Wings – Can They Make You Fly?
by John Willacy
A question that is often asked on the edge of the Performance Sea Kayaking world is – should I paddle wings? Closely followed by – so which wings should I buy?
Rudder Effectiveness During A Bongo Slide
Pull up a chair, it’s a long one… I was asked about the effectiveness of the rudder during/countering a bongo slide while riding the River Dee Bore: “Does the rudder have any effect to help escape the bongo?” Well, no, not really. Let me try to explain. The Rudder As the boat moves forward the …
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Islay Circumnavigation 2022
In July 2022 I paddled a single-day, 116 km lap of the isle of Islay, Scotland. Here’s the story: The Challenge I like doing these things, paddling laps of islands. It’s partly the test of making it around under your own steam, the physical and mental challenge, but I also like solving the tidal-puzzle, getting …
Wing Paddles
Wings The often discussed question in the sea kayaking world is whether a wing paddle improves performance. In a competition environment, there is no doubt that a wing paddle gives a performance advantage for the forward stroke over a flat paddle, and hence it is established in sprint, marathon, ocean ski racing and wild water …
Wales Circumnav – ‘Turning the Corner’
by Penelope Goodber A Circumnavigation of Wales in times of Covid Start: Llangedwyn Mill Bridge, N Powys 13th March 2019 End: The Anglesey Arms, Caernarfon, 18th March 2022 Inland section: Going south: Rivers Tanat, Vyrnwy, Severn, Gloucestershire Ship Canal, Severn Estuary, Going north: Montgomeryshire Canal, Ellesmere Canal, River Dee, Dee Estuary Outland section: The …
Rockpool Taran 16 versus Taran 18
by John Willacy The debate whether to choose the Rockpool Taran 16 or the Taran 18 rages at the moment. A decade ago I designed the Taran 18 and then the Taran 16, and of course I’ve been paddling Tarans ever since. This piece is not aimed to be a ‘which-Taran-should-I-buy’ guide. That decision is …
Fit for purpose – Isle of Wight Circumnav
by James Doherty I like the first push of the paddle, the tug as the land lets go. A lot of good things have started this way. This 3 hours distance challenge is a last training kick for a circumnavigation of the IOW during big springs in two weeks time. Snuggled up to Hurst spit …
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Anglesey Circumnav 2020 – Going Against the Grain
Different Boat, Different Direction. I like the whole Performance Sea Kayaking lark. You may have noticed. It encompasses such a wide range of paddling – Circumnavs, Crossings, Multi-Day Expeds, Challenge Paddles and so on. It doesn’t really matter what you do or how you do it – just stay safe and push your own limits. …
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Crank Shafts – Ins and Outs
This post is basically the text of an email reply to questions about paddling with crank-shafts. Take it or leave it as you see fit. Crank shafts were introduced into canoe slalom in the UK in the late 1980’s. Richard Fox (5 times K1 Slalom World Champion) was the main driving force behind them. They …