Any kayak packers on here?

[Dave Barter]

Been down in Devon all week diving and kayaking and I've put two and two together with all my sea kayak and bike packing kit.

Think I might do a trip out from Torbay in the near future. I'm assuming it's the same as bike packing but with more whales?

[summittoppler]

I canoed the Great Glen last year. A bit different from kayaking I suppose but gear in dry bags and wild camping was good fun :)

Video of the trip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_Gwz- ... SKht099rPQ

[Dave Barter]

Looks like a great trip and I hope it's not long before you can canoe without stabilisers ;-)

[FLV]

Lovely stuff. I'd like to try a bit of paddling one day. But havnt yet

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've done a little but only day stuff.

Dave ... you need to go on a packraft adventure and make a film of it

[Chew]

I'm assuming it's the same as bike packing but with more whales?

Pretty much. As you wont be going up any hills you can take as much stuff as you can squeeze in the kayak

I had a great trip up in the west coast of Scotland a few years back.

Just make sure you've done your homework on the tide tables and weather forecast or you could end up in Panama

[Ray Young]

I'd love to give sea kayaking a go. Unfortunately the worst thing I can do to set off my back problem is twist it under load. Basically, paddling would cripple me. Fortunately cycling is good for my back so I will stick with that .

[Dave Barter]

Dave ... you need to go on a packraft adventure and make a film of it

An idiot aboard.

[darbeze]

I live in Torbay and used to paddle a lot, though 90% white water on the river Dart. I belonged to Paington Canoe Club, which has a lot of keen sea paddlers. Google them, they are a very friendly bunch and would be a good place to get some pointers...

[Pyro]

I do a good chunk, coach a uni canoe club up here. Multi-day rivers are few and far between in the UK, but decent sea paddling is vaguely exciting.

[99percentchimp]

This series of Pedapress guides to UK coastal paddling is very good and well researched - good intro to local tidal info etc. Loads of good routes you could base an overnight trip on.

http://www.pesdapress.com/p23/South-Wes ... _info.html
I've paddled in the UK a fair amount and bivving is never too much trouble as your 'stealthy' approach from the water means you can get into some great places (e.g. there's an old brickworks on the north coast of Anglesey that is great in poor weather - massive brick igloos to dry out gear in ).
As per Chew's comments - plan for the tide and weather and make sure you don't have surf dumping onto the landing site (unless you fancy a final swim in! )
Very good way to see some parts of the coast you can't access in any other way and very peaceful too (barring bloody jetskiers).

[slugwash]

I'm just across the other side of the River Dart on the estuary there. I'd be up for a trip as I haven't done a canoe bivi so far this year and most of my fellow kayakers want to go home at the end of the day to a 'proper' bed. I've got some time off between the 15th and 21st of September if you're around then for an overnighter. (also planning to do the West Country Way some time that week as well for a bit of BB200 training). If not, then some time later in this year or next.

Cheers,

Rich (owner of a BCU 3* Sea Kayaking certificate)

[Dave Barter]

Rich
I will have a look at those dates and let you know, probably unlikely as it clashes with the Shindig. But you might change your mind when you hear that I am the holder of feck all BCU certificates. Our place is in Brixham, I could meet you somewhere near Kingswear as going round Berry Head and up that way is one of my favourite paddles.

[Alpinum]

Aye, been on two handfulls of trips and a 3* BCU sea kayak training close to Oban.

Best trips so far was paddling in the Reinefjorden and Kjerkfjorden (albeit only one day) and paddling in the area of Sitasjaure for 5 wind-battered, solitary days (we saw 2 hunters during the time beeing).
The BCU training was good fun. For a novice to the real deal (tides, open sea, wind etc.) it was impressive to experience the seaworthiness of those plastic boats. But me neb has never been flushed so regularly.

So, i guess I'm a wannabe kayak packer.

When I'm fifty years old I'll try to circumnavigate Svalbard, promise.

[Cheeky Monkey]

I'd love to do some but haven't paddled since Outward Bound courses in my youth and school trips on the drainage canals and dykes of Lincolnshire.

The total lack of experience / knowledge and the potential cost of gear put me off a bit but the latter has never stopped stuff I imagine there's a course for idiots / numpties / have-a-go's (BCU?).

Also, I'd hate to end up like a mate when we were surfing who got caught in a rip and ended up having to be rescued by the lifeboat. Bit embarassing for someone senior inthe West Yorkshire Fire Service Folks surf-kayaking also made it look great fun though it appears to have a pretty high potential for injury (nose planting as the wave breaks). Surfing was far more chilled

Think there's a dedicated forum to canoeing / bivi (Songs of the Paddle?). Used to see the odd bit on there about hammocks and wood burning stoves.

[slugwash]

Hi Dave,

sorry for the late reply. I've been accessing the internet on a smartphone so not been able to post stuff without the bother of doing it on a tiny screen. The trip from Kingswear to Brixham is one of my favourites too, in fact, I might do it this coming Sunday if the weather's OK. Anyway, let me know when you're around and free for an overnighter. Along the coast to Salcombe, or beyond is a good two dayer as well. Some nice sea caves to explore en-route. (I can leave a car in Salcombe and cycle back to the start so there's transport back at the other end). Have fun at the Shindig

[Pyro]

Think there's a dedicated forum to canoeing / bivi (Songs of the Paddle?). Used to see the odd bit on there about hammocks and wood burning stoves.

SotP is just an Open Canoeing forum, but there's a lot of people on there that like longer trips and voyaging rather than single day rivers. I've paddled with folks off there a few times, some lovely trips and nice people, generally.