17-18 Feb River Dart Steve E White water near Ashburton, South Devon. It requires a permit to paddle so get in contact now.

6-9 Apr North Devon John B Sea paddling near Ilfracombe. Based at a central camp site. As it is Easter the campsite could get quite busy!

12-14 May Lands End John B. Sea paddling as far West as you can get in England. This is NOT a Bank Holiday so if you wish to stay all weekend you will need to book the Monday off work. It should avoid the traffic though!

25-27 Aug Poole John B Depending on the interest level this could be paddling Poole – Lulworth Cove or nearer Portland.

1-2 Sep Isle of Wight John B Self-contained, camping overnight. Very weather dependant.

Six paddlers took to the water once it was well and truly dark. Friendly anglers at the put-in reeled in their lines for a problem free launch. In the River the shore merged with the dark reflection of the trees. With only faint starlight it really was impossible to see the shoreline except for the odd light on a jetty. Everyone ended up on a mudbank at some stage or other and some landing stages were only just avoided on the winding, narrow channel. Tide assisted progress was very fast. Near Beaulieu some geese started calling and took to the air, one parting Steve's hair in its escape.

With just time for a coffee from the flask at Beaulieu, the moored boats had changed direction giving us the tide once again. Perfect timing by our leader. With the tide fully up the navigable channel was wider and although some paddlers took longer routes than others no one ran aground. We were off the water by about 9.30 having covered about 11nm. It was still warm enough to enjoy getting changed rather than racing against frostbite in the nether regions.

The books I received this year were "Welsh Sea Kayaking – 50 Great Sea Kayak Voyages" by Krawiecki and Biggs, and "Sea Kayak" by Gordon Brown.

"Welsh Sea Kayaking" is a companion to the earlier publication on Scottish Sea Kayaking. It follows the same format and is very well illustrated with superb photographs and good diagrams. I suppose one needs to be warned that sea kayaking in Wales can be rough, cold, wet and very windy. Only in the pictures of Peryhn Mawr and The Bitches does the sea look demanding. So, if you have not been kayaking in Wales before, do not be deceived!!! If you are lucky, like me, to have kayaked many of the places included in the book, the book is a lovely reminder of some great trips and fond memories.

Routes are graded A, B and C. Grade A is for relatively simple and unchallenging trips, such as up the Conwy Estuary. Grade B trips are more demanding with awkward landings. This grade applies to the majority of the trips and includes some sections of Anglesey, Mid Wales and some of South Wales. Grade C trips include The Skerries, Penryhn Mawr and, for the foolhardy, Anglesey to Ireland, and Anglesey to the Isle of Man!

Route descriptions are peppered with facts about the area, sea life, launch and egress points and anecdotes about the areas. To complete the book each main area is introduced and illustrated with some tidal stream data.

The second book , "Sea Kayak" by Gordon Brown, is a very welcome addition to any sea kayakers library. For many years there has been little to extend the knowledge of British sea kayakers beyond that in Derek Hutchinson’s books and John Ramwell’s memorandum on sea touring. I have asked a few sea kayaking coaches how do we modify a rescue in a Force 6, for example, and answers were generally not forthcoming. The earlier books did not tell us because they were aimed at the beginner and intermediate paddler. Brown’s book is for the intermediate and advanced paddler and gave me some interesting food for thought. You get a flavour when you look at the chapter headings: strong winds, reading the water, big swell, tides and tidal races, overnighting and expedition, etc.

My only knowledge of Gordon Brown – except that he has an infamous namesake – is that he wrote the sea kayaking chapter in the " Canoe and Kayaking Handbook". He is a Scottish based Level 5 coach, working as a professional sea kayaking coach on the Isle of Skye and is assisting with the revision of the BCU awards scheme. By looking carefully at his book one can glean some idea of the strokes that may not appear in the new award system. For example, the high brace is not mentioned and sculling support is referred to once when he says "…this is one of the rare occasions to use a sculling support.." when he is talking of rolling in strong winds!

When I began reading the book I quickly warmed to the author for what I felt was an approach that lacked the dogmatic attitude of some books and coaches. When comparing the ocean and keyhole cockpits he says"…the choice is ultimately yours, both have benefits and both have drawbacks…". After discussing the types of paddles, he advises that "…for serious sea kayaking it does not matter what type of paddle you use..", the important thing is to develop the skills to advance ones ability in the sport.

