- I know the Glencoe car park (where the visitor centre used to be before they moved it) usually fills with campers quite early in the evening in winter, but I've never looked in May or noticed if the gate gets locked. I'm not sure where the visitor centre used to be. Are you referring to the parki...

Dagger is a brand, just one of many though. I'm not aware that they make inflatables or folders, but lots of different kinds of solid boats. I haven't really understood what you are wanting a boat for: - Is it just one place you camp and hike from or lots of different places? - Are you thinking of a...

I didn't play polo this weekend, which looks like a good call because without me to hold them back, my team apparently destroyed yours? Saturday was quite intense, 2 good slalom training sessions, so I had Sunday off. Managing about 3km every week day still. Wednesday was another big one - perfect c...

DaveBland wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 14, 2019 3:26 pm

Hmm...Ive got a feeling it depends on how much torso rotation the paddler uses. Zero feather needs more if wrists are not flexed.

You would be hard pushed to use too much torso rotation...

Since highland council admitted that there is no legal basis for 'no overnight camping signs' in laybys I beleive they have all been taken down - as I recall there is something in RTA that allows sleeping in laybys since it can be necessary for safety reasons. I have a feeling it applies within a ce...

I've never noticed that with cranks, all of mine are set to 60 degrees because that's the feather angle I chose nearly 20 years ago, I have only just started revisiting this with wing paddles on straight shafts. Perhaps not having to turn the wrists inwards slightly alters pre-rotation along the arm...

Adrian Cooper wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:49 am

Jim wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:11 pm

holding my fork in my right hand instead

Probably the least excusable quirk! *

Which hand do you use a spoon in?

Chris - this makes sense, but I don't think I will ever be able to disengage from the concept of keeping one had fixed so that I always know that I have the paddle positioned right. You seem to be suggesting that you let the shaft rotate through both hands alternately, that would take a lot of re-le...

Wow - facebook almost delivers exactly what I was thinking of, even though I wasn't looking for it! This is a video from a technical training session, the paddler will have reviewed it to iron out some issues (her left and right strokes are different) but don't worry too much about that, in fact mos...

Simon's comment about feathering the left wrist provoked some thought and some off forum discussion. Still can't quite visualise what he means by feathering the wrist, I always left the shaft slip through my left hand so I don't need to rotate the wrist and fixing the left hand would surely be quite...

All boats welcome to come and have go, but only WWR boats will be eligible for ranking. Classic race is about 3-3.5km, mass start first heading upstream, around bridge pier and back to finish where we start (flat but moving) Sprint race is a couple of hundred metres downstream on a small grade 1-2 r...

I'm not sure that the last link really agrees with the penultimate link? Both suggest you're not going to get much help from the current, one presumably an experienced paddler, the other not... Yeah, but the first one seemed to have better reasons for suggesting other rivers are better than just be...

I've been using 45 in WWR the last 2 days and don't seem to be over-rotating the left blade on the catch, will need longer term testing to find out if I am still under-rotating occasionally or not. Paddled slalom woth 60 as usual tonight, never even thought about the difference, it is much less crit...

I'm not sure that the last link really agrees with the penultimate link? It is clearly written from the point of view of a very occasional paddler who seems to be quite lazy/poorly conditioned and the only gripe seems to be that there is no flow. Canoeists tour on lakes and canals all the time, I gu...

There is only one ISO standard for buoyancy aids, all of them meet it (unless you are in the US where it will be USCG standard), all have the basic legal amount of buoyancy, when new. Touring BAs will have a little bit over the specified minimum, WW/rescue BAs usually have 2x or more of the specifie...

I think you are being overly concerned about composite construction. Just because the beach is made up of stones/cobbles/rocks doesn't mean you are going to break your boat every time you get in or out, unless of course your egress technique is to paddle fast at the beach to try and get your boat as...

Trying to watch my blade entry today, I may still be under rotating the blade for the catch so may need to reduce feather some more, however conditions were not ideal for testing feather angles, it was more of a high wind survival session!

Something I am seeing more and more in racing circles, is split paddles with adjustable length and feather. Initially I put this down to the fact that there are so many kids in slalom and parents like to maximise their investment in kit, but it isn't just kids and isn't just slalom, most wildwater r...

Which, who got new paddles or who rolled?

I'm not!

(apologies, I spotted the opportunity for a variation on one of my favourite jokes from the life of Brian)

I'm right handed, but always upset my dad (and waiters in posh Italian restaurants) by holding my fork in my right hand instead of my knife. I think I subconsciously want to make sure I get the food in my mouth rather than my eye, cutting it up is less important, that's what I have front teeth for r...

My friend who started our club is a lefty slalom C1 paddler (old skool, we try to get the kids not to have a preference) and in the past he paddled kayak left handed too. The club only have right hand kayak paddles so when he is coaching (which is almost always from kayak because all the kids start ...

In that case, I've never even noticed the chicken chute...

Thanks both These look nice: https://www.celticpaddles.uk/junior-whitewater-paddle---mania-narrow-shaft-2-piece---nylon-leverlok-1344-p.asp However my lad is left handed which brings the question: can he use a right handers paddle if that's what we give him? I feel another thread coming on.... I ha...

If you mean the rocky left hand line, then yes people do paddle it. I don't think it works at all levels and seems harder/more dangerous than just running the fall. I haven't even looked at that side for over 20 years myself, I may not even be remembering it properly.

Re: Note 3 - I have always paddled with glasses, I know where the castle is having stayed near it earlier this year, but I can't say I have ever spotted it from the river, even since I've known it is there... (although that is only 1 run). As regards your decision making, I agree you always seemed t...

Celtic Paddles (who have taken over Lendal) seem to make some decent kids paddles with an option of smaller diameter shafts as well as 2/3/4 piece splits. It has been a couple of years since I have bought from them, the website was rubbish and the ebay shop is hit and miss so call them, they always ...

I'll echo what Douglas and Ian have said - the tidal planning both for Mull of Kintyre and the North Channel is beyond novice level.

It has been done, possibly not by that exact route, but definitely not for beginners.

I might check if any water comes out of the crack perpendicular to the scratches, and if not leave it alone for now. The scratches would mostly buff out, although you would need to wet and dry pretty deep and I don't see a need to. Today I crashed my river racer (I was aiming for the sea but missed ...

Okay let's analize the risk. Water will be reasonable temp (most year round). At 30 ft into aerated water, risk of injury from flat landing minimal. Deep pool with no big rocks to avoid. The only (and very) significant danger is the drop just below with the super holdy hole. But safety set up and r...