ARKayaking

Winter Blues

2012-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

So far not a good winter! Head full of snot, followed by sinus infection, followed by another cold as a result of being around unhealthy people. Visiting hospitals can really be bad for your health!

Now the head is clear I might even get out and paddle - especially now the rivers are back down into the relms of being padlled by us mortals. Any Smurfs ready to get wet?

Turned out nice again!

2011-10-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

The weather has been outstanding! While looking at the home page on thewebsite I realised that the video of the Smurfs heading off to Jackfield wasshot on 2^nd October 2010, how different the weather is a year on. Weheaded down the Severn prepared for a coldsession and were quite happy not to be freezing. Yesterday I went to Burton onTrent for a FSRT provider’s course and wearing a drysuit became more an act ofendurance that the necessity it had been last October. I could have got awaywith sharing intimate contact with the water, but there’s probably a very goodreason that the water of the Trentbecame famous for being turned into beer and not taken for its healingproperties.

Hence today has become a rest day, much needed after spending Friday night listeningto the traffic on the A38. Why do hotel chains put their buildings on industrialestates? Certainly isn’t for the benefit of their guests. Rest day means thecourse calendar has finally been updated and I may even make a start on thestaff profiles. As for the shop prices, this may take a lot longer as I’m not yetsuffering from the sort of downward spiralling geekery that motivates me tospend hours producing PayPal button scripts. Just the thought of it is a curefor insomnia, so if you’re after a bargin checkout the shop. The prices arelisted still haven’t had the VAT updated on many items.

I know we’re still not as cheap as some of the outdoor superstores, butthere is still a degree of ethics in our lines. We do source from UK companies(even if they choose to get the stuff made up aboard – their choice not ours)and paying a little more to the manufacturer helps pay for continuing researchand development. Something that is being eroded by the big stores buying inbulk, the amount they buy means they could be stocked for up to two years andthe price they pay means less funding is available for R&D. This why boatdesign may not be changing a fast as it was ten years ago and why designs haveceased being radical. So next time you see a cheap piece of kit at a large superstorejust off the motorway – just think about what you’re buying into. As for ebay –don’t even get me started on that one!

Anyway, back to the weather. The dry spell may have seen some rivers at anall time low, but it has meant no summer floods for the first time in years anda summer season without any courses being rescheduled and no dodging day boatson the canal. It has also meant more clients out on the water and hopefullymore people deciding to take up paddling as a sport.

As the long days of summer drop into the dark depths of winter the riverswill once more fill and begin to flow. When this happens expect to see us outon the water and hopefully you will feel inspired to join us!

Busy time out on the water!

2011-08-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

When the school holidays started, activity certainly cranked up! The usual diet of BCU Star Awards were supplemented by some unusual family days on the water. Firstly congratulations to Greg and Patrick on passing their three star award. Not only did they have a rewarding day at Llangollen, but I think they may also have joined the darkside - short boats, steep waves and fast moves.

One of the family days had Ray and his family join us to celebrate his 60th birthday. This saw us taking out a mixed fleet of open canoes, kayaks with much laughter as we guided the group of 9 around Ironbridge. Such a large group of novices was a new experience for us and I'm glad we were able to make Ray's day such a success.

Another first was taking Jamie, Jed, Zak and their parents down Jackfield. Nothing new there, except I think the 8 year may now hold the record for the youngest person to paddle down Jackfield under his own steam. We've certainly never taken such a young paddler down the rapid and I don't know of any other 8 year olds who've paddled a kayak on their own down there. Please let me know if you know otherwise! From a safety point, paddling young children down simple white water works if there are enough competent staff to guide them and the child feels safe and confident. All three were in place for our trip.

This summer has also seen us take the decision not to renew our AALA Licence. This is because AALS will be wound up next year as part of government savings. To renew I would still have to pay for a full 3 year licence with no refund for the time after abolition.

