P&H Custom Sea Kayaks Blog

Ukraine Fundraiser Update

On April 29, 2022

Although the initial shock of the situation in Ukraine has subsided and the media’s interest has largely moved on, it is clear that much has transpired that money or humanitarian aid cannot fix; loved ones lost, atrocities suffered, and lives forever changed. The war in Ukraine has also, sadly, not yet come to an end.

We are proud to have been able to offer what little support we can, though, and thank each and every person who has supported us in our fundraising efforts thus far, but we’re not done yet!

There are still some ‘Flag of Ukraine’ Virgos available to order on our UK/EU Webstore, and via the dealers below; if you know of anyone in the market for a Virgo, please do let them know:

A large part of what has been raised so far was via the raffle held for a ‘Flag of Ukraine’ Volan. Congratulations to the winner, Christopher Chan, and thank you to everyone who entered! Here is Chris’ reaction to when we gave him the good news, and what he had to say about his motivation for getting involved:

“When I received word that I had won the Flag of Ukraine Volan, I wasn’t sure whether to believe it and I’m still surprised even now. I’m excited to paddle it soon on the East Coast of the US! I am extremely grateful to P&H, their suppliers, and the staff who donated their time to make this happen.
I supported the raffle because I wanted to be part of a larger community contribution to the Disasters Emergency Committee with the paddling community to the people of Ukraine. It’s heartening that so much was raised so quickly and that the funds will support Ukrainians immediately.”

If you pre-ordered a ‘Launch Kayaks, Not Missiles’ T-Shirt, these were shipped out from the 12^th of April in the UK/EU and have just landed and begun to be despatched this week in North America. We really appreciate your support and patience with these!

Once all orders have been fulfilled, we will list any remaining t-shirts on our webstores and the sales of these will also go towards the fund.

Lessons Learned- Blade Awareness

By chrislockyer

On March 28, 2022

In Technical

This video series, titled ‘Lessons Learned’, will highlight things Christopher seas while he is on the water coaching and will give you some ideas to think about the next time you head out in your sea kayak. We hope that you will find them educational and that they help you get the most out of your days on the water.

Blade awareness will help take you’re paddling to the next level.

Understanding how your blade slices through the water will help give you more control in dynamic water. Have you ever found yourself “tripping” over your kayak paddle in challenging conditions? Well, taking some time to work on blade awareness will help you gain a better understanding and get the most out of your kayak paddle.

Key outcome:

work on blade awareness in flat water
Keep your wrist and forearm in line to minimize injury
Allow time to develop this technique
Get professional coaching to maximize your progression.

Lessons Learned

UK’s Premier Kayak Manufacturer Now Available in Greater Vancouver

By P&H Custom Sea Kayaks

On March 25, 2022

In News

After pivoting their business in 2019, the UK’s premier kayak manufacturer, Pyranha and P&H Sea Kayaks are now available again in the Greater Vancouver area after securing partnerships with the area’s best paddlesports retailers, Coast Outdoors (North Vancouver, BC) and Western Canoeing & Kayaking (Abbotsford, BC).

Established in 1971 and 1968 respectively, Pyranha Kayaks and P&H Sea Kayaks unified in 2004 and together have grown to be the UK’s leading supplier of cutting edge whitewater kayaks and industry-leading sea kayaks. These innovative designs have taken adventurers to the remotest corners of the globe and received numerous industry awards and accolades. Pyranha/P&H pivoted its Canadian business in 2019 to focus solely on independently owned, speciality retailers and has been reestablishing its Canadian dealer network since then.

“We’re just thrilled to bring the two premier British Columbia paddlesports retailers into the Pyranha / P&H family. Western Canoeing and Coast Outdoors represent the very best paddlesports selection and service and align perfectly with the values of Pyranha’s family-owned business. Bringing the industry’s best kayaks to the best retailers positions us perfectly for a new beginning in the British Columbia paddlesports community.” says Chris Hipgrave, Pyranha’s North American Sales Director. “Western Canoeing will focus on the Pyranha whitewater kayak brand while Coast Outdoors will be focused on the P&H Sea Kayaks brand. Both of these outstanding retailers promise to expand our opportunities to the huge paddlesports community in British Columbia and well beyond.”

