From the sounds of your posts I assume you are relatively new to paddling, my thoughts are on that basis. 1st off buy some decent blades, far more important IMHO than a boat. I wouldn't bother buying new, the current crop of playboats won't offer you any significant benefit over a design a couple of...

My dad got one earlier this year and we went to Austria this summer and went kayaking at least once a day, and towards the last couple of days he thought it was leaking and he checked the foot and it had gotten a hole on the seam and upon more inspection the martial had started to delaminate which ...

I have the yellow one, IRS been really good over the last 2 seasons. It's a proper tough suit and has been proper bone dry. I find the feet a little on the large side which doesn't help. It's not one to have if you're shy, on it's 1st outing I had a guy in a lomo suit walk up to me in newbridge car ...

If you want to see diverse and committed opinions about this have a look on the Scuba forums, opinion is even more divided. I just want it so that I can fly underwater with the fishes in my glittery submersible for more than 20secs at a time. No one found out how to fill it yet? Chris You would jus...

Anybody about on the 11th November fancy a paddle on the Dart? I'll be down midday ish and I'm happy to go play on the upper or the loop. I just don't really want to walk/ bike the shuttle this year if I can at all help it.

Drop me a pm if you are about.

Chris

I agreee about the axiom being too slow.. You what? the Axiom is a proper fast boat for a river boat. The Axiom has a slicey end but the design keeps it out of the way (as long as you paddle properly) unless you want to engage it. I've just moved across to an Axiom 9 from a nomad 8.5 and I really l...

Reading reviews the Alaw clearly has many good points. The thing that particularly attracts me is the high knee position. Are there any other kayaks with a similar high Knee position that could be compared with it? Yes, the Tideraces do. Whilst the centre point of the Alaw cockpit is higher than th...

The other thought I had was how much this passion actually costs me and my general thought is between £4 or 5 Thousand pounds spent on kayaks and equipment over the last 5 years. (2) I would be interested in how much you also have invested in you passion for this sport? Lightweight! Between all asp...

I'd be very surprised if CCC, unless the fine is very large, did not just roll over. It's not worth their time and money fighting it as the legal costs outweigh the savings on the fines and they have not other reasons to pursue it. It also looks bad if they go after the EA.

Chris

On balance I reckon it's about the the best way of getting boats out there now. It won't take much longer than driving and it'll be a damn sight cheaper.

Chris

Simon,

There's definitely an Irish bridge, I've portaged it before.

You should contact wyre forest canoe club, they're very active. When I get home I'll send you a message with contact details and some river options.

Chris

It's got a reasonably large catchment for a small river so comes up quite quickly but does need it's water. It's little mentioned because it's not very good, it gets a bit overgrown in places the water is not particularly consistent at the grade and there are a couple of potential portages due to th...

I don't disagree - although there is a significant difference between trips "being run by the SCA" and "trips run on behalf of SCA members, by SCA members, under the banner of the SCA". There may be in your mind but legally it's a very grey area as we found out recently. One of the main questions w...

Saltford is a good bet, there a a few places to park/launch, easy access and on the opposite bank there's plenty of space for the nippers.

TechnoEngineer wrote:Has anyone used velcro strips?

Yep,

I used to use them to to hold my shoes on. I don't know which one it was, it came pre attached.

Chris

Given that Kate and Wills decided to get hitched allowing 11 days off for 3 days leave a whole mob from Shrewsbury headed up North to spend the time in Sligachan. We'd hired one of the self catering cottages run by the pub putting us neatly in the middle of the island to allow us to get anywhere for...

Sorted now thanks.

Thanks for the comments after a thorough carpet surf of pretty much everything yesterday I've decided on an Axiom. With a comment like

justin-g wrote:I call it my river Ferrari

then it had to be red.

Chris

YGM

That does look gorgeous Mr. Hoppy. How sheltered is that area? As in, would you paddle it on your own? It all looks like it could be fairly protected, and if I just stayed close to shore and avoided open water crossings... It's all very sheltered (except with a North Westerly maybe), not much tide ...

Loch Kishourn is worth a paddle in itself. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5689787586_f6cd541e16_m.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5689788250_0b1cd0ffa7_m.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5068/5689218453_f5fe33bfa2_m.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5689793990_9e6fabf243_m.jpg

Have a try with these guys http://www.seakayakplockton.co.uk/. Saw them out when we paddled round loch kishourn and they had some nice kit.

Loch Kishourn is worth a paddle in itself. Some photos on my Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_hoppy/5 ... 557153537/

I went up to Skye over Easter and really enjoyed it, there are options for pretty much whatever the weather is doing and some awesome paddling.

Chris

However... If you plan on playing around a bit, this isn't the boat for you. It's a long boat so won't catch most waves and there's no chance of pulling any tricks. The quite rounded hull makes it likely to get stuck in most holes making a beatdown a regular occurence. Eh? Long, fast boat can't cat...

Looks like the Axiom FTW at the moment. At 90-95 kg it would be the 9.0 I'd have thought.

Is the back as grabby as it looks? I've got used to dry hair paddling of recent.

So, after many happy years I've sold my nomad and find myself without a river boat. I'm running the really steep stuff less often and with the arrival of little Hoppy in the autumn that is unlikely to change for the forseeable future. I'm looking for a do everything boat suitable for UK Gd4-5, annua...

As it says really, I'm looking for a remix 79. No splits, welds or gouges please.

Don't mind travelling for the right boat.

What have you got?

Chris

Sold

Myself, I'm more motivated by the desire to come back with the same number of friends as I set off with. Learn how to avoid trouble and you'll never need to see the witness box. Owen, that is one of the more offensive things I've read on here, given your previous I'm assuming you didn't mean how it...

Photo's

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_hoppy/s ... 557141835/

Chris