordance of squawking from the red ibis and a group of herons.This was it! We were anxious to get going on the final approach to the sea, but the tide was low and coming in. Would we having to wait until 11am when the tide started going out again to start paddling. In the tidal zone, we became good at sitting and waiting with nothing to do but watch the coming and going of the waves. As expected, the paddling was slow going even with the tide in our favour. The wind, at this point, had no land features to break it up and we felt its full force. It took us 5.5 hours to paddle 17kms. Our stopping point was approximately 3km off the nearest shore – the only piece of land we could see at this point. The waves were the biggest we’d seen to date rising to five metres. Fortunately, they weren’t breaking! We crossed Midge’s pre-determined stopping point, then paddled another 500 metres to
If you are interested in reading more about Darcy, Don, and Midge’s trip down the Amazon and the history of the Shining Path and Ashaninka people, look for Darcy’s book coming out in spring of 2015.
ensure we had gone far enough. Then we turned and cut straight for shore. Reaching land was, perhaps, the most harrowing part of the flat water for me. The tide was going out in full force at this point, roughly 5-6 knots, and we were paddling against that to get to shore. The waves were fairly straight on as we were paddling out to sea so now we were ferrying across them and surfing them when we could to gain headway towards land. It was rough out there and we all knew well that a swim would be disastrous. We were each struggling enough handling our own kayaks that towing a swimmer would have been an added stress that might have been the breaking point for any of us. The swimmer meanwhile would have been caught in the outgoing tide with nowhere to go but into the expanse that was the Atlantic Ocean. With intense focus on that white sandy beach we all fought our private battles as we inched towards shore. Luckily, the only swim came as we surfed the now-breaking waves onto the beach. Midge capsized in five centimetres of water—a perfectly safe place to swim! We hit shore and Midge uncorked the bottle of Champagne he’d been carrying for himself and Don, and I busted out a flask of whiskey (Champagne isn’t vegan…). We celebrated a feat that was, even then, incomprehensible to us.
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Lower Uhl st descent of the
For the past seven years Ute and myself have been travelling to Himachal Pradesh in Northern India making the most of the Indian summer where after the monsoon, the sun shines for 100 days, or so the locals say! This time we were heading out in the spring, not only to kayak but also to hike into the mountains looking for some solitude and great ski turns!
By Steve Brooks
Anniversary Rapid
Ute Heppke dropping into
on the first descent of the Lower Uhl, Himachal Pradesh, India
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It had been a big winter in and around Manali and the snow line was still very low. With that in mind we headed into the mountains to ski and then as the sun got stronger and the temperature rose, it would mean that all the snow would feed the rivers giving us a good opportunity for an ideal water level.
Himachal Pradesh is something of a mystic state, a very religious region with many temples and of course plenty of myths and stories to go with it! The state borders some of the most well known names in India such as Kashmir, Ladakh and the Punjab, thus giving it the true gateway to the Himalayas – it is also this gateway that makes mapping a total nightmare! There are no decent maps available, like those in Ladakh and really the only option is to spend hours in front of a computer looking at Google Earth and then actually heading out on pre-expedition trips to get a true visual take on just what the expedition will entail!
The drive out of the Kullu Valley is spectacular with the mountains on either side covered with over five metres of snow, which was a good way of forgetting just how bad the road was! Potholes were everywhere, landslides from the previous monsoon had only been shunted to one side of the road and of course cows were absolutely everywhere! We left around noon and decided to stop in a small village called Bir. To the majority of river runners the name of Bir has no significance but to paragliders it is a mecca and true Himalayan Gem. Our driver Vipin was a keen paraglider and as we arrived in Bir he bumped into (quite literary) a few friends then was asked to come ‘flying’. We offered to drive his jeep back down the track from the top of the mountain while trying to catch glimpses of him flying high in the sky. Later we got some fantastic views of paragliders coming down with the sun setting in the background from our small balcony at the guesthouse.
Heading over from the Kangra Valley with fantastic views to the Himalayan foothills
Even the goats were giving us strange looks with kayaks on the roof of the jeep
This is how we plan all of our expeditions in Himachal Pradesh. You certainly need time and a Royal Enfield Bullet motorbike also helps in this pre-expedition research. Maybe I am getting older or just wiser but we spend some 25% of our of trip researching our next mission or goal so that everything can run smoothly and it is not just a drop into the unknown, though the unknown is certainly just around the corner when you cannot see down to the river below in a deep gorge.
Steve Brooks running a classic drop
Vipin paragliding in the Indian Himalayas at Bir
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We left Bir early the next day heading to the ridge dividing the Uhl Valley and the Kangra Valley. When we got to the ridge the views were amazing, in one direction were the snow capped peaks of the Dhauladhar range and on the other was the Punjab, the dusty plains at the end of the Himalayas. We also got our first glimpse of the Uhl in spring, there seemed to be more water in the river than when we checked it out last November but from high up it was impossible to really tell. The road led a windy track all the way down to the river. As we got closer we could see that the river was just about flowing over the rocks and it was looking more of a bump and scrape for the first bit.
Crazy bends
From now on the character of the river would remain the same as well as the reception we got from the locals who make the river valley their home and also their livelihood! We continued making progress downstream. The river formed some crazy bends and for all the distance we were kayaking on the river the actual distance as ‘the crow flies’ was minimal, there were so many U-bends on this part of the Uhl. By 3pm we started looking for a camp and it was not long before we found a small beach, we knew the river would open a little further downstream and decided this was a nice, sheltered place for a temporary home! The pressure cooker was going full on and it was not long before we had a cup of tea and of course a few visitors who appeared out of nowhere. It seems as though the women had decided to come and find out who we were, they were really shy and kept their distance but seemed to watch our every movement.
The next day around the corner we came across a few houses by the side of the river. We were in luck as the man spoke fantastic English and we had a great chat about what we were up to and how they live, survive and work in such a remote area. He invited us for chai, the hot, sweet, milky tea that you get in India and made us promise that the next time we came down the river we would stay at his family’s house. We packed our kit, said our goodbye’s to Vipin and arranged to meet him some four days later at the confluence with the Beas River just above the town of Mandi. After a bit of bumping and scraping, the walls started to close in and the river became constricted by more and more boulders. The character of the river had changed from the put-in and now there were many more drops with pretty much every rapid needing a scout from the bank. The first main drop found us running a line through some huge boulders with a sweet boof in the middle of the rapid and another 200 metres of technical white water. We met a shepherd tending his goats and sheep by this drop and of course not only was he shocked and amazed to see us but then became very intrigued with us kayaking down the river.
The character of the river had changed from the put-in and now there were
many more drops
Scouting everything
The character of the Uhl continued as the day before, steep technical drops with a short pool in-between each rapid. We were scouting everything and portaging a few bits where there was absolutely no line or way to set up safety. We were running the river as a pair or you could say couple, this was the downside to kayaking in Himachal Pradesh. Unlike Kathmandu or Pokhara in Nepal where you can meet fellow kayakers from all over the world to put a team together for a river expedition, here in Himachal we are the only expedition kayakers! On one rapid that we had to portage, we found a small gap between two house sized boulders and with enough space to get ourselves and boats through we managed to save sometime and more importantly energy! The river was fantastic and was really keeping us on our toes, we were having to make technical moves from one side of the river to the other, avoiding holes, punching waves, boofing rocks and it seemed never ending!
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India
Lower Uhl, Himachal Pradesh
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We were just coming to another We were just coming to another widening of the gorge where we expected to see another few houses situated close to the river. On this scout we found a rapid with a technical entrance followed by a very intimidating four-metre slide/drop at the bottom. I ran first coming in from river right and then running the middle pushing left. I looked up at Ute and said, “you have got to run this, it is so good� so off she went back upstream to get into her kayak. I had the camera ready and by this time a few villagers (if you can call two very rustic houses a village!) were already there watching what us two crazy Europeans were doing! Ute dropped in and nailed the line, the elation on her face was there to be seen and with the adrenaline still pumping we continued. Now the walls really closed in and the drops were getting bigger and harder the more we progressed. We came to one drop with a 6m waterfall, the entrance looked good and it was just a matter of checking the landing. We were climbing around, under and over huge boulders to reach a viewpoint and to our disappointment all the water was landing onto a rock at the bottom of the waterfall. We started to look for a way to portage but there was nothing that brought us down to the river level. What we found was a ledge in the rock face some 4m above the water, to the right was a huge flat rock but as we have both had knee operations we did not fancy the idea of jumping 4m onto a flat rock. The only way to portage this rapid was to jump into the river and then swim to the flat rock. This I did and using a lot of energy I managed to swim against the
swirling eddy current to finally scramble onto the flat rock. Ute lowered the kayaks and paddles to me with her throw-bag from higher up the rock wall; she then back-climbed to the ledge and jumped into the swirly eddy. I bagged her and we both sat exhausted on the flat rock. Since it is getting dark very quickly in the gorge, we started looking for a place to camp but there was not much around. There was plenty of rock falls on the only flat spaces along the left side of the river, on the right we found a small beach but there was a dead cow lying halfway in the water and onto the beach, so we decided against that. Our only option was a small piece of sand on a rock ledge just under the river right gorge wall.
Heavy rain turns to hailstones
We were shattered from the day’s kayaking and still did not know how much more of this tight gorge was left and as soon as we pitched our tarp the rains came. It absolutely poured down, what little sand we had started turning into a small stream and we were frantically placing rocks and our dry-bags in the path of the newly formed stream to divert the water away from our tarp. There was lightning in the distance and suddenly the roar of thunder seemed to break out directly above us. The rain got heavier, then turned to hailstones our tarp was truly getting put to the test. As the hailstones came to a sudden halt it looked as though we were camping in the middle of a snowfield, the rains came again and washed away the hailstones, the lightning was amazing. It felt as though someone was taking a picture of us from way above with a massive flashgun!