Coast Outdoors is North Vancouver’s foremost paddlesports speciality store. Their knowledgeable and enthusiastic retail staff are dedicated paddlers who know their stuff so can give you great advice if you need some direction, arrange demos, or help you out with any parts you might need.

Coast Outdoors

352 Lynn Avenue

V7J 2C5

North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

(604) 987-2202

info@coastoutdoors.ca

Western Canoe Kayak prides itself on having the largest and most diverse selection of canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle-boards, and accessories, with easy access through their online store. Their staff don’t just talk about paddling, they live for it! Whether you’re just getting into paddling or have been paddling your whole life, their staff have the expertise to answer any questions you may have. Good service and sharing of knowledge are their most important products, and they’re free!

Western Canoeing & Kayaking

1717 Salton Rd

Abbotsford, BC

(604) 853-9320

sales@westerncanoekayak.com

Lesson Learned- Hang onto your Kayak

By chrislockyer

On March 21, 2022

In Technical

This video series, titled ‘Lessons Learned’, will highlight things Christopher seas while he is on the water coaching and will give you some ideas to think about the next time you head out in your sea kayak. We hope that you will find them educational and that they help you get the most out of your days on the water.

‘Hang onto your Kayak’ is the first video in the Lessons Learned series. In this video, you will learn the importance of hanging onto your kayak with examples of what happens when you let go. One of the most important concepts after learning to wet exit your kayak is holding onto your kayak once you have a sense of humour failure and exit the kayak. It became obvious to me in 2018 that many people don’t put enough importance on this fundamental technique. Driving home the importance of this simple task needs to start at the foundation level and should carry on through the skills progression. When paddlers let go of their kayak in a dynamic environment this added a level of complexity that can be avoided. Whenever working in these environments we focus on simplifying the process and only take on more complexity if the environment demands it. During pool sessions and rescues, practice sessions in calm water reinforce the importance of staying in contact with the kayak at all times during any rescue or recovery of a swimmer. See you on the water!
Key takeaways from this video

When practicing rescues in all environments maintain contact with your kayak.
New paddler should be reminded of this important concept
You need the kayak to put the swimmer back into. In a dynamic environment, things can become complex rather quickly.

Visit www.committed2thecore.com for more tips and professional coaching opportunities. Christopher Lockyer is a proud member of the P&H pro paddler Team Based in Nova Scotia. Sea you on the water

Ukraine Relief Fundraiser

By P&H Custom Sea Kayaks

On March 15, 2022

In Fundraising & Activism, News

We have ceased all shipments to Russia and have heard from both of our Ukrainian dealers who are preparing to defend their homeland in any way they can. When peace returns, we’ll do everything we can to help them rebuild their businesses, but sadly that time is likely a long way off.

These are our dealers in Ukraine:

These are wonderful people.

We are lucky to live in a stable and peaceful democracy, whilst many live with the harsh reality of the many dreadful wars around the world. This war in Europe, in an area where some of our staff come from, where our customers are being bombed, brings that reality far too close to home. We have no doubt, like us, you are watching the human tragedy in Ukraine unfold nightly, and perhaps feeling powerless to help.

However, we are morally compelled to help Ukraine, and perhaps with your help, we can do so significantly…

Staff across P&H have committed to donating their time, and several of our suppliers have agreed to donate materials so that we can make 20 custom MZ3 Virgos, split proportionally across the size range, in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

100% of the proceeds from these ‘Flag of Ukraine’ kayaks will go to The Disasters Emergency Committee, a major Relief Fund for Ukraine.

Our dealer network has responded with overwhelming support for this initiative, and so we are also preparing to make an additional 20 kayaks at cost, with any profit from these also going to the DEC.

Furthermore, to enable those who are not in the market for a boat at this time to also support the cause, we have designed a ‘Launch Kayaks, Not Missiles’ t-shirt which is available to pre-order through our webstores, and we will also be raffling a ‘Flag of Ukraine’ Volan 160 in our Lightweight Kevlar/Carbon Infusion layup.

How you can contribute:

UK Residents

Purchase a ‘Flag of Ukraine’ kayak (delivered via a participating dealer), a raffle ticket, or a ‘Launch Kayaks, Not Missiles’ t-shirt through our UK/EU webstore.

