Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view
Matthew Brook is back with 6 front surfing party tricks.
This week we’re taking a look at some silly party tricks you can introduce to your front-surfing, to really push and develop those boat control skills.
Matthew Brook
Check them out.
Continue readingAs a critical part of your safety gear it is important to make sure that your PFD is up to the job. This starts from the moment you go to buy one.
This video shows and describes some of the easier lines through the big rapids on the Upper Gauley river in West Virginia.
Continue readingOutfitting your kayak or canoe correctly is always a great idea. If the boat fits you well, it will paddle better.
Unsponsored is packed with outfitting tips and guides, but here is a video from Bren Orton detailing the outfitting of a Pyranha kayak.
Although this buyers guide is directed at students in reality it will apply to anyone thinking about taking up the sport. Over the next few weeks many students will be starting Uni and will be looking at joining a club.
In most cases the Kayak/Canoe club in a university will be the best club to join. That can pretty much be guaranteed.
The 3rd edition of Scottish White Water is due for general release on the 10th of September 2018. However you can get hold of one right now via the Andy Jackson memorial fund website.
Hello, my name is Anton Sveshnikov, I’m kayaker from Russia, and I have an offer that might be interesting for you.
The Altai mountains are located in South Siberia. It is the best region in Russia for whitewater kayaking. You’ve probably seen some epic videos about this place. From classic “Glorious way to die” to modern “Book of legends” by Adidas Sickline team; and probably already heard about such iconic brands of Altai as Bashkaus river, Mazhoy Gorge, King of Asia race.
Altai has all you need for perfect kayak trip: wide variety of rivers, ultimate beauty of nature, safe and friendly environment. But this place needs one more thing to become new whitewater Mecca – a proper river guidebook.
Darren Clarkson King of Pure Land Expeditions is making a short lecture tour at the beginning of 2018 before he heads back to the Himalayas.
4th Jan 2018 7pm http://www.bradbingcc.co.uk/daz/ (Bradford & Bingley CC)
27th Jan 2018 6pm North East Kayaks & Paddles
1 Feb 2018 time TBC AS Watersports
Legend of the Falls is a Corran Addisons’ video which aims to be “the definitive manual for anyone interested in either learning the basics of river running, or improving their creek boat skills”.
Legend of the falls proved to be a sound investment. The video is split into a number of chapters, they are; River Communication with Arnd Schaeftlein, River Grading, Safety, Equipment, Understanding Rapids, Running technique – boofing etc and a section titled Dr Throwline.
The Tyne Tour is one of the best kayak/canoe events in the UK. Since its origins as the Mike Jones Rally the Tyne tour has become a firm favourite of mine. Most paddlers will stick to the area around Hexham and Tyne Green but there are several other stretches of water in the local area that are worth looking at. This post is not designed to be a definitive guide in any way but is intend to offer a few ideas so you can maximise your paddle time and choice if attending the tour. So here we have it The Tyne Tour – A Brief Water Guide.
Camping, food and retailers are all based at Tyne Green right on the river bank in Hexham. Hexham is large market town so there are plenty of shops, pubs and takeaways if required.
The main river for the tour is the North Tyne. Local canoe/kayak clubs provide safety cover on the largest whitewater section of the North Tyne at Rescue Rock. Each Saturday of the Tyne Tour you will find me sat on Rescue Rock taking thousands of still images.
River Levels: Rain Chasers
The North Tyne
The North Tyne has to be one of the classic ww runs in the North East of England. The water is clean, access is pretty good and you can get down in all but the very lowest of levels. The normal get in is at the small village of Chollerford just a few miles North of Hexham itself. However for the Tyne Tour the get in is a few miles upstream at Barrasford. A shuttle bus runs the route and the parking at Barrasford is ample. The run down to Chollerford offers a few good rapids and is the perfect warm up.
Whitewater Kayaking – How Do I Get Started? Well, that’s a good question! Let me tell you about the 5 essential pieces of gear you will need, and some quick safety advice, so you can start exploring those easier rivers and learning the ropes. Before you leave the house for that long drive to the river, make sure you count to five.
Ensure that you have these 5 essential pieces of gear: 1. Kayak 2. Paddle 3. Spray Skirt 4. PFD (Personal Flotation Device, AKA Life Jacket) 5. Helmet.
If you don’t have all this stuff, maybe go hiking instead!
Searching for the Gee spot is a video that had a great influence on my freestyle paddling and encouraged me to spend lots of time getting the moves right on flatwater before progressing on to the moving stuff. Corran Addison has kindly given persmisson for Searching For The Gee Spot to be shared online via Unsponsored. Enjoy.
The quality of the video is a little bit sketchy but it is exactly the same as the VHS tape that I have.
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