Very similar experience with a variety of opticians. Most recently I asked one to quantify the warning; he said that the chance was very small. That said, the consequences can be total loss of sight in the eye. The risk may be greater in static water over moving or salt water. So I’ve been experimen...

Walking type compass would be fine; especially if you've practised taking a bearing while on the water. I misread your question about evidence. If anyone's interested, what I typed in error is in the ps below. Now I've actually read what you asked, I can confirm there is no requirement to have evide...

There was additional information about the same rescue in the rnli magazine, including the son's thought-process once he'd swum out, rescued his dad and resuscitated him, but now the tide was coming in over the rocks they were on. He'd seen his dad do a fireman's lift, so he picked up his (fairly bi...

With a professional instructor, there are cases like this one where large damages have been awarded (the injured party in that case was a solicitor). The volunteer leader is some where between, I think; very unlikely to be sued if there's a serious incident, but can't rule it out. Many thanks for t...

I used Harmony House for a three week trip last summer. The selection pack below has lots of different beans, two lots of potatoes, and a bunch of other stuff. All in good quality waterproof pouches. They're light, a good size for packing, and most of them were very tasty. I added a couple of packs ...

The other good thing about (?some?) RAB bags is the 'compression stuff sack'. It's like a dry bag (though I wouldn't trust it for immersion) but it has an internal draw-string-sealed section that makes it very easy to squash the thing down small. I've been meaning to try and persuade RAB to sell the...

Something to be said for cases:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-43579098

The suggestion re attaching to boat in order to keep aerial upright is an interesting one as it assumes your boat will be staying upright and that you will be staying with your boat. Yes, you can tether yourself to the boat but my personal gut feeling is that I want the PLB on my person even if tha...

Not about registration but I have a good news customer service report. I sent my Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB1 back to them with a broken aerial last week, three and a half years after purchase, and had a very good experience with them. They responded promptly and cheerfully, and they examined it, and ...

I use an old Canon 40D bought from ebay at a price where I hoped killing the camera would be sad rather than devastating. I follow the waterproof deck bag and towel system recommended by others. Over several years of splashes and drips the only negative effect was some white marks where the camera s...

There's also the danger posed to members of your family (children) from high explosives in your kit. I suspect most of us roll our eyes at stories of gun owners in the USA doing stupid things like allowing their children to know where they keep their ammunition, or leaving their gun accessible to ch...

Sean_soup: well, my radio does behave exactly as you describe, and I had clearly forgotten that, so that makes user error much more likely. I still like to feel I would have checked if it kept happening. Only answer is to go paddling in Scotland again.

Sean_soup - that's a good thought. I like to think that I would have checked after several occurrences; I'll get the radio out later and see if it switches as you say. Chris - I wondered about different masts, but I couldn't quite see what the advantage would be. Could there be some kept clear for C...

Has anyone else noticed CG being able to hear you on 16, but not on whatever channel they transfer you to in order to speak for longer? I've had that several times on the West coast of Scotland and it is a factor in why I don't call them so often now with routine trip plans. I've often been left try...

Within the Port of London area of the Thames we overhear other vessels doing this often. As kayaks we're required/requested by the Port to radio in before each launch anyway so that tests function if not signal strength. There have been threads on here in the past about the relative merits of radioi...

Since the towerhamlets wiki article Technoengineer has already linked to quite a few members of that club have taken to shoving one of the tiny £1.99 garage torches into an empty smallest milk 'bottle'. That gives you adequate waterproofing in a diffuser that comes with a handle to use to tie it to ...

I can confirm that the RescueMe antenna is not sealed and I've ended up with a small amount of rust on mine.
It cleaned off fine, but you'd want check after too much salt immersion.

Charlie

Thank you. Those extra photos are really helpful.

Charlie

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but has anyone landed on the boulder beach that Jim mentions (copied below) to the East of Waternish Point? Would it be possible to camp there? OS map looks very promising but I'd like the chance to land a group and scout the headland, and if they're not keen it'd b...

Hi Alison, I stayed near Portmagee last year (I could dig out the exact cottages if you're interested, they backed straight into the sea.) That puts you behind the shelter of Valentia island, but within reach of some very challenging trips, possibly even a trip out to see Luke Skywalker on Skellig M...

I picked up 'The Great Escape: Adventures on the Wild West Coast' by Monty Halls for 50p at the school Christmas fair. It's not a kayaking book, though one of the key characters is called Kayak Mike. It's about a guy off the telly who spends 6 months doing up a croft just north of Skye. I've found i...

The Shiner - thank you. It's very helpful to have a list of several names.

MikeB - Redoing 5* training, because it's only valid for three years and I wasn't ready for assessment within that time. No particular reason other than inexperience, with a side order of more white water paddling to help in tide races. I agree about an excellent coach having the ability to adapt; I...

Fair point. I didn't mean to be confusing. Auditor and theorist are from two different categorisations. You're right that VAK often has an R inserted (for read/write) but I don't think the difference is absolute. When another person is present then I prefer to listen to them (auditory); when they're...

I need to redo my 5 star sea training and I'd like an unreconstructed, tell-you-what-to-think coach. In new money, someone who is good with theorists/ auditory learners. If there is one who gives out long boring handouts and sets you extra reading to take home then all the better. No criticism inten...

I'm not following a couple of the recent comments because I don't know any information not in this thread, so this is only a comment on the original question. What do people think about always assigning a leader? We do this now on club trips even in home waters with well-known groups of friends. It'...

Hi Nightowl,

I'm part of tower hamlets canoe club, have an unusual work pattern that includes weekends, and coach a bit of sea kayak - send me a pm and there might be a way of helping you on your way.

Charlie

Thanks for advice and help. I think we're there now. Turns out it was a good time of year to break down in France - half of London is here as well.
The hardest bit ended up being bank holiday Dover - no trains and no hire cars.

Thanks,

Charlie

Thanks for responses and suggestions. Biggest lesson for me is not to be so busy before holiday that you forget to extend AA to Europe and sort out travel insurance. I'm looking into hiring -currently it's tricky to hire something in France, and drive it to England and leave it there. Given that wou...

Is anyone able to help? My car has broken down permanently in France and I would love some help getting a load of camping kit, three bikes, and a (small) child's kayak back to London from a campsite near Calais (Guines). Very happy to pay petrol etc; help with any of it would be wonderful even if yo...