EU Residents

Purchase a raffle ticket or a ‘Launch Kayaks, Not Missiles’ t-shirt through our UK/EU webstore, or a ‘Flag of Ukraine’ kayak directly from one of the participating dealers below:

Ireland

Bantry Bay Canoes

I-Canoe

Germany

Denk Outdoor

Sport Schroer

Gadermann

Norway

Padlespesialisten

Alfa Fritid

Switzerland

Siesta Oppi

Sweden

Aterra

Netherlands

Kanocentrum Arjan Bloem

Italy

Ozone Kayak

New Zealand

Further Faster & Long Cloud Kayaks

Residents of North America

Purchase a raffle ticket or a ‘Launch Kayaks, Not Missiles’ t-shirt through our North American webstore.

With your help, we hope to raise in excess of £75,000 ($100,000) over the next few months.

All the best,
P&H Sea Kayaks

Lessons Learned – Rapid Acceleration

By chrislockyer

On March 14, 2022

In Technical

This video series, titled ‘Lessons Learned’, will highlight things Christopher seas while he is on the water coaching and will give you some ideas to think about the next time you head out in your sea kayak. We hope that you will find them educational and that they help you get the most out of your days on the water.

During the season we can build our confidence but we tend to keep missing waves and not being able to get onto the features we are trying to. This is where rapid acceleration comes into play. Get out there are use these tips to increase your enjoyment on the water. Professional coaching will help with your forward paddle stroke and the rest will come with time and hard work.

4 Key things to keep in mind when training and working n rapid acceleration

Visualize where you need to take off from and how much distance you need to get your boat up to speed
Increase your cadence 1,2,3,4,5
Shorter up your paddle stroke
Physical fitness and endurance are key to be able to reproduce this for a day on the water.

Visit www.committed2thecore.com for more tips and professional coaching opportunities. Christopher Lockyer is a proud member of the P&H pro paddler Team Based in Nova Scotia. Sea you on the water

Lessons Learned – Trim and posture

By chrislockyer

On March 7, 2022

In Technical

This video series, titled ‘Lessons Learned’, will highlight things Christopher seas while he is on the water coaching and will give you some ideas to think about the next time you head out in your sea kayak. We hope that you will find them educational and that they help you get the most out of your days on the water.

Posture and Trim – Lessons Learned

When it comes to posture and trim we all need to work on flexibility and also be aware that we are always moving in our kayak. Regardless of the environment, you are working in try and key your torso moving at all time. It will give you an increase in your range of motion but more impotently will increase blood flow to your entire body. Regularly moving your joints can help reduce pain, keep your joints flexible, and improve strength and overall balance.

Keys to Posture
• Try and sit up tall when performing forward paddling
• When in bumpy water try and change your posture to a slight forward lean
• Work on bracing and recovery stokes in your forward posture
• When working on rolling practice your forward finishing roll
• Posture is key to overall body health. Back fatigue can be a result of weakness in your core

Here is a link to 8 stretched that will help you touch your toes. These tips will help with posture and help you put your socks on as well.

Sea you on the water ~Christopher Lockyer

Lessons Learned – Lean Forward

By chrislockyer

On February 28, 2022

In Technical

This video series, titled ‘Lessons Learned’, will highlight things Christopher seas while he is on the water coaching and will give you some ideas to think about the next time you head out in your sea kayak. We hope that you will find them educational and that they help you get the most out of your days on the water.

So often we sea students putting themself in awkward body positions while on the water. So many tend to forget to lean forward which can increase opportunities to hurt yourself and also move you farther away from being able to reach your grab loop to get out of your kayak. When in the pool or practicing in flat water reinforce the home base potions tuck forward as if you are going to attempt a roll if for no other reason but to protect yourself and be close to your grab loop.

Hope this helps. Sea you on the water.

Visit www.committed2thecore.com for more tips and professional coaching opportunities. Christopher Lockyer is a proud member of the P&H pro paddler Team Based in Nova Scotia. Sea you on the water

Committed 2 the Roll

By chrislockyer

On February 21, 2022

In Technical

Often when learning 2 roll or working 2 better our roll, we find ourselves in moments of challenge or defeat.

We have compiled a list of 5 tools and Tactics that are intended to be agnostic of the style of sea kayak roll that you are working on.

