Pick a dry day, put some water in one of you're compartments - a couple of buckets full should do - gently roll your kayak. Watch for any leaks, if it can flow in it can flow out. Repeat with your other compartment. Once you've found your leak there's plenty of folk who can advise you on how to fix ...

If you use dilute sea water for cooking, do you use the same dilution ratio for sea water from different seas?

I don't think I'd be quite as civil about it if it had happened to me.

You have to portage the locks.
Don't know about a licence, but not heard it mentioned before so I assume you don't.
The joy of wild camping is finding some fantastic sites for yourself.
Midgies in June on the west coast? Prepare to be eaten alive.

I'm simply amazed at the money being talked about, thrown at a paddle. $NZ1000. !!! And what do I pay? About $NZ25 all up, about 12 pounds and that is for the best in the world. Yes, I've had complaints - "Can't get them to raise blisters." "Find it too easy to roll with." That commenter can't figu...

You shouldn't be getting wet in the lower back or anywhere else. You will get a bit sweaty under your BA as your suit can't breath there. Same goes for your spraydeck.

I do tend to agree with other poster on this thread that what seems to be missing is training for paddlers who just want to paddle but might not want to lead or coach, I know of some people who have not taken the current 4 star because they feel they would then be obligated to run club trips and th...

Don't get hung up on any particular make or model of kayak until you've paddled a wide number and types of boats. This is where being in a club is helpful, also try them loaded as well as empty and in as many different sea states as you can. With kayak design it's all about compromise, a high perfor...

Karabiners come from rock climbing, having a bent gate makes it easier to clip onto your rope. Doesn't make any difference on tow ropes as you're normally clipping onto fixed deck lines.

Used vhf on Lochs Lomond, Katherine and few others, no one stopped me.

I'm another InReach user I've had mine a couple of years and have used it mainly for some long backpacking trips in Sweden and Scotland. Their waterproof (to IP7 I think, I haven't checked) same as my VHF which I use just clipped to my BA without any problems with water ingress. If you have a smartp...

I used to paddle a Dawn Treader, same hull different top deck, it's great for carrying a couple of weeks food and camping gear but not much else. It's just a very old design things have moved on a lot since the early seventy's.

That's one situation I wouldn't want to be p*****g around with Italian hitches and lock off's.

I use a Vango Halo 200 a bit big for one but plenty of room for two with two fairly big pouches. I use one for wet kit and the other to cook. It wasn't very expensive.

Yes, keeping hold of the biggest floating thing you have is always going to be your best bet. If you need to tie yourself to it then do it.

I think the shops in Perth and Stirling have closed, which only leaves Tiso's in Perth.

Plus, a DSC distress will get the attention of any DSC equipped vessel/CG in line of sight, where as a call on #16 could potentially get missed. My local coastline has plenty of VHF blackspots, hence getting a PLB too. Cheers, Mike Any mayday call will get everyone's attention whether on channel 16...

It's a legal requirement, and the course is also useful and interesting.

Slow down and put more umph into your hip-flick.

Most sea kayaks should naturally weather cock that is turn into the wind. The skeg is used to balance the trim of the kayak against the wind. If you're going into (up) the wind keep your skeg up. If you're going down wind put your skeg all the way down. If you're going across the wind put your skeg ...

My concern would be rope on rope contact, if the towed boat is jerking around by either tide or wind you'll end up with the deck line and tow line rubbing up and down on each other. You can cut a nylon rope with another length of nylon rope really easily.

But then I thought. I wonder if my heavy upper frame is the problem or could I get away with a smaller Capella 160 with no ballast? Your upper body size is most likely the problem, you don't need a smaller kayak you need a bigger one. If you can get the chance try out as many boats/different size b...

There are tidal streams around the Treshnish Isles and between Rubha Chaoil and Gometra. Tried paddling against that one once and got nowhere.

You really need to get a coach, I think there are a few local to you who post on here. "How much practice do you need" is an impossible question without seeing you paddle. The tide range in the Bristol Channel is huge and the current flow is far faster than you'll ever be able to paddle, you have to...

Yes move the bulkhead but don't make it so tight you can't stretch your legs. Put the bulkhead about 4ins short of where your footrests are and put a block of high density foam either side with a gap in the middle. If you're doing the work yourself be careful of the fumes while working inside the hu...

I don't tend to wear over-trousers with mine and definitely don't slide around in the seat.

Kokatat suits may be fantastic but the OP only has £550 to spend which will only get half a Kokatat suit.

It's ok as an undersuit.

Fourth element gear is easy to swim in, about as warm as a 3mm wetsuit. The inner fleece tends to drain very quickly so feels dry against the skin the outer is slower to dry but is fairly windproof. I've had mine for about seven years and they haven't worn yet. I've also used Reed gear but not the D...