I've been roaming around the Isle of Man without my camera for a while now. Recently however, I have rediscovered my camera!www.KAYAK.im
Friday, 7 October 2011
Isle of Man Steam Packet
I've been roaming around the Isle of Man without my camera for a while now. Recently however, I have rediscovered my camera!
Monday, 29 August 2011
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Isle of Man First Aid Course for Kayakers.
I guess when you look at the photos above of yours truly in the Calf Sound tidal races, it is easy to see how a paddler could become injured at this more extreme end of the sport. It was perhaps with that in mind that Wayne and Sarah Hickey have devised and are running a first aid course with a bias towards paddling. Sarah wrote ..."The course will start at 9.30am on Saturday 18th June, running until about 4.30pm. It will be held at Ard Whallin outdoor centre in West Baldwin. It is a HSE (Health and Safety Executive) approved emergency first aid course and candidates will receive a HSE certificate at the end. There will be a bias towards injuries and incidents likely to be encountered in a water sports environment and an in-house certificate relating to this will also be awarded. Food will not be provided but tea and coffee making facilities are available. The course costs £50 per person and is available for up to 10 people (minimum of 4 required for the course to go ahead). Confirmation of a place on the course will be given when a cheque for the full amount is received (if the course does not go ahead due to lack of interest this will be fully refunded). Cheques are to be made payable to Wayne Hickey and can be sent to 'Isle of Man First Aid, 13 Mona Street, Peel, IM5 1HJ'. For further information and to book a place please contact whickey@manx.net."
On a slightly different note, if anyone has found a 4 piece Lendal glass bladed sea kayak paddle then please contact me through KAYAK.im . The paddle was left by Ian Smith at Fenella Beach on the Isle of Man over a week ago. It would be great if we could return it to him.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Tidal Race Dot Com
I didn't take the photos above. Instead they were taken by Johan Wagner of Escape Outdoors in Sweden. They feature a memorable day in 2006 when some expert paddlers from around the World played and surfed in the Penrhyn Mawr tidal race in North Wales. These, plus others from the same day taken by Jeff Allen of Sea Kayaking Cornwall, have been incorporated into 5 new pages on KAYAK.im. Written by Phil Clegg of Sea Kayaking UK, these new additions to the tidal race section give an overview, and then detailed information about Penrhyn Mawr, North Stack, South Stack and Rhoscolyn tidal rapids. Timing, flows, location and eddy information are all included. There are now 10 pages of tidal race information on KAYAK.im including details of Isle of Man and Canadian tidal rapids, with more under construction. If you want to miss out all the Isle of Man stuff then you can also access these pages through tidalrace.com.Of course, it goes without saying that tidal races are dangerous and under no circumstances should you ever paddle into one!
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Kayaking Isle of Man - Surviving Gibraltar.
This blog has been devoid of entries and photographs of late. Part of the reason is that I've "fried" another waterproof camera. That's my fourth in three years. So far I've destroyed three pentax and one olympus marine cameras. Normally I'd go straight out and replace it but not this time. I'm struggling to decide which one to buy. I've come to the conclusion that so called waterproof cameras at best last about one year! Should I buy a cheap camera with poor picture quality or shell out £270 on a top spec Lumix FT2? I still can't decide and until I do photographs on this blog may continue to be snapped on my Blackberry Pearl, like the ones above.As you can see I was in Gibraltar working for Christmas. Should you find yourself in a similar situation, confined to The Rock which is only a couple of miles square, then here are some truisms:
Be careful who you accuse of being Spanish and never ask why Gibraltar is British.
Do not put food down anywhere unless it is in a hermetically sealed container as the place is infested by ants. Similarly never eat food in the dark although I believe from certain survival programs that ants are quite nutritious.
Electrical goods are sold duty free in Gibraltar, but somehow this makes them more expensive than at home where we have duty!
You are never far from a cannon in Gibraltar.
The best Locum Consultant Anaesthetist job in the World is to be found here but alas, it all comes to an end in March.
The apes, especially the small ones, look cute but in fact they are vicious!
If you are scared of flying never willingly take off or land at Gibraltar airport, especially if there is a nasty cross wind.
That's all,
Happy new year.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Sea Kayaking Isle of Man - Weight.
Paddling in tidal rapids is becoming a sport in its own right. I've been researching tidal race kayaking for a new section in KAYAK.im describing well paddled tidal races from around the World. I've looked a little at boat design and its reassuring to find that boat manufacturers are producing sea kayaks designed specifically for this relatively new sport. One well known British manufacturer (not Rockpool) produces a boat which is "heavily rockered, with a flat midsection, the hull gives great manoeuvrability in big water, whilst well defined chines and buoyant ends provide solid stability and control on the wave." Well you can't argue with that and I think that's how I'd want my next sea kayaking "play boat". One slightly less well known North American manufacturer is also producing what it describes as a "British" style boat with a skeg with many of the attributes of the first boat mentioned. One important difference between the two stood out though. The British company is producing a boat which weighs 25 kg. The North American boat weighs in at just 15 kg!
I put this to the UK company as I thought that the 25kg weight mentioned on their web site must be a mistake. It just seems way too heavy to me and they replied "the boat features a heavier duty layup than found on our other boats (the core material is approx. 1mm thicker).We could, of course, have chosen to produce a lightweight boat, but the danger with this is that it will not have suitable stiffness and/or it's failure mode upon an impact will be critical. Our preference is to make the boat extremely rigid, to prevent flex in big conditions, with toughness that will give the boat longevity that light weight will not."