"There is a fee of £715 to be paid when you submit your application – unless the fee is sent with your application, it will not be processed. You should note that the licence fee covers some of the costs of processing your application, carrying out the inspection and preparing the report that must take place before a licence is issued. It is the stated intent of Her Majesty’s Government that the adventure activities licensing regime will end at some point, and it is anticipated that licensing will remain at least until autumn 2012. You should be aware that in line with HM Treasury rules, there will be no refund of any fees paid in respect of any unexpired duration of your licence at the time the regime ends You are reminded that you must have a valid licence at any time you are providing in scope activities – it is an offence to provide activities without one ."
http://www.hse.gov.uk/aala/apply-for-a-licence.htm

The only difference not having a licence will make is that under 18s will have to be accompanied by a responsible adult - something we have always encouraged and a situation that happens for the majority of sessions as parents usually want to paddle with their children. The lack of licence will not affect any aspect of our work as we already adopt safety standards from the BCU and the local educations authorities with whom we have close contact. Many of the standards we work to are in excess of those laid down by AALA and our staff are far more qualified and experienced than many of the centres and companies operating locally. To reiterate this point I’m going to be adding staff profiles and some detail about us to the website. I hope this will showcase the high standards we work to and help make the point that some of the cheaper activity providers do not always offer the same high standards of service.

Open boating!

2011-07-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

After years of trying to avoid getting in open canoes, I've finally wasted a weekend getting to know them and passed my 3 star for canoe. As a confirmed kayaker I've always held the view that such boats are for beardie weirdies - well if you can't beat them.....

Despite getting some criticism of my stroke work, I did get a compliment for running ballsy lines, well no change there then! So if anyone fancies a play this week, I'll reach deep in the shed and dust off the Kaos. I may also have a shave.

Happy paddling - what ever your craft!

Blog at last!

2011-07-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

With a busy summer, writing the blog has been at the bottom of the priority list! Loads of time on the water has resulted in many happy customers getting the training they need and those much deserved certificates!

Since last time of writing, I've also had a visit from the karma police and a much heralded swim in the Tryweryn. The water spirits get us all eventually! Just nature's way of reminding us who is in charge out there. Talking of nature, the river levels have been up and down this last month, although luckily not enough to cancel sessions, but a two star course nearly had to look for a new venue.

The big news since the last blog has been we nearly acquired some premises in Ironbridge, I say nearly because we have been badly let down by the freeholders who were going to lease the site to us. After all the hard work put in by ourselves, the support staff at Natwest bank and our accountant this has been quite a deflating experience. One thing I have learnt from the experience is that rich people really are bone idle and I don't like estate agents.

So here's to a summer on the water and see you all out there paddling what ever floats!

Getting ready for another busy Bank Holiday

2011-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Friday night at AR Kayaking!

What no blog?

2011-05-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, I know it's been a long time since the last AR Kayaking entry, but we've been kind of busy out on the water. The good weather saw an influx of paddling customers over Easter for both kayaking and paddle boarding; plus we had to take some time out to enjoy a paddle ourselves.

The weather may have been warm but it's played havoc with water levels and a trip down Jackfield was slowly becoming a lesson in rock slalom. Hopefully a bit of rain might be now falling in the right place just to top things up a little. Only problem could be a repeat of the summers of 2007 and 2008; this was when we were just starting out and we don't want that much water falling from the sky again - as a company we nearly had to call it a day before we'd started.

The only problem now is after a warm spell is that returning to thermals, fleece, dry tops and pants; feels horrible! So that takes me to yesterday's trip down the Tryweryn. Yes it was back into the winter gear, okay we didn't need to dress like the Michelin man, but neither was it a rashie and shorts weather.

The trip posed the question -what do you call a wet smurf? Anything you like - cos he can't hear you when he's swimming. Yes folks - team Smurf was unleashed on the Tryweryn and a few swims were endured by some of our members and more more swims by some than others! I was meant to be having a quiet relaxing paddle, but I ended up chasing more boats than on one of our client based whitewater trips. To protect the guilty I'm not going to name the swimmers, but some of us may enjoy some gloating until it's our turn!

