I've been lurking

[GGTBod]

Just thought i'd say hello, 2018 has been a year of reducing internet from my life and BCUK among many others was removed from my life, I had big things I had to deal with regarding health both physical and mental and the internet didn't help either, got rid of my smart phone and internet connection, holy crap folks it's like being in the 80's, half your friends just think you blocked them and hate them and the other half just think you have died and they didn't hear about it and get on with their lives

I recently bought myself a new smart phone after killing my old non smart phone when kayaking last week and i am slowly introducing browsing the internet into my life, i've even started posting on Instagram again and since i was lurking about here I thought i'd say hello, the only thing i never let slip was making videos for my Youtube but a lot of them were about my health battles mixed in with everything outdoorsy when i could get out the house, good thing is I am well on the mend now both physically and mentally.

 

[Mesquite]

Glad to see you're back on here GG and on the mend

 

[GGTBod]

Glad to see you're back on here GG and on the mend

Thanks mate, it's a long way to go but i am stronger than i have been in over a decade now and even starting to resembling the me of my mid 20's physically, forgot what that power felt like

 

[mousey]

Welcome back, I fondly remember your canoeing trip video trip reports. It's good to de-connect, I do it every weekend.

 

[John Fenna]

Welcome home!

 

[GGTBod]

Welcome home!

I'm not sure if it was ever home for me John but i did enjoy an occasional seat at the metaphorical fireside with good folks like yourself for a chinwag, I wanted it to be my home when I joined but i got the feeling i ruffled too many feathers here and there and by time i stopped posting I felt like an outsider completely, but that was also how i felt about 90% of the internet at the time, i just felt the pain more towards places i wanted to belong too i guess

 

[GGTBod]

Welcome back, I fondly remember your canoeing trip video trip reports. It's good to de-connect, I do it every weekend.

Thanks mate i still do all that stuff, it has been a keystone in helping me in so many ways from simple distraction to new hopes and dreams and aspirations for my life, I've spent best part of this year training for and getting my level 3 sea kayaking qualifications and just past in September gone there all official with British Canoeing Association so there are lots of new horizons for adventure as we break onto salt water too, i'm also learning to surf aged 43 hahahaha can't walk properly unaided but i can surf this is me catching my first wave, there is video too, feels amazing walking a wave, can't wait for spring and until then it is all 'pop-up' training.

 

[mousey]

Ho no dude the images don't work for me!

My eldest son has just started with the local kayak club - start in the swimming pool they've got a beginner class of 8 lessons then another set of 12 in the new year, after that [if you're still alive ] you are deemed sensible enough to go outside down the local rivers with the club.

A guy at work is a member and they do a couple of kayak / camping trips a year, sometimes NE [local] sometimes west coast. Mostly river but some coastal stuff to.

I'm hoping to do it next year cause at the moment I'm a cub leader on Thursdays, the day of the kayak lessons. Then the year after son no.2 ...

 

[GGTBod]

I could only link in from offsite i don't have uploading rights, lots of pictures of it here just scroll back a little

Joining clubs like that is a great way to get into it all especially if you don't have the kit yet, took my 7 year old niece out on the sea at Cullercoats and all she wants for xmas is kayak related i'm a bad influence according to the city cattle do nothing types in my family

 

[oldtimer]

You've been missed by people you don't even know! Stay healthy.

 

[GGTBod]

You've been missed by people you don't even know! Stay healthy.

Thanks mate i definitely lost my way for a while and needed to reground, i'm not sure how well adapted i am to the modern world anymore but i'm giving it another go

 

[Nice65]

Very true Oldtimer. Welcome back Mr Bod, hope all’s ok with you now.

 

[GGTBod]

Very true Oldtimer. Welcome back Mr Bod, hope all’s ok with you now.

Thanks for the welcome back mate, i definitely can't claim to be all well but i'm definitely back in the fight, getting a fair bit of paddle time this year and it's doing wonders for my underlying back issues, really good for the soul too getting out on the ocean in all kind of crazy conditions like kayak surfing in the north sea in 1-2 meter waves and 10c temps

 

[GGTBod]

Ho no dude the images don't work for me!

i'm hoping i've just fixed the pictures issue

 

[GGTBod]

Just checking if this works, i'm out of touch a bit

Was an unusual feeling to notice i surf like an Egyptian

 

[Stew]

You need a SUP - you can surf them and go on trips on them.

 

[GGTBod]

You need a SUP - you can surf them and go on trips on them.

I'm way ahead of you Stew i already SUP, that is some serious inner core workout doing that and a lot of fun but after an hour i am seriously missing my kayak seat, i do a lot of kayak surfing these days and every now and again an afternoon on the SUP if the surf is not worthy

 

[bopdude]

Pleased to see you back on the forum, I have been keeping tabs via some of your vids, well done to you and doff the cap, you have been and are going though the mill but coming out the other side nicely, easy does it

 

[GGTBod]

Pleased to see you back on the forum, I have been keeping tabs via some of your vids, well done to you and doff the cap, you have been and are going though the mill but coming out the other side nicely, easy does it

Aye mate adapting to living in the mill

 

[Stew]

I'm way ahead of you Stew i already SUP, that is some serious inner core workout doing that and a lot of fun but after an hour i am seriously missing my kayak seat, i do a lot of kayak surfing these days and every now and again an afternoon on the SUP if the surf is not worthy

Good stuff! Get get some sneaky surfs on poor waves that a surfboard won't cope with too.

What board have you got?