Kayaking again

I was kayaking on Kilbirnie Loch again during the week. It started off nice and dry, but the rain came on by the time we got half way up the loch (so the photo is a bit blurred).


The rain came on much heavier on the way back - I was pretty wet and couldn't see much till I had dried my glasses, and it was almost dark by the time we got back, though it wasn't that late. It's very noticeable (and was from the first evening down here) the huge difference in the time it gets dark at night.

(The photo has been lightened on the computer as it was a lot darker than this)

Anyway, kayaking was great fun - about 12 folk were out (I think, I didn't count). I had a go of a greenland paddle which was great, I've wanted to have a go since I first saw them at the Perth show 2 years ago, so I grabbed the opportunity when Duncan offered me a go of his paddle. It's really nice to paddle with - the feel of wood in the hand is so much nicer than plastic, and it doesn't get as slippy when it gets wet (as it was unvarnished). I had bruises on a finger and thumb on my right hand the next day though - but my left was fine. I haven't worked out quite why yet.

Considering how thin the greenland paddles are, it doesn't stop you being able to paddle fast at all. It's a different paddling position, and your wrists don't have to twist as much, so Duncan suggested it may actually be easier on my wrists to use a greenland paddle. Paddling with it was fine, once I got the hand of the differences - even down to the angle the blade does in the water. Sculling with it felt very strange though - especially having the paddle so deep in the water that my whole hand was under!

I was paddling a different boat too (lots of new experiences here) - an Avocet. Apart from the obvious benefit of a bigger cockpit than the Skerray, I didn't like it nearly as much. The Skerray just seemed to 'fit' better; in the Avocet I felt my legs were being twisted a bit to force them to stay braced, and it was quite hard work to keep them in the right position. Think I'll try for a Skerray again next time.