River Run!

Today was a good day. It was one of those days that you remember for years to come, and for the right reasons. The Scouts invited Manx Paddle Sports (of which I am now a proud honorary member) on their annual New Year River Neb run. I am no river paddler. The last time I paddled down the Neb it was raging. I resembled a stick tossed into the current and completely at the mercy of the flow. I even managed to get myself trapped under water beneath a tree trunk. It was only because of some primitive survival response that I managed to heave myself to the surface against the flow. Not this time however. The Neb was sedate, having been starved of the torrential rain required to awaken it. Instead this was a watery traffic jam, with three foot drops over weirs providing the adrenaline as I stared vertically downwards towards the exposed rocks awaiting me. It was great fun however and I met some fantastic people. I didn't realise until now that there are some extremely talented young paddlers on the Isle of Man. Many thanks to Steve Watt and others for organising this event.
In the afternoon Jess, Ian and myself returned to the security of our familiar sea kayaks for a blast to Glen Maye from Peel. Give me a tidal race and a force 8 any day, but rivers are scary!