The difference was that yesterday's trip was mates in boats, the sort of trip that allows people to take a few risks, try a few new lines and generally push themselves beyond the safe containment of an organised course. That's why I often recommend that following a training course people go off and do some paddling with either like minded people or good club. Courses will outline the skills you need to attain certain level of competence, assessment will even provide evidence of skill, but it is time spent out there getting to grips with the water that counts and changes you from someone who paddles into a paddler.

That's why I'm a real fan of playboating and slalom. Both disciplines will help you build a set of skills that could one day save you from a cold swim. It's never too late to buy a ridiculously small boat and spend many an afternoon on your favourite wave or to start along the path of disciplined learning that will take you faster around the poles. Both disciplines are guaranteed to train your mind and body to achieve a Zen like relationship with the water you paddle.

Before I go on for too long the message is simple - get out there and take the swims! They are all part of the learning curve. Well done to Simon, Stiffy and Tothy (The Smurfs) for taking the plunge on the path to enlightenment that is the Tryweryn.

Water is the best of all things.

PINDAR (C. 522-C. 438 B.C.), Olympian Odes

Spring at last!

2011-04-13T05:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Matt, Max and Jack on passing their BCU Two Star Award. Well done guys, not only did you complete the award, but had a good clean run down Jackfield Rapid! Enjoy your trip down the Wye and I hope you get to use all your new skills.

A first for AR Kayaking was our first all ladies group last Saturday - and what a course it was. I don't think so much fun has ever been had on the River Severn. A big thank you to Jackie, Amanda, Jane and Chris; for making a morning in canoes and kayaks so enjoyable. I hope the pictures appear on the web!

Now we're well into BST the Thursday Night Sessions will be starting on 28th April. There has already been a lot of interest shown this year and we may have to run a booking system this year, so get any requests for favourite boats in early!

See you on the water.

Busy old month!

2011-03-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

With Welsh river levels on the rise Paddlemaster and the Smurfs headed off to the Banwy to get in what was to become a late season paddle. The Banwy is one of those strange rivers that needs loads of rain to make it do-able. Once the spring arrives it becomes a stone beach full of nettles, so this may have been the last chance to get down it before the end of winter.

When we got to the river, the water level was already dropping and the sun poking out from behind the clouds. Although the trip was a bit of a scrape - Team Smurf acquitted themselves well with no major dunkings or swims. The video isn't our most exciting, but it does how beautiful the Banwy can be and how powerful the floods were this winter. Just take a look at the trees that have washed down and remember to respect the river, for even the mildest stream can become a raging giant.

Around this time a young man called Chris booked in for some coaching towards a Two Star assessment, after some intensive training I can congratulate him on passing his assessment.

March has also seen the return of weekly paddle sessions, until the clocks change these are going ahead on Saturday mornings. Once we're back to BST, regular Thursday night service will be resumed.This week saw the signs of spring on the Severn and an eager team of old and new paddlers heading upstream to the Buildwas play pot. This might not be a full on rapid, but it certainly gives newcomers a taste for playing the river.

Talking of playing, we've had a new addition to the AR Kayaking fleet - a little red Bigdog Kaos! At only 6'2" this boat fits nicely in the back of the car, giving plenty of opportunity to sneak a play session after work. So if you see someone on the Severn paddling what looks like a plastic bucket, it could be me!

Cold Sunday morning on the Severn

2011-02-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

The idea was a trip down the Severn and a couple of runs at Jackfield. The reality was a cold damp morning with water levels holding up and flattening most features. So not much to play on, but Cliff got the experience of running boils and 'funny' water - a type of paddling that requires more power than skills.

I just hope spring isn't far away as this chilly grey weather is no use to anyone. Even snow and ice is useful - closes schools and makes the hills exciting!

Very cold day paddling on the Dee

2011-01-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

Very cold day paddling on the Dee at Llangollen with Phil and Cliff. They’ve been begging to go out for weeks, but river levels have not been kind. Today it was the air temperature that wasn’t kind - 0˚C when we arrived and it just about made 2˚C when we left at lunch time.
Just to prove the point I took the above photograph showing puddles on the car park that are actually pools of ice. It also looks like Phil and Cliff have also turned blue with cold – or they’re auditioning for the Smurfs! This blog site won’t allow me to upload the picture, if you really want to see it - have a look at my pictures on Playak.