Ute Heppke kayaking another sweet drop
We would often meet villagers intrigued by our journey
Fifth wedding anniversary
The weather finally changed, the stars came out and we got the pressure cooker on and prepared another evening meal of rice and dhal (lentils). While sitting on the rocks drinking a cup of tea we talked about our achievements that day. I am not one for giving names to rapids but as it was a first descent we decided to name the slide drop that we both run by the houses. It was the 22nd of April and we were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary, so it aptly got named Anniversary Rapid!
The river had not changed from the night’s rain, which was kind of a nice feeling. We scouted the next set of three rapids and drops to see a huge flat pool at the bottom of the gorge. When we got to the pool we pushed on to realise that we were finally out of the main gorge. The river calmed down and dropped a grade and so did the gradient, we were now reading and running a lot of rapids with a few scouts and a portage mixed in to keep our concentration levels up. There were more people on the side of the river now and we came across a group of women. There must have been three generations there by the side of the river and though no one could speak English we managed to get along fine with some sign language and our sketchy Hindi. Two of the women wanted to take a ride on the back of the kayaks and for us this was a real novelty. Of all the time we have spent in India this is the first time local villagers have actually wanted to sit (well squat) on the boat. It happens a lot in Nepal but India is rather different when it comes to local villagers and rivers! We again got invited for chai and asked to stay the night at their village but we wanted to continue and make up some valuable time that day. It took us just another three hours to reach our intended camp that we had planned from our recce mission the previous year. We dried out all our kit and feeling elated from the last gorge which we named ‘Jungly Cow Gorge’ after all the dead cows in there, we sat back and took in our surroundings.
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To find out more information about kayaking and exploring the rivers in India check out The Paddler ezine August edition.
Steve is now running a successful kayak school in Austria. It is the perfect training ground and the ideal step into running bigger volume rivers such as in the Himalayas. Kayak School Arlberg also runs road trips in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. For a bespoke kayaking trip to the Indian Himalayas check out: www.gokayaking.at
Our final day
on the river, we knew from our Enfield recce what was in store for the morning: pool drop rapids with again some big U-bends in the river and sweet drops. We passed the final village late in the morning, saw a fisherman who gave us a worried look as we continued down and headed into the final gorge of the Uhl.
We thought that we were doing well for time and our pre-arranged rendezvous with Vipin was looking like the right decision. That was until we hit the first rapid, a boulder choked mess with not one clean line, so we were portaging. The next rapid was runnable, just with a sketchy ferry glide to river right halfway down to portage another boulder-choked mess.
This continued for a while, we could not believe it. The previous three days had been fantastic white water but now the gorge was really pushing us to our limits. We came to a crux halfway where there was a huge waterfall that again fell onto rocks and was impossible to run. We scrambled up the rock face on river left but could not get a good look and it was impossible to portage here. We ferried across to river right to find a really sketchy line, Ute was not up for it and so we had to portage up into the jungle and abseil back down into the gorge. It took nearly three hours to do the portage, we were shattered but this was not the end. Every time we got to a rapid it ended up being a huge boulder choke or a waterfall that was un-runnable. We were portaging the drops way more than we were kayaking any of the last gorge. Finally, we could see the end of the gorge and within an hour we got to the confluence of the Beas Gorge.
Amazed fishermen
We came across two fishermen who were amazed we had made it through, there was no path in the gorge and so the only way to go through it was by kayak. After a kilometre on the Beas River we saw Vipin sitting on a rock. Luckily we got a phone signal halfway down the gorge and so he knew we were not on schedule. Some five hours after our planned rendezvous we met up with Vipin and finished our expedition. With the vehicle loaded, we headed back to Manali. It had been an amazing trip, the first three and a half days had some quality white water, crystal clear water and all set in some amazing surroundings. The locals were really friendly and if you asked me would we do it again, yes is the answer but we would leave out the lower gorge!
For some of our kayaking mission and for our ski-tour adventure the award winning film maker Hanno Mackowitz accompanied us. With his patience, understanding and professionalism we have been rewarded with a film that will be presented at the Film Festival in St. Anton am Arlberg. More details will follow exclusively in The Paddler ezine...
Click for Himachal Pradesh map
The previous three days had been fantastic white water but now the gorge was really pushing us
to our limits
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SUP Paddler
116 SUP World Series Champions Five minutes with Connor Baxter and Izzi Gomez
124 Australia
Winter training down under by Kai Nicolas Steimer
134 South Africa
The Dusi Marathon by SUP by Corran Addison
146 Kenya
Christmas coastal SUP by Craig Rogers
160 Interview
Quickblade Paddle’s Jim Terrell
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minute interviews with connor baxter & izzi gomez 2014 sup world series champs Photos: Waterman League ThePaddler 117
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Firstly Connor, many congratulations on becoming Men’s Stand Up World Series Champion – how does that feel? Means the world to me, especially working and training so hard this year. You’ve won just about everything in the last 12 months – which title gives the most satisfaction? For me the most satisfying race that I have won this year is the Molokai to Oahu race, for a number of reasons. Beating my record was such an incredible feeling, and that race is always the most gruelling test of who is a true all-round waterman. Now we know you are very proficient at a number of watersports including surf, windsurf, kite and SUP – do you have a favourite? If I had to choose, it would be very difficult because the conditions are always changing. However, I would pick SUP because you can do it in all the different conditions. Nature or nurture or in the case of SUP, knowledge of the ocean or physical fitness – which is the most advantageous in SUP racing? This completely depends on the race. Molokai to Oahu requires fitness, but mostly knowledge of the ocean. For the Carolina Cup it’s all about who is the fittest. What would a typical food day be for you from breakfast to supper? I’m basically a garbage disposal, for breakfast I typically eat three sunny side up eggs and some sourdough toast. Lunchtime I’ll have some pasta or a sandwich and for dinner I normally have a salad, salmon and quinoa. Tell us a bit about your training regime. How does your average session go? It starts of with morning harbour training at 0700, then depending on the waves I will surf or windsurf. Later I finish off the day with a beach workout with my training partner Kody Kerbox and end with a good meal.
You’ve been doing a lot of travelling in the past year – what’s been your favourite experience? My favourite experience this year was when I surfing in a pool in the middle of the desert in Abu Dhabi. Being as fortunate as we are we get to travel to a lot of places around the world but this was one of the craziest experiences of the year by far. From snowboarding in an indoor mall to white water rafting, it was an epic adventure. Which spots are on your bucket list for SUP missions in the future? I would love to go and check out some places in Russia or Alaska, because it would be awesome to take the touring boards exploring. Favourite SUP spot? My favourite spot would be in the Metawais, because it has some of the best conditions for high performance surfing, such as getting shacked, progressive airs, and aggressive cutbacks. Favourite piece of SUP gear? I am really stoked on my new Future racing fin that I worked with them to design and is perfect for both racing and surfing conditions. Who are your SUP buddies? I would say I’m definitely always surfing and training with the Maui boys, Kody Kerbox and Zane Schweitzer. Also I’m super close with all the boys such as Riggs Napoleon, Matt Becker, Brennan Rose, Mo Freitas and Sean Poynter. What’s the most boring question you are often asked? “Which way does the paddle go?” Any final shout outs? Shout out to my beautiful girlfriend and all my amazing sponsors that provide me with the best gear, such as, Starboard, Future Fins, Dakine, Rainbow Sandals, Maui Jim,Virus, UB Super, and Waterman’s Sunscreen.
Which of the living legends of surf have influenced you the most during your career? Hands down that would be Dave Kalama. He is an ambassador of aloha, and shredding and racing harder than any 20-year old. Which do you prefer – surfing or racing? I love surfing because it is always more exciting and fun. However, when your doing a race like the Battle of the Paddle or the Ultimate SUP Showdown you get to surf and race and they really encompass both aspects of the sport at once.
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Firstly Izzi, many congratulations on becoming Women’s Stand Up World Series Champion – how does that feel? It feels so unreal to achieve something I have wanted accomplish my whole life!
What would a typical food day be for you from breakfast to supper? An acai bowl or oatmeal, egg whites and fruit for breakfast, then I pretty much graze the rest of the day. I do like pizza though :)
You’ve won so many competitions in the last 12 months – which title gives the most satisfaction? Brazil, I had just come off a poor result at Turtle Bay and it was the turning point when I decided that SUP is what I wanted to do.
Tell us a bit about your training regime. How does your average session go? Surf Kinetics is my training program along with race training and a lot of free surfing.
How do you fit in your schooling between your fledging SUP and music careers? I try my best to keep a healthy balance. I try to fit school in everyday when the waves are flat, I power it out to catch up for when it’s pumping. Music is my passion. There’s always time for music and I get school credit for it. Nature or nurture or in the case of SUP, knowledge of the ocean or physical fitness – which is the most advantageous in SUP racing? It’s 50-50. You could be the fittest person on Earth and fly on a race board, but if you’re not one with the ocean, you’re done.
Which of the living legends of surf have influenced you the most during your career? Kelly Slater and Kai Lenny, and mostly my brother Giorgio Gomez. Which do you prefer – surfing or racing and why? Surfing! It's more fun! You’ve been doing a lot of travelling in the past year – what’s been your favourite experience? Tahiti was amazing! Clear water, perfect waves, and good people! I also got to swim with the sharks! Which spots are on your bucket list for SUP missions in the future? The Maldives. Favourite SUP spot? Sunset. Favourite piece of SUP gear? My Starboard Enduro paddle… I can’t SUP without it!
