Just sat here thinking it would be quite fun to kayak at night, not talking about crazy whitewater runs but fairly tame rivers, canals lochs and lakes, stuff that during the day might even be a bit dull but by virtue of being out in the night might make it a bit more fun in a covert sort of way.
So anybody had a go?
there's probably laws about what sort of boats can navigate waterways in the dark?
or are there 'cheeky trails' for kayaks too?
Sure you could fit a red/green light if required.
It may not be properly legal but surely if you're properly covert in your paddling then few people will be aware of your presence.
My old coach did the upper Dart at night on one trip. In a canoe. He had something wrong with him though, was always trying to hurt himself.
I used to paddle in the dark all the time - mainly on the canal in Hertford but also on the some of smaller tributaries and also on the Thames at Reading.
No headlights - just us and the ambience of the local streetlights for company.
Why not try night time sea kayaking, with a blindfold.
quick edit their Charlie 
I was just about to say somethign about 'not-see kyaking'!
I regularly see paddlers on the River Wey at night. There are several little "cheeky trails" for them to explore and they seem to have an Exposure Joystick type light on their helmets. I've seen them in groups of up to 8 people, looks fun too.
Why not try night time sea kayaking, with a blindfold.
Surely you only use the blindfold if your forced to train during the day for night kayaking.
I've done night runs of a few rivers, including some Grade 3+ stuff. I'm not sure I'd recommend it.
We once did a late run of the Crake (south Lakes) with pretty minimal lighting, and both I and a mate nearly ended up in severe poo when we ran into a fallen tree. Not funny in the slightest, lots of very nervous giggling and "that was a bit sketchy" comments afterwards. Do less of it now, despite having much more capable lights for it (AyUps work very, very well)
The best night run I've done was the Falls of Dochart at Killin. The main drop is floodlight under the bridge in town, so a bit easier to scout, but there's a couple of smaller bits below it in pitch black that have caused me some upset a couple of times...
Nightime sailing/paddling is great fun. Couple of tips if I may be so bold:
1) go on a full moon and moonlit clear skies
2) take a mobile with you
3) paddle slow and quiet, try not to disturb the wildlife, you'll see enough of that when your shimmying along
4) no torches unless you are launching/recovering
5) take a knife
6) choose a river or estury you know reasonably well. I'd choose an estury first and if it's your first time check the tides
7) check tides
take coffee/soup/munchies, it'll get cold no matter what time of year
9) let someone know you are going if poss, don't leave a sticker on your car saying "I've just gone paddling, back in a bit"
10) if you think you need a torch to light where you are going, be prepared for some shocking eyes looking back at you.
11) have fun
It all sounds a bit Cockleshell Heroes to me.
It all sounds a bit Cockleshell Heroes to me.
Yeah, sounds good eh?
A few runs in Norway quite late into the night - but it never really got dark !!
Best nightime paddle has to be playing on the rab wave in a squirt boat. - not sure it was very safe, but a good buzz
there was a chap last year who did multiple night time runs of the upper dart for charity.
for those who don't know the upper dart is the equivalent of a super techy DH run, with the added complication of drowning if you get it wrong.
Marcus, Rab'd be fun in a squirt! Not got up to that sort of stuff yet, only had my Shred 6 months and there's been no water for most of that!
When i had a canoe and lived in Chester, me and a mate regularly canoed down the ribver dee at 10 pm plus, lovely nights etc, no other traffic.
Just be aware that rowers also use the rivers at the same time of night and they row backwards so cant see yo, and theyre fast, and ignorant t....s
Just be aware that rowers also use the rivers at the same time of night and they row backwards so cant see yo, and theyre fast, and ignorant t....s
Just mount one of those "Air Zound" things on your kayak and unleash it as the rowers approach.
I used to train in the dark (marathon, river race, slalom) all the time. You get used to it. You don't move that fast so a simple head torch will do unless you are on a busy river. Scares the life out of you when you hit a duck and it flies up though.
I used to spent an unhealthy amount of time at Teeside barrage. It's lit but not very well so it was a bit like paddling in the dark.
I've got off rivers in the