Personally, I'd buy one that suited my River/touring paddling if that was my main focus & just put up with it for the occasional whitewater....

What boat do you paddle? Either match the paddle to that, or buy one per boat.....

D

Well,

You either need to become a sherpa or have a go at manoeuvring one in the open & working out if you'll be able to heft it in a confined space....

34kg of long awkwardness will be fun to move around whichever way you look at it!!

D

One thing I would say, my old Mad River canoe was 34kg - I could move it around & lift it no problem.

After a days paddling though, it became a whole different ballgame, especially if I was cold & wet too...

Something to bear in mind.

D

I assume you can't just chuck it over the fence at the back of your garden then?

If you can't, then carrying it down the alley, standing it up on its end & then lowering it the other direction should be relatively straight forward - 35kg does sound heavy though!!

D

Our "manually opened" lock knives are fine (as long as they're less than 3" blade), as are our 1 piece river knives. As an angler, I've carried a filleting knife in my tackle box in the past. It's all about context - you'd be hard put to justify having any knife in your back pocket when down the pub...

Dr Robin wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:45 pm

Every professional athlete has a coach.

Also - all professional kayakers have a coach too....

D

I have to travel to a river, in the right conditions, the coach has to either paddle or walk along the bank, etc. I see plenty of people being coached at Lee Valley, the Nene & HPP - not forgetting the Upper Tryweryn, Cardiff, Pinkston, Tees Barrage etc. Add the rivers that run almost all the time ...

Allowing trivial access and then attempting to extort monies by threat of being locked in or similar is definitely the wrong way to go about things especially when it's pretty obvious that the landowner made a mistake in not advertising their wishes for payment correctly. Maybe the land owner shoul...

andypagett wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:13 pm

In other words they appreciated me teaching them how to have a good day on the river, rather than just some paddle strokes.

I'd suggest that if "some paddle strokes" was all people were getting out of your coaching before, that you've been doing it wrong!!!

D

Frank B wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 28, 2019 11:06 am

Split the nose on my Burn when running into the face of Backbarrow Bridge with me inside several years ago.

Best to aim for the hole in the middle.... :-)

D

I wouldn't worry too much about permission for the magnet fishing.

People chuck them in from footpaths all the time.

It's very unlikely you'll get pulled up for it, if you do - apologise,stop & move on.

D

My Raptor got a split under the seat after bouncing off a rock on the way down a big feature (Leny).

D

The first Fusions didn't have a size on them. Mine didn't. It'll be a "medium".

My Nirvana is an early one & that doesn't have the size on it either. Later ones do.

Early runs often seem to be a medium then, if it's popular, they produce a large & start putting sizes on them...

D

roo wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 29, 2019 5:11 pm

Contact Lenses - that's visionary.

Tried 'em, when they get knocked to the back of your eyeball it's more inconvenient than misty lenses...

The risk of infection & blindness put me off a tad too...

D

Damn, was hoping for tips to stop my glasses fogging up....

D

Peter Brown wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:58 pm

I'd only consider video scouting if I'd heard the grade was at the top of my comfort zone, why spoil the surprise otherwise.

So you never watch videos of people paddling rivers that you haven't (yet)??

It was watching videos of Scotland that made me want to go there....

D

I guess my point is if you could paddle a river youve not seen or heard of before, would you rather see a vid of it to get an idea or heat that its a grade x of whatever character? As per my previous, I see vids as an extension of the Guidebooks or a "pre-scout", they generally show a lot more than...

Hey, I'm not saying that you use youtube for scouting, just saying it gives a paddler a far better idea of whether a river is for them, than a grade or even a written description does. Even on easier rivers. I've yet to hear a good argument t'other way. I do this - if we're going away, I'll look at...

I had a touring type PFD when I started out, it had pockets & pouches that were useful for stashing bits & bobs. When I started White Water (and when I knew what I was doing) I got one with the Rescue Harness (Astral Green Jacket) - the pockets on a WW vest tend to be more streamlined so the outline...

I use Silicon paste on my plastic zip.

On my latex seals I have an old climbing chalk ball that i dust the seals with before storing - I've had 3 seals turn to gooey mush in the past 6 years, so like them to be dry & dusted before putting them away.

D

I've got an IR Klingon and a Playboater Work Deck - the Playboater feels more robust, but both are really good decks....

D

I enjoyed the vid. I've never really looked at Redbull TV before (outside of Sickline) and was pleased to find lots of other good kayaking vids on there....

Can't have too many vids to watch....

D

Hiya,

I've decide I'll persevere with the Nirvana for the next few months - it's more me being lazy than any fault of the boat.

Cheers anyway though!

D

I understand the issue with the carpark being used by non customers but if me the wife and kids go for a coffee and our bill is £12 before we order anything I would go elsewhere. Unless you're in the habit of taking them to dank car parks for your days out it's a non issue really. You'd be better o...

That's what the sign says.

Every time I used it you had to fill in your details on a sheet in the shop. detailing how many were in the car amongst other things.

Not been there for a while, but doubt it's changed significantly.

D

Why you are happy to pay to cross private land to access a river at MEM, but not at Canalfon Tryweryn, a managed river with much more comprehensive facilities? Is it the difference in cost? Yep. The only facility I ever use at CT are the cafe & the loo. I find £3 to be a reasonable amount for acces...

BoofandSwim wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 26, 2018 1:56 pm

Your narcisism is making you irrational. You cannot draw outright equivalence between you spouting your opinions and clarity being achieved, which leads me to my next point...

John's a better person than me, I'd have just told you to fuck off....

;-)

D

it's not clear why paddlers egressing who don't have their cars parked there are being asked for money. Either it's a parking charge or it's an access charge, but surely the leaseholder can't decide what it is for each individual user of the facility. Or maybe they can? I know nothing of the legali...

BoofandSwim wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 25, 2018 10:25 pm

That is manifestly unfair.

Waaaa, go and park on someone elses private land if it bothers you that much.

FFS, just pay the fecking money & stop yowling!!! You need her more than she needs you....

D

uwcamerakev wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:00 pm

But there are so many rivers in N.Wales still to do...... ; )

Off you go then.... (Hope the rain holds out for you).

D