There was a really impressive display of icicles along the river banks. This didn’t fill me with great joy when I took a swim – something that made Phil’s day as he always complains I never get wet. Anyway, I’m going to blame the manufacturers of my gear for this one. Boat designers have increased deck heights for some obscure reason, while buoyancy aid designers stuff more and more foam into the front of their vests; then add pockets. The result is that trying to roll is a nightmare! When upside down in freezing cold water adjusting my roll to account for modern fashion is the last thing on my mind, come on guys – make something that works rather than a fashion statement.

Otherwise a great day paddling – for our next white water trip we are going to wait until temperatures raise above freezing.

Double peaked depression

2011-01-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

During the recent recession we've heard a lot about double dips. Today Afon Banwy produced a second peak on the Environment Agency gauge. Usually the Banwy peaks under heavy rain and then is good to paddle a couple of days later, this time it peaked again today. A quick text to Chris (an instructor who lives in the area) for her opinion gave me all the info I needed to cancel the trip.

'The Vyrnwy is coming out. The Banwy brown and ugly. I'd give it a miss.'
This was followed by a flood alert being issued for the road at the get out. That was it, trip cancelled - time to ring the crew and fetch the boat off the car. It was almost fate, both Phil and I had the same idea - load up in daylight for a quick get away in the morning. Just the sort of action that angers the river gods into sending a flood to keep you grounded.

Paddling a flood or not paddling is a difficult decision. I've paddled floods, I've got scary pictures of Chris and I running the Vyrnwy and struggling to get under low bridges. With Bill, I ran through Shrewsbury during the big flood of 2000. Guiding others is different, yes they want it exciting; but you don't want to scare someone so much that they don't want to paddle again or lose expensive equipment during a long swim. I know how it feels - I've paid into both accounts.

So here's to next weekend! Hopefully a dry spell in the week should calm things down a little and then back out to play. Lets face it, paddling is all about playing. If it becomes anything else, when the stakes become bigger than a knocked ego - you should ask yourself seriously why you're out there and will you being there have any impact on the history of kayaking? If you find yourself unable to answer - go home and get a life that matters.

River Levels

2011-01-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Keeping a close watch on the EA gauges. Hope to run the Banwy on Sunday - the cold weather has kept us off the river and all the regulars are itching to get back in their boats. With a little bit of the luck the levels will stay up, but not turn into a biblical flood.

News on my health front is also good! Eight years ago I was diagnosed with scar tissue in my lungs, after a change of GP and a hospital referral to get things sorted out it appears someone hadn't put his glasses on to view the x-ray. The doc was looking at a healthy blood vessel! Thank God for thorough Asian doctors who don't just issue steroids like smarties.

Pool sessions

2011-01-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Pool sessions start Monday. Learn to paddle, learn to role or just come and practise in warm water.

Made a sale!

2010-12-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

Today we sold our first surfboard! Until now we've mainly sold clothing and equipment; but today we took an order for a 6"5' Retro board. Some very lucky guy is getting it as a Christmas present from his girlfriend!

I might be ill?

2010-11-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Saw the doctor last night; he thinks I’ve got a viral infection of the respiratory bronchiole.He wanted to give me a week off work, but I don’t feel ill – just get out of breath when trying to walk or bike up hill – but what’s new.

Real downer is that the weather's good I've got so much to do in the hills and on the water; and I'm being told to stay at home and rest.

Llangollen River trip 16 Oct 2010

2010-10-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Despite suffering with a cold most of the week, I went with Phil to Llangollen for a paddle.Sometimes you just get fed up of living life around the tissue box. I wasn't on form, but still a good day out!

New video!

2010-10-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIAKUN65oCc
River trip last Saturday!

Back in the UK

2010-09-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Pam and I seem to have brought good weather back with us from Lanzarote. We're now getting excited about Newport Nocturne on Saturday. arkayaking are sponsoring a lap and hopefully we will have 2 fantastic big signs out on the course too!!!!!!!!

August

2010-08-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

Lot's of whitewater this week! Weekend at Llangollen running a three star course and then a run down Jackfield on Tuesday.

