GlenIsla trip 10th and 11th November 2018

By graham Comment Closed
This year was an alternating year when the Lochawe weekend goes on tour. After phoning just about every village hall in Scotland we went to the GlenIsla village hall near Kirriemuir. A great hall with showers, a fantastic kitchen and a pub 300m away. It also brought a new area with new rivers and sea trips, but more later. After some ins and outs the group ended up as 12 people, with a mix of river and sea participants. A game of paper-scissors-stone on Saturday morning gave Misha a sea day followed by a river day, whereas Graham had a river day then a sea day. Rain overnight had meant that a debate of West Water (Grade 3 / 4) or South Esk (Grade 2/3). The group (Graham, Derek, Gianni, Marcus and Sam) stopped for a look as we crossed the South Esk and it looked big and brown and seemed a good choice. The gauge when we got a phone...
Read More

Star tests no more. Welcome to the personal performance awards.

By Sandy Johnston Comment Closed
January 2019 sees the introduction of the personal performance awards. These awards are discipline specific and place the paddler firmly at the centre of the process allowing paddlers to gain recognition and development in the craft and environment that they choose. The awards are concerned with learning and improving underpinned by an ethos of 'supporting the paddler' so they should be a bit friendlier than the old star tests. Further information can be found at: https://www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/new-personal-performance-awards/#home There are 3 paddle awards, Paddle Start, Paddle Discover and Paddle Explore. These are for people who are new to paddling and provide progressive levels of attainment which will be achievable as they develop their skills and progress as paddlers. These lead on to the discipline specific pathway awards. There are three awards in each discipline which also provide a progression allowing paddlers to develop in the paddling discipline that they are interested in. However unlike the star tests (the old award system) the paddler can choose...
Read More

Instructor Training

By Sandy Johnston Comment Closed
Is anyone interested in becoming an Instructor in any of the following: kayak sea kayak canoe SUP This qualification allows you to instruct (normally beginners) in a very sheltered water environment.  It is discipline specific in that you only paddle the craft that you are happy in (you can do it in more than one craft if you wish) Further information can be found at https://www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/new-paddlesport-instructor/ If you are interested in this first step along the road to becoming a coach please contact me on sandy.johnston@sky.com or 07962 226280 or see me at the pool  or Pinkston sessions. Sandy  ...
Read More

Sound of Luing trip report 08.09.2018

By graham Comment Closed
Rab, Leigh, Sandy, Hannah, Pat This trip was carefully named to reflect the difficulty of predicating where you might end up depending on the tides and wind conditions in this area. We had hoped for Garvellachs but it became apparent as the week progressed that we would get there but couldn’t be sure whether we would get off the island anytime soon. We settled for Belnahua, an island at the north end of the Sound of Luing where we would camp and set off early the next day to escape the worst of the weather. We launched from near Craignish point, west of Ardfern. It was F2 and we were slow to make progress across Dorus Mor against a 2 mph tidal stream to Dearg Sgeir which lay 1 ½ km off shore. We then headed for Scarba with the Corryvreckan opening up to the west. As we got closer, we could hear the roar of the body of water passing through...
Read More

The DCKC Awesome Sea Paddling Week 2018

By Bev Ouzman Comment Closed
What can we say? It was AWESOME. It was so awesome that this report can only really give you a flavour. Next time – be there! We went to Shetland. Only a few days earlier, with the weather forecast looking unfavourable with a large storm predicted followed two days later by another storm, a non-Shetland Plan C was in place. We delayed the final decision on where to go whilst the forecast twisted and changed, and changed again. As our departure date drew closer, the forecast became more certain and it became clear that the first storm would pass before we arrived, allowing two good paddling days before the next front swept in. Our awesome trip leaders, Misha and Graham, decided two good days in Shetland would be worth the journey. In fact, the DCKC awesome sea paddling week yielded seven days of Shetland paddling and it has taken me a good week to recover. We paddled the most northerly part of...
Read More

Open Canoe Autumn Sessions

By Sandy Johnston Comment Closed
A series of one day sessions designed for those who wish to progress in the art of open canoeing. We will be looking at development of technique both on open water and progressing onto easy rivers. The sessions will be tailored to provide a progression for those taking part and will be coached. Above all though I'm looking to enjoy some paddling in different locations and conditions through the Autumn. Hope you can join me................... Sandy Any questions, see me at Pinkston or at the pool sessions, or email on sandy.johnston@sky.com Sunday 23 September 2018 Saturday 13 October 2018 Sunday 28 October 2018 Sunday 11 November 2018 Sunday 25 November 2018 Sunday 9 December 2018...
Read More

News – British Canoeing launch new Personal Performance Awards

By Sandy Johnston Comment Closed
British Canoeing have announced details of the awards that will replace the star tests. http://canoescotland.org/news/british-canoeing-announces-new-personal-performance-awards The Personal Performance Awards are designed for paddlers wanting to gain recognition of their learning and development, in the craft and environment they choose. The process of completing the awards is based on learning and, as such, the ethos of ‘supporting the paddler’ is the main focus of all the awards, encouraging individuals in their personal development. The new Personal Performance Awards include: Paddle Awards: Three introductory awards – Start, Discover, Explore – that are designed for those new to paddlesport Discipline Specific Awards: 12 pathways comprising three awards which enables paddlers to choose the environment, craft and paddle sport discipline that is right for them. We will be providing the opportunity to gain these new awards from January 2019....
Read More

