Blog

The perfect way to experience a relaxing adventure away is with a canoe and camping trip, and there are some truly spectacular places to paddle and camp here in the UK.

Embarking on your trip takes lots of planning and preparation, and it is important to know exactly where you are going and how long it is going to take to get to your destination. It involves lots of research, packing and conversations with your fellow paddlers to ensure you are fully prepared with all the correct equipment for your canoe-camping trip, this really is crucial. There is nothing more frustrating than reaching your destination after a long day paddling only to realise you have forgotten something essential.

While travelling by canoe rather than foot means yo

No matter how confident a paddler you are, the water will always be unpredictable as conditions can change unexpectedly, so learning how to self-rescue to be as safe as possible out on the water is crucial.

Learning to kayak roll is a necessity if you wish to explore all types of water, not just whitewater, as you could tip over at any time and to be able to correct yourself safely is lifesaving, especially if you are far out, away from the shoreline in deep rough waters.

Rolling isn’t as difficult as you may think and learning should be fun as you’ll feel a sense of achievement when you can roll with ease. It doesn’t require any unusual strength, all you need is a good technique!

Where to start:

I

We are extremely excited to announce that we are now the only dealer in the south to stock the Tiderace kayaks with the Xceed being the newest addition to our store.

Tiderace is celebrating its 10th anniversary and this year they're bringing more innovation and progress to the sport of sea kayaking. 

Tiderace sea kayaks are known for having the best construction technology, made with strong, durable and yet lightweight materials including carbon fibre, fibreglass and kevlar. They offer easy repair features as well as advanced deck and hull joins which consist of a quadruple laye

Inflatable technology has come along way over recent years and while some people only relate inflatable to kids pool toys, recreational companies have managed to harness the same construction used primarily by military and commercial operations to build durable, professional and high-quality kayaks and canoes.

So are inflatable kayaks actually any good? Our answer is yes! They’re robust, hardwearing and stable while also being lightweight and portable which makes them easier to manage than hardshell kayaks. There are many pros to buying an inflatable:

• If storage is a problem, then these inflatable kayaks deflate, fold down and nicely fit into a bag that can simply be kept in a cupboard in your house. 

Buoyancy aids for canoeing and kayaking are an essential piece of kit and for safety, you should always make sure that you, and any companion, are wearing one wherever you are paddling. It still amazes us how often we see paddlers not wearing a buoyancy aid, especially young children, and so we wanted to share with you the reasons why it is so important to wear one.

What’s the difference between a buoyancy aid and life jacket?

Firstly, you need to understand the difference between a buoyancy aid (BA) and a life jacket; a BA is designed to assist with your flotation if you capsize whilst still giving you freedom of movement for paddling and swimming, whereas a life jacket is designed to turn the wearer face up and to keep a person afl

Kayaking or canoeing are ideal ways to get the whole family outdoors, enjoying the fresh air whilst having fun at the same time. There are many benefits for the family too; it’s a healthy and fun way to exercise, it’s a real bonding experience, and it allows your family to disconnect from all modern technology.

Here are our tips to make sure you are properly prepared for your adventure:

Make sure you choose the right boat:

The style of boat for the type of paddling you want to do and the correct boat size are both important factors to consider when choosing your boat.  

A kayak that is suitable for the whole family is the sit on top kayak.

Wherever you go kayaking, it is always important to make sure you are wearing the appropriate clothing, remember, dress for the water, not the weather. So we are taking a look this week at what this summer’s clothing range has to offer:

Cags

Cags add a protective layer between you and the elements to help keep you dry, trap heat and reduce chill helping you to feel more comfortable out on the water. Even if it’s a beautifully hot sunny day, the water will still feel cold if you fall in so it is important that you are dressed appropriately for this occurrence.

A

To ensure you have the best possible paddling experience, it is important to have the best equipment with you. So, this week we are sharing with you the kayaking equipment that we are recommending this summer.

Spraydeck

Spraydecks are used to prevent water getting into the cockpit of your kayak. The spraydeck that is designed with neoprene first-timers in mind is the Palm Sport Neoprene Deck.

This sport deck is constructed to the highest standard using high-quality materials and it has been designed to stretch over a wide range of cockpits so that you can get the best fit possible for your boat and best fit for you.

This week, we are taking a look at this season’s hottest kayaks and canoes that we recommend for all of your paddling adventures.

Sit on Top

The Sit on Tops we’re loving this season are Islander’s Calypso and Paradise 2 and Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100, 120 and 130 tandem:

The Islander kayaks are all round kayaks making them ideal for lake

We are very lucky here in the UK with the large variety of rivers, lakes, canals and coastlines available to us for all our canoeing and kayaking adventures, ranging from the calm and relaxing placid waters through to the more challenging whitewater descents. Like everything though, there are always restrictions and access issues that you must know and understand as here in the UK, we don’t have automatic access to inland waters.

Where can you go paddling and what are the restrictions?

Lakes

Lakes and reservoirs offer a great kayaking experience and is often the closest place for paddlers. The calm waters make them an ideal environment for new paddlers to learn and play. It is important to find out