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After collecting kit, boats and people at the Miller Street store, we all met up at Milarrochy Bay. There were 14 of us, and with nearly as many different weather forecasts - none of them very good, with many including thunder and lightning 😱⛈⚡️ The day started bright enough as we launched our boats, some a with little trepidation. Would we be up to a full day out? Would we be able to keep up? What if the wind picks up? What happens if there is thunderstorm? Any misgivings were soon eased by the reassurance and support from Bev, Hannah and Janice. We started paddling gently north towards Strathcashell Point, then west to skirt around the north shore of Inchlonaig, before heading south through the beautiful channel between Inchtavannach and Inchconnachan. I had previously paddled through here in April and was amazed at what a difference a few months makes to the water temperature, flora and fauna. The water was warm, at the surface at least, the ospreys had just returned...

In May 2021 the club was contacted by a retiring Kayaker looking to pass his much loved equipment to the club. Read more about history and adventures below. I am glad to donate 2 Nordkapp kayaks and kit to the club, and I applaud the club members who give of their time to coach and encourage people to participate in this activity. I trust that others will find the recreation that we experienced in them. Ian Smith and I were long time friends, kayaking blood brothers and business partners. Our kayaks gave us privileged access to one of the best kayaking venues in the world - Scotland. From the Mull of Galloway to Muckle Flugga on Shetland, and everything in between, we had the best of times over more than 30 years on the water. 3 tours to Orkney and 4 to Shetland are imprinted on our kayaking souls. Unforgettable the first time we experienced the hugh rhythmic swell around Noss headland, the pleasure of...

Stand-Up Paddleboarding. The club owns four iSUP paddleboards which are there for the use of club members. Sandy is currently working towards the SUP Open Water Coach qualification and has put together a series of dates through June/July to allow him to get some coaching practice in prior to going for assessment. If you would likke some coaching in this new branch of paddlesport, have a look at the dates and get in touch with Sandy....

Sandy is organising Paddlesport Leader Assessments on Sunday 2 May and Friday 7 May 2021. He needs volunteers who are willing to be led by our prospective leaders during the assessment. He needs beginner kayakers, canoeists and paddleboarders who can attend at Balloch on these dates. It should be stressed that these are authorised British Canoeing Courses that have been deemed essential for the participants so travel between local authority areas is permitted to allow you to attend although you should avoid car sharing and avoid using public transport. If you are available on either of these dates and would like to be led in a sheltered water environment, please contact Sandy on sandy.johnston@sky.com...

The Ocean racing season has been cancelled this year due to Covid-19 however the SCA have provided the opportunity to race in a virtual manner and to raise funds for the RNLI who like all charities are suffering through the lack of normal fund-raising opportunities. More information can be found at..... https://sites.google.com/canoescotland.org/oceanracing/virtual-ocean-race-2020?fbclid=IwAR2SZihM1dGEa2Bh3ue3xY7QoGYqz5kgl22o-spahc7bludE34aloF_wSt8...

Hello fellow paddlers!We are all very keen to return to club activities. The club committee has been working on a plan to re-instate activities guided by Scottish Government recommendations and Scottish Canoe Association (SCA) guidelines. We await further guidance from SCA since the most recent relaxation of COVID restrictions by Scottish Government on 24.06.2020. Here’s where we are so far:  There is very restricted access to Loch Lomond for the foreseeable future: car parks closed, no toilet facilities, launch sites inaccessible, very limited access to container. Our future access will be guided by Park Rangers. Unfortunately this means it is unlikely that there will be any Tuesday night sessions on Loch Lomond over summer.  Phase 2 (current phase)Notifying club members: Information about the club’s response to easing of restrictions will be posted on the website and on Facebook, as well as contact by email.  Trips: Future club-related trips will be posted on the DCKC website calendar and members will be requested to sign up. Hopefully more activity will...

