Sea Kayaking Articles from P&H Staff, Team Paddlers, and Friends

Category: News

P & H at Outdoor Retailer

Every year in Salt Lake City Utah the outdoor industry gathers to present their new offerings for the coming year, the designs, colours, innovations and ideas that will influence their product line up.

This year at OR we have a great cross section of offerings, first up, something many of you have been waiting for, our 2nd Generation skeg slider system, with a smoother more intuitive action, these have been in test over last season with Glenmore Lodge and Plas Y Brenin with excellent feedback from coaches and clients.

Also on the P&H stand we have the prototype of the Hammer…

this is the next generation in our Play the Sea category, influenced by the Delphin with some creative new design thinking, white water edges, creek style volume and touring length, there are certainly some refinements to be made but is going to be a really exciting addition to the line up.

Rich Taylor talking to Rapid Media about the new Hammer

For more new and exciting additions to the Pyranha Whitewater Range click HERE

P&H Paddler Wedding

On the 9th June this year P&H Team Paddler Doug Cooper got married to Lara Tipper. As you would expect from Doug, Head of Paddlesports at Glenmore Lodge, there was only one way to travel to his wedding… that was in his trusty P&H Cetus MV Sea Kayak.

He got married to Lara on Clashnessie beach in the NW Highlands of Scotland and along with a team of three best men he paddled the 6km to the beach. The weather was dry, but atmospheric – leading to a slightly bumpy paddle and a bit of small surf on landing.

     

Doug and his best men paddled to the beach fully dressed for the wedding ceremony in their kilts, so they could step out of their kayaks ready to go. In addition to this Doug had a custom made paddling wedding outfit by Peak UK, all matching his kilt and ensuring he was the best-dressed paddler on the day! Lara was of course the best-dressed person on the beach, looking stunning in her dress.

The ceremony on the beach went great, the party that followed was as you would expect and then the next day to clear the hangovers Lara, Doug and friends went paddling of course!

 

Congratulations from everyone here at P&H!

Atlantic Paddle Symposium 2012

Photo of Christopher Lockyer Taken by: Clif Pratt

Liscombe Lodge http://www.liscombelodge.ca/ is  hidden gem located outside a small village about two and a half hours away from Halifax.  It is one of only three resorts owned and operated by the Province of Nova Scotia.

On May 11 of this year 75 paddlers traveled from as far away as England and Seattle to gather for the 5th Annual Atlantic Paddle Symposium. www.atlanticpaddlesymposium.com .  Light winds, warm dry weather, and easy swell made for three extremely pleasant days on the water.

The Atlantic Paddle Symposium is our region’s premier paddling event.  The Atlantic Canada paddling community meets for a 4-day event focusing on skill development, outdoor, leadership, education and paddling safety.  The Symposium facilitates relationship building, both within our regional paddling community and allows us to forge relationships with some of the best known paddlers and instructors in the world.

The schedule, as it has been in previous years, was packed with a variety of skills sessions for all levels, covering each of the four paddling styles supported by  Paddle Canada paddling programs. Stand Up Paddling sessions were added (and enthusiastically received) to our roster of sessions for canoe, sea kayak and white water kayak.

The venue offered us great locations and a variery of conditions. Sean Morley, Christopher Lockyer and Mat Nelson ran rock hopping, sea kayak surfing, and Incident management sessions.

Highlights from this year’s event were:

  • Zac Crouse’s opened the event with a presentation on the Paddle to the Ocean project  mixing skillful muscianship with his story telling to keep the group engaged.  Big thanks to Zac and Ian for the great music.!
  • Andrew Westwood is a true ambassador of the sport of canoeing. His presentation on keeping instruction relevant, current, engaging and fun was inspiring, timely, and well received.
  • Sean Morley’s presentation about paddling around Great Britain, Vancouver Island as well as some of the coast of California.
  • We were blessed with sun shine, light winds and a bit of swell for the event.
Photo by: Ryan Brake

Photo by: Ryan Brake

Without the support from our sponsor this year we would not have been able to make the event so accessible and also would not have been able to have such a talented group of coaches.

Special Thanks to Sean Morley and Matt Nelson for making the trip to Nova Scotia. Hope to see you both back next year.

Picture gallery can be found at:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150905072819706.430161.269008074705&type=3&l=f9877313a5 

Sponsor a Coach:

Lendal Paddle (Christopher Lockyer), P&H sea kayaks (Matt Nelson)

Submitted by Christopher Lockyer www.committed2thecore.com

 

Mark Kalch joins the P&H team

We are really excited to welcome Mark to the P&H family,  Mark is a professional explorer and adventurer whose human powered expeditions have led him through the Omo Valley in Ethiopia and walking alone across the Islamic Republic of Iran to paddling in Southern Africa, Australia and South America. His expedition background is diverse.

http://www.7rivers7continents.com/images/holdingpage_image.jpg

Now his multi-year 7 rivers 7 continents project sees him paddling the longest river on each continent from source to sea. A combined distance of some 22 000 miles.