I don't think I can argue with that. Certainly my Rockpool Alaw Bach does flex a bit in the extreme conditions sometimes encountered in our Isle of Man tidal races. On the other hand one of the Rockpools I use is a 3 piece, and it has held together very well. Could this dichotomy of opinion reflect the differences in our tidal races. In North America, especially around Vancouver Island, tidal flows regularly reach double digits and need no weather to whip them up. The races in which the British boat is used are slower flowing, but when whipped up by the frequent gales become gnarly, less predictable and hostile perhaps requiring a firmer layup. At the end of the day I guess it boils down to personal preference. I'm happy with my Rockpool but if I were to consider purchasing a new boat, then I think a trip to Washington State may be in order!
The new tidal race section is still under construction but in the meantime you can read about the Surge Rapids and the Okisollo Waves.
Friday, 26 November 2010
Kayak Isle of Man - SpeedStroke Gym - Kayak Ergometer 2
How much would you pay for a kayaking exercise machine? After much thought and deliberation I decided that £2000 was the most I would be willing to spend. On the 29th of September I issued a "wanted" plea. I was after a SpeedStroke Gym - Kayak Ergometer to help maintain my Winter fitness. I had heard and read that it was the best kayaking machine available.
The problem I had was that the UK supplier, my closest as I live on the Isle of Man, quoted me a price of £2424 (approx $3800) including delivery to the Island. This seemed high to me and to confound the situation, the US based parent supplier seemed reluctant to supply me.
In the end I turned to a website called GearZone.com . They sell a wide variety of high quality outdoor and sports gear. Rarely have I found such an exceptional level of service from an online retailer. They provided what seemed like a personal service, as my machine made the difficult journey from China to the Isle of Man via the UK. The delivery time was just 4 days! Total cost including delivery, VAT and duties £1931.49 (approx $3044.59).
As for the machine well assembly took about 1 hour. Paddling feels totally authentic and of course my fitness level has soared.
Many thanks to all those who responded to my original blog post, and a special thank you to GearZone.com .
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Kayaking Isle of Man - Turks and Caicos Islands.
I've been out in the Turks and Caicos Islands for two weeks now. I've been helping out on Provo and Grand Turk teaching hospital staff some critical care medicine. The two hospitals are brand new having only opened 7 months ago. Many of the staff are new to the Islands, and it's not easy setting up a hospital from scratch. I've been amazed by the progress which has been made. The nurses I helped train, who originate from all corners of the planet, are incredibly professional, enthusiastic and willing to learn.Like the Isle of Man the Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Crown Dependency with a Governor in residence. Overwhelmingly however, one cannot help but notice the Canadian and American influence here. Even the locally used currency is the US Dollar. It was great therefor to climb into a British Valley touring kayak for one of the two paddles I've made since I arrived. Although this plastic gunboat does not compare to the fibreglass Rockpool I normally paddle, it edged, rolled and handled amazingly well. I was also surprised at the relaxed attitude of the kayaking outlet from which I rented it. This solo paddle was undertaken with absolutely no questions asked about my past experience and skill level. Once I'd signed the waiver that was all that was required to permit me to paddle off through the mangroves, passed the conc farm and out into the open sea in a force 5! Contrast that to the trouble I had in Canada in the Summer persuading anyone to let me have a kayak for the day. I'm not sure which attitude is best, but I much prefer the former.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Sea Kayaking Isle of Man - Sunday.
You know, one of the reasons I've kept this blog going is to help promote the Isle of Man as a fantastic kayaking venue. These photos were snapped on a paddle yesterday from Port St Mary, around the Calf of Man and back. Ian and I had a great time although Jess was sadly missing. I think you can see the great variety of scenery and paddling conditions we encountered. But best of all we believe we made history with the first ever underwater phone call to be made in Manx waters! If you know other wise then please contact me here. (lower most photo of and by Ian Smith)
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Wanted - SpeedStroke Gym - Kayak Ergometer.
Sometimes I really want to paddle, but just for the exercise. The weather may be too severe, or just too calm. It takes a lot of effort loading your gear into the car and driving off to a suitable launch point. And then of course there is the miserable job of rinsing the salt water out of your paddling equipment on return. These thoughts, together with the completion of the construction of a gym within my house, led me to the decision to purchase my own kayak ergometer.Having reviewed the available machines, and spent many hours or days considering the wisdom of paying £1,995 ($3,154) for such a device, I decided to order the SpeedStroke Gym - kayak ergometer. This machine is used by many of the top Olympic teams including the US and Canadian paddlers. I wrestled with PayPal a bit and then made the decision to go ahead and add the machine to my shopping cart using the EliteCanoeing website, the sole UK distributors. I then received an email informing me that the price on the website, and in my shopping cart did not include VAT or postage. The final bill for the machine came to £2424 (approximately $3800)! The machine when purchased in the US for US delivery costs $2745. Unfortunately the US parent company will not supply me with a K1 Ergo.
So, if anyone out there has a new or good condition used SpeedStroke Gym - Kayak machine for sale, then please contact me here. If in the UK I may be able to collect it myself.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Kayaking Isle of Man - Oban Sea Kayak Race.
Ever get the feeling you've really messed up? I had that feeling when I arrived in Oban for the weekend recently only to witness the inaugural Oban Sea Kayak Race taking place. Of course, as I was half way through a job in a hospital about as far from the sea as you can get in Scotland, I didn't bring my kayak or my gear. To be honest I've never taken part in a paddling race before and I'm sure my lack of preparation would have meant that I lagged well behind, but it would have been nice just to take part.The race circumnavigates the Island of Kerrera which is just off Oban. Much of the 20 km route is remote and exposed and I think just finishing would be an achievement in itself. A further great achievement is the over £1000 raised for the RNLI. The overall winner was John Willacy from Anglesey in an astonishing time of 1 hour 55 minutes and 41 seconds. You can read more about the race and perhaps sign up for next years at www.obanseakayakrace.org .
Monday, 13 September 2010
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