A big thanks to all those who attended the course and made it a great weekend. Also a big thank you to Jonny - our new wonder kid instructor. If he falls in while surfing with his feet on the deck - he's on his own!
Well done to all the guys on the course for a tremendous effort and it was great to see you all progress so quickly over the course.

Keep an eye on the website for more courses and trips coming this Autumn!

The Month of July

2010-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

July is traditionally our busiest month. This year has been no exception! Firstly there was the much fated Foundation, Safety and Rescue Course - this course saw attendance beset by illness and exploding engines. Well done to Tony and Phil for passing.
Then came a weekend of BCU Two Star. Congratulations to Harry, Phil and Amy on gaining this award and I hope to see you guys again on the water soon,
The last weekend of good weather saw me out on the hills taking Adrian through his NNAS Silver award. Congratulations on passing the assessment, I'm sure you now know exactly where Cranbury Rock is! I’m sure Adrian took away a lot of new techniques that will keep him safe in the hills and add to his enjoyment of our wonderful uplands.
Then it started to rain! Normally this is a good sign, but for the weekend of a Three Star training course this was bad news. We have to run these courses on grade 2 water. Trying to find a river without a flood warning that had water in it was impossible. So, sorry guys and see you on the rescheduled course on 7th & 8th August!

Our other news is welcome aboard Jonny! The last time I meet Jonny he was 12 and paddling slalom C1, now he's at uni and regularly paddling things his mum doesn't ask questions about. Jonny's going to be joining us to help out with some of the more technical courses, so look out for him if you're paddling with us this summer.

Those of you who’ve paddled with us for sometime know my views on open canoes – old playboaters never die, they just get in a spin! Well we’ve purchased two Venture Ontario Opens from Endless River in Worcestershire. These boats are fantastic – low to the water, easy to paddle, with a good turn of speed and very manoeuvrable. If you want your mind changing on open canoes or just fancy giving it a go, why not come down to the river one Thursday and try one.

On the SUP front, the board has at last been in salt water! Rides waves like a dream, even in a closed out 4 foot swell at Borth. Forecast said waves would be a foot, but didn’t account for the wind - the line up ended somewhere off the coast of Ireland. Anyway I still had fun (among the odd wipeout).

See you all out on the water again soon!

Ups and downs.

2010-06-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Just when you think everything is going great you know life is going to jump up and bite you on the backside. The unexpected summer weather has been great for business - not having to switch to the canal due to sudden rises in river levels, people actually looking forward to getting wet, the list is endless. I'm getting to grips with SUP and making a presence for the sport on the Severn and all our clients are showing a great improvement in their paddling!

Then on Thursday I over do it in an open canoe and rediscover on old injury lingering under my shoulder, just waiting for a chance to bite. About 12 years ago I tore a nerve just below my shoulder blade. Having to paddle with a single blade for a couple of hours reignited the injury - this has just compounded my dislike for opens!

Friday morning I felt a bit stiff and I hoped a day of easy hillwalking would rest it. By teatime I was doing okay and confirmed with Saturdays clients the session would be happening, I had a strange feeling as I clicked send on the email this wouldn't be the end of it. After a quick trip to my parents I was unable to move and trying to get hold of the clients to say I would have to cancel. I always suspected their end of The Gorge had something against me.

I hate cancelling sessions, not just because of the loss of income (this was only a two hour intro session), but because it messes people around. Pam and I have tried to build a business where that doesn't happen, where sessions are only cancelled in extreme circumstances (usually water levels getting out of hand) and we do our very best to be at venues on time. We've all suffered the poor customer care offered by some more established centres and never want our clients to be messed around in the way we've been messed around when attending courses in the past.

To this end, we don't always offer the cheapest course prices, but I hope we represent the best value for money and the best coaching you could hope to gain!

Low water, rain and BCU 1 Star

2010-05-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Parvez, Maurice and Bryn on passing their BCU One Star on Saturday. Credit must also go to Harry for organising the course and enduring it again under such difficult conditions. As anyone who looked out on Saturday will have noticed, the weather wasn’t ideal for paddling!