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Photos: Fanatic International
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CHERRY
Ywinter POP! training style As summer gives way to winter thoughts move to jetting off to warmer climes (if only for a short time) to soak up some rays, shed a load of clobber and immerse yourself in a spot of warm water SUP.Australia has been the choice destination of many a watersports nut for years. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now also a bona fide stand up paddle boarding spot and perfect for training, recreational paddling or simply relaxing. Over to Fanatic rider Kai Nicolas Steimer for the low down on his cherry popping first time Currumbin SUP adventure. ThePaddler 125
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ThePaddler 126 owadays it is more or less mandatory for young adults to spend a year abroad exploring a foreign continent with a backpack. That’s what it’s like in my circle of friends as well. I used to smile at these people… out of pure ignorance and admittedly also a little bit out of envy of all the enthusiastic stories they told once being back.The challenge to try it out and go on such a journey myself always resonated. So what would be more appropriate for that than the popular red continent: Australia. When my sponsor (Fanatic) offered me the chance to train with my Australian teammates, I didn’t hesitate one second. And it wasn’t just because of the destination. Paul and Angela Jackson as well as Jake Jensen rank among the world’s top 10 stand up paddlers. Finally I could visit this much praised country and at the same time be able to learn from the best. But before I was ready to leave for Australia I had to finish my Bachelor thesis. Right in time before Christmas I was done with my studies and enjoyed a relaxing holiday with my family. Meanwhile my parents’ concerns about the big journey grew and grew: the pretty long plane trip, and of course the amount of rather dangerous animals; crocodiles, snakes, spiders, sharks and jellyfish. But all the doubts others had just made me even more curious. I couldn’t wait to finally travel to Australia myself and see all the animals in their natural habitat rather than in the zoo as we are used to in Germany.
During breakfast, the lorikeets were chirping and our leftover fruit went straight over the balcony into the garden
where the iguanas
were already waiting.
On 31 December my journey finally started: off to Australia. After spending New Year’s in a transfer bus at Singapore’s international airport, I arrived in Brisbane on 2 January. 32 hours of travelling and four hours of waiting, trying to sleep on one of the couches in the arrival hall, lay behind me when I boarded the train to get to my final destination:The Gold Coast.
Since my childhood I have been fascinated by animals – I had so many pets during my early years I could’ve easily started my own zoo. In Australia this seems to be different. Pets are basically restricted to cats and dogs, as everything else we know as pets in Europe live in free nature here. It wasn’t unusual that I woke up to the screaming of a cockatoo, sitting in a tree in front of my window. During breakfast, the lorikeets were chirping and our leftover fruit went straight over the balcony into the garden where the iguanas were already waiting. On every corner you could see exotic animals; sometimes we were even sharing the house with them. Lizards were lingering at the poolside and at night geckos were hunting flies on the window sills. And yes, there were spiders as well. And they were huge! Every once in a while I came across a huntsman spider the size of my palm.
A little bit taller
But not only the wildlife differs to that in Germany – the vegetation does too. Everything is simply a little bit taller than what we are used to in Europe. Even potted flowers that we already consider to be quite big, such as the gum tree, are simply huge in Australia. It has roots that reach to the ground from its branches like supporting columns.There are all kinds of palm trees growing in the gardens and along the streets, as well as ferns that resemble those described in the dinosaur books I used to read as a kid more than the artificial ones we know here.
Besides all that, it seems as if the people in Australia have found a different way of living. Maybe it has something to do with the water draining in the other direction? Most Australians manage to organise their working routine as flexibly as possible. Many of them have their own businesses; they are their own boss and so can schedule their free time just as they want. But that doesn’t mean that they are lazy. I have never seen so many people pursuing their hobbies almost daily, most often early in the morning before work. In Germany at 5am, even during summer, almost everyone is still fast asleep; but for most Australians the day starts at that time. They do what they love: fishing, running, surfing or swimming. Personal trainers get their free weights and ropes ready for group fitness courses that start at 6am and convoys of bikers fill the streets. It’s wonderful to see how active everyone here seems to be.
An established sport
Unsurprisingly, SUP in Australia is already an established sport. The enthusiasm definitely comes in part from the fact that almost every Australian grows up with surfing. Lots of teenagers join a lifeguard club and thus get in touch with prone surfing pretty early. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen so many stand up paddlers training on race boards before. On good days there are about five training groups on Currumbin Creek, each with 20 people. And almost every group trains at least twice a week. But also recreational paddlers on all-
round boards enjoy the Australian summer with their families at the weekends. And of course there exists a big community of wave paddlers who go out in the early morning to catch the first good swells of the day.
Of course, SUP is the actual reason for my journey to the other side of the world. I wanted to escape the cold and damp German winter, improve my paddle skills and enjoy some waves. For this I joined the training group of Angela and Paul Jackson, owners of a small but fine SUP store at Currumbin Creek.
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Australia The Gold Coast
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ThePaddler 130 during a beach run having to eschew Both are part of the international Fanatic pro hundreds of blue crabs that make a sound rider team and, together with Jake Jensen, like rain when moving. Not to speak of the prepare themselves intensively for the SUP numerous stingrays lying majestically on the World Tour. Their training concept is simple sandy bottom of the creek or the young but functional: six days a week they do a eagle rays which float gracefully through the paddle sessions in the morning and at night water here and there. go to the fitness centre. From the second day after my arrival, I tried to get used to their After the training sessions in the morning training routine and took part in the paddle there usually was enough time to relax a little training sessions at 5am. They follow a followed by an extended surf session at diverse itinerary, so it doesn’t get boring. It midday. We went to the gym five evenings a switches between intensive interval training week too – but not to the kind that we and easy paddle know in Europe. It sessions for was more like a cross regeneration. And fit kind of gym, best of all: everyone “It is something quite different located in a huge hall is welcome to join in. with a roll up gate. to be accompanied by It was extremely Source, as it was motivating to see dolphins when out on the called, is led by Peter how many people Stanton and is the water, or during a beach run took this number one address having to eschew hundreds opportunity and for watersports how much fun they enthusiasts who, had. besides regular training sessions on It is something quite that make a sound like rain the board, also want different to be accompanied by when moving.” to improve their muscle power and dolphins when out endurance. on the water, or
of blue crabs
Trained the whole body
We trained every night, with Pete showing us great exercises that often made me ache the next day. The great thing about these exercises was that they trained the whole body, so my body tension was strengthened all the time. Pete looks back on years of experience training surfers and prone paddlers and has an experienced eye for the right exercises for stand up paddlers. Obviously, such hard training demands
sacrifices, especially when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not used to it like meâ&#x20AC;Ś Among them were a need for excessive amounts of sleep plus emaciated muscles. It took me a while, but after a couple of months my body had adjusted to this unfamiliar level of exposure and I could reduce my overly high need for sleep again. That meant I had more time left to rip some of the Australian waves on my ProWave 8.5ft.
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Thanks to the curved coastline the area is also great for downwinders of about 10km when there’s south to southeasterly winds. This discipline was completely new to me and I quickly learned to really love and also really hate it. It’s an overwhelming feeling when you have a good run and glide from wave to wave with high speed. On the other hand it can be so frustrating when you don’t catch good waves and the others pass you by and are ahead of you 500 meters within seconds. But what did the locals always say? It’s all a matter of practice! Well it’s easy for them to talk – they can do a downwinder almost every week! As is the way, these six weeks in Australia training with the Jacksons and Jake Jensen went by way too quickly. But they left me with heaps of new impressions and training ideas.
With this in mind I started on my journey back home, planning to build upon the things I have learned.
I can warmly recommend a trip to Currumbin Creek to everyone. This place doubtlessly is one of the best stand up paddle areas in the world. Within a small distance you’ll find all the conditions you can dream of, from flat-water and downwind to a couple of Australia’s most popular wave spots. And if you surf regular, you’ve found your perfect spot as the Gold Coast is almost only right hand waves. Not to mention the pleasant temperature all year through and all the things this wonderful country has to offer besides watersports. You see, it’s contagious! Now I am raving about Australia like all the people I was laughing about. Nothing left to say except: Buy a big backpack and get going!
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“Not even halfway into the first day of a three-day race, slogging across the top of a mountain on a gravel track in blazing African heat, three miles from the closest river, dragging a 30lb board, it began to occur to me that I’d made a terrible mistake.”
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ThePaddler 136 It was by pure chance, that during the Southern Hemisphere summer of 2013, I was in South Africa shooting a white water SUP adventure film called iAfrica that we happened to be on the Umgeni River at the same time as the final day of the Dusi marathon.