Although phase 1 of the route out of the Covid19 restrictions allows a return to paddling, it does not allow for a return to club activities. No club equipment can be shared and no club coaching can take place (Coaches may be able to offer 1:1 coaching provided that you have your own equipment) The 5 mile travel distance (stay local) also means that many club members cannot get out on the water. Phase 2 may offer a return to some limited club paddling but there are still major constraints in terms of social distancing, group sizes, hygiene measures and it remains to be seen what distances we will be allowed to travel. A steering group from the club committee is working away behind the scenes and hopefully when we move into the next phase we will have a better idea of what paddling activities we can organise as a club. Just keep an eye on the club website, the club facebook...

The Paddlesport Leader qualification allows you to work with groups in the sheltered water environment doing what our boats are designed for, journeying. If you want to run trips on lochs, canals and slow-moving water this is the qualification for you. Sandy is planning to run two days of preparation and then an assessment for this qualification. The prep days are Saturday 4 and Saturday 18 April followed by an assessment on Sunday 19 April (still to be confirmed). If you are interested in this qualification please contact Sandy asap on sandy.johnston@sky.com as soon as possible. For more information see......... https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/courses/paddlesport-leader-award-1 It would be great if we could get a group together and as it is a coaching/ leadership course club participants can access some financial support towards the cost....

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A group of fourteen paddlers signed up for a week’s sea kayaking in the North East of Scotland, we were holding off making decisions about the final destination in the hope that the winds would ease sufficiently for us to head for Orkney or Shetland. We conceded a night or two ahead of departure and converged instead on the Old Brewery Hostel in Cromarty on the Black Isle. The Hostel was a treat – and we nearly had it all to ourselves. Day 1 Saturday Rosemarkie to Cromarty 25km 5 hours Conditions: Dry, light wind, flat calm initially F2 later in day We launched from the beach at Rosemarkie Bay tucked in behind Chanonry Pont, and paddled out to the Point then directly across to Fort George. We had a lunch stop at the atmospheric Eathie salmon station – and learned a thing or two about the salmon fishing industry over the past 2 centuries. As we approached Sutors Stacks, the coastline revealed a few caves and rock formations but...

This is the course to do if you want to get involved in coaching at the club. It provides you with the skills to run 'come and try it' sessions and beginner sessions in a sheltered water environment. The Club is running a Paddlesport Instructor Course over the weekend of Saturday 28 to Sunday 29 September 2019 based at Loch Lomond. The only things that you need to take part are some boat handling skills and you should have attended a Foundation Safety and Rescue Course. (We can arrange one if given enough notice.) Grant aid is available for club paddlers and there is funding available from Sportscotland ( 4 weeks notice required). If interested please contact Sandy Johnston on 07962 226280 or email. sandy.johnston@sky.com...

Due to demand there are 2 one day FS&RT courses running over the weekend of 10 -11 August 2019. There are spaces available on both courses.  This course isn’t just for open boaters. Its for all paddlers including those who sea kayak, river kayak, and SUP (stand up paddleboard). It is a required course if you intend to progress to be a Paddlesport Instructor, but it is not just for those who are considering coaching qualifications. It is the basic safety course that all other safety courses are built on.  It will make you a safer paddler! Some More Information………………….. The British Canoeing Foundation Safety & Rescue Training course is the first safety course that most paddlers encounter as it teaches the safety skills that the other courses then build on and develop. You will be shown simple and effective techniques which will allow you to deal with the common problems that you can be confronted with on flat water whether you paddle...

If only every day was like this! Following a few events and trips during 2019, the committee felt that a little bit of the ethos of the club needed to be written down. It wasn't a big issue but it was felt that it would be useful to try to help newer members to become aware of how trips are organised, what responsibilities people have and how to be a "good group member". The new guide is available at Sea kayaking paddlers guide We would encourage all sea paddler and others to have a read through. (It will always be a work in progress so any typo's, queries or suggestions can be sent to the club's email address for the next version!)...