Paddlesports (Kayaking, Canoe, Stand-Up Paddle boards)

aVdub said:
I'm going to sort out the footrests first and worry about something I can correct with more paddle power later + they want £179 for a small rudder :eek:

Supply was a real issue when I got mine, with some places only being told what they would receive (in respect of Perception that is)
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I would highly recommend going with your first idea (correcting with technique and power) rather than fit a rudder. Ultimately, that would make you a more efficient paddler.

EDIT: Just saw your paddle, how long is it? Optical illusion perhaps but, doesn't look big for a sit on top paddle.
 
I’ve got a lovely paddle on Derwent water next Wednesday as a mock student for a paddlesport touring leader assessment. Will get put my new sup through its paces.
 
So… yesterday was epic and a disaster all rolled into one.

First part of the day was the open water element for the guys getting assessed (I was a mock student). We paddled on Derwent Water. Everything went really well and felt comfortable paddling in force 4 and up winds. Unfortunately, I had to get into the water and pretend to be unconscious and my carbon paddle that came with my Gladiator Pro board went missing.

Second part of the day was on the River Derwent which had Grade 1 moving water with short sections of Grade 2. I did this on my older board. I took a swim on the grade 2 bit which ended up with my losing another paddle and taking a heavy hit to my lower back.

The wind became manic as we got into Bassentwaite and we decided to bail at this point. We got off the water at 5 and I didn’t leave the Lake District till 7:30 after getting all the kit away from the water and the taxis needed to get back to our cars.

What an epic day and lots learnt.
 
Spring is definitely here now. I’ve got some big plans for the sup once my coaching assessment for canoe and kayak is complete.

first plan, sup coach training in April. 1st day is on Windermere. Really looking forward to it.
 
Soo this weekend is not SUP coaching course. Really can’t wait.

another mention for sup inflatables who provided a replacement Gladiator Pro paddle really cheap. I’ve also bought an Itwit paddle from decathlon which I’m really impressed with as a cheap alloy paddle.
 
My course was incredible. My paddling took off massively!

still getting some balance issues and sore feet. How did anyone find a balance board? @Martynt74 think you made one? Are they worth it.
 
Martynt74 said:
Awesome stuff. Great you're still seeing good progress.

Yeah i love my balance board. Well worth making one if you can, if not i've still got a decent chunk of birch ply left which could be used if you wanted me to make one? The issue was making the roller but you could just use some pvc pipe or a foam roller.

The other option is a balance cushion. Probably works better for balance as you're constantly adjusting, also brilliant for ankle strengthening. With the board it's quite easy to get your balance and then you're controlling the movement side to side if that makes sense and it's more of a "game"

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Core-Balan...t=&hvlocphy=1007000&hvtargid=pla-860901807106
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Thank you! I’ve ordered one and I’ll see how I get on.
 
NotAGolf said:
Does anyone transport an inflatable sup on the roof of their car? It's a 10 min drive to my nearest spot, 40mph max. If I do back to back days then it just saves a bit of time not having to inflate/deflate them. Not sure if I trust them on the roof or though...
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I don’t but, it’s a popular way of doing it.
 
So… another goal ticked off. I passed my canoe and kayak coach assessment today after months of worry. Was a really good experience and felt really straightforward in the end.

Martynt74 said:
Finally got out for the first paddle in September on Saturday. Had to collect something from near Burnley, so got up early, went for a run up Pendle hill, then met a mate at Rishton on the canal. Did just over 6 miles in total and it all felt fairly pleasant except for a couple of stretches where the wind was brutal. There were spells where we'd spend around 60 seconds paddling like mad just to stay still!

What surprised me was how stable i felt. Unsure if it's due to a lot of running/strength work on single leg exercises but usually the first minute or two always feel very wobbly until i settle into it, whereas this time i just felt comfortable from the start.

@MM-Seat Not sure if you'd fancy it, but i saw someone on the Sup Manchester group arrange a paddle of around 13 miles on the 25th June. I'm still wavering between that and an Ultra marathon in the Lakes, but could be a good day out.
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I’m away that week otherwise I would have done! I’m planning on doing some lakes paddles if you are interested at all? Think I remember you saying you like to get up there early and back for lunch time, etc.
 
Anyone still getting out there? I'm doing Farndon to Eccleston on the River Dee tomorrow. Wanted a bit of experience on a moving river which should be fun!
 