The Dusi is a unique kayaking race. Almost 2,000 kayakers paddle and run the 75 miles over three days from Petermaritzburg to Durban in KwaZulu/Natal. Loosely, you can break the race down into about one-third flat water sprinting, one-third white water and one-third portaging (with your 30lbs kayak on your shoulders). One hundred degree temperatures, oppressive humidity, and howling head winds top off this already gruelling race. The Dusi is on the bucket list for most South Africans, and there are almost 10,000 registered racing ‘canoeists’ (they call kayakers canoeists in South Africa) in the country. My history with the Dusi is a long, and in many ways unpleasant one. When I was living in South Africa as a youth in the 1980s, kayaking is all I could think about. It was my reason for waking up in the morning, and my motivation to go to sleep early at night. I was part of a new, and very small, breed in South Africa of kayakers who did not race 5m (17’) K1 on flat water, but rather paddled short 10’ plastic kayaks designed for freestyle playing, or extreme river running. Each time I would tell someone I “canoed” they asked to my chagrin if I did the Dusi. At the time, the Dusi to me represented everything that was ‘wrong’ with kayaking in South Africa. In the 1980s 11-time consecutive winner of the race, Graeme Pope Ellis (who ultimately racked up a total of 42 Dusi races before his death in a farming accident) acknowledged that he did not know how to Eskimo roll his kayak (the ability to right a capsized boat). This is considered a basic skill for a freestyle or extreme kayaker, and the 11-time winner didn’t know how to do it! The race itself in those days was more running than paddling because several of the dams which feed water into the race now had not yet been built, and it was simply faster to run over the mountain, kayak on head, than paddle around the horseshoe bends. As such, top ‘canoeists’ were runners with boats. You can understand why at 16 this represented the antithesis of kayaking, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I swore I’d never ‘canoe’ the Dusi. I can honestly say that today I never have
– in a canoe…
So you can imagine the irony when about a week after the 2013 Dusi marathon, having casually SUP paddled the same section of river the same day by pure chance, watching between rapids as the paddlers came blasting by, I asked my friend, local white water SUP enthusiast and past Dusi canoeist Dean Botcher, whether he thought it could be done on a paddleboard. After all, I’d never run the upper sections of the Umzimdusi and Umgeni rivers because they held little interest for ‘an extreme kayaker’ such as myself (sic.). However, what had me interested was whether such a long, challenging race could even be done
– on a paddleboard!
Fact 75 is the age of the oldest entrant for Dusi 2014, Lionel Benham
Fact 14 is the age of the youngest entrant of Dusi 2014, Stacy Green
Racing SUP had lost its appeal for me over the last year or so before my 2013 trip to South Africa.The same monotonous slug across a lake with frustratingly short (and therefore slow) 12’6” boards simply no longer had any appeal for me. Sure, I’d won several races over the years in Europe, Canada and the USA, but I was simply no longer interested.With Corran SUP taking up most of my time, a baby on the way, one of the worst summers for surf in California in years, middle age, and having stopped racing completely, I’d also put on 20lbs, making my new interest in doing a marathon like the Dusi seem even more bizarre to those around me.
Unlimited race paddleboards average about 56mph over long distances. K1 kayaks average closer to 7-8mph and K2 about 10mph. This means in theory that a SUP would be doing almost half the speed of a K2 team, over 75 miles.
But there was a new appeal here. This would be something truly unique and challenging. I’d done some ‘Eco Challenge’ type races in the past, and I enjoyed the suffering that comes with a challenge like this.
While in theory you can run with a SUP as fast as you can a kayak, kayaks are relatively comfortable to carry, because of the narrow rounded hull, or the open cockpit, both of which sit comfortably on your shoulder. SUPs are much wider, and flatter, with no cockpit, so there was going to be the obvious challenge of how to carry them over the long distances up and over the mountains on the compulsory portages.
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Fact 119.62km is the exact distance in kilometres of the race, using the current conventional route
The Dusi organizers were understandably concerned.The last thing they wanted was having to rescue stranded SUP paddlers halfway into the
valley of a thousand hills
Both K1 and K2 kayaks have moveable rudders, making it possible to turn the long pointy boats in the rapids. While there are several steering systems on the market for SUP, none would work in a white water environment.This means that the SUP would either have to be shorter so it could turn (making it even slower on the flats) or require some ingenious method of paddling straight on the long flat sections, and allow the board to turn quickly in the class 3+ rapids.The solution was by no means obvious for either portaging or board manoeuvrability. Dean began to mull the prospect over in South Africa, and roped in paddle builder Brendon Germaine from Maxpaddle. They decided a wider, shorter board was the way to go, and began to work on a hollow construction design (like the canoes) that was wide and flat so it was stable and turned well, they were convinced that this was the solution. While the board would be slower on the flat sections, it would in theory be faster in the rapids (fewer swims and easier to manoeuvre), and its shorter length would be more manageable on the portages. Therefore the paddler would be ‘fast’ for two-thirds of the race losing time only in the long gruelling flat water sections. But I was more interested in proving a point – that you could SUP a race like the Dusi and be ‘relatively’ competitive with the K1 kayaks. Each year the Dusi alternates between K1 and K2 and 2014 was to be a K2 year. So it was the perfect year to test the idea so that the kinks were worked out for 2015, which would be a K1 year. To be competitive I wanted an even playing field and so I designed my SUP around the ICF K1/C1 (canoe) rules that are used for the Dusi: 520cm (17’) long, and a minimum of 12kg (26lbs).
Tail mounted skeg system
I then took my tail mounted skeg system that I use on my Streetfighter white water board, and added a lift line that would allow me to pull the rudder up out of the water so it would turn quickly. While this required me to stop paddling and bend over to pull the line, it was a simple solution to a complex problem. With the skeg up the board turned on a dime, and with it down I was able to average almost 6mph on flat water, compared to Dean’s 14’ which was averaging 4.5mph. I then designed and built into my life jacket a harness system that would sling the board against my side freeing up both hands. This would allow me to carry the board with relative ease, even though there would be about a 30-45 second delay while I attached the system at the start and end of each portage. Given that many of them are an hour or more long, I felt sure that this loss of time would not be detrimental. Dean was also working on something similar on his end, and our harnesses actually turned out to be very similar in many ways.
Lastly, it was critical to make the board from something very impact and wear resistant, because the Dusi is full of rocks that will tear up a board, and for about half of the portages you simply drag the board (or boat) down the mountain trails, or dirt roads behind you. BGF stepped up to the plate with a new material called AerialiteX that they said would do the job. Made from Innegra fibre they claimed it would be lighter, and more resistant than Kevlar. There was no question that these boards were going to receive a beating and in the end the AerialiteX performed above and beyond what was promised.
A different direction
So the team of Dean and Brendon came at the problem from a different direction than I did. Their board was shorter, wider, more stable and manoeuvrable than mine, hollow core so more of the weight in construction was in the outer shell rather than the inner foam core, and this we knew would make for an interesting comparative test of practicality, durability and overall efficiency for the race. Finally a month before the race, long time Dusi veteran of 10 races Jon Ivans decided to join the Maxpaddle team making it a total of four of us who would try.
The Dusi organizers were understandably concerned. The last thing they wanted was having to rescue stranded SUP paddlers halfway into the valley of a thousand hills, so they made the three South Africans ‘prove’ it could be done by having them enter several of the qualifying races through December and January in the lead up to the February event. On my end I started training hard every day with my new board and by the end of January I’d lost 20lbs, and was averaging times 1mph faster than when I’d started in December, over a two-hour workout. But this was winter in California, and there is no white water to be had anywhere, so while the guys in South Africa were gaining critical experience in racing long boards down white water, I was slugging away on flat water in Dana Point harbour. There were of course a couple of other concerns. I had never run any of the first two days section of the river, and so I had no idea what the lines were for the rapids, or where the take outs were for the portages. Some of the portages, while seemingly endlessly long at three or four miles, actually cut out a 15-mile loop of dead flat river, so it’s critical not to miss the take out. Others cut off sections of the river which are all but unrunable except by the most experienced paddlers in specially designed extreme kayaks; certainly not a place you’d want to end up on a 17’ paddleboard shaped like a knitting needle.
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So between work-outs I watched every youtube video I could find about the Dusi, carefully watching the lines through rapids and looking for identifying features for the portages. Combined with Google Earth imaging, I felt I had at least a fighting chance of competing with the other guys who were all experienced Dusi canoeists.
When we stood balancing on our boards at the starting line that Thursday morning of February 13 at 7am, I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was not nervous. To begin with, I’d managed to get Ecoli bacteria the day before, and I had a serious case of Diarrhoea resulting in no strength or energy at all as a result. Day one had in theory the hardest portages of the race – two life-altering slogs over the rolling hills of Kwazulu in oppressive heat, and in my enfeebled state I was not entirely optimistic.
We were batched with the experienced ‘20 year’ paddlers; canoeists who had more than 20 Dusi’s under their belts, and as the loud cannon went off the 50 K2s in our heat took of in a whirlwind of carbon wing paddles. I was able to jump onto the wake of a slightly slower moving team, and drafted them most of the way across the mile long sprint to the ‘Earnie Pierce Weir’, a 15-foot high slide of 45 degrees over a low head dam. The line however is constricted, and by
the time I came rolling up there were 40 kayaks waiting their turn. Yells and cheers from the crowds on shore alerted me to the fact that several teams must be broached at the bottom or were swimming, and I decided in an instant to paddle to shore, lug my board over the damn wall, and jump down onto it, passing the whole line-up.
Totally destroyed
This moment would be a realization for me that we’d have several advantages over the kayaks in the rapids, the major of which being that it would invariably be faster to attempt to run a rapid, and swim it if I failed, than to run around as many of the K2 teams would do on the harder drops. While their kayaks would swamp, often resulting in them wrapping and being totally destroyed, thereby making the decision to ‘run or paddle’ certain rapids a critical one, we could almost attempt everything with abandon – as long as you didn’t mind getting physically beaten as you rolled and bounced your way down some of the rocky slides and rock piles.
As I jumped over the wall of the dam, I saw the other three SUP paddlers bringing up the rear, still about a 100 yards from the extended queue of K2s waiting their turn. They looked like they were going to wait and run the dam, so I used the opportunity to make up some real time over the next few miles of flat water and white water all mixed, up before the first major portage.