The book is well illustrated with some superb photographs of paddling in UK and foreign waters. For a book aimed at the intermediate paddler and above I was surprised to see a paddler not wearing a buoyancy aid in some pictures. Some other interesting points that I noted were:

• the use of the draw stroke on the move and the hanging draw
• strokes that were described that I am not very familiar with were the cross-bow jab, cross-bow rudder, bow draw, Colorado hook and the high wind turn
• in the section on self rescue he comments that "…with the exception of a bombproof roll, most of these fall into the party trick category…" !!!
• his "ultimate rescue" is an X-rescue with some attention to detail that should make the rescue better and less risky for the rescuer
• there are some thought provoking comments on incident management and he introduces the idea of the "limit of adequate reserve". This table illustrates how much longer you could paddle, after going for 8 hours, if weather conditions deteriorate.
• his Method of Approximately Grading the Sea (MAGS) gives a process for classifying the severity of a trip. This is not a new idea, John Ramwell has a method in his small book, but it is not a method I have seen in general use.

I was using Steve E's newer Anus Acuta and finding the lack of foot rest and narrow cockpit more than a little uncomfortable. As we were headed towards a bank I quickly popped out of the kayak to adjust the footrest – the rest of the group soon followed so they must have also felt the conditions. The tide was too high to get under the railway bridge so we decided to head back and set a course for the Langstone Bridge.

Around Farlington Marshes we were being caught by the breeze again and a small chop. Despite adjusting the footrest I was finding the tight seat still uncomfortable so Chris allowed me to use his kayak for the rest of the day – thanks Chris. With Chris now in a much more unstable craft than what he was used to we took it steady around the Marshes with the wind behind us. It was decided to have lunch near the Havant Sewage works. Not the most romantic of spots but certainly sheltered.

As the tide would be dropping we decided to follow the deeper water to get back. Heading South we could follow the line of deepwater channel markers to Long Island before heading into wind towards South Binness Island. Richard G was having more problems than most and paused to change the balance of his kayak and make it more nose heavy. Once past the island it was into a stiff breeze, watching the water for the occasional very powerful gust. Ahead it looked like we were about to enter a "lake" as the tide receded, deciding that we might get landlocked we headed back out to the deeper water again.

With the tide behind and the wind ahead it made the journey a little wet indeed. The front runners paused at the paint raft but soon realised that it was not a good place to hold onto due to the combination of waves and tide. Once all had regrouped we headed for the Portsmouth side of the harbour. This was almost into wind so would have been more stable in the gusts.

As we got to the Main Channel we were hit by a very strong wind and were barely making progress. Richard again found the boat had a mind of its own and was soon heading towards the Ferry Boat Inn with Steve whilst the rest of us pushed on across. The water was being well and truly whipped up making visibility difficult so all ended up pairing up, sometimes subconsciously. With the wind subsiding and the water leaving the entrance at a good rate we were soon closing on the point at Eastney.

Across the entrance from us we could see Richard and Steve. By now the entrance seemed calmer than what we had come through further in. Seeing their moment Steve and Richard blasted across to join us. With the group intact again we made the last ½ mile to the finish having been glad we got back without anyone falling in.

The Hawaiian islands stretch for 1523 miles in a line from Kure Atoll, in the north west, to the Big Island, in the south east. The group comprises about 120 islands of which about 8 are inhabited. So is this a kayakers paradise? I suppose it could be if you like long, extended sea trips because the distance between the main islands is typically 30 to 60 miles, with the potential for some big seas.

Enough of geography; I had about 8 days on O’ahu of which 3 were for the conference and the rest of the time was to recover from the journey. I had already identified groups that hired kayaks and ran scuba diving trips, so my conference preparation was almost complete.

I had planned to kayak near the end of my visit. The favourite kayaking area was near Kailua, on the eastern coast, known as the Windward Coast ! The first day I went Bob, the owner of Twogood Kayaks, suggested I postpone the trip to the following day, my last day on the island. This I did but the weather was not much better. The sky was cloudy with wind strength about a steady force 4 with gusts up to Force 5. My plan was to launch on Kailua Beach and paddle eastwards, past Moku Popola (Flat Island) to the Mokula Islands. These islands are only about 2 miles from the beach and appeared to be at the eastern end of the reef. I was advised to stay within the reef and when I saw the sea I did not take much persuading because the waves were breaking heavily over the reefs.

My kayak was a Super Pro. It was about 13 foot long and was a plastic, sit-on type. Apparently the sit-on type of kayak is the only type used in Hawaii. Bob and I discussed the relative merits of the enclosed and sit-on kayaks and I could see the advantages for this climate, where the water was warm. But in the colder English climate I think I would prefer my lower half to be protected from the wind.

Just before I launched I had to assist two beginners, in a plastic double, who were struggling to launch in the moderate surf. Then I was on my way. My plan was to paddle over to the Mokula Islands, land on the southerly one, Moku Ikj, where there are inlets with pristine sands, sea monk seals, sea turtles and the usually million or so fish. Then having circumnavigated it, continue around Moku Nui, a bird sanctuary, and then continue across the bay. But, as a sea kayaker of many years standing – or sitting ! – I knew that all plans are subject to change when you get on the water.

He was so impressed by the conditions Andrew decided it was worth a roll. He came up easily enough but I was sure I could see ice on his moustache! This was just the incentive that Dave W needed. Having just come back of sick leave he too was soon bringing his kayak back up from an inverted position. Deciding that they no longer needed a rescue kayak and that, if I remained, they might suggest I needed to do the same I joined the others on the shore.

It certainly came as a surprise that in their bid to improve fuel economy roof racks are very much a secondary consideration on today’s car design – you have been warned!! Many estate designs now have flush style bars instead of the large bars an inch or so above the roof. These rely on an expensive rack from the manufacturer. Some do not have any option for even these rails. Instead they rely on the rack sitting on the roof with a metal clip covered by rubber sat under the top edge of the doorframe. This was common on Morris Minors! There are a few that have lift up flaps that reveal the seal that used to be the good old-fashioned gutter above the door. These flaps never seemed as if they would last the regular removal and refitting of a rack. Some dealers even seemed surprised that I wanted to put something on the roof at all!

After two weekends of looking at lots of cars and glossy magazines I was not very happy. Lots of close ups of an indicator or wing mirror but pictures of a roof-rack were very rare indeed. Roof rack loading is not easy to find so maybe 4 sea-kayaks on the roof is a thing of the past? I could however always find the CO₂ emissions and fuel economy! I somehow wondered if this would be slightly different with 17ft of fibreglass at 70mph on board.

Since I usually have a sea-kayak I prefer to have a rope attached at either end to the bumpers. With nice shiny painted plastic bumpers it seems again the manufactures have not taken my needs into consideration. The towing eye is often found between the front wheels, under the car, so a rope attached will soon wear away either the number plate, bumper or the rope itself. Some use a bolt that threads into place, in which case I would need two, one at each end.

As you drive to and from your next paddle look closely at the roof-rack design of the cars around you. Will the design suit your needs? I am glad to say that after looking at a large number of cars and a couple of test drives one car still has decent full length roof bars. It meant I did not need to buy yet another roof-rack. I even managed to talk my way into being given a second bolt (although I could have bought one for £12). The back seat will take 3 adults and there is plenty of space in the boot. Yes, that is why I chose a Skoda Estate and it does 45mpg with the kayak on at 70mph! What’s coming to your driveway?

Avocet – Steve E has got a quote for £880 from AS Watersport however there may be a problem in delivery times from Valley. An alternative would be a Cappella which is the same price.

1^st Aid Course – an alternative to the Woodmill course is being sought as a 2 day course was not appropriate. Dave R it looking at the options for a one day course.

Website – John is looking at the possibility of a new ISP to enable a better name to be used for the site – Virgin is an option which will give a separate website and email address for the club.

Emsworth Mill Pond – Steve E has the contact at Havant Council and will be contacting to see what is required to have access.

Response to Standing Orders – from the last bank statement there were another half dozen people. More are expected on the next bank statement.

St. Malo Club – Richard B said that Peter B had not had an opportunity to contact them yet.

BCU Coaching – there is a meeting on 1^st Feb with the new local coaching officer.

Club Logo: Richard B and Glyn had samples of the proposed logo for review by the committee. It was agreed to use the ‘mixed case’ version. Richard will get cost for stickers etc. It was agreed that each member should have one sticker with additional stickers being available at a small charge. The idea of having seat shirts and t-shirts with the logo was discussed. A request for feedback will be put in the newsletter before orders are placed.

PDCC Forum: The reason for the forum and the extent of access to the forum was discussed. It was agreed that the forum was for club members and access by non-members would be at the committee’s discretion. It is intended for current discussion etc and older material will be regularly cleared off.

Trip List: The current list was discussed and trip leaders agreed for March and April. The summer trip will be to Sweden. This is being arranged by Tim Gilby via Andrew – it was suggested that hiring equipment for the trip would be better than taking your own as this would allow for flying to the sart. The trip is proposed for the week 8/9 – 16/9.

New Instructors / Training: Russell asked how many members were currently training for coaching awards and it was thought that probably were not any at present. There are one or two members who are interested in becoming instructors and it was agreed that the club should encourage members to seek coaching qualifications. It is still uncertain what the requirements for the new coaching scheme will be and it was generally felt that anyone intending to start on gaining coaching qualifications should wait until the new scheme was fully agreed.

Club Base: Richard G is still to talk to the Eastney leisure centre about the possibility of having a container there to hold equipment. The use of the centre for ad-hoc social events was discussed. A suggestion from Glyn was to look for a local pub that would allow us the use of a room in order to hold meetings or socialise after mid week training sessions.

Social Events: Glyn suggested that he put something in the newsletter to ask members what sort of social events they would be interested in. There was some discussion over the extent to which social events should be self-funding. Generally the level of funding by the club would be decided for each event.

AOB:

The Navigation Course will be on 25 February – names to Dave R.

Sports Council – Russell had a club activity census to be completed for Sport England. The Staunton Cup is awarded for disabled athletes and the winner was announced at the last meeting. Nominations for sports person, coach etc are now required – is there anyone in the club to be nominated?

There have been a couple of kayak accidents reported in the press recently – were there any lessons we could learn from these events? Generally the only lessons seemed to be paddle within your skill level and take account of the conditions likely to be encountered. It was agreed that the club follows this for all club trips.

Next Meeting: 11^th March 2007 – Steve E’s house.

The forthcoming exhibition in Birmingham is a way of seeing manufacturers together. Occasionally manufacturers do not attend these shows so checking with them before you go might save some hassle. Some gear, like dry bags, can be bought from a variety of dealers so the exhibition provides an easy way of shopping around. Occasionally it can save some shipping costs if you are looking for a new kayak as you can collect it there. Plus there is always the old school of haggling! This is not as easy as it used to be but occasionally a bargain can be found.

Of course gear for the water is just one part of "the package." Books, Guides, DVDs and other "dry" things can help the dark evenings pass by. The upcoming Navigation session is one such item – contact Dave R for further details. Having understood the finer parts of navigation there are plenty of "toys" that can assist paddlers. This can range from a GPS and even more expensive software for the computer to a piece of string to mark out distances on the deck whilst paddling. The local chandlers would be only too pleased to see us wandering in to purchase the latest compasses, VHF radios and charts. Those with access to the internet will find the likes of Ebay of great assistance.

Also being planned are first aid sessions and a chance for a flare demonstration/training evening. Some comment has been made about VHF courses. If you are interested in any of this then contact a committee member so they are aware there is sufficient interest.

Glynn T is looking to organise some social events. Last year he organised a very enjoyable barbecue at Eling. What else would you like him to organise. Some suggestions so far include a similar event and a skittles evening. Contact Glynn to let him know your thoughts.

But what of our skills on the water? This can be done in many ways. Attending a course at a professional centre like Woodmill, Calshot or Plas Menai may seem the obvious thing to do. It certainly means you will be taught by non-PDCC paddlers so another set of ideas can help. The club has a number of instructors and experienced paddlers who are only too pleased to assist less experienced paddlers. They were new to the sport once, incredible as it may seem sometimes! Over the last few years Richard G ran several very successful Monday evening sessions. These covered a number of basic skills right up to 3 star level. He is willing to do so again this year.

The midweek sessions will be on Wednesdays again at 18:30. These take place in a number of areas and are a good encouragement for getting out for a couple of hours. Some may involve actual training whilst others will just be a paddle somewhere. Russell P will be organising these.

So what else is left? Tell us all what you have been up to. The newsletter can only be interesting if you make it so. Articles, comments, gear reports, web-links can all be placed here but it needs people to put pen to paper (of is that fingers to keys?). It does not have to be club trips. Anything that you feel may be of interest to other paddlers can be noted. If you have anything to put in print then send the details to John B. It does not have to be e-mailed but it certainly makes life quicker if it is.