Believe it or not, the topic of making friends will perplex even the most sociable of kayakers at some point in their paddling career. This is not because we are weird, many of us are in fact relatively normal. It’s because we rely on our paddling buddies in a very different way to how we rely on our boozy weekend buddies.

Whilst considering the differences between my paddling buddies and my boozy weekend buddies, it occurred to me that my experiences as a disabled paddler are probably not particularly representative. For example, I look for friends with the ability to carry both my weighty kayak and my weighty self to and from the river. I have therefore decided to supplement my own advice with the opinions and experiences of other paddlers. The added advantage is that, should you need to blame anyone for any negative consequences incurred as a result of following this advice, you can blame them rather than blaming me.

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You can of course go boozing with paddling buddies. Taking your boozing buddies paddling however is less advisable. Continue reading