The Taxi Rapid
South African flag by GaryckArntzen
Identifying features
Fact There are 41 international paddlers taking part in Dusi 2014
No excuses
Slowly but surely, all the K2 teams I’d passed at the dam picked me off as their two-man powered sleek kayaks edged past me, but I’d hop from one wake to the next when I could, and combined with the slight current, was averaging almost 8mph most of the time. As we approached the second major weir of the day, the majority of K2 teams sped for shore and clamoured out and up the muddy bank, slipping and falling as they stumbled over one another. Booming over the mike for the crowd watching on, was the voice of Dave McCloud, the event organizer, and as I slid over the weir and into the rapids below I could hear him chiding the kayakers who were portaging, saying, “You have no excuses for not running this rapid – that SUP paddler just did it standing!”
For the following several miles I passed, and was passed time and again by the same teams. In the rapids I’d make up time on them, with the ability to see further and make better last minute calls on where to run them, as three or four K2s would collide with each other jamming up the optimum lines. The following boats would end up stranded on dry rock, or worse, T Boned across the channel. Bits of boat, broken in two, already littered the pools below the harder rapids as several K2 crews race came to an abrupt end not even an hour into day one.
Finally we came to the hardest rapid of the day, a sixfoot drop called Taxi. As I approached the line up against the left bank the K2 in front of me ran dry, and their tail swept out into the current as they went over sideways. A last minute call and I shifted my line to the centre of the rapid right through the big hole at its base, and went for it.This would be the first real test of my ability to run a hard rapid on a 17’ board that’s narrow and tippy. I made the drop, cleared the hole, and then collided with the K2 that had swept over sideways throwing me off the board and into the water.
10 critical minutes
As I climbed back on I noticed that my skeg was gone – completely snapped off. Without it I would not be able to paddle straight, and so I quickly paddled the board to shore, pulled off my lifejacket where I had a spare skeg in the camel back. The entire operation took me 10 critical minutes that I’d worked hard to gain over the other guys. I knew that I needed the maximum distance between them and myself before the portages, because all three are experienced runners, and with my bad knees (from snowboarding) and diminished strength (from the Ecoli bacteria) I estimated that they would be more than twice as fast as myself on the runs.
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This turned out to
be the only equipment failure I’d have for the entire race, but at the time it was an ominous omen of what I thought was to come.
I was back on the board for no more than a minute when I felt an attack of the runs coming. I paddled head long into the reeds, and executed what must of appeared as a well rehearsed choreography of diving and dropping ones pants mid air as I crashed through the reeds into the shore and scrambled onto the bank just in time. More hard won time passed as I crouched in the reeds, the bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting alternating. As my strength returned, I climbed back onto the board, and paddled on, checking over my shoulder to see if the other SUP paddlers had come into view. So far I was alone, but the group of K2s I’d been playing leap-frog with were gone and new faces appeared, staring at me in awe as we paddled through the continuous class 1 and 2 rapids. Coming around a bend, I saw teams of K2s pulling to shore, climbing out, slinging the boats over their shoulders and beginning the slug up the side of the mountain on the muddy track.
This was the feared Campbell’s Farm portage that would take us up to three miles from the river. This would be my first real test of my harness system over a real distance, the first true test of my destroyed knees to handle the strain, and of my weakened state.The light at the end of the tunnel was that my second would be at the top of the mountain, about a quarter of the way into the portage with fresh water and refreshments.
A new realization
This is when a new realization hit home. In hindsight it’s obvious, but it hadn’t occurred to me before. In a kayak, you’re sitting when paddling.Your legs are resting. Right about the time your arms are crying for relief, you get to a portage. Here your legs take over and you rest your arms while your legs do the work. And when your legs are screaming, the portage ends and you sit down to rest them as the paddling begins again.
Not so for a SUP paddler. Your legs have been working the entire time you’ve been paddling. You’re constantly ‘negotiating’ with the board with subtle weight shifts, stepping back and forward in the rapids, and using them as springs to absorb the impact from waves. By the time you get to the portage both your arms and legs are exhausted. Then, because of the paddleboards shape, a fair amount of effort goes into your arms during the entire portage to carry and stabilize the board, despite the harness. At no point do either your arms or legs rest; everything is working hard all the time.
This point was run home when Brendon suddenly slapped me on the ass as he ran by panting, right as the seconds came into view. Only a quarter of the way into the portage and already one of the other SUPs had caught me. I feared that our original estimate would be true: that the SUP class would be decided not by the skills and fitness of the paddling, but by the ability to run the portages quickly. It would be a runner’s race, not a paddler’s race – and Brendon is a good runner. Soon after leaving the seconds, Dean caught me. By this time I was dragging my board on the gravel road, matching pace with the K2 teams around me. Twenty minutes later the reality of what I’d gotten myself sank in. Not even half way into the first day of a three day race, slogging across the top of a mountain on a gravel track in blazing African heat, three miles from the closest river, dragging a 30lbs board, it began to occur to me that I’d made a terrible mistake.
Dean, who was now just in front of me, dragging his board behind him, was in only slightly better spirits as we continued to beat and bash our way between ‘wag ‘n bietjie’ thorn bushes, rock piles and grass clumps that could easily be hiding puff adder snakes. Over an hour later we came up on the river again, where exhausted teams of paddlers were putting their 40lbs kayaks back into the water. The process for them is long, as one, then the other paddler climbs back in, and they put their protective splash decks over the rims to stop water entering the kayak. In the instant it took me to unhook my harness, clip in my leash and jump onto the board, I passed a dozen teams, with Dean right there as well. Here again my board’s speed came into play as I took off through the sections of class 2 rapids, passing K2 teams at will. While most would catch me again on the
Fact Seven K3s (three-seater kayaks) entered for Dusi 2014
At no point do either your arms or legs rest; everything is
working hard
all the time.
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Fact There are three compulsory portages on the Dusi route: Dusi Bridge, Nqumeni Hill and Inanda Dam wall
I stood, wavering in bliss as a bucket of cool w was poured over me and a banana was pus
into my mou
water hed
uth flats, I quickly edged away from Dean until I eventually saw Brendon in the distance. Sucking on a cocktail of protein, lactic acid reducer, and potassium mixed into my water, I charged after Brendon, knowing that the second, and harder of the two portages, was to come: the dreaded Devil’s Cauldron. While not as long as Campbells, this portage takes you up and down two mountains, with the valley between the two having its own micro climate of stifling heat and humidity. This is where the kayakers pass out from sheer heat exhaustion, three hours into the race.
Hallucinating
Every muscle in my body was crying out as I trudged up the mountain. The board pulled ominously to one side, stressing my spine. My legs objected to every step, and by the time I made it into the Devil’s Cauldron I was hallucinating. Desperately I tried to go to my ‘happy place’, looking inward and searching for peace and the will to continue. For four hours now I had been on the go, and I felt like I was at the end of my tether. I was about to drop my board onto the ground, and collapse next to it when I heard a voice behind me say, “Just another hundred metres and we’re out of here.” It gave me the energy I needed and as we broached the top of the hill, the most fantastic sight I’ve ever seen appeared. Rows of tables, stacked with chocolate bars, watermelon, bananas and potatoes lined the side of the path. Helpers with buckets of water were splashing paddlers as they walked by, and filling depleted camel backs. I stood, wavering in bliss as a bucket of cool water was poured over me and a banana was pushed into my mouth. With glee I scooped up all the fruit I could carry and began the hike down the back-side of the mountain, pulling my board on the track behind me as I eagerly stuffed the food into my mouth.
Only a few miles of river scattered with a combination of flat water and white water remained for day one now and I picked my way through it all, passing some K2 teams, and being passed by others. My skeg system worked well, and I was able to quickly pull it up as I entered rapids, almost not missing a beat, and then drop it down with a quick tug as I exited the rapid to get the drive into the flat water below. As my GPS showed just over five hours total time, the day’s finish came into view and I raced to the line. Brendon had arrived just 10 minutes ahead of me, arriving in 5hrs 32mins, as the first SUP paddler ever to complete day one of the Dusi, and I assumed this was a sign of things to come as the second days’ portages were supposed to be as difficult. Brendon was going to be hard to beat!
Completely undamaged
As I dragged my board up the bank, scantily clad girls thrust Game isotonic drinks and Hansa beer into my hands. Brendon was huddled over his board, sanding the bottom where it had split, and so I decided to finally inspect mine. To my amazement it was completely undamaged. The entire bottom looked like it had been fine sanded from the dragging, but not a single hole or crack was to be seen.
Within 40 minutes both Dean and Jon and arrived, and they set to fixing small cracks in their boards as I wondered off looking for a massage. As I lay there, having the knots and lactic acid massaged out of my aching muscles, I reflected on the day. It had been hard I decided, but not THAT hard. If day two was anything like day1, then I thought I might be able to finish this after all.
This was really the key. It was important that all four of us finish the race if we wanted the organizers to allow SUP into the ranks in the future. We were the test that would make or break this event for Stand Up Paddling, and there was no doubt in my mind that this is a race we wanted to be on the SUP calendar.
Day 2 in the December edition of The Paddler ezine…
Fifteen minutes later the river came into view, and a second wind took over as I began to increase my pace like a horse headed for home. As we approached the river I began to wonder whether I should inspect the bottom of the board. After all I’d dragged it almost 10 miles by then, and combined with the miles of rapids, I was sure that there must be damage. Ignorance is bliss I decided. The advantage of a foam core board is that whether the bottom was cracked or not, I wouldn’t sink, and so I decided to just jump in and go.
