Shetland Canoe Club

News, events, trips and info for sea kayaking and canoeing in Shetland

Category: Club Trip Report

a quick report on how club trips have gone, numbers of paddlers etc

21st June 2013 Simmer Dim Paddle, south end Muckle Roe

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On June 23, 2013

In Club Trip Report

Grabbing a quick weather window, a group of five of us (Bryan, Jim, Fiona and Steve plus myself) took the opportunity for a few hours paddling. Swell forecast wasn’t great and some of us weren’t wanting too late a night, so a shortish paddle in a relatively sheltered area was in order! Unfortunately the swell was in completely the wrong direction for the really good caves on the Northwest side of Muckle Roe, so thought we’d give the south side a go. Great evening despite not being able to go into the best caves on the south side either. Good way to spend the Simmer Dim.

Photo looking out into St Magnus Bay, taken just off of Picts Ness by Fiona.

This trip was organised through the club forum and was open to all club members.

Thursday 20th – a lumpy ride to Scalloway Marina

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On June 23, 2013

In Club Trip Report

Ever wonder what 28 paddlers setting off from Bridge End would look like? This week we found out!

With a good number of coaches and assistants, the beginners group did its first real trip this week. Conditions were ‘Shetland Breezy’ as we set out under from Bridge End and snuck south, hugging the east side of Lang Sound, did a quick regroup before entering Stream Sound and into what we knew was going to be the windy section of the trip.  Trying to paddle NE while the wind came from S/SSE  was guaranteed to be ‘interesting’ and the section between Kalee Ness and Hjogaland definitely tested comfort levels!

Despite getting a bit unnerved, and some a bit wetter than others, we all ended up sitting in the middle of Clift Sound and managed to stay more-or-less together as a group as we came under the bridge into East Voe and the get-out point at the Marina.

Prior planing and preparation meant a number of cars and the trailer were waiting there for us as we queued up to get off of the water, and the ensuing chaos of trying to get all 28 off of the water and back to Bridge End was well managed by all.

Everyone played their part and provided help carrying kayaks around, giving lifts back to BE and so on, which is all about being a group member on a trip. I would just like to thank Chris, Craig, Debs, Angus, Jim, Iain D and Iwan, without whom it really couldn’t have happened.

Thursday 6th June – Beginner session – lots of people on a short trip

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On June 9, 2013

In Club Trip Report, Coaching events report

There was an excellent turnout of beginners this week, who with the three coaches and two assistants meant a group of 21 on the water in kayaks and two in a canoe! As we headed South you could see the ability to paddle in a straight line getting less of an effort, and those early wobbles we all go through  were getting fewer and fewer. As we were out on a short trip, Craig introduced group awareness and got everyone to ‘buddy up ‘ and watch each other as we worked our way up to Papil where we had a go at coming in to a beach and hopped out for a quick breather.  After a quick review of landing on beaches, chatting about skeg boxes and pebbles, and giving an idea of some of the possibilities for trips around Burra, it was time to help each other off of the beach and head back down to Bridge End at a reasonably brisk pace with no stops! A couple of brave folk who’d missed last week’s wet session took the plunge when we got back, and everyone headed off looking happy.

Sorry there’s no photo, didn’t have my camera this week!

Thursday 23rd May -another fun night

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On May 28, 2013

In Club Trip Report, Coaching events report

Club training night

With force 6 winds falling away, a downwind run was decided on and a mad time was spent frantically sorting things out to get everyone up to the far end of the isle  for what proved to be  an excellent time out on the water. Encountering wind-blown swell was a new experience for the beginners group which all coped well with, plenty of opportunities for working on back-paddling as we stayed together as a group, and we even had a small number of intrepid kayakers checking out just how stable a raft is as  they took it in turns to try the human sail technique!

Back at Bridge End a couple of rugged individuals took the plunge and did their wet exits rescues and swims to shore before everyone headed off home.

So, despite the strong winds and the headaches of getting 17 beginners and 6 coaches/ assistants to Burra Bridge, a good evening’s paddling.

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