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Sunday 26th June - Dynamic Sea Kayaking Day - UPDATED
I will lead a dynamic water sea kayaking day on Sunday 26th June. Details on where and when we'll launch will be decided closer to the time based on the forecast, but I'm opening this up for sign ups now. Initially limited to 4 spaces, but more may be available if some experienced paddlers sign up.
The Plan
Meet at Mount Batten Slipway in Plymouth sound at 10.30am.
Paddlers
- Maggie
- Kwinten
- Owen
- Richard
Reserve:
- Jason
What is dynamic water sea kayaking?
- Surfing. Sea kayaks can pick up waves earlier than shorter boats or boards, so you can get some lovely clean runs as the waves build towards the shore. Playing in the breaking surf zone is also a fun challenge, especially in a 5m long boat.
- Tide races. Like surfing, but on a treadmill. You get continuous long runs on waves with lots of energy to push you forwards, but that don't dump like beach surf does. Tide races can get addictive!
- Down wind runs. Another variation on surfing. With some swell and some wind behind you, the sea forms waves that you can continuously surf downwind.
- Strong wind paddling. Not for everyone, but there can be something satisfying about fighting into a force 5 head wind. Type 2 fun perhaps. At the very least you'll probably get rewarded with a nice down wind run when you turn around!
- Rock hopping. With some underlying swell, the rocky areas between the coast and sea become a playground of gaps, gullies and other features. We always aim to pick spots to play with fun features, but minimal consequences.
Who is this for?
You! (If you want it.) You'll need some good paddling foundations, but the club can help you get there. This is for anyone who would like to try out or do more of this sort of paddling, whether it's new to you, or whether you're an experienced sea kayaker.
Before going out in these environments, it's important to have a good foundation of skills, both personal and safety. Everyone in the group needs to be able to help out to make sure the group can perform any rescues quickly and efficiently. Anyone coming on these paddles should therefore:
- Feel stable and comfortable in your kayak in 1m of swell, a few feet of surf, and up to force 4 winds.
- Be able to make progress into a force 5 head wind, or against 2 knots of tide.
- Have a reliable brace/recovery stroke that has been used for real a few times. (A roll isn't necessary, but this would be a good point to start working towards one, or turning your flat water roll into a rough water roll).
- Be able to perform an efficient deep water rescue of a swimmer in moderate conditions.
- Be practiced in using a tow line and some tactics that we might use in a rescue situation, like contact tows and anchor tows.
There are plenty of opportunities within the club to work on these skills, such as the Explore Sea Kayaking course, and trips that run throughout the year. If you're not sure if you're at the right level, then get in touch (webmaster@exetercanoeclub.org.uk) and we can have a conversation, or get out for a paddle to see.
Comments
Yes please. It’s about time I pushed myself.
Hi, yes I’d like to come if there’s space.
Hi Jason, I'm afraid we're full at the moment with the replies above you, but I've put you on the reserve list if someone drops out. With only me available to lead, it's important to keep the group smaller in dynamic conditions, sorry.
Well, the conditions couldn't be more different from last month! With a f6/7 SW wind, we won't have to go very far to find conditions. Provisional plan is to meet at Kingswear at 10am. I'll keep an eye on the forecast and let you know if that changes though - it could be last minute call on Saturday, so keep an eye out.
Change of plan: Meet at Mount Batten Slipway in Plymouth sound at 10.30am. The wind forecast is strong, so it's tough to find somewhere that we can actually get out in some conditions, rather than just hide. I think Plymouth sound is going to give us our best chance. At Kingswear I think we'd mostly end up stuck in the estuary.
This will be the theme for the day...
Thanks for the update. If Jason still wants to go I am happy for him to take my place. I have been away all week and could do with the time to catch up.