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By Craig Rogers
Travels with my lilo
KENYA
DIARIES
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Travelling with surfboards is not easy.Travelling with SUPs is even harder. If the airline graciously lets you on the plane with your quiver, there’s usually a wallet-melting surcharge to pay (and even then they make you sign a disclaimer against damage). Modern day piracy!
When you arrive at your destination you retrieve what’s left of your boards from the carousel before lashing them to the roof of a rusty taxi/hire-car before spending the journey worrying that the (lunatic) driver is going to have a prang and ding your favourite board.
Now that I have kids I also have to lug prams, car-seats and cots to the out-of-gauge belt. If you travel to Kenya, the baggage allowance on internal flights is a pitiful 15 kilograms. A solution to the problem became apparent – an inflatable SUP! Photo Credits: Craig Rogers Nic ‘Gupta’ Cahill John Khayemba (‘Askari’) Maja Sekulic Mike Owen Leo Kobanj Jenny Rogers Boris Polo Michele Scarpelini
I’d never ridden an inflatable before – a few summer sessions on borrowed iSUPs gave me an insight. I then set about researching inflatables for bigger surf. After lengthy deliberation I settled
Left to right: Nic, baby Oliver, Maja, Jenny, Craig, Sophie, Boris
Tribe SUP Crew at Blue Lagoon, Watamu
on a Starboard Astro Widepoint 8’2” (Deluxe). It was short with removable quad fins and plenty of rocker. Plus it looked GREAT, or so I thought until the Wife referred to it as a Lilo… My final pre-departure paddle was on the River Thames on a murky December day. Dressed as Father Christmas with 40 other happy Santas (and one Rudolf) we set off from Kew Bridge and paddled down-stream to Putney.The little iSUP generated a lot of interest from the other Santas, many of them promising to add it to their Christmas list. Arriving at the boathouse in Putney I had a mince pie, smugly deflated my board and boarded a doubledecker bus for the short journey home.
The next two days were filled with panicked calls to find a replacement for a broken paddle and some last minute shopping, before rushing off to the airport. Check-in at Heathrow Airport was a breeze (no complaints from British Airways check-in staff about my ‘surfboard’) and we were soon relaxing in the departure lounge with Eggs Benedict and a glass of fresh orange juice.
We arrive in Nairobi to be met by my father. Dad has lived in Kenya since the late 60s and is accustomed to us arriving with mountains of surf gear. This time, no complaints about the Starboard-branded rucksack – the only ostensible clue to its contents.
We spend three days in Nairobi, catching up with friends and acclimatising before flying to the Kenya Coast. The Air Kenya Dash 8 flies us out of the sprawling city, over the game park, and south towards the coast. We touch down in Lamu, swapping pallid safari-khaki tourists for their suntanned, flip-flopped equivalents, before accelerating off the runway again. We fly low over the sleepy old-town of Lamu before swooping over sand-dunes towards Malindi, 120 kms to the south.
After recovering our luggage we make the short transfer to Watamu in the hotel bus. Hemingways was originally designed as a deep-sea fishing lodge (named after the great American author and keen fisherman) with a bar and a few simple rooms. Nowadays it’s a comfortable, family-friendly hotel with two swimming pools and a magnificent fleet of The Ferry at Likoni (Mombasa) boats delivering visiting fishermen to the North Kenya Banks. After settling into our room we sit down for dinner by the pool - the cold and stress of Europe washed away by the warm trade winds and crash of waves on the distant reef. The following morning the kids are up early. We cross the hotel gardens (so hot already?) and into the dining room, open-sided with vaulted, palmthatched roof. We enjoy our first of many enormous breakfasts – pancakes, freshly cooked omelettes, bacon, acacia honey from the highlands and hot Kenya coffee.
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The kids get stuck
into bowls of mango and pawpaw; equal quantities in mouths and on tablecloth.
Nic and his fiancé Maja join us after breakfast. Nic ‘Gupta’ Cahill is an old school chum, full-time safari guide, and part-time snake charmer. He and Maja fled suburban Nairobi for the more sedate lifestyle of Watamu. Whilst their house is being built they are camping at the snake-farm; in exchange for room and board Nic rises at dawn to milk the snakes for antivenom.
We unwrap the iSUP (no dings!), pump up and go for a paddle. Nic has been surfing for 20 years but has never been on a SUP – the lagoon an ideal learning environment. Watamu is a marine park and the ocean full of life – turtles, parrot fish, darting rays, and bright starfish. Even the Wife decides she wants to try the iSUP (convinced that she can get a killer body and a killer tan at the same time). Buoyed up by this new incentive she sets off and paddles around the lagoon for an hour without falling off. Returning to the beach she is forced to admit she likes it – a new convert.
SUP-safari
On Sunday we get up early to meet Ben Kelliher from Tribe Watersports. Ben and his clients are doing a SUP-safari; we tag along. Ben leads us out of Watamu Bay and north along the rocky cliffs. At ‘Blue Lagoon’ (a horse-shoe bay, guarded by 20-foot coral stacks) we scrape through a jagged arch, paddle across the glassy lagoon and fetch up on the beach. We pay a local fisherman a few shillings to keep an eye on our kit before walking through a narrow passageway to the road and ‘Bahati Gelateria’. The ice-cream parlour is run by Andrea, an Italian exile, and serves an array The Bar at of homemade ‘gelati’, pastries and the best coffee this Hemingways side of Milan. I order two scoops of ice-cream, a
Nomads beach-break
selection of Sfogliatelle and a machiatto (in the interests of research) and settle down on the terrace as a herd of goats amble down the high-street.
After this breakfast of champions, we paddle out of Blue Lagoon, along the reef and soon find ourselves back in front of Hemingways, where we part company with Ben and his ‘wageni’.
Christmas shopping
That afternoon we head to Ocean Sports for the Christmas craft market. Every ‘Mzungu’ for miles around has converged on the hotel; the grounds are filled with stalls offering festive wares with an African twist. I snap up a brace of Christmas stockings made from a patchwork of Kangas (a colourful fabric worn by local women or used to swaddle infants) and buy a few stocking-fillers for
24th December and Boris arrives bearing gifts like one of Santas’ elves - a carbon paddle to replace the one I broke. Boris, a former tennis pro, is one of the old boys of the Kenya SUP scene.
above the reef…
The tide is dropping and the wind threatening to build so there’s barely time for Boris to get a coffee before we’re slapping on sunscreen and launching off the beach. The surf is bigger today – knee to waist high – but still very mellow. Nic catches his second wave, and then a third, as he learns to paddle the board in a wide-arc, generating enough speed for the wave to pick him up. It’s a fun session and great to be in the water with old friends Christmas Day and the kids wake up early. They empty the contents of their stockings all over the room before settling on favourite gifts: in Oliver’s case a Land Rover expertly fashioned from old coat-hangers.
We enjoy a splendid breakfast before heading out to the hotel reception and the arrival of Father Christmas on a wood-cart drawn by a hapless donkey. Kenyan Santa dispenses gifts to the kids (sweltering in his red suit) before he disappears to deliver presents to children in the village. The Wife ordains it a Christmas a ‘Day of Rest (no SUPing). After exchanging presents (Quicksilver T-shirt for Nic, surf-wax and some condoms for Boris) we hop in the cars and drive in convoy to Che Shale for lunch. Leaving the main road we weave through villages of wattle and daub, along a sandy track overlaid with coconut husks, before parking the trucks in the shade of lofty doum palms. We spend the afternoon at Che Local art on display at Ocean Sports Christmas Fair
my own infants. Christmas shopping completed, we settle down to Sunday lunch and cold Tuskers. The wind has picked up so we order another round of drinks and give up on any idea of an evening surf.
The following day, I settle the Wife on a sunbed with her Kindle and go in search of a wave.The swell is forming in clean lines, peeling gently down the reef. There is a ‘Mlango’ (channel) in front of Hemingways, which makes for an easy paddle out. After a few failed attempts Nic paddles into his first wave. He takes the wave left, shapes and trims down the face like a pro. The session is a short one – the life of a safari guide has endowed Nic with additional (unwanted) buoyancy fore and aft. As we head back to the Tribe base at Medina Palms the expression on Nic’s weary face is unmistakeable – he’s caught the bug!
Shale, a barefoot, low-impact retreat, nestled in a secluded bay and constructed entirely from local materials.The Sabaki River (merged from the confluence of the Galana and Athi Rivers) travels the breadth of Kenya and empties its silty contents into the ocean a few miles away, lending the beach a dusky countenance.
We watch the kiters for a while before settling down to a meal of barbecued fish and fresh salads. The afternoon is spent drowsily lounging on Lamu day-beds, sipping Kenya-Libré (Cuban rum replaced with local cane spirit). It’s a long way from a European Christmas but we wouldn’t swap it for all the snow in Alaska.
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Nomad’s beachbreak
The board is responsive under my feet, the short length and wide nose making foamy reentries easy, the quad fins fizzing a few inches
Fun session
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the only ripples
It’s completely still in the lagoon,
on the water are from my board
In the evening we
return to Hemingways and settle into the bar. It’s adorned with trophies of prize marlin, sailfish and yellow-fin tuna. With cold Tusker on tap, attentive barmen, and large Pelagics keeping a watchful eye on proceedings, it’s one of the finest on the planet. One of the guests landed his first billfish – an 80lb sail. In keeping with tradition he has to buy a drink for everyone in the bar. We congratulate the lucky fishermen and enjoy a few more beers before retiring.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is our last in Watamu and I get up for an early SUP. I put my leash on and paddle out from the beach alone. It’s completely still in the lagoon, the only ripples on the water are from my board. I zigzag past the slumbering fishing boats and through the ‘mlango’ as perfect swell lines roll in and break in an orderly sequence.The tide is still dropping and, in the silence, the waves make a loud ‘crack’ as they break over the shallow reef. I surf for a couple of hours, catching waves off the Aframe mainly left on my backhand, but occasionally right. The board is responsive under my feet, the short length and wide nose making foamy re-entries easy, the quad fins fizzing a few inches above the reef. As the tide rises I head back to the beach, passing Boris on the way out, “You should have been here two hours ago, ndugu!”
