First of many Kayaking adventures

[Dave]

Its important to practise your rescue techniques before you go out alone.

I found it difficult to recover the NC prospector using the method RancidBadger posted, by Kim Bull. The capistrano flip. If you have slightly smaller airbags, than he's using, and a slightly bigger canoe, then it becomes a lot more difficult than it appears in that vid. I have Rok Wedges in mine, and it doesnt sit anywhere near as high in the water as his does in the video.

I've not had to try it with barrels and packs strapped in though. Hopefully it'd be a lot easier then as the theory goes that the packs displace the water. Although it'd be heavier to flip

I always carry a strong dry bag, in my PFD, [an alpkit airlok xtra] so if i go in, and I cant right it, using the Kim Bull video method, I know I can recover it using this method:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVXZFwHvfCE

Important thing is, have a plan!

 

[Grooveski]

Does make a huge difference. You have to watch you don't flip a Pack too far and end up with it upside down again. :yelrotflm
The SP3 was a beast that was all about technique, once it was upright though it was a doddle to get in to.

Best I've tried was Doc's Bob Special. Light enough to flip and stable enough to slip into. Quite low gunnals too. Was so easy I done it again just to make sure it really was that easy.
Charles River's are pretty good too. More technique needed to empty it but for clambering into the tumblehome helps quite a lot.

Can't beat inflatables though.

 

[GGTBod]

Thanks again everybody the advice and words of wisdom and experience are greatly appreciated, sadly i've still heard nothing back from Kim, i'd literally pay up and meet him tomorrow for a full days personal tuition if he'd respond to my email.

Chomping at the bit here for real experience and some first hand education from professionals.

Thankfully my inflatables are very easy to get back into, also very easy to get it right way up if it's upside down on the water, this was one of the very first things i practiced as i wanted to make sure i could do it with ease and double make sure i did not lose my heavy duty vinyl dry bag and kit if and when it happens.

 

[rancid badger]

Thanks again everybody the advice and words of wisdom and experience are greatly appreciated, sadly i've still heard nothing back from Kim, i'd literally pay up and meet him tomorrow for a full days personal tuition if he'd respond to my email.

Chomping at the bit here for real experience and some first hand education from professionals.

Thankfully my inflatables are very easy to get back into, also very easy to get it right way up if it's upside down on the water, this was one of the very first things i practiced as i wanted to make sure i could do it with ease and double make sure i did not lose my heavy duty vinyl dry bag and kit if and when it happens.

His mobile number is on his website but I'll PM it to you.
He mentions that he's often away working in areas with no signal so just leave a message and he should get back to you as soon as he can.

You'll need to look at a full weekends course, rather than a day mind you.

cheers

Steve

 

[GGTBod]

I didn't know he offered that service all it says in the personal tuition was a dat at £180, from what everyone says about him i am sure after doing one day ill do another at some point, thanks RB

 

[GGTBod]

i see them now under the bcu training section

message sent to his mobile

 

[GGTBod]

I just heard back from Kim this morning he is currently up in Shetland sea kayaking, i figured someone with his kayaking passions would be going out of their mind right now as where he lives the River Tyne is 9cm deep, the area i paddle in is down to 43cm which is bad enough..

Tuition will be arranged

 

[rancid badger]

Did Kim ever get back to you about coaching?

Steve

 

[GGTBod]

Never did mate, i followed up with several messages to get details and prices after getting a single reply to my first message, there was two of us will to spend plenty cash and i just stopped messaging after i got no replies to my last 3 emails, since then i have added well over 200hrs to my paddling skills so i spent my money elsewhere instead, currently arranging the little details to do some Scottish sea kayakaing on the west coast up past Oban, solo as always

 

[rancid badger]

I'm a bit surprised to be honest, he didn't seem to be short of work but I'd have thought he might at least have followed up your inquiries.

Ah well, never mind.

keep a howld!

Steve

 

[GGTBod]

One of those things i guess, i had forgotten all about hounding Kim for training until i seen you post in my old thread.

The sea kayaking i plan to go on will follow some one on one training from the place i am hiring the craft, i am new to the ocean in a kayak and want to be heading in the right direction

 

[SCOMAN]

After recent events in the north east may I draw your attention to this

https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/kayaking-and-canoeing

be able to raise the alarm, dress appropriately, consider the weather - if you think it's marginal it's too bad to go out, tell people where you're going with an eta, be conspicuous - dark colours do not aid a search, have retro-reflective tape, front back sides and blades.

