play in the pool, work on paddling skills and (probably) have the most fun you can experience in a public swimming pool! Don’t need to be an expert paddler, will be working on building skills and enjoy ourselves. Great way to get/ stay fit too.
Get in contact with Jonathan Swale, Jim Tait or myself if you’re interested.
Hopefully starting up in the New Year if we can sort pool bookings and get the numbers of paddlers to make it viable.
That’s the forms available for next year’s symposium! The prices have ended up higher than previously, though there’s a discount on the symposium fee (not accommodation/meals/ foxed costs) . If you’re currently a club member remember to check out the forum for additional special offer.
19 paddlers took to the water last night to make the most of one of the best Thursday nights we’ve had this season. Despite headaches with getting enough boats together, got on the water at the Lerwick Marina and paddled across to Bressay.
As the clouds gave us a stunning display of colours over Bressay, we paddled round to the Bressay Ferry Terminal and turned to cross back to the mainland, and by the time we were going by the Lerwick Boating Club the shadows had got longer and night fall was close.
Getting back to the marina provided a different view of Lerwick as the street light came on and the paddling in the dusk was a first for many.
Coming ashore, night had fallen and everyone worked hard to get the boats back on the trailer, gear away and took the chance of a chat before heading away home.
Many thanks to Tam for sorting Trailer, Angus for arranging and loaning additional boats/ paddles and so on.
Getting enough boats and being sure of what we needed was really difficult this trip. Please please please make sure you give the trip organiser as much notice that you’re coming as possible as we want to get everyone out on the water that wants to be. Thank you.
Talking with a few folks, we’re looking at a ‘tidy up’ session this week at Bridge End. Even if it’s a beautiful evening we’re going to try and get everyone to the point of 1* certification, though it won’t stop us doing some paddling if conditions are good.
Additional details on the Forum
Monday evening saw the planned exercise with the Lerwick Lifeboat kick off in Gulberwick bay.
Club members started running the first scenario, a heart attack victim, while the lifeboat made it’s way out from the harbour. After less than five minutes, the lifeboat flew across the mouth of the bay and the rafted paddlers (with victim) could see help was well on it’s way! Watching the bow approaching at speed was quite a sight. The small boat was dropped over the side and the recovery of various victims ensued. It must rate as one of the most accident-prone trips ever conducted in Shetland by the club with heart problems, dislocated shoulders, lone paddlers in difficulties, swimmers and exhaustion-overcome bodies appearing as if from no-where.
No problems for the lifeboat crew, each scenario dealt with with calm professionalism.
By this point conditions had gone from a bit blustery up to “interesting” as the wind came up, it was almost 8.45pm and paddlers started to head back to dry land. Once ashore there was the odd tired individual, a lot of discussion, and a bit of a buzz from all those involved.
General consensus – a great learning exercise for the club.
A big thank you must go to all the members of the Lerwick Lifeboat crew, and to Iain Derbyshire for arranging the evening.
Iain D has now confirmed, an evening out with the lifeboat crew will take place on Monday 8th July
If you’re at all interested please please please get in contact so we can arrange boats and trailers for everyone!
Iain
Just had an email from Nick in Orkney, still time to book for anyone that’s interested.
It’s a similar set up to our very own symposium and tries to have something for every level of paddler. There’s very few ways to boost your paddling skills to match the experience you gain in this sort of weekend, and it’s so physically close to us it’s a shame not to go. (…and you don’t even have to take the car…)
Those who’ve been before have found it a great weekend and learnt a lot!
In discussion with Angus, possibly looking at paddling from Bridge End to Scalloway Marina as this Thursday’s session. As we’re going to have to arrange shuttle for drivers to get back from Scalloway to Bridge End meet at Scalloway Marina between 6.30pm and 6.45pm to sort lifts out.
You will also now need to be considering the cost of transporting the kayaks on the trailers. This will be the third season that the Club fees have been set at £2 for local trips/ £4 for further afield for using the trailer.
Yet another evening of blustery winds and scattered showers came over Bridge End as the fifth session of the season got underway. Most paddlers were out in kayaks, four in canoes. Heading South into a brisk headwind, everyone had the opportunity to experience the benefits of whatever shelter could be found and why low-angle paddling style is a good thing in breezy conditions. Some hard paddling saw everyone up to the pier at Papil and ready for the downwind run.
The canoeists took some time out to sort their new sail (also known as a survival blanket) while the kayakers prepared for the swell. It’s probably fair to say there were a few nervous faces as we snuck round the corner into the main sound, out of the lee and able to experience just how much of swell there was. The next kilometer went past rather fast for some, and it was an experience which will stay with a lot of people as everyone coped well with the tricky conditions.
Arriving back at Bridge End everyone sorted themselves out to get off of the water, the buddy system very evident. Another evening of damp and blustery fun paddling!
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!
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