Martynt74 said:
@MM-Seat @BadMojo

Unsure of your plans, but i'm trying to get my mate to head to Lytham tomorrow night, mainly to get him to sign some forms!. The wind looks to drop down (it's pretty bad tonight), and it's high tide at half 7 which is a reasonable time.

I know you're both local if you were up for it.
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Just seen this! That would have been good (although I’m currently wiped out following covid).

Hope your paddle was good?
 
neoboy said:
So how much would I be looking to spend on a good SUP to get me started? Already have a few Intex boats which have been fun to take to Lake District but boards look a lot more fun.
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Really hard to look past the Gladiator range at sup inflatables for quality and value for money.

supinflatables.co.uk

Gladiator Light 10'6 Inflatable Paddle Board 2021

Gladiator Light 10'6 Inflatable Paddle Board 20201
supinflatables.co.uk supinflatables.co.uk

This is the smaller version of my board (mine is 10 ft 8 but, I am 112kgs).

It’s great for learning and being an all round board. I still have it to take mates out when they want to have a go.

Fair warning though, if the bug bites you’ll want something different. I’ve bought a 12ft 6 board now which is much quicker due to the length and how narrow it is and I’d like a bigger one again for touring purposes. If you are into surfing you’ll want a shorter board, etc.

@Martynt74 did the same and now has a hard board. I remember him saying that his recommendation would be a fanatic 11.6 for a beginner. Bit more expensive but, I think it’s a really good bit of advice and fanatic are one of the big brands.

What would you envisage doing with it? Bit of messing, touring lakes, surfing, etc?
 
Also, I am canoe and kayak coach and looking to get qualified as similar for a sup. I’d say for 90% of paddlers, a sup is the way to go.

Also, I think an inflatable sup is closer to the quality of a hardboard compared to a plastic and inflatable kayak so that’s another plus.
Martynt74 said:
As above, it kind of depends on what you plan to do with it, a mate bought an old Lidl board about 5 years ago which still gets regular use (he gave it to his brother who lives in Tenby after he upgraded). I know both Aldi and Lidl are doing them at the moment.

I'd always suggest something 11'6 over a pure beginner board of 10'6, but for £200 and for what you might want it for, the supermarket brands might be a decent option to start with. Then as @MM-Seat says, you can then get carried away constantly!

@MM-Seat speaking of, my Fatstick hard board might be available at some point. With looking to move to Spain it doesn't seem worth the hassle/cost shipping it over
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Just reminded me that Lidl has some mistral boards that I’ve seen in action for £200. Might be a good board for occasional use?

Ohhh…. How big is the fat stick? I’ve lost track!! What would you be looking for it.
 
So I’ve just reached 80 hours board time from 28 sessions. Not bad going.

Going to start my circumnavigations of the Welsh lakes this weekend starting with Llyn Padarn.

Hopefully not too far off assessment for my sup coaching award.
 
taB said:
I'd be keen to hear why you think this. Back in the day I taught BCU lvl 2 for a bit (it's probably totally changed since) but whenever I'm given the option of SUP or Kayak it's the latter I want to use. If I'm missing something, would be good to know as will be getting the kids more on the water soon.
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If by BCU level 2 you mean 2* does that make you a BCU coach? (If so, I’m a similar level in the new scheme).

I feel for 90% of users they are infrequent and only want to have the option when the weather is perfect. Therefore, the low barriers of entry in terms of skill (especially for an open boat) and cost make them a great craft for the casual user.

Personally, I paddle a SUP more frequently because I don’t have room to store a kayak or a canoe (open boat being my favourite craft). The sport is way more accessible because of this which we can see by how many people are out on a nice day.
 
Anyone been getting out? Since I started this thread I’ve clocked in 117 paddles and 300+ hours of paddling. Split equally amongst canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding.

Martynt74 said:
I think i'd agree with that. I would've thought skill requirements would be higher for a kayak, things like being able to roll back upright etc being crucial. I would probably say that for someone going out and going for a "paddle" then perhaps a kayak is better, you can go much faster and have a real good trip out. But a SUP allows much more "pottering" and social style paddles. It's also fun to watch people fall off and wobble a lot :D

I think when i'm in Spain i might consider a sea kayak. Possibly the inflatable style, but going for a proper Dropstitch style rather than the cheaper inflatable Intex ones.
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If you ever wanted a go of a sea kayak before your move I could probably arrange that through the canoe club.
 
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