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I know there are a few canoeist/kayak types here and I'd like some advice please if you'd be so kind.
The local club I've been going to (pool sessions) have a beginners river trip coming up and I'm going to go along. I'm inevitably going to take a dunking so whats the best way to keep warm?
I'm also looking to start buying some of my own kit, starting with a helmet but I guess I'm going to need a few other things like gloves, boots etc if i'm going out on the river? Whats good and not too pricey? Any recommendations for places to buy from? I'm based near to Cannock and my googlefu doesn't show any near-by kayak shops so I'm thinking Internet retailers.
Cheers
What Club?
I'm in Royal Sutton who meet at Brownhills on Saturday afternoon, and Barr Beacon pool on Friday nights.
Decathlon have some good kit at bargain prices. Lomo are my favourite. I use their long trousers for winter, their shorts for summer:
[url= http://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/wetsuit-Shorts.html ]Lomo trousers[/url]
Decathlon do a 'Kipsta' top which is pretty similar to the £70 Palm one:
[url= http://www.northeastkayaks.co.uk/palm-tsangpo-longsleeve.html ]Palm Top[/url]
Summer use, just a thin HH or similar 'rash' vest type t shirt.
The only way to stay warm is to stay in your kayak. Or wear a dry suit (£400). I took a swim last Sunday, it wasnt too bad, once you're back in, you soon warm up, it is when you stop that you feel the cold. Try to get a good fitting dry / semi-dry cag top. I've got the Lomo one for £100, it's great, but too thick for summer use.
Where are you going?
At risk of stating the obvious...ask these questions in your club (who I'm assuming have been teaching you the essential basics ahead of your first river trip & will know the local outlets etc.).
If in doubt about the quality of advice from your club...Uk rivers forum is your best source of info.
And hopefully you understand that kayaking being a water based sport has inherent risks so if you do have doubts about your local club think twice about that first river trip.
Apologies if above comes across as grumpy I'm off I'll with "man flu"
Helmets - one that fits. I've only found 2 that fit me. One at £40, the other at £130.The really cheap ones(£30) are really rubbish! The £40 one was pretty good for such a low price.
Leam Boat Centre, and Desperate Measure are probably the closest shop to you. West Mids Canoe Centre closed 18 months ago, they were at Sneyd Wharf near Walsall.
alanl, thanks for the advice. I was afraid the answer would be to stay in the kayak 😉
I've been going to Walsall Canoe Club at Snyed. The census for the first trip is to go to Burton as its fairly shallow and there is a small weir.
I have been given advice from the local club but basically can't remember it all. Karlp, you are forgiven.
Blimey, didn’t realise there were so many local clubs and paddlers.
I’m lapsed, but used to race Marathon and Sprint based at Gailey canoe club on the canal by the m6. Winter kit for us consisted of a neoprene spray deck, thin tights a helly hansen type base layer an led trying to stay in the boat
What river are you going to? I think Jackfields is pretty flat at the moment, only saw pictures my mom took last week but I think you should be able to stay upright, probably the only thing really worth getting would be a cag as we called them, not sure what the proper term is
This sort of thing anyway http://www.upandunder.co.uk/Watersports/Clothing/Canoe-Cags/Recreation/P---Pop---37410/
I never paddled in gloves, tried pogies but they made my hands too hot and we trained as long as the canal wasn’t frozen.
Just clocked the burton bit, the marathon race used to go down the weir there so you should be fine and dandy in a plastic boat. Cag is worth getting as you’ll probably get splashed depending on boat volume. If it’s big enough you might just float over it.