Am I right in thinking that connecting this to a handheld set requires one with a removable antenna, eg, an BNC connector or similar? Not to say there are none, but I haven't see a handheld set like that since the 1980s, probably because with the models available now sea kayakers always go for fully...

I'm 1.85, 95 kg, size 47 in the neoprene boothies. I am 1.82, 75kg, size 44 and paddle a Rockpool GT. I am sure there is another 3cm of length, and there is no problem when I have 70kg of camping equipment and water. The footrest in the GT is inclined so that my toes are further forward, which redu...

I also note that i have differing levels of body rotation as i find myself looking at the bank when paddling left but less so when on the right. That could suggest you are not rotating forward at the catch when on the left, which would be consistent with a less effective left stroke. rotation is ke...

I have a HX300 and have been generally happy with it. The USB charging is very useful on a multi-day trip. The battery state indicator is not very good; it shows full charge for days, until you press transmit, when the current drain drops the voltage substantially and reveals it to be nearly flat an...

I do have a less solid stroke on the right That's the opposite of what I'd expect if you're pulling to the left. If you can get somebody to video you, I think you might spot differences on each side that aren't obvious while paddling. Some other things, if you haven't checked already: put a bit of ...

Please can you tell us your height, leg length and foot size? Then somebody who is a similar size might be able to say which boats fit them.

Very nice job. But I wouldn't fancy trying to paddle round Britain in one, even using the Caledonian Canal to miss out the top!

If you're stuck under a pinned boat the only way out is to push down to get clear, so you don't want too much buoyancy. You will get some buoyancy from a drysuit, although it has been suggested that if you don't make sure you let out excess air (by venting at the neck seal after putting it on) you c...

Like everything else, it's a compromise. You don't want no extra buoyancy, but you don't want too much. People have been paddling kayaks in surf and whitewater for years, and the BAs that are sold are designed around that compromise.

Canoes tend to be narrower than racing dinghies and less ballasted than yachts, as they don't need to resist the heeling moment from the sails, so they do rely more on keeping balance. If you cross from still water into a current, the effect is similar to standing on a rug when somebody pulls it sid...

That sounds like the kind of blockage that should be reported to NRW under the subject of "blocked main watercourses that might pose a risk of flooding". They will probably take action to clear it or get the landowner to do it. They won't care about it being a threat to navigation or safety, only fl...

I think the reason they don't exist is that they become too bulky - a big BA will get in the way when you're trying to climb back on your SOT, as will a lifejacket (the difference between a BA and a lifejacket is that a lifejacket will support you face up if you're unconscious, a BA is more compact ...

I would carry a paddle such as Mal Grey suggests, and an additional item to use as a lever in place of the centreboard, such as a length of timber of suitable width and length. A paddle is not suitable for that kind of use, and may damage the centreboard slot as well as itself.

When on fresh water or pool sessions quite often it takes ages to clear my vision whereas in the salt water I never have a problem The only thing I can think of is that the surface tension of seawater is slightly higher than fresh water. Lens movement is the main reason why water splashes affect my...

I have no idea what that does but no offence intended if it shows as a thumbs down

No, it's a thumbs up. If you look at the bottom of the posts where you pressed it, it says "These users thanked the author [overfallpaddler] for the post: G0rd0nj"

I do the same as you, daily disposables and I only wear them for sea and whitewater (and snow skiing). I've heard of the warning, but never had any problems myself. I do make a point of removing them as soon as I'm off the water. Since you've asked though, I've done a little digging, and found some ...

Just out of interest, what do thermoformed boats of this size cost roughly? Somewhere, I saw a price for the Vadja Mission X1 of about £2200, but I can't find it again. It appears that Marsport don't sell the Vadja thermoformed boats (and possibly no Vadja boats at all but their website is terrible...

Your budget may not stretch to a new thermoformed boat. One possibility is a used composite boat; you're not putting as much investment at risk, and it has the advantage that you can typically sell such a boat for what you paid for it (provided you don't destroy it!) which gives the option to switch...

There could be some confusion here. I read the original post as a hole 1 inch deep, meaning into the thickness, so near the spine, and I think Jim has understood the same. Steve Agar read it as 1 inch into the edge, so a 2 x 1 loss of blade area. The OP's latest post mentioned "lack of thickness in ...

Looking at the split, I agree a tube inside is the way to go. It looks to me like carbon fibre, not glass? You can buy carbon fibre tubes from may places, such as here . Buy the largest diameter that fits, and if it's not a close enough fit, make one saw cut down the length and temporarily push some...

Yes, you're quite right, Jim. I didn't feel Image was right (it was a model of boat), Impulse it was. The logo was graph with an impulse in it, like an ECG.

Mark Wignall still races in Prem, I knew he worked at Image in the past, I don't know if I knew it was a family business though? Pete is Mark's father. Image was originally a partnership between him and Nick Pink, based in Llangollen, then they split it and Pete set up his half in [Garstang?] and N...

Not sure who made the Spate but I think they were made in Lancashire somewhere?

I suspect you're right - you quoted El Pres having one, and he's Bolton CC. The only boatbuilder in Lancashire I can think of was Image, run by Pete Wignall (if I remember the names right) but I don't remember the Spate.

Jonathan, I'm not familiar with the details of the joint on VE paddles. Would it matter if you built up the thickness on the inside of the tube? If the tolerances are tight you might be OK just running West 105 through the split. The stress on the male joint is lower at the end, if you'd split the f...

I have a C-Tug. It's light and strong, and the different parts will fit into various places in the boat, except the wheels take up a lot of space. The wheels have plain bearings, plastic on plastic, and that creates a lot of friction, so can be hard to pull with a fully loaded boat, and if you go to...

Araldite is too viscous for glassfibre, I would use West 105 epoxy (it's useful stuff to have about, I usually mix 6ml at a time (5ml + 1ml) and the pack lasts years). Don't just try to glue one side of the split to the other, enlarge the split to a V groove and laminate in some glassfibre strands, ...

Not actually that specific repair, but I've repaired blades, and I've repaired carbon. It should possible, but if it's in a high stress position on the blade, ie, part that carries a lot of load back to the shaft, it will be harder to make a good job. "Inch deep into the blade" sounds like a structu...

Replacing the cleats with better ones might be feasible - I'm not familiar with Exo, do you have a photo of the existing cleats?

I did Google for photos and found this thread but you'll have seen it already...

That kind of topic generally gets discussed on the Whitewater and Touring forum, unless it's specific to one of the other areas like Sea or competition coaching.

I have a Dam-X, the fabric is definitely heavier than my Typhoon, and it is more bulky, but I don't find it restrictive or uncomfortable and I agree it's robust. It isn't breathable, which is fine for day trips, but the breathability of the Typhoon is better on multi-day tours (sea and canoe). Howev...