Earlier in the week saw water levels on the Severn reach an unacceptable low, so low that I broke a fin off my SUP board trying to get upstream on Tuesday. The fin that broke was a plastic thruster fin which hangs about 2 inches below the board, hence the weekend rain might have been miserable to paddle in, but was much needed. However, the enthusiasm on the One Star Course didn’t let the weather dampen spirits and I hope you all paddle with us again soon – especially now that you’ve discovered that a little bit of white water can provide a whole lot of fun!
And finally I hope the coconut made it all the way back to Birmingham and you’re keeping it safe for your next course down on the River Severn.

2 Star in Ironbridge

2010-05-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well done to James and Oli who completed their 2 Star Award with us this weekend. As usual with our star test courses the weather hit a new extreme - sun and soaring temperatures this time. I think the river was possibly the best place to be.

I hope the course has given them the experience and skills to go off and explore new waterways for themselves, but I expect the debate over which craft - canoe or kayak - is set to continue for some time.

After completing their assessment we headed down to Jackfield to try some white water and show James and Oli what they might be letting themselves in for on a 3 star course. In addition to having a great time playing on the waves we were also treated to witnessing the idiot brigade attempting the rapid on a Sit-on without buoyancy aids, helmets and footwear. This resulted in a new injury I never seen in kayaking before - crushed testicles due to being pinned on a rock! After paying no regard to safety the idiot even expected to be rescued and have his kit recovered.

Never the less his suffering did provide some extra entertainment for those of us properly kitted out and a chance to experience first hand the safety element of the course. James and Oli showed some real potential paddling on the rapid and I hope this will lure them into kayaks!

The Tryweryn

2010-05-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

Firstly congratulations to Phil who came of age as a river runner on Sunday! A trip down the lower Tryweryn from Chapel Falls to Bala without a capsize - no mean feat !! If he keeps this up I think we'll have him running the upper section by the Autumn.

Sunday was also the day spring finally arrived. Despite a poor weather forecast the day turned out warm and sunny with me turning out over dressed and sweaty. We met early (9.15am - well early for me) and as a result had the river to ourselves for the entire run down. It really felt like a wild river without the plastic log jam that can occur on the Tryweryn during the summer months. For those of you not familiar with the river, it is dam controlled, so the water remains runable in dry spells when other Welsh rivers are reduced to a pebble beach.
The lower Tryweryn is only graded at grade 2, but there is plenty to keep you occupied. For those of you have done the slalom site at Llangollen and Jackfiled, just imagine having those two sites linked and repeated for 6km and you'll start to get the picture.

Most of the rapids we ran on sight, with two exceptions. One on a bend that looked tree choked from above and Bala Mill Falls. The Mill Falls are grade 4 and we thought best left for another day, so we walked around this one!
The run from there down into Bala is usually an uneventful one, but on this occasion we met two delightful local teenagers who decided to exchange Welsh insults, their only mistake was the ones I know are far worse than anything they may have learnt in school. Sometimes Welsh relatives do have their uses.

After the trip we returned to the White Water Centre for a bacon butty and a pot of tea. The Tryweryn Centre can be just so civilised! The other great thing about the Tryweryn (apart from the cafe, the facilities, the clean river etc) is that use of the centre and river is free. A lesson that could be repeated at other sites that are far less salubrious.

Thursday

2010-05-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday turned into a very long day! Out on the river with the kids from work in the morning, 3 hours paddling a SUP in the rain. SUP boards are great for teaching canoeing and single bladed paddling, also standing up gives you a better view of the river. Only drawback is it hammers the abs and parts of my arms not normally used - then I had the usual Thursday night session to run. So glad to crawl into bed!

Good to see the regulars still building on last year's skill. To get back in a boat and go straight to the river after the winter layoff is some achievement. Well done Tony with his first paddle on the river, we get you join the darkside (short boats) one day!

SUP 29 April 2010.wmv

2010-05-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

New Blogger

2010-05-03T08:07:00.001-07:00

Just setting up new blogg element to website - http://www.arkayaking.co.uk/