Well I'm heading into a period of quiet as Cath and I await the birth of our wee baby, so I don't expect to be on the water anytime soon. hopefully January...

However had a great paddle recently on the Roe with the BAC group we have been working with. despite a few boats going astray in the dog's leap, mention no names, it was great craic all round and I think mucho learning was acquired..

Welly well well. It has been a week of down pours and little opportunity to get out on that water...how frustrating. My 'new' kayak is lying in pieces in the shed due to lack of an obscure piece of closed cell foam that pyranha don't seem to want to help with...plus...I've been really busy. BUT the water was massive tonight and had a lovely whirl down the rapids...rather 3 big standing waves at Shaw's Bridge...in an open canoe no less with Chris and Enda. Nice staaars!

This was mise slaloming at the weekend. note the nervous posture!

kayaknews

Sunday past as few of us entered the Canoe Assoc of NI Slalom Race event at Shaw's Bridge.....

Samtha and myself ended up in boats with race bibs on, not sure what was going on! After an early registration [for a Sunday] we tried the course a few times and then lined up for our time trials.

I've never paddled competitively so am unused to the idea of rushing in a boat, never mind fitting body, boat and paddle between two narrow 'gates'! All was revealed when the professionals kicked off and made it look dead easy, just pop the head through while boat and boday are already heading towards the next gate...never managed to figure out how they got the paddle through so effortlessly.

Anyroad my first time was 170 sec with 3 gates touched [more like the wind moved them as I dashed past..] which computed to 176sec. i haven't got my second time of any photos back yet but await with baited breath...

kayaknews

Taught a kayak session in the dark at Shaw's Bridge on Monday night. Was very different experience, getting on the water in the dark. Extra safety issues etc. The temperature had dropped significantly since our last session two weeks ago, and with the clocks going back as well....Our generator and lighting on the jettee ran out of petrol after 15 mins but we powered on anyway, preparing for 1 and 2* assessment next week.

hi ti whoevver reads this. i've decided to start another blog after having lost the password to my last one and trying endless times to log back in again...I'm a bit of a greenhorn at this!

Anyroad, i'll stick with this page and when I get some nice photos i'll stick them up. Digital camera hopefully for Christmas should ease things along. but I'll use this to post our kayak adventures mostly...

Hi,

sorry i haven't posted recently, as those watching eagerly. I've been up to life's other matters. mostly running kayak lessons and working. Will get a page up soon...
L
my2006

PS my new boat...