Amazon River (South America) – 6937 km (4300 miles) – completed 2007/2008
Nile River (Africa) – 6650 km (4132 miles)
Yangtze River (Asia) – 6300 km (3916 miles)
Missouri – Mississippi River (North America) – 6275 km (3912 miles)
Volga River (Europe) – 3645 km (2266 miles)
Murray-Darling River (Australia) – 3370 km (2904 miles)
Onyx River (Antarctica) – 40 km (25 miles)

In 2008 he completed a successful descent of the entire Amazon River from it’s source high in the Andes of Peru to the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil. A journey lasting 153 days and covering a distance of 4300 miles.

In 2012 Mark paddles the longest river in North America alone, the Missouri-Mississippi. The 4th longest river system in the world and some 4000 miles long.

More than successful descents alone, his aim is for the 7 rivers 7 continents project to provide a unique insight into the life that rivers have built and sustain. The project will highlight the global struggle to protect rivers and the rights of communities that depend on them.

 

http://www.7rivers7continents.com

Atlantic Paddle Symposium 2012

Well we are about 5 weeks out from the start

of the 2012 Atlantic Paddle Symposium. This will be the official kick start to the 2012 season on the North East Coast.

The Atlantic Paddle Symposium is the premier paddling event in Atlantic Canada.  It brings together the Atlantic Canada paddling community for a 4-day event focused on skill development, outdoor, leadership, education and paddling safety.  The Symposium facilitates relationship building within the Atlantic Canada paddling community as well as among top paddling leaders within the sport.

For all the details on the event please visit the website Symposium Webpage

P&H Team members that will be at this years event:

Sean Morley

Originating from the UK and now a resident of Marin Co, CA, Sean began kayaking at the age of ten with the Boy Scouts and often paddled alone, exploring the relatively sheltered waters on the south coast of Cornwall, England. He took part in his first kayak race in 1978 and has competed in many disciplines of paddle sport since then including white water slalom and downriver racing, maratho

n, sprint, wave ski, surf life saving and surf kayaking with success at national and international level. He began expedition sea kayaking in 1996 and in 1998 set a record for the fastest crossing of the Irish Sea. In 2004 he achieved his childhood dream by completing the first solo circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland by sea kayak; the first ever to include all of the inhabited islands. The 4500 mile expedition to

ok 183 days and is the longest kayak journey ever undertaken in British waters. His achievement was featured in the DVD ‘This is the Sea 2’ by Justine Curgenven (Cackle TV). Sean is an ACA Level 5 Coastal Kayak Instructor and Level 3 Surf Kayak Instructor.

Matthew Nelson

Matt met Shawna and Leon at Body Boat Blade in 2004 and within a year began coaching for Body Boat Blade, progressing as a coach and paddler, fuelled by the passion for blending knowledge of the marine environment with the enthusiasm for a very physical, and engaging way to interact with the water.  Since then, he has delved into whitewater, surf kayaking, rock gardening and expeditions.  In 2008, he and his wife Djuna circumnavigated the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, while raising funds for an environmental no

n-profit.  Matt appeared in Bryan Smith’s “Pacific Horizons”, and has been involved with other kayaking films focusing on technique. Matt is a coach level 3 and holds the five-star award for sea kayak.  Matt is also a P&H team paddler, and teaches at symposiums in North America. Matt is featured in Pacific Horizons and in This is the Sea film series.

Christopher Lockyer

Christopher has been paddling since 1994 in locations as far away as the UK, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway as well as countless places in North America. A graduate of Acadia University with a degree in Recreation Management, Chris is currently the owner and driving force behind Committed to the Core Sea Kayak Coaching. www.committed2tecore.com  He holds certifications with the British Canoe Union and Paddle Canada, is a former Outward Bound Instructor, and is KANAWA /Rapid Media  magazine’s “Ask a Pro” Columnist

I hope to see you there

 

Christopher Lockyer – Executive director 2012 Atlantic Paddle Symposium

 

 

Solo Scotland Expedition

Alan has wanted to do this trip since school after reading about Nigel Dennis and Paul Caffin kayaking round the UK back in 1980. Loving the idea of the adventure they spoke of and the amazing places they passed he had an idea of kayaking out of the Clyde and back into the forth, this has grown into this trip.

Alan plans to kayak from the Solway Firth around the coast of Scotland taking in as many islands as possible and the Outer Hebrides, finishing in Eyemouth 3 months later. Alan paddles on behalf of three charities, The Erbs Palsy Group, The Children’s Hand Surgery and The Brachial Plexus Injury Service after their support and help in giving his son Cameron the use of his arm after he was born with Erbs palsy injury to his left arm.

Leaving – Solway Firth – Mid April

Return – Eyemouth – Mid July

http://alanwilsonseakayaking.blogspot.com

P&H Support Eat, Sleep, Paddle – UK Circumnavigation

P&H are pleased to be able to support the Eat, Sleep, Paddle – UK Circumnavigation – Paul Barrett and Eurion Brown

In spring 2012 Paul Barrett (left) and Eurion Brown (right) will set off on a 2700 mile paddle around mainland Britain in aid of Barnardo’s and the RNLI. Barnardo’s helps vulnerable children across the UK and helped Paul as a youngster so raising money for them was a natural choice. Eurion is a RNLI crew member. The trip will use only the ‘Best of British’ equipment to highlight the quality manufacture and companies based in the

Leaving – Sandbanks in Dorset around the 16th April 2012

Return – Dorset – Less than 120 Days later

http://www.kayakaroundtheuk.co.uk/

http://kayakaroundtheuk.blogspot.com

 

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