I am fairly sure when I got my roof rack it said that long loads (like kayaks) must be tied down to prevent windage and lift putting excess stress on the attachment of the roofrack to the car. On my car it would be difficult to use anything other than the towing eyes. As others have said the front t...

Let’s suppose you’re back in the kayak somehow. you now have to deflate the life jacket and repack it, and the cylinder has been used up, you may capsize again whilst faffing with it and if you do capsize again, for whatever reason, you will have no added buoyancy until you blow air in to it manual...

You can get vests with less than 50N they just are not called buoyancy aids for example https://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/V/Jobe_Ruthless_Neo_Side_Entry_Impact_Vest_XL_Black_Blue-(156866) , they are often used waterskiing where he skier essentially has their own private rescue boat which will come rou...

He's done Larne to Kintrye as part of his clockwise GB circumnavigation, which was what I was referring to. His blog makes interesting reading. I don't know if anyone has done it the other way. "I was a little shaken by my exploits around the Mull and physically things were begining [sic] to tell. "...

To re-iterate the sort of paddlers who consider crossings like this, have a look at the biography of the person mentioned who has done that route, he has paddled round the UK twice (once in each direction), along with many other crossings and circumnavigations, been British champion on both slalom a...

I wear a legionnaire's style hat, covers the neck even from the sun reflecting off the water and a fairly large peak to protect the face (though I still wear sun cream as that doesn't protect against reflections). It has a chin strap that I normally don't use other than if it is very windy. In surf ...

You could try uship.com.

You give the details of anything you want to ship and couriers can bid to transport it for you.

Must admit I have not used them myself.

Sorry for the bump only just seen this.

I also wear my drysuit year round, though I in Scotland it is rare to be too warm

I have no experience of these but could this be an alternative, apparently guaranteed to keep you dry.

http://www.hammond-drysuits.co.uk/broke ... over.html

As others have said there are so many variables it is impossible to answer. As with things like down hill biking there are videos out there of people kayaking in conditions most of us would consider insane, while some of them are, the well respected ones manage the risks but just have a far higher s...

I've always been one who has gone with the dress for the water temperature not the air temperature and you can never be too good to assume you wont have a swim however next week I will be going to the states and doing some kayaking along with some other water activities (hiking Zion narrows, and pro...

I once had a go at paddle boarding (everyone had a BA and wetsuit except I took my drysuit) and they mentioned that a lot of paddle boarders think that a drysuit makes it very difficult / impossible to back on the board, it isn't an issue I found it easy to get back on the board, in most circumstanc...

From dictionary.com Canoe any of various slender, open boats, tapering to a point at both ends, propelled by paddles or sometimes sails and traditionally formed of light framework covered with bark, skins, or canvas, or formed from a dug-out or burned-out log or logs, and now usually made of aluminu...

A few weeks ago I had a go on an SUP in the Thames. The people I went with insisted novices wore PFDs but allowed experianced people to make their own choice. They recognise certain situations where a PFD could make things worse (eg dragged under a pontoon then getting stuck) but regarded a lesser r...

While all the above suggestions are good kayaks it is impossible to give suggestions without more details. You need a kayak that is suitable for you and what sort of kayaking you plan to do. As K8yaka asked what height and weight are you?, what size feet do you have. A boat that is too small will be...

No hood though - for me, a must-have for sea paddling. I would like a hood but are the any in my price range with a hood as well as a latex neck seal. The typhoon PS220 extreme looks good and I know some kayakers who use and like them but has a neoprene seal. If not, I am used to using a separate h...

I'll agree with everyone else, join a club. As for boats I'd be looking to buy a kayak that would cover both disciplines (river and sea), and remain with me as I progress and gain experience Is a contradiction in terms. A kayak to cover both disciplines will soon be lacking in both, you can either g...

I was in South Georgia last month. The procedure was we got into a rib and towed the kayaks a little way from the cruise ship before climbing into the kayaks. By the time we were in the rib the wind had picked up a bit so we decided to go to a more sheltered bay about a mile away by rib but he wind ...

I've seen different guidelines about approaching seals, and I have also seen seals react in completely different ways. Generally if they aer on land it is for a reason, for example they are moulting or resting in which case being frightened to go into the water can adversely affect them and even kil...

I did something similar but not exactly sure how. Started to feel pain if the shoulder went into certain positions the day after I day trip. The pain wasn't that great so I thought it would just go away. After a month I went to my GP and she recommended physio. She said it would take forever to get ...

I may be wrong but Ryanair have a reputation for sticking to the letter of their rules when it comes to add on charges. They keep their fares low by maximising other revenue streams. I suspect they will classify it as sports equipment knowing you will have to pay up. If you fly with Ryanair from Edi...

Thanks Dakar, I got overheated once, a bit, nearly as bad or could be, as hypothermia, a problem all right I can swim, not a lot, but still learning some stuff so possible, great to hear what you are wearing, thanks Doing L4 training this weekend, will be wet.... @ John, ta, yes a bombproof roll wo...

One concern I have with putting a few puffs of air in an inflatable life jacket is what happens if things later get scary and I pull the toggle. Would the over-inflation of the lifejacket by more than an air canister worth of air be liable to lead to catastrophic failure (it bursts under the extra p...

My drysuit inflates quite a lot (presumably with sweat vapour) as I paddle, so I can still see it being a potential problem even if you were careful to get as much air as possible out before setting off. I'm no expert but I don't think e sweat much that is gas at body temperature. I believe water v...

How on earth could you end up upside down, on the sea, while wearing a drysuit? Especially if you're also wearing a BA or even a LJ. At worst, you'll be floating flat on the surface. It is unlikely to happen while actually kayaking but if you fell into the water from height it can happen. Once I we...

I've landed in the sea upside down a few times in a dry suit with a life jacket and not had a problem with air in my feet turning me upside down. You can avoid the potential problem by once fitting your dry suit squat down and open the neck seal - this will alow any excess air to escape. I know whe...

Something with the inflatable lifejackets is as you are higher out the water there is more weight pushing you down (relative to the life jacket) Depending on the fit and your body shape you may find it impossible not to have the life jacket end up half over your head in the water. Most of these life...

Yes, but his wife apparantly stayed in/on hers and paddled alongside him all the way back to shore, Its an interesting scenario. Lets say you have two paddlers, one more experienced/confident than the other and the experienced one ends up in the water for what ever reason. Should the less experienc...

Mike is spot on it might be a case of learning the advantage of keeping hold of your boat and kayak. I was once doing an incident management session on a symposium. When one of the instructors was paddling alongside me and another person in the group. He asked if either of us had a towline, looked a...

jamiemagee wrote:Fantastic but I'd be staying clear in my kayak

That approach might not work we once kept well clear of a group of dolphin and as we were paddling away from them they came right up to us and started doing some aerobatics, from about 10 meters away.

Do you attach to one deckline or both? If you attach to both decklines then there shouldn't be a tendency for the towed bout to go sideways.