SimonMW wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 12:09 pm

... useless at sea surfing?

What other kind of surfing is there? Couch, channel, internet?

The first is the hatches; they are really bad quality and they don't last much. This might not be the case in the UK but in Crete with 50oC in the summer and lots of salt they don't last much. Also only Valley produce them so can't find them from anywhere else. IIRC Kajaksport hatches will fit (rou...

Regardless of what you choose, the easiest way to get the old seam off is a knackered wood chisel and mallet (gentle taps) followed by a surform file. Be careful sanding, best to mask first and use a 120 grit wet & dry to give the new seam a "key".

I bought my Rockpool Alaw Bach from Mike at rockpool probably over 10 years ago ... You can't beat service like that. Rog. I can only agree. A while back a footrest screw attachment broke free on my Alaw Bach at the Anglesey Symposium. Mike drove out in the evening, collected it, fixed it and had i...

I used to have a Jubilee, bought second hand, also late 90' which I sold 2007 for around £900 (then). It's not the greatest Nordy imo, certainly not a classic, and the ocean cockpit is a PITA in modern terms. I wouldn't get my hopes up, certainly not above the £1,000 mark, depending on condition (ge...

I see your problem frostyrob. Try packing as much foam in both ends as possible, to exclude the maximum amount of water, for starters. It's also an idea to fit a 12" length of "swim spaghetti" (those brightly coloured foam swimming tubes) around the centre of the paddle shaft. Makes i...

there are other ways such as the scramble or cowboy re-entry that work even in rough water In my experience the ONLY truly reliable self rescue in really rough (breaking wave) conditions is re-entry and roll, in which case you had better be able to paddle to shelter* with a partly flooded cockpit, ...

As this is in the surf, not sea kayak section I assume it relates to the former only. Always stay up-wave of your boat when swimming. A water filled boat propelled against you by a wave can seriously injure, even kill. Hang on to a toggle and follow the boat in, or let it make it's own way to the be...

Yep, we get these violent funneling north winds all over the Med. The Meltemi in Greece, Bora in the Adriatic, Mistral in France or Tramuntana here in Mallorca. The latter can blow 3-4 days with beautiful crisp air and blue skies, and complete closes out the north shore where I live. But in Spring (...

You could try Rod in Milos. It's doable if you are planning a multi-day. The maximum hop is 20km from Sifnos to Antiparos. If you want to stick just to Naxos he may be able to advise. Many outfits will rent unsupervised if you can demonstrate competency or come with a referral, in my experience.

I take it this is about volume rather than length. Have you considered the Tahe Greenlander (or Zegul follow ons) or one of the other low volume Greenland-style boats (Seabird etc.), or the Rockpool Isel ? Not plastic I know. The trouble with plastic is they need to be large production runs, i.e pop...

I had similar at my local put in. The beach is a swimming zone, ringed off with yellow buoys and no "vessels" are allowed in the swimming zone, although this seems to exclude SUPs and pedalos, but applies (reasonably) to jet skies, pleasurecraft, dingy tenders AND KAYAKS. There is a small ...

If I'm paddling in northern climes when I tend to wear dry suit year round, I tend to use mukluks, which generally allow you to launch from beaches without getting wet feet i.e. no water sloshing around inside the boot between it and the dry suit for the rest of the trip. I'm fussy about launching, ...

Water is precious in Mallorca, and my house relies on winter rain catchment (no mains). Fortunately most beaches where I launch/land have showers. I just stand under the beach shower in my (very limited) kit (shorts, rashie, PFD, spraydeck) for 30 seconds, and rinse my paddle joint. I let the kayak ...

And if all else fails try this...

It's relatively easy (and cheap!!!) to replace seals cutting out the old and gluing new ones onto the stubs. LOMO amongst others sell kits(from £5 for a pair) plus the adhesive (£8). Simple tools, a scissors, box cutter, some abrasive paper and a 1litre plastic bottle (for sleeves) and a small traff...

Thanks, have PM'd you.

¡gràcies Cathy!

I got curious and went and looked around on the Spanish kayak forum, FB groups and on Wikiloc. ...It is also possible that the kayak rental company is trying hard to stop inexperienced people assuming the crossing is straightforward. Thanks Cathy, in the absence of a response from the local agents,...

I see this thread has generated a few comments over on the water safety thread. I've emailed the rental outfit, but heard nothing back, so anything from any local paddlers, or those that have visited appreciated. Here is their exact wording: "Navigation to Formentera and the islet of Espalmador...

I read recently ( https://www.ibizakayak.es/vuelta-a-ibiza/ that it's forbidden to cross from Ibiza to Formentera by kayak, under pain of mandatory "rescue" (needed or not) charged at €250/kayak. Given that it is only a 5km island hop with 2km the longest crossing, and similar rules state ...

Having a quiet day so reading some of the attachments, I'm even more confused. So a "ship" needs to be a hollow vessel with internal storage, i.e. a kayak is but a SOT isn't? One definition would if it has no engine, and the operator can pick it up and carry it, it isn't a ship. That would...

Tbf the BCU is right to be worried. The 300m offshore nonsense in France illustrates. Here in Spain I fell foul of the Policia by trying to launch from a swimming beach (awash with pedalos and SUPs mind you) and when I went to the marina the harbour master tried to charge me the same launching fee a...

Remember if you are buying expensive kit like Kokatat drysuits or Werner paddles to take the labels off and take them for a paddle before returning, or possibly get hit with VAT and import duties on return.

You might want to contact the Mountain Bothy Association (or the Kinloch ranger), they have a work party scheduled for Dibidil, if not already there. Plus it would be an idea to have your detailed posted there for hikers. Far more numerous than kayakers.

... It's not a complicated fabrication, just a bent strip of alloy and a bit of wood (although I'd paint or epoxy the wood for durability)... If you can look in Rockpool kayak, most have that kind of footplate. Or if you are handy with fibreglass, just go the whole hog and make the footplate out of...

I love paddling with people who have G/land paddles, Its always good to have a ready supply of kindling. I strongly suspect that much in the same way the Inuit swapped a harpoon for a rifle, a kayak for an aluminium boat with an outboard, and an igloo for modern housing, they only used long, thin w...

While I agree with Mike re: buy the best you can, BUT at some stage you will need a spare paddle, so it is also an idea to buy a cheaper, albeit heavier split paddle for now and relegate it to the spare once you have tried a few. On peer paddles most people will let you try theirs, away from the roc...

Or you could just attend one of the symposia once pre-Covid normality returns. They are not just for top-notch paddlers. Any number of top coaches, a variety of workshops at cut-price rates (i.e. the one-off attendance fee), manufacturers' demo boats to try, classes and lectures, great socials, even...

I’m wondering if through bolts would be easier (no work making latch recesses that need to be very well bonded etc) so long as I can fathom how to do it with bolts, in a way that makes a good seal. If you use bolts I'd go for something like Damo described, i.e. external into captive nuts, so not pi...