 

[GGTBod]

Very wise words, i personally take my safety very seriously cos i really like living at the end of doing stuff, i'm continually learning and always will be. The tuition i'll be doing regarding the hire of the sea kayak is the kind where if you don't pass they won't hire you the kayak, i just got the email back from them last night about arranging dates, i don't care how many hours i've done on fresh water in different boats i have zero sea experience and it is a gap in the safety that needs addressed before i can have sea adventures in kayaks, i put it down to age hahaha if i had gotten properly into wanting to do this type of stuff in the youth i'd be as cold and stiff and as dead as Chistopher Mccandless in nature someone feeding the critters with me bits n bobs, definitely safety very important to me

Edit:- seriously good amount of info on that link Scoman, still reading links on links, off doon the rabbit hole

 

[SCOMAN]

The tuition i'll be doing regarding the hire of the sea kayak is the kind where if you don't pass they won't hire you the kayak,

That's a good idea, I like that

 

[boatman]

What level of sea kayaking is being considered? Long exposures on the open sea where navigation is as important as kayaking technigue or relatively short trips, island to island, beach to beach? In the latter case I can't see why your freshwater experience should not be adequate without tuition.

 

[SCOMAN]

I don't have any kayak exp but have small fast boat driving exp at sea. I have then been trained to operate small fast boats in open and flowing waters. Very different experience very different skills.

Large numbers of people with increasing regularity are getting themselves into trouble in sea kayaks. I love the idea and really appreciate why people do it. However I fail to understand why so many fail to take basic precautions, undertake supervised training or heed local advice. No one wants to stop anyone doing it they just want you to be as well at the end as you are at the start. The RNLI page has some good information, they have safety packs available. I like the idea of the place GGTBod mentioned where you have to prove yr skills. Be safe RESPECT THE WATER.

 

[GGTBod]

This is the place i will be taking a course with and then hiring one of their touring sea kayaks for 7-10 days to explore and wild camp, all depending how much i can offord

 

[rancid badger]

Looks good but just looking at the course list gives an idea of how very different sea kayaking is from open canoeing or freshwater kayak touring.

You're definitely going about this the right way, sea kayaking is a completely different and deadly serious ball game.

Good luck with it.

Steve

 

[boatman]

Crossing the road is a deadly serious game but any less so than sea kayaking? Stay within your own limits and kayaking at sea is pure, safe, fun. Fishing adds a hunting element which is less fun for the fish but more for you. Can anyone show actual figures for the increase of incidents and their type where aid has been given at sea. I see the claims but not the figure. I wonder if it is much the same as the fudged figures they used to produce to show how dangerous open water swimming was, when it wasn't that much.

 

[SCOMAN]

I'm unable to show actual figures, and don't operate in a world of fudged figures, but here's a selection of headlines from 2017 and 2016 to illustrate the scale. This is a 5 min google search so it's not exhaustive, three of the ones I'm aware off are not listed. The final one is a report from 2015 showing an increase to that point. Worrying whether the figures are fudged is irrelevant when you are in the water hoping a rescuer will see you as you demonstrate the same presence as a small football in a confused sea when a wind speed of only 4-6 knots (a light breeze) can raise enough waves to obscure you part of the time.

Be able to raise the alarm, dress appropriately, consider the weather - if you think it's marginal it's already too bad to go out, tell people where you're going with an eta, be conspicuous - dark colours do not aid a searcher, have retro-reflective tape, top front back sides and blades. Enjoy yourself!

http://uckfieldnews.com/body-found-during-search-for-missing-kayaker/

http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/man-rescued-clinging-kayak-co-12390691

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ive-kayakers-got-difficulty-coast-Dorset.html

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co....-off-torquay/story-29532635-detail/story.html

http://www.yorkshirecoastradio.com/news/local-news/2130234/kayakers-rescued-off-yorkshire-coast/

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/harwich_lifeboat_launched_to_rescue_person_from_upturned_kayak_1_4566069

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/kaya...-too-far-out/story-29596198-detail/story.html

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/two-teenage-kayakers-rescued-river-11692471

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-37400349

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/huge-rescue-operation-launched-find-8486606

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-College-rescued-going-kayaking-Anglesea.html

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/see-dramatic-rnli-rescue-after-11753135

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dramatic-footage-shows-moment-kayaker-11694489

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-33616302

This is a real concern for me so I'll leave it there and let others discuss it. I want everyone to enjoy the outdoors and to do so safely. Give yourself a chance and if it goes wrong because life's like that ensure that you're clothed and equipped appropriately with communications and signalling equipment to give your rescuers an improved chance of finding you.