Search found 82 matches
- Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:55 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Emergency patches
- Replies: 12
- Views: 512
Re: Emergency patches
The main options are: Gaffer tape - Seals most things for a few days but needs surface to be dry when applying. Not too messy. Useful for all sorts of things. Denso tape - Like gaffer tape but can be applied to wet surfaces, but makes a horrible mess. Flash band - Can be used on water (with some dif...
- Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:21 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Paddling cag advice
- Replies: 18
- Views: 840
Re: Paddling cag advice
There was a similiar thread a few weeks ago which is probably worth having a read of: https://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=133785 In time you're probably going to want a drysuit and 2 or 3 cags for different conditions. In terms of cags I've got: a) A "whitewater" dry cag wi...
- Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:54 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Ears
- Replies: 13
- Views: 794
Re: Ears
I wear a neoprene skull cap under my helmet if I'm planning to get wet and the water (or air) is at all "cold" - that seems to work for me but earplugs presumably offer better protection. Outside of playing in surf (which is great, but only a small part of sea kayaking) and practicing rescues, I thi...
- Wed Aug 26, 2020 12:33 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Drysuit or seperate Cag and Trousers
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1115
Re: Drysuit or seperate Cag and Trousers
Before too long you are going to want a drysuit, dry trousers, dry cag, shorty cag, touring cag and neoprene shorts plus various options to wear under these. Difficult to say what the "best" order to acquire these is as it really depends on what sort of paddling you plan to do and your personal pref...
- Thu Aug 13, 2020 2:28 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Changes to Moderate Water Sea kayak Leader (4*)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 644
Re: Changes to Moderate Water Sea kayak Leader (4*)
Curious about the idea of a non-tidal sea leader award though (particularly the advanced version!). Presumably for the Med?
- Thu Aug 13, 2020 2:27 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Changes to Moderate Water Sea kayak Leader (4*)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 644
Re: Changes to Moderate Water Sea kayak Leader (4*)
I was told by a current assessor that it's normally obvious within a few minutes whether someone will pass or not. In theory, one advantage of doing it over two days is that if you mess something up on the first day you may get the opportunity to redeem yourself on the second day - although I think ...
- Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:59 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Repair/Emergency kit
- Replies: 22
- Views: 1055
Re: Repair/Emergency kit
If it lives up to the hype, might even be able to make an emergency hull repair at sea. It's available on Amazon (and probably other places) if anyone wants to give it a go. It seems to only go up to 48mm wide though which is a bit narrow for a hull repair. Something like Denso Tape will work at se...
- Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:01 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Repair/Emergency kit
- Replies: 22
- Views: 1055
Re: Repair/Emergency kit
What you need in the way of repair kit rather depends on where you are doing and what you are doing. Someone leading a remote expedition would need something more comprehensive than some doing a day trip with friends where landing is fairly easy. I'm assuming that since you are asking you are more i...
- Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:32 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Flares and safety kit for sea kayaking
- Replies: 28
- Views: 1520
Re: Flares and safety kit for sea kayaking
A good review of different flares including laser and LED from PBO here- https://www.pbo.co.uk/gear/led-laser-flares-tested-36341 Thanks - that's quite interesting. It would be good to see a daytime comparison as well. I'll probably get an LED flare but the laser ones seem like a waste of time. I s...
- Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:03 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Flares and safety kit for sea kayaking
- Replies: 28
- Views: 1520
Re: Flares and safety kit for sea kayaking
You might want to have a read of https://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=132948 (and possibly other threads). I think there is fairly general agreement that with a PLB parachute flares are no longer necessary. Opinions are a bit more mixed on handheld flares - I think having a ...
- Mon Jul 13, 2020 12:46 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: VHF radio replacement
- Replies: 19
- Views: 906
Re: VHF radio replacement
Don't they have a 3 year warranty? Have you tried getting SH to fix it?
- Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:26 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Esso refinery, Southampton water
- Replies: 3
- Views: 530
Re: Esso refinery, Southampton water
In addition to the above, take a VHF and listen on Channel 12. You might want to consider phoning Southampton VTS before you set off.
- Thu May 07, 2020 9:53 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: BBC Shipping Forecast
- Replies: 5
- Views: 951
Re: BBC Shipping Forecast
It's a COVID-19 thing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maritime-safety-information-leaflet presumably to keep FM and LW in sync so they don't need a second announcer. I guess the assumption is that vessels operating outside of VHF reception will be able to get the coastguard MF broadcasts...
- Wed Feb 26, 2020 10:51 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: new from British Canoeing
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1956
Re: new from British Canoeing
They're a company limited by guarantee so ultimately controlled by the membership, although the changes a few years ago reduced the amount of control members actually have. Even though BC itself doesn't make a profit there does seem to be an incentive for the executive management to make the BC "big...