6 Simple Tools and Tactics 2 sea kayak rolling

1 Mental Setup
2 Physical Setup
3 Slow things down
4 Stretching/Strength/Separation
5 Project Post Recovery
6 Introduce variation

Click on the image to download the PDF.

Remembering P&H Founder, Dave Patrick: 1939 – 2022

By P&H Custom Sea Kayaks

On January 20, 2022

In News

It is with considerable sadness that we announce the passing of P&H Founder, David Frank Patrick on the 7th of January 2022 at the age of 83.

[right to left] Dave, son Julian, daughter Jane & friend on the water in 1978

Dave started canoeing in the late 50s and joined Midland Canoe Club in the early 60s, where he competed in Slalom in the top division in both K1 & C1. He was later the goalie for Midland CC’s Canoe Polo team in the 80s, with the team winning the infamous East Midlands Canoe Polo League.

He helped run many slalom competitions for Midland CC at Darley Abbey, Tryweryn, & Holme Pierrepont, becoming chairman and then president at Midland CC.

In his working life, Dave started out as a chemist at Rolls Royce, until in May 1967 he founded P&H Fibre Glass Products with a builder called Mr. Harrison.

Throughout the remainder of 1967 and the beginning of 1968, they created and began to produce the first P&H Fibreglass products including the ‘Soar Valley Special’ canoe (1968), the ‘Bat MK 2’ (1968) and the Hahn ‘Speed’ kayak (1969). The partnership of Patrick & Harrison came to an end in 1968, but Dave continued to run the company by himself.

As the seventies began, Dave worked with the top designers of the time and expanded the range to produce the ‘Swift’ and added four new models to the Hahn range – the ‘Quick’, the ‘New’, the ‘Dart’, and the ‘Swing’.

Dave manning the mobile shop in typical style at the World Championships, Bala – 1981

In late 1970 P&H began to sell dry suits and added two more Hahn canoes to the range, as well as the ‘Munich 72’, which was chosen by the then current world champion for his next year’s debut at the world championships. This now extensive range was shown at Crystal Palace.

In 1975, under Dave’s leadership, P&H became a founding member of the British Canoe Manufacturers Association.

P&H and Dave Patrick’s relationship with Pyranha began in 1978 when P&H began to produce Pyranha designs including the ‘Orinoco’ & ‘Elite 80SS’.

1979 saw Dave partner with Derek Hutchinson to introduce a whole new range of sea kayaks, starting with the ‘Umnak’ and ‘Icefloe’. This was also the same year Dave hired current Production Manager, Perran Shreeve, who remembers him as a hard but fair boss.

The 80s saw a flurry of successful sea kayaks, wildwater racers, surf kayaks, slalom kayaks, and polo kayaks from P&H, with the popularity of the company’s products going through the roof and in 1988, Dave bought the ground-breaking shop, No Limits at Holme Pierrepont after the success of the slalom course constructed there in 1986.

Things didn’t slow down in the 90s, with Dave sponsoring five of the GB Olympic Slalom Team at the Barcelona Olympics in ‘92, launching one of the first serious plastic sea kayaks, the Capella, and developing the world’s first pre-preg carbon slalom kayak using F1 technology in 1995. This boat went on to win the Slalom World Championships in ‘95 and to this day is still on show at the London Science Museum.

Dave retired in 1998 and took up flying model planes, although at the start he wasn’t particularly good, and had a bench in the corner of the P&H workshop to fix them at.

Dave enjoying retirement in the early 2000s with one of his model aircraft.

When Julian Patrick (Dave’s eldest son) left P&H to pursue his interest in the internet gaming industry in 2000, Dave came back out of retirement for a short time to help Peter Orton & Perran Shreeve run the company, but in 2001, Carole finally got Dave to retire ‘properly’ and move down to Cornwall where they travelled around in their camper van, with Dave enjoying playing golf and flying his model aircraft.

After a long and enjoyable working relationship, and out of a desire to continue the legacy of the company Dave had built, Pyranha purchased the P&H Company from Dave in 2003.

Dave will be sadly missed, and our thoughts go out to his wife, Carole, daughter, Jane, and sons, Julian & Paul, as well as the rest of the family.