Foundation Safety and Rescue Course 05/08/2018

By Sandy Johnston Comment Closed
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 a kayak, a canoe or a sea kayak. By the end of the course you will be a safer paddler as you will have the skill to be able to rescue others in a wide variety of situations and you will be able to empty a variety of boats in a safe and easy way. Topics covered on this course include: Safety and rescue protocols. Equipment – what to carry. Simple reaching rescues. Simple throwing rescues. Swimmer tows and rescues. Tows and towlines. Safe boat emptying for kayaks, canoes and sea kayaks. Returning swimmers to boats. Dealing with...
Read More

SCA Tour 29/07/2018

By Sandy Johnston Comment Closed
Sandy Johnston is running an SCA Tour on 29/07/2018 entitled Loch Lomond Canoe and SUP. If anyone is interested in either craft and fancies a day out on the Loch contact Sandy on sandy.johnston@sky.com We can arrange the use of club canoes however you will need your own SUP if that is your preference. Sandy...
Read More

Glenuig Weekend May 2018

By Pat Smith Comment Closed
Keywords: settee, swim, perfect calm, view of Small Isles, 'someone's taken my kayak', otter, 'how much for a go in your canoe Mister' Who was there: Janice, Anne, Bev, Marcus, Alan, Pat Special guests: Morven who brought her parents Jo and Michael, and Liz (sister of Janice) Conditions each day Weather: perfect calm Sea state: perfect calm Views: fabulous over to Small Isles, Skye, Coll Friday night we were down at the settee on the shore watching one of several fabulous sunsets Saturday Loch Moidart 25km Put in Samalaman by Glenuig with carry out over sand. Paddled out round Smirisary to first stop at Silver Sands. Then on to lagoon formed by low tide at SW corner of Eilean Shona for lunch. Continued on through South Channel to explore Castle Tioram then through North Channel to arrive back at Samalaman. On the way, a few of us gals went swimming from Eilean Shona beach - it was Baltic but don't let that put you off. It was a lovely spot...
Read More

Ganavan Sands to Kerrerra

By Gerry oSullivan Comment Closed
This was an excellent day trip led by Rab. There were 11 of us in total. Myself, Rab, Danny, Grant, Janice, Anne, Pat, Bev, Jim, Marcus and Iain. We all planned to meet on Ganavan Sands for 10:00 am. Myself, Janice and Anne decided to hostel it on Friday evening. A great plan we thought, a good night’s sleep in Oban before our paddle. As they say, all the best laid plans... and all that jazz. (Note to self...Remember when staying in a hostel to bring ear plugs and eye mask). Lights and hair dryers being used in the same room as you are trying to sleep are not particularly welcome at 4:30 or 6:00 in the morning. However, we all survived and headed out of Oban to the put in point. It was a perfect morning. Sun shining and pan flat sea. Ganavan Sands was a perfect put in spot. Sandy beach and no rocks or slip on yer bahuckie...
Read More

Sea Kayak Leadership Training, aka 4 Star Training

By Bev Ouzman Comment Closed
Four of us (Alan, Bev, Colin and Danny) gathered at Tayvallich, more specifically The Tayvallich Inn, on the Friday night having duly parked vans or pitched tents, and nervously discussed weather forecasts and tides, in between sipping beer and eating excellent food – despite the lack of Beef Madras. Lori and Antje texted to say that they were heading straight to their luxury accommodation of a B&B and such was the quality of the internet connection that some of us received the text the following night and others on Sunday. An early night and off to bed, the campsite just a short walk through the rain on a cloudy night. Morning was dry, but overcast. Calum, our trainer for the weekend, arrived promptly at 9am just shortly after Lori and Antje had arrived, and we were straight into planning the trip for the day, and being quizzed on tides, forecasts, and options. A suitable plan was finally agreed upon and we...
Read More

Bothy Adventures

By Bev Ouzman Comment Closed
Saturday dawned grey, but dry. Arriving first (or so they thought) Bev and Geri set out to search Plockton for coffee, only to see a sea kayak being carried down to the beach. Closer inspection revealed Leigh under the kayak, girl-handling it over the seaweed like a pro. Take-away coffees in hand, the three of us set about the mammoth task of trying to fit all the kit and food and more kit into the kayaks. There was some re-packing and some re-jigging of which kit was actually going and which had been brought along just to be stored in the car. In the midst of this chaos, Misha and Andy (Misha's pal, who lives on Skye) paddled into the bay. Finally, all kit was duly stowed, hatch covers battered down and boats slid (slowly) over the last bit of seaweed into the water. Only an hour or so late... We paddled out into Loch Carron from Plockton, aiming to cross...
Read More