Did YOU paddle today ?

[Murray Longworth]

Not today, but Wednesday. Tusker Island, from Dunraven Bay, South Wales

[ian johnston]

Unusually calm on the Moray firth today, did a paddle from Cullen to Findochty and return. With a big HW I managed to get right through the cave-tunnel of the "Whales Mou" and out of the back, not managed that too often.....the Bow Fiddle is always good to paddle :o)









Ian

[seawolf856]

Spent the weekend in the Lakes with the Deva Canoe Club from Chester. Its an annual event and we take white water boats to run the rivers and open boats and sea kayaks to tour the lakes.
Saturday was spent doing Ullswater end to end and back and Sunday was spent on Coniston in very cold deteriorating weather.

[ChrisJK]

Sounds sort of good Seawolf.
I needed to go to my daughters to cut a hedge and seeing as her and husband had Covid so time for a paddle after.
I took the Vember and had a pleasant if misty paddle on the Upper Peak forest canal. Very pleasant as nothing else apart from Ducks was moving on the water.

[mrcharly]

3 times in the past few days.
Thurs eve - a lovely cruise, just 8km, in the moonlight. Not cold and no wind.
Sat, a real slog into the wind around an island. Looked forward to downwind home, but, predictably, the wind died.
Mon eve, lovely nightime paddle in the snow. I love paddling while it is snowing. It was very dark though, and I found it difficult to judge speed and progress.

Monday was my first time trying a new getup - a buffalo special six shirt under my rooster cag (paired with lowe alpine cap and reed chillcheater trousers).

It worked really well, I didn't feel cold at all. Temp roughly 0 with 8-10knot winds and snow. The Lowe cap did a good job of preventing the stinging pain of snowy ice being driven against your face.

[leighv]

Instead of posting a photo from my lunch hour paddle, I’m going to be a show off and post an entire 3.5 minute video of it :)

Living near London means my local paddle is a boring canal. But living right next to it means it’s convenient and keeps me paddle fit for my weekend adventures around the UK. It’s nice to get out and feed the local birds and just enjoy being on the water.

[Owen]

Nice video, says it all. Was that filmed with two GoPro's?

[leighv]

Nice video, says it all. Was that filmed with two GoPro's?

Yep! I have an 11 and a 12, and use a remote to control the one that sits on my stern. It’s very useful having more than one of them, although I’ve noticed some slight colour inconsistencies between them, despite them supposedly having the same sensor. Probably not something that bothers most people though! I also use my phone for some of the footage :)

[Owen]

I've just got a second one for just that reason. Although mine are both 8's. Interesting to see how having two can work.

[leighv]

Oh absolutely! Having the extra one gives you way more scope for shooting all that “B roll” footage. Ultimately you can make far more engaging videos by using those different perspectives, although the stern mounted one is usually my “main” focal point for most of my videos as it’s the angle that shows the best kayaking perspective, in my opinion (I’m going to go on a limb here and say I personally never wear a helmet cam and don’t really enjoy watching videos using them as the result tends to give me motion sickness!).

It’s also more fun although I’m the first to admit that it’s a bit of a rabbit hole and I now find myself constantly faffing on the water setting up angles and things! Quite a few of the shots in this video were done by hanging the GoPro from tree branches!

[P4ddy]

I like seeing the paddle strokes, looking smooth 😎. I've yet to invest in a second camera, I've just invested in a new drysuit instead..

[leighv]

I like seeing the paddle strokes, looking smooth 😎. I've yet to invest in a second camera, I've just invested in a new drysuit instead..

Probably a wise decision, safety and comfort first!

[P4ddy]

I'll report back on the comfort later, I'm comfy and warm even in winter in my wetsuit. I'm looking forward to my first 'dry' paddle.

[leighv]

Christmas this year was really tough.

Very unexpectedly one of my beloved cats became ill in the days leading up to it, and the worst happened when I had to say goodbye to her on Christmas Eve. With all the enforced jollity (including a rude woman who saw fit to say "cheer up" passive aggressively to myself and my partner when we were out walking in the woods on Christmas morning), I desperately needed to retreat for some tranquility so I could start working through my grief.

I went to Clywedog in Wales on Friday where I have access to the reservoir, and spent a day in quiet solitude on the water, after which I slept alongside the shore. I spent some time doing photography and filming as the conditions were strikingly beautiful and fitting for the occasion. I put together a short video of the day when I got back home yesterday. I'm sure you'll agree it was quite atmospheric.

[ian johnston]

I'm glad you managed to find some peace Leigh

Best regards

Ian

[Sean_soup]

Sorry to hear about little Freyja, and the random ignoramus. Jeez, some people eh?

It's a lovely little film, and very apt with the atmospheric gloomy weather. You're getting really good at this.

[Chris Bolton]

A very well made film, Leigh. I found it quite emotional, knowing the context. Poor Freya, I'm sorry.

[ChrisJK]

Neat film Leigh
Slightly scary in that a Welsh reservoir doesn't look full at this time of year.
Mist has a certain beauty. I joined a paddle on the Llangollen canal from Trefor to Chirk which included passing across the Pontcysylllte (sp?) and Chirk aqueducts.
I have been over both previously but the mist brought the amazing and stark engineering into focus, the water flowing from the Dee concentrates in the Trefor basin and then with a moderate push sends you across the Pontcysylllte aqueduct, mere sections of cast iron with gaskets of something possibly tea towels soaked in black treacle (more info required). The last section involved heading through the Chirk tunnel which is never one of my favourite places.which is 421 metres long and needs one to be sporting a head torch mainly to prevent one being mown down by a canal barge. This time I was behind a canoe which when feeling slightly claustrophobic felt like impatiently revving a Ferrari behind a tractor.
Thanks again to escapist for passing his Vember to me, it's a superb boat.
viewtopic.php?p=849122#p849122

[Stormroll]

Lovely stuff.

Do you have a small tripod attached to the deck for the stern Gopro? I like the height.

[leighv]

Sorry to hear about little Freyja, and the random ignoramus. Jeez, some people eh?

It's a lovely little film, and very apt with the atmospheric gloomy weather. You're getting really good at this.

Thanks for the kind words. I was initially in two minds about whether or not to film anything but after arriving and seeing the conditions, I knew it’d be really therapeutic to do something with it. I’ve always loved foggy days on the water, there’s something really magical about it. And since I was all alone there, it made it even more special.

[leighv]

Neat film Leigh
Slightly scary in that a Welsh reservoir doesn't look full at this time of year.
Mist has a certain beauty. I joined a paddle on the Llangollen canal from Trefor to Chirk which included passing across the Pontcysylllte (sp?) and Chirk aqueducts.
I have been over both previously but the mist brought the amazing and stark engineering into focus, the water flowing from the Dee concentrates in the Trefor basin and then with a moderate push sends you across the Pontcysylllte aqueduct, mere sections of cast iron with gaskets of something possibly tea towels soaked in black treacle (more info required). The last section involved heading through the Chirk tunnel which is never one of my favourite places.which is 421 metres long and needs one to be sporting a head torch mainly to prevent one being mown down by a canal barge. This time I was behind a canoe which when feeling slightly claustrophobic felt like impatiently revving a Ferrari behind a tractor.
Thanks again to escapist for passing his Vember to me, it's a superb boat.
viewtopic.php?p=849122#p849122

Yes the reservoir is surprisingly low. Perhaps they’d done a dam release in recent days though, as I can tell from the online level charts that it was full on 8 December.

Yes I agree that mist and fog really add something to paddling. Familiar places take on a whole new feel. I’ve paddled the Llangollen canal and the aqueduct (last month, as it happens), and can imagine how spectacular it’d be in mist. I’ve not done the tunnel though and can’t imagine I’d enjoy it, to be honest!

[leighv]

Lovely stuff.

Do you have a small tripod attached to the deck for the stern Gopro? I like the height.

I use a combination of things! For the stern, I use a Kayalu mount that I imported from the States after seeing Douglas Wilcox using one. It’s an exceptionally fine mount for composite boats, with great articulation and suction that’s far better than GoPro’s own one. I highly recommend them for fellow kayak GoPro users. Unfortunately it’s of limited use for plastic boats, unless there’s a smooth section on the deck (some of P&H’s boats, like the Delphin, do have smooth areas on their stern decks).

However I also used a Gorillapod tripod for some of the shots, particularly the front deck mounted shots and the shots taken from shore. The articulated arms of the Gorillapod make it easy to attach around decklines for both front and side facing shots as well as quickly perching on rocks or shoreline for those views.

[Chris Bolton]

The last section involved heading through the Chirk tunnel which is never one of my favourite places.which is 421 metres long and needs one to be sporting a head torch mainly to prevent one being mown down by a canal barge.

Better than head torch is a fixed light on your boat. Canal boats expect a fixed light, and may mistake a head torch for pedestrians on the towpath. I also take a whistle or an air horn and give a good blast on entering the tunnel. I've been through four or five times now and never had a problem.

[ChrisJK]

Thanks Chris I can see what you mean I’ll look into a fixed light.
The first time I did it I had no torch so I followed a boat but that has added discomfort as the wake continues to ricochet.
I think the longest tunnel navigable by kayak is foulridge tunnel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foulridge_Tunnel

Not entirely enticing to me.
I think Seawolf and crew have done that one.

[Jonny_W]

I think the longest tunnel navigable by kayak is foulridge tunnel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foulridge_Tunnel

Not entirely enticing to me.
I think Seawolf and crew have done that one.

The Foulridge Tunnel is novel.

I paddled it a couple of times a few years ago. It was one-way, traffic-light controlled. I think it changed direction each half hour. Wait outside the tunnel whilst red (for up to 30 minutes); then go through on green (not a place to hang around, as there will probably be boats in front and behind you going in the same direction as you; and there are 30 minutes to do the mile, before boats start coming the other way). Very do-able. White, front-facing light is essential (or a head torch). There is no tow path inside the tunnel, so no confusion to be had from pedestrians or cyclists.

The first time I did it, my approach was a combination of courtesy for the canal boats who were ahead of me in the queue; and that self-preservation rule “if it’s bigger than you - keep out of the way”. So I let the canal boats go first. Never again. The barges’ exhaust pipes seemed to be at the same height as a paddler’s mouth. Not pleasant.

All subsequent passages, I bargained and pushed to the front and on green, paddled steadily and continuously. This seemed to keep me clear of the barges behind (ok for touring and sea kayaks and double SOTs). More pleasant.

It’s novel.

[On reflection, not sure if the light is green for 30 minutes, or say 15 minutes, then red at both entrances - to allow passage of that group. Whatever, I only went at the beginning of a green light !]

[ChrisJK]

Thanks Jonny
Yes I guess a sea kayak is faster than a barge which needs to reduce speed in such circumstances.
Some of the members did have red stern facing lights on their BA's

[mrcharly]

Home by myself, so I had to get out for a paddle.

Christmas involved being ill, and I'm really not yet recovered. So a gentle paddle it was. Fair amount of swell, big enough that I disappeared in the troughs.

Spotted an otter and lots of seabirds, but seals were absent from their usual spot.

[Grian]

Afternoon sun and the first paddle of 2025, what a treat! Happy New Year everyone.

[ForeverYoung]

A group of us went out to Taynish Island today from Tayvallich. It was beautiful. So far, 2025 is impressing me! I'm ok if the rest of the year is like this 😃

[Chris Bolton]

Pontcysylllte aqueduct, mere sections of cast iron with gaskets of something possibly tea towels soaked in black treacle (more info required).

I just happened across that information - Welsh flannel soaked in molten sugar: