I have coached a school group up to the level required for a DoE Silver Expedition by kayak and canoe and taken them through the silver expedition, (and that included disabled paddlers) There quite a lot of information about this on the DoE website , (I don't have a link to hand right now but PM me ...

Sam When we met the assistant manager Callum yesterday he said that they were still wrestling with one or two issues (we suspect mainly insurance) The only way you can get to paddle either course is for a club to go for sole use on either the legacy or the Olympic (if you are brave) and provide thei...

Lou The cheapest I have found is Burntree Rentals, http://www.burnt-tree.co.uk/ I don't know about under 25 as I regret that I have left my 20s long behind. There should be a local branch to you. We have hired a VW Crafter from Dartford Van Rentals (almost as cheap ad more convenient) as we have 20 ...

It may be bordering on that fine line between genius and insanity but you have to admire their sheer courage and unbelievable stamina. Their planned departure from Devizes at 10.00 am was postponed because one of them got knocked off his bike near Lands End, and they were unable to start until much ...

Well it was pretty tough for the support crews as well! Last year were desperate to keep warm in full exposure gear, this year we were fighting off biting insects and trying to find wide brimmed hats. (the DW merchansdise shop would have made a fortune if they stocked white panamas or similar) The s...

That is indeed very sad news , and I can only add my condolences to the family & friends of the bereaved. The EA have done a tremendous amount of work to improve the River Medway for canoeists and kayakers, adding access points, and canoe shutes, but these weirs still need respect. Like Giles I don'...

Mark I do not know what time you expect to hit Shadwell Basin , but I guess you know that the whole of that area of London is absolutely closed to traffic due to the road closures associated with the (running) marathon . Closed that is until the last stragglers have made their way through which coul...

The tides in London run from zero to approx 4 knots. As Giles and others have said don't try to paddle against a 3 to 4 knot tide , you will get nowhere fast and tire yourself out in the process. Timing is key , remember that tide times are written in GMT , not BST so make sure you allow for this. W...

Dave I forgot to mention that the whole course is floodlit , and to a very high level , of which they are quite proud , so I am certain there will be not only evening sessions in the summer , but also in the winter under the lights. The "lake" may be used for flat water paddlesports (including polo?...

Peter is correct in his information. I can add a little more from a visit on Wednesday this week . As a result of sitting through an entire Chamber of Commerce meeting the previous week I managed to get an invite to the Lea Valley White Water Centre on Wednesday. I was taken around by Callum Ferris ...

Thanks Guys , I appreciate your points about the paddlers finding their support and not vice versa. All I was trying to do was to give them as much aid as possible to do so. I agree that once the race "settles down" the position of the crew with respect to others does make it easier, but during the ...

A question for the Suuport Crews please. Does anyone know of a good source of light "sticks" or "wands" to help the crew identify their support on the bank. Last year we used dayglow jackets with reflective stripes but they don't work at night as you are relying on the paddlers torches picking out t...

Alec The DoE Gold stipulates 4 days (and 3 nights under "shelter") and 60 miles minimum distance. That is quite tricky to arrange if you want white water as well, you may have no option but to include some flat water to make up the distance. From what I have heard Simon's suggestion of the Tara Cany...

That would be great Justin
A group of us from SE London are coming down to Simonsbath and we hoping to run the Barle/Exe etc . I thought we might well be surfing at Woolacombe if the dry weather continued.
Regards
Andy

Ginge
Yes you certainly can paddle on through to Allington which ,makes it a longer trip where there is an excellent landing stage and changing facility, that makes it good for touring paddlers, DoE expeditions and other folk wanting to get more some distance.
Andy

Hi Thank you very much for the info, that will be a fantastic improvement and make the run from Tonbridge to Yalding much better. Previously the only piece of reliable "moving water" on the Medway was at Sluice Gate Weir , and Yalding when the gates opened, but now we can give beginners some "white ...

Paul
You were a great help to me about 2 years ago when I wanted information on Wye river levels for a DoE expedition and I am delighed to be able to reciprocate by signing the petition.
Hope you succeed.
Kind regards
Andy

Hello Quicky
I have a Mega Excel in full carbon kevlar for sale.
About 5 years old , one set of professional repairs by Dave Brown
Serviceable front bumper , new rear bumper
Looking for £250
If interested please PM me or email andy.garlick<AT>yahoo.com
Andy

I am the opposite I really enjoy teaching kids , because they learn so much faster and have great fun while doing it. I agree it would be nice if parents/guardians were also on the water , but realistically that is not going to happen. In Meridian we insist on parents being present on the bank/pools...

A lot closer to home is the River Medway , OK it is not known as a whitewater river , but at 4 of the weirs there is now a canoe pass which can be run in safety and gives beginners a real buzz, and at some there is a small play potential in the weir pool at the bottom. OK it is only a one day trip, ...

Tony Appreciate this is a bit late but the Dart levels were low yesterday , about 12 to 18 inches below the slab. The loop was runnable needed another 6 inches of water to be enjoyable. There were very few other paddlers on the water , but thanks to the guys who gave our unshuttled driver a lift bac...

Not original I know (someone on UKRGB uses it as their sign-off line?) but I believe it was a George Bernard Shaw quote

A life without adventure is likely to be unfullfilling

A life without limits on adventure is likely to be short

Andy

Graham The shop near the Enfield white water centre is Bookbank London branch. http://www.brookbanklondon.co.uk/ Davey All the above suggestions are good , but London is a big place and it depends so much on what part you are living/studying in to be able to recommend the closest one . If based out ...

Although I have not paddled there, I can add some general background to the other factors in Mexico. As others have said Mexican coaches are superb , they have very limited seats , which are all super comfy recliners, with TV screens , loos etc. They are also quite cheap considering the distances in...

Tony A group of 6 of us from SE London paddled the R Barle from Marshgate down to Exbridge last Friday (15th Oct). We saw no fishermen at all and were not challenged by anyone, in fact we got some warm greetings from spectators on the bank, some of whom appeared to be locals. The river was low-ish ,...

Roger
This website has a host of information about both the river, places of interest and campsites . I have used some from their guide to the River Wye and they were cracking.
www.igreens.org.uk/canoeing_the_nontidal_thames.htm
Regards
Andy

I get mine from a small car part and accessory shop. My local one stocks them in different "grades" , you don't need the highest spec one which is reinforced with carbon fibre (a devil to cut) which they use to repair competition cars' bodywork and is almost structural once it has set. The "middle s...

How about a quick docking mechanism for storing boats on a roof rack . I am thinking along the lines of click-in, click-out system that would save hours of faff time at the get-on/get-off, and perhaps enable car owners to combine their benefits with the quick "chuck it in and go" that van drivers se...

How about the River Teifi in western Wales. Nice touring river with some stretches of easy white water and a couple of much harder rapids which are easily portagable. Paddleable from above Llandysul to the sea at Cardigan. Look at Llandysul Paddlers website for more information about access etc. htt...

Morsey I have no doubt that everything you mention above has a sound basis, but I feel it kind of misses my point. The company Nova International promised payment to safety kayakers would be made either on the day or within one week. Neither promise was kept, and a lot of us feel pretty p*****d off ...