Mombasa
We pack up, throw the boards on the roof of Boris’ truck and say tearful farewells to Nic and Maja. We skirt the Arabuko Sokoko Forest and southwards towards Mombasa. We stop for a late lunch in one of the big malls in Nyali and then press on through downtown Mombasa, jostling with Matatus and TukTuks, dodging potholes, livestock and handcarts laden with coconuts.
We arrive at the sweltering queue for the Likoni Ferry, buy Cokes from a street vendor and watch life unfold around us: old ladies crouching over ‘jikos’, stalls piled high with mangoes, goats grazing amongst smouldering embers of fires. Eventually the ferry arrives, offloading matatus, safari vehicles, a lorry stacked double with mattresses. After the vehicles, a sea of humanity floods off the boat, heading home after a day on the mainland. Our time comes and having paid 50 shillings for the privilege, we skid up the on-ramp and take our place on the ferry. We stand on the wheel arches to get a glimpse – in the far distance – of the points and reefs at the mouth of Mombasa Harbour. The wind is whipping the tops off the churning surf. “Much better in July” Boris whispers ruefully.
Sands at Nomad
In no time we’re off the ferry and out on the open road. We pass immaculate settlements of mud huts, women carrying enormous bundles of fire-wood on their heads, men sitting in the shade idly playing ‘Bao’. Some 50kms short of the Tanzanian border is the turn-off at Ukunda – a thriving dormitory town, housing the waiters, cooks and chamber-maids who work in the tourist resorts. We drive swiftly past the commercial strip of Diani Beach before turning off the main road, through the dense sub-tropical forest, emerging at the Sands at Nomad. We’re met with an iced drink and necklace of frangipani before being led past the pool to our ocean-front suite.
The Sands at Nomad is set in 25 acres of indigenous forest, with a huge beach frontage and 37 rooms sparingly dotted along its length, guarded by enormous Baobab trees. The focal point of the Sands is the beach bar: a shower of tiny lights cascading like stars onto polished mahogany, topped with soaring canvas. Our room has uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean, a four-poster Lamu bed, and a jacuzzi on the terrace. The kids are more interested in the TV and bars of chocolate in the minibar. After an early start and a long day on the road, we grab a bite to eat before sliding into bed, the air-conditioning gently ruffling the mosquito-nets as we doze off.
The Lagoon at Watamu
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Ben tries out the iSUP
Craig and the Masai at The Sands
Camels on the beach
Craig and Boris monkeying about at Hemingways
Board specs
Model: Starboard Astro Widepoint Deluxe 2014 (Inflatable) Dimensions: 8’2” x 32” x 4” - 130 litres - 9.05kgs RRP: £1069.00 / $1428.95 / €1090.00
Prices for ‘Deluxe’: Expect to pay £200 / €200 less for the ‘Fun’ model) In the bag: Repair kit, pump, user guide, stickers, and a whole lotta fun.
Before dawn the next
morning I find myself back at the hotel reception, jumping into Boris’ truck. Groundhog Day. We drive down to Kenyaways Kite Village at neighbouring Galu Beach, grab boards and paddle out, squinting into the sun as it peeks over the horizon. The reef is further out than in Watamu – about 1.5kms off shore – but it’s an easy paddle on a SUP.
The dip-and-draw of our paddles startles a shoal of sleek, needle-beaked Garfish they skim across the water’s surface, dangerously close to our legs. It’s rare for them to hit surfers but on one occasion Boris had to take a windsurfer to hospital to have a Garfish removed from his ass. We surf ‘Craigie Reef ’ – a reliable left-hander which gets hollow at size. (The right doesn’t have a name but should be called ‘Urchins’ because of the spiny critters lurking on the inside.) The waves are breaking clean, chest to head-high, overhead in the sets. It’s easy to sit on the shoulder and take the wave towards the safety of the channel, but best results are found on the inside where the wave pitches over a slab and then runs the length of a tapering reef. The following morning we go for a session at ‘Ladrones’ – a classy wave where the right is as good as the left (and breaks over a pristine sandbar on the inside). Neil joins us – a Kenya boy now living in London. The line-up is choppy but the surf is solid and sucking hollow on the inside.
Boris puts in a text-book performance, nailing two set-waves to open the scoring, whilst I fail to get any points on the board. Neil is also suffering from lack of confidence and keeps his knee-caps firmly rooted to the board, floating deep in the channel. After some encouragement he paddles into a succession of setwaves taking the drop on his knees, sometimes making it; more often getting clattered. Boris, with his short stature, has a great talent for making small waves look big. I play camera-man, riding on the shoulder and filming the diminutive Frenchman with the GoPro.
The best session
On the last day of the year we score the best session of the trip. I sneak into the restaurant to pick up ‘mandazi’ (Swahili donuts) and paddle to Craigie Reef to meet Boris. The surf is solid, well overhead, angry lumps pitching and breaking in a shallow bowl. I produce the donuts from my hat; Boris has not brought the coffee!
Boosted by the mandazi we line up and carefully pick waves with a solid peak and low shoulder. As the tide drops the lefts appear to be breaking in two sections – a bowly inner section, and a second section where the lip throws over a shallow shelf. This second section keeps catching me out – whilst I can make the take-off (often dropping into thin air for a split second) I don’t have the speed to make it around the second section.
Gardener at The Sands (posing with iSUP and awesome uniform)
The iSUP seems to be held back by its thick rails, fizzing fins and dragging coil-leash. Boris, on his more gunny Naish, makes it round with ease, whilst I get repeatedly drilled – the iSUP popping out the whitewash like a cork. We continue for an hour and a half – exaggerated ‘Greg Noll’ stance before the wind increases and waves corrugate.
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I bid farewell to Boris and paddle back to the Nomads ‘Mlango’ skating through a keyhole in the reef (hardly wider than my board) before paddling through the lagoon, dodging coral heads and skirting seams of exposed reef. At one point I follow a team of fishermen – working in teams. The men in the ‘Ngalawa’ pole upwind, laying the nets in a wide arc, before turning and running downwind to form a loop around the shoal, whilst the men in the water thrash about to herd the fish into the trap.
On New Year’s Eve we go to ‘Sails’ restaurant– a beautiful beach-front restaurant – at Almanara Resort. We are plied with ‘Dawas’ (Kenyan caipirinha) and treated to a feast of lobster and crab. We toast the New Year with champagne and a spectacular firework display before dancing until sunrise at Blue Marlin – local DJs playing house-music with an African twist. On New Year’s Day the Wife insists she is ‘dying’ and refuses to get out bed. The ‘ayah’ (nanny) entertains the kids whilst we sleep-off the excesses of NYE. In the afternoon the wind is up, I go for the first windsurf of the year, dodging turtles on the reef and riding the first swells of 2014.
The Wife and her new six-pack
Sound of crashing surf
A couple of days later I wake to the sound of crashing surf. The Spring tide swell is clearing the outer reef and breaking right in front of the room. I sneak out and paddle into perfect, three-foot waves. My GoPro has failed to charge and in desperation I ask one of the ‘Askaris’ (night-watchmen) to take some snaps from the beach. Askari John has never used a digital SLR before but he is a quick learner. The waves are small but a beach-break session is a huge bonus.
On the third day the waves are closing out; the only worthwhile GoPro footage is a tube-ride. I paddle, cut, stall and tuck getting a few microseconds of coverup before getting smashed into the beach. On my final attempt the board gets sucked up the face and my back foot goes with it, twisting my toe (locked in the traction-pad) at an excruciating angle. I’m spat out in a wet sandstorm, losing paddle and camera in the process. I clamber onto the board and survey the damage. Purple-black bruising shows along the top of the toe. The pain is matched by the frustration that a waist-high close-out has wrecked my trip. (The injury is later diagnosed as a torn ligament).
Masai Warriors
The next morning I jealously eye the surf as I shuffle towards breakfast, toe showing purple over a blue flipflop. Later a group of Masai Moran (warriors) set up curio-stalls and perform a dance for the tourists. It’s very contrived but the visitors are entertained and the Masai are (over)paid for their wares so there’s a degree of mutual exploitation. My ‘spear’ – a carbon shaft with a t-bar at one end and a tear-drop blade at the other, intrigues the warriors.They are unanimous in their view that it would not be much use either as a spear or a shield, and wholly ineffective for hunting lion. Our final day in Kenya and time to hand over the keys to the iSUP. Linzi and Ian (the managers at H2O Extreme) come to Nomads and I give them a quick demo before saying a tearful farewell to the Starboard.
I go for a final swim in the Indian Ocean. I lie back in the lagoon, close my eyes and try to memorise the sensation. I reluctantly walk back up the beach, pay the hotel bill, and get an air-conditioned minibus to Mombasa airport. A quick hop to Nairobi before boarding the midnight flight to London.
When we land in London it’s cold, dark and raining. As we sit in rush-hour traffic it’s strange to think that barely 12 hours ago we were floating around the Indian Ocean in boardshorts. We cross the Thames and the sun makes a brief appearance.
Thank you:
I start planning the next trip…
Marc @ Extreme Safari; Nic Cahill @ Safari Lifestyle; Boris Polo @ Extreme Adventure; Ben Kelliher @ Tribe Watersports; Dave Hackford @ Starboard; Paul @ Active 360; Dave @ Triocean Surf; Rosaria, Claudia and Richard @ The Sands at Nomads; Ian, Moses and Salim @ H2O Extreme; Justin @ Che Shale; Cheryl @ AirKenya; Linzi @ Kenyaways Kite Village;Tom @ One Element … and my wife, Jenny, for her enduring patience.
The African SUP experience
Big & small waves, crystal clear flat water, rivers&creeks…
KENYA - AFRICA
. … s g n i m ok o o c . B i i r r a a f f a a s Surf & S info@extremeKENYA KENYA DIANI DIANI BEACH BEA C H
www.h2o-extreme.com h2o-extreme.com www.
info@h2o-extreme.com info@h2o-ex extreme.com
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INFORMATION Beaches: The beaches at Diani and Watamu are protected by the coral reef – flat water lagoons and wave breaks a short paddle off-shore. Kenya offers an equal share of rights and lefts. Best to go with a local surf school as reefs are very shallow at low tide and access can be tricky.The big-wave season is Jun-Sept during the ‘Kuzi’ southerly monsoon. Expect chest to overhead, often bigger. This is also a windy time of year so is particularly well suited to kite surfers/windsurfers who want to SUP in the mornings. Dec-Feb is the northerly ‘Kaskazi’ monsoon – again expect to rise early for SUP as the wind picks up mid-morning (20-26 knots).Traditional wave size is 3-6 foot; passing cyclones can send larger swell.The shoulder seasons (Mar-Apr and Oct-Nov) are usually still and better suited for flat-water paddling, with occasional swells. Most resorts are closed in May
KENYA
www.magicalkenya.com
Boris drops in at Craigie Reef
Salim from H2O Extreme
Indian Ocean
Google map
Weather: Equatorial Kenya is a year-round travel destination with airtemperatures rarely dipping below 30 degrees at the coast. Guide to Swahili phrases: Mlango: ‘door’; also used to refer to a channel through the coral reef. Wageni: literally ‘people’ but often employed to refer to safari clients. Matatu: privately operated minibuses; alternative to public transport. Dawas: medicine; cocktail of sugar-cane spirit, limes and honey. Ndugu: literally ‘brother’ but also used to refer to close friends. Ngalawa: fishing dugout canoe, with fabric sail and outriggers. Wananchi: collective term for local Kenyan people. Mzungu: white person, European. Boda-Boda: motorcycle taxis. Bundu: bush, backcountry. Jiko: charcoal-fired stove. Askari: security guard. Moran: warriors.
Getting there: Major airlines fly to Kenya from most Europe cities (British Airways, Kenya Airways, Emirates, KLM, Swiss and SN Brussels amongst others). Scheduled airlines fly to Nairobi, with a short connection to Mombasa. Charter airlines operate directly into Mombasa. Diani Beach is 45km south of Mombasa Island. Alternatively Air Kenya operates daily flights from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to the airstrip at Diani Beach. Watamu/Malindi is two hours by road from Mombasa. Air Kenya operates daily flights to Malindi, via Lamu.
Tour operators: Extreme Safari, a London-based tour operator, specialises in sports and adventure travel in Kenya.They can arrange accommodation at Hemingways, the Sands at Nomad and Kenyaways Kite Village as well as internal flights and transfers. Extreme Safari also offers a range of safaris and other activities (from Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro treks, to white-water rafting). Web: www.extreme-safari.com/SUP.html email: info@extreme-safari.com, tel: +44 208 874 6712 / +44 7816 764 653 Surf schools: H2O Extreme, Diani and Galu Beach (four locations). Web: www.h2o-extreme.com, email: info@h2o-extreme.com, tel: +254 712 121 974
Tribe Watersports, Watamu (Medina Palms) web: www.tribe-watersports.com, email: info@tribe-watersports.com, tel: +254 718 553 355
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On eo no ne wit h Jim
N O E I D S I S R S P PA LE D D A P
Pad dle s Qu ickb lade
Ter rell: The ma nb ehin dâ&#x20AC;Ś
Int Ph ervie oto w: gra Mat ph thew s: C hris Cheb Ag ato uila ris r
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T
ell me a little about you, your family background and where you are from?
I grew up in Milford, Ohio and started paddling canoes when I was three years old. My father made me my first paddle by using a combination of spruce and some scraps of old redwood siding from our house. We have a history of canoe building in my family and I began helping my dad build most of our family canoes out of cedar strips from as early as 1971 when I was just 6 years old.
What and where was your first competition?
Jim post Hanohano SUP race, San Diego, CA - By Chris Aguilar
It was in 1971 on the Little Miami River. I competed in a 12 years and under sprint race with my next door neighbour, Chris Beck. If I remember correctly, he was 12 and I was 6, we won a second place trophy.
When did you begin making paddles?
I made my first paddle in 1976 when I was 11 and my teacher (Mr. Aber) pin striped it for me as that was his hobby. Later during my career as a high kneel canoeist, I enjoyed designing and making my own equipment. Some of the top international athletes I was competing against during that period started to take note of my paddles and the inception of Quickblade began to evolve.
How involved are you in Quickblade’s day to day operations?
In an era dominated by discussions on hull shapes and flashy graphics, it seemed fitting for us to go back to the basics and talk about the one essential piece of equipment we cannot go without – the almighty paddle, from which this publication’s name is derived. In doing so, there is perhaps no one better suited to lead the discussion than former U.S. Olympian and legendary paddle designer Jim Terrell. With over four decades of experience in seeking out the most efficient, performance driven materials from which to work with, his paddles are widely used by the world’s top athletes and recreational paddlers alike.
I would say I am quite involved from running production to all R&D and design, to quality control and sharing some marketing responsibilities with my wife, Elizabeth. I also design and build most of the shop’s equipment.
Quickblade is perhaps most widely known at the moment for making SUP paddles. What other types of paddles does Quickblade make?
Outrigger, canoe, dragonboat, kayak and sprint canoe paddles. We also reuse our scrap carbon fibre to make table tennis paddles in an effort to be resourceful and not let anything go to waste.
Jim demonstrating proper stroke
Some of the top international athletes I was competing against during that period started to take note of my paddles and the
inception of Quickblade
began to evolve.
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You are known as the ‘Mad Scientist’. When and where did that moniker originate? The ‘Mad Scientist’ moniker came from Chris Parker at SUPracer.com.
Do you personally test all of Quickblade’s designs on the water?
Yes, before I go to production with any paddle model they each go through extensive testing. If it doesn’t feel good to me, it’s not going to be right for my customer.
You’re a 4x Olympian who is still actively competing in events around the world – in multiple disciplines. What drives your desire to continue competing and what are some of your favourite events?
I still love competing and paddling with my friends and the guys and gals I make paddles for. My favourite events are the Carolina Cup, Battle of the Paddle, the U.S. National Outrigger Championships between Newport Beach and Catalina Island and the Lost Mills race in Germany.
What do you like about SUP that distinguishes it from other paddling disciplines?
I like SUP in that you are able to see more and engage more of your body than any other paddling discipline I have done.
Quickblade released two revolutionary new blades in 2014 (the Trifecta and V-Drive). Is this your crowning achievement or is there more to come? There is definitely more to come! We are always looking to make a rounder wheel.
You possess a lifetime of knowledge on paddling, yet you have also collaborated with some big names in the industry on your designs. What do you look for when choosing a partner?
At the end of the day, working with these guys, the best partner is the one who I can bring home and share a beer with and call my friend.
Is there a particular event or body of water where you have always wanted to paddle, but have yet to visit? Tahiti!
In addition to designing paddles and competing, you also train some of the world’s top paddle athletes. What are your goals as a coach?
My goals as a coach are to have the athlete I coach attain the best results within their ability and yet at the same time, have the most fun and develop the best friendships along the way.
You competed at the Olympic level for a number of years, what lessons would you like to share with paddlers, regardless of discipline? Train your hardest, go as fast as you can to your ability and have the most fun you can along the way. Thus the Quickblade motto: “Train hard. Go fast. Have fun.”
What has been the proudest moment for you as a manufacturer of paddles?
Seeing over half of the top 10 finishers in the annual Battle of the Paddle SUP race using Quickblade Paddles. That, and hanging 150 kilograms (330 lbs) from the middle of a Quickblade paddle that weighs less than 454 grams (one pound) and not breaking the paddle.
Quickblade FAQ: How a shaft breaks http://youtu.be/fFK4DS-eXvE
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OK Jim let’s finish with something short a
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If you could paddle with anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be? My wife Elizabeth—or my dad Ross.
Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film? Jamie Mitchell.
Pick two celebrities to be your parents
No thanks, to me my parents Ross and Gene are my celebrities.
Favourite iPod track? What’s an iPod track?
What would you do with $20 million?
Write a book titled “Why You Should Never Play the Lottery, The Odds Are Against You”. It will be a bestseller and generate $40 million in sales.
Cats or dogs Turtles.
Facebook or Twitter
Both are good sales tools if you have ‘people’..
What would I find in your refrigerator right now?
Hopefully cold beer and something for breakfast.
If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?
If my wife’s not home, a takeout menu from 930 Sushi.
What do you get really angry about? I prefer not to discuss anger.
Worst injury?
I broke my collarbone when I lost a dispute with my sister over the “Farmer in The Dell” toy when I was 2 years old.
If you could be a wild animal – what would it be? I am a wild animal.
Fill in the blanks: I am ______? Captain Quickblade!
and snappyâ&#x20AC;Ś
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule:)
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