- Thu Feb 13, 2020 11:29 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1799
Re: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
I'm aware there have been successful prosecutions under the merchant shipping regulations but these all seem to involve parachute flares fired from (or near) a vessel, so that's not really the same. I'll admit I'm not an expert on the explosives act and associated regulations but they seem to be gen...
- Wed Feb 12, 2020 3:10 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1799
Re: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
You do of course know that would be illegal. I am aware that is a commonly held belief, but I have never seen a credible explanation of which law it would be breaking, and I am not aware of anyone having been prosecuted. To be clear, we are talking about letting off handheld flares in a private pla...
- Mon Feb 10, 2020 1:13 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1799
Re: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
I know people in MRTs that have spent nights searching hillsides on account of out of date flares being let off in back gardens. Obviously anyone thinking of doing this needs to use some common sense but I really fail to see how a handheld flare let off in a typical back garden is going to result i...
- Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:16 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1799
Re: Pyrotechnic Flares – past their sell-by date?
I think there's a big difference between parachute and handheld flares here. I won't be buying any more parachute flares but I think handheld flares still have a place - they seem to be a lot safer then parachute flares. I think it's fine to just let handheld flares off in your back garden to dispos...
- Sun Feb 02, 2020 1:17 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Is vhf course needed
- Replies: 61
- Views: 3544
Re: Is vhf course needed
Just to add to this very interesting discussion, we all seem to agree that carrying and using a VHF in a sea kayak is an important safety consideration. Every sea kayaker I know carries one but very few have the SRC, so here's a question - If I turn up for my Sea Kayak Leaders assessment without a ...
- Mon Jan 27, 2020 3:12 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Is vhf course needed
- Replies: 61
- Views: 3544
Re: Is vhf course needed
As others have mentioned the SRC (or equivalent) is a legal requirement for non emergency transmissions although it's highly unlikely you'd ever get pulled up for not having one. That said I found the course useful, mainly because you get a chance to play around with some test radios. The certificat...
- Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:35 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Checking PLB Accuracy
- Replies: 14
- Views: 982
Re: Checking PLB Accuracy
Thanks - seem to be more questions than answers...
- Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:46 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Checking PLB Accuracy
- Replies: 14
- Views: 982
Re: Checking PLB Accuracy
What's the source for this?
- Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:05 am
- Forum: Products and Media
- Topic: Increased VHF range on your Kayak! GALAXY-INFL8
- Replies: 22
- Views: 3633
Re: Increased VHF range on your Kayak! GALAXY-INFL8
I'd be interested to know how much difference it makes to handheld range in practice - I'm suspecting the difference might not be massive. I think a PLB would be my first choice for raising the alarm in an emergency (and the cost of this isn't far off a PLB) but this could be useful in a range of sc...
- Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:00 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: VHF and training
- Replies: 33
- Views: 3424
Re: VHF and training
DSC uses MMSIs "T" number callsigns are a pre-DSC thing.
- Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:57 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Trip around the Isle of Wight
- Replies: 8
- Views: 925
Re: Trip around the Isle of Wight
If the weather is good enough for the circumnavigation it should be fine for the crossing too. Keyhaven has the shortest crossing, avoids the major shipping lanes further east and has a few places you could leave a car. There are a few places you can wild camp but they can be well spread out - start...
- Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:49 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Effective VHF Coverage
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2253
Re: Effective VHF Coverage
As others have said the range is likely to be the issue here but I have seen a few handheld VHFs stop (effectively) transmitting whilst still receiving so it would be a good idea to check it when you do get the chance.
- Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:48 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Flare disposal.
- Replies: 10
- Views: 857
Re: Flare disposal.
If they're handheld (rather than parachute) flares I would be inclined to set them off in the garden (wearing gloves / safety glasses, not near the sea and with a bucket on hand to put them in if they don't go off). It's possibly illegal anyway but I think with handheld ones you are unlikely to caus...
- Sun Sep 16, 2018 5:56 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: BCU 3 star assessment questions
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1533
Re: BCU 3 star assessment questions
Re the repair kit, the expectation at 3* is that you are a competent member of a led group so you wouldn't be expected to cope with major boat repairs for example, and in any case it's unlikely you'd fail because something is missing from your repair kit. I would think about what you would need to c...
- Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:58 pm
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Safetrx - New CG and RYA vessel registration and tracking system
- Replies: 48
- Views: 6964
Re: Safetrx - New CG and RYA vessel registration and tracking system
One issue that did come to mind, if you start the tracker with alert and you lose your phone, or your phone dies, or you unexpectedly have no signal at your destination, you are not going to be able to end your plan, or alert your emergency contact, who after being automatically texted that you're ...
- Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:48 am
- Forum: Sea Kayaking
- Topic: Three piece kayak
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2138
Re: Three piece kayak
I've got a 3 piece Romany which I think uses the same clip system as the Rockpool boats. Once the boat is assembled it's as solid as a one piece boat - the only disadvantages are it's a bit heavier and a bit more expensive. I do worry a bit about the strain on the bulkheads when transporting it whol...