How many Kayakers are there on here?

Bony Maloney · 25 Jul 2011 at 14:30

matt_fsr said:
Which bits did you do? I do love the Dee, just so flipping far to travel! (Town falls is ace)

Llan is 10 mins from me over the top, or 20mins the long way around

We did the section above, through and below Paddle Works. Nothing outstanding for any of you experienced paddlers but for me it was Hawaii Five-O

frying_pan_cat · 2 Aug 2011 at 15:40

Dagger customer service, really impressed

I recently bought a second hand Dagger Axiom which I finally managed to get on the water on Saturday in Cardiff International White Water Centre. While I was there I noticed that the nut for one of the cockpit screws was missing and failing to find any Dagger spares on the internet I thought I'd drop them an email asking where I can get some. I sent the email on Sunday and was starting to think the speed of their response wasn't up to scratch until I got home today to find they'd sent me not only the nut with rubber grommit but the while screw assembly.

I have to say that I am impressed with Dagger/Palm customer support especially given that I bought the boat second hand so wouldn't have been surprised for them to say they wouldn't do anything and just thought I'd share my experience with them

Jono · 15 Aug 2011 at 21:29

Peak UK/Riot used to be great too - that's going back a bit - not sure what they're like now.

danoliver1 · 16 Aug 2011 at 18:55

Going kayaking next week on lake windermere with the gf, never done it before so should be fun.

matt_fsr · 17 Aug 2011 at 12:06

danoliver1 said:
Going kayaking next week on lake windermere with the gf, never done it before so should be fun.

Have fun, dont fall in (too much) etc...

And remember - forward paddling is the hardest of all strokes to perfect

(says a man with a lousy technique)

misterPK · 29 Sep 2011 at 09:31

Last weekend I was on the Gower trying my hand at surfing in my kayak. It's knackering!!

Might have been more fun if the weather was nicer, and I don't think I quite mastered it. Got a lot of practice on my roll though!

matt_fsr · 29 Sep 2011 at 14:31

misterPK said:
Last weekend I was on the Gower trying my hand at surfing in my kayak. It's knackering!!

Might have been more fun if the weather was nicer, and I don't think I quite mastered it. Got a lot of practice on my roll though!

Can't offer a lot of advice really, tho I found a week's surfing in Cornwall made my technique a LOT better!

When you're riding a wave in, you want to be putting a stern rudder in to keep the boat in line, and you'll have to quickly swap from one side to the other of the boat to keep it trim, or you end up facing the wrong way!
(Yes, you can reverse-surf a kayak, its brilliant fun but you need to do it on an empty beach. Or else you tend to kill surfers... and they dont like being killed to death

)

The knack can sometimes be how quickly you can turn from a stern rudder, to a low brace, then sometimes to a high brace and back again, all within split-seconds, to keep control of the boat while riding the wave in.

Have fun!

Buffman · 17 Nov 2011 at 17:06

Started this semester with my university club. I'm not very good

.

Buying a custom FNA helmet http://www.fnaheadgear.com/ though as my heads too big for club helmets! (can just use club stuff for the rest)

misterPK · 21 Nov 2011 at 10:01

Dare I ask how much? Some interesting designs they've got there though.

A helmet was the first thing I bought, cheap club helmets are so uncomfortable!

Buffman · 21 Nov 2011 at 22:44

£120 delivered (from canada / 150$).

Also got a lomo cag the other day 2nd hand off a mate for £30 (usually £100). So much better than club ones!

Did a small amount of surf kayaking this weekend on the clubs drinking weekend, quite hard and salt water is horrible!

platypus · 22 Nov 2011 at 13:15

Something I'm dying to do, but not much in the way of facilities around here.

touch · 22 Nov 2011 at 16:57

I have a fluid spice and i need to make a footrest for it.
What sort of foam should i get and where do i get it from?

misterPK · 23 Nov 2011 at 17:00

Some type of closed cell foam is what you're after. Depending on thickness you could try using a few layers of an old karrimat.

Jono · 25 Nov 2011 at 13:40

Aaaanyone live near to / within driving distance of Tees Barrage? I'm going tomorrow afternoon

Stinger53 · 26 Nov 2011 at 22:04

Playboater here

gotta big dog kaos. lovely boat

mainly going out on the rivers in wales, llangollen etc. currently at uni in scotland tho so havent been out in a while

misterPK · 28 Nov 2011 at 09:49

Stinger53 said:
Playboater here

gotta big dog kaos. lovely boat :) mainly going out on the rivers in wales, llangollen etc. currently at uni in scotland tho so havent been out in a while :([/QUOTE]

Surely there's a uni club you can join? There must be decent rivers up there somewhere! :p

I was at Cardiff yesterday, and I found it challenging to say the least. Got a lot of practice on my roll in, a few new scratches on my helmet, and only one swim when I got pinned and panicked slightly. Fun though, despite the aches!

sbridgey · 29 Nov 2011 at 00:12

I am a kayaker, haven't paddled since september due to university

Heres a video of my brother showing off (he's a fair bit better than me!)

Jono · 29 Nov 2011 at 18:39

platypus said:
Something I'm dying to do, but not much in the way of facilities around here.

How far's Northampton?

Stinger53 · 29 Nov 2011 at 18:58

misterPK said:
Surely there's a uni club you can join? There must be decent rivers up there somewhere!

I was at Cardiff yesterday, and I found it challenging to say the least. Got a lot of practice on my roll in, a few new scratches on my helmet, and only one swim when I got pinned and panicked slightly. Fun though, despite the aches!

no theres not a club

n the rivers look great but prob is i've got no space to store it at the halls

shroomz · 29 Nov 2011 at 19:09

Whereabouts in Ayr? We have two university clubs and two city ones here

(I started in September)

St Andrews Uni also have one, as do Dundee. I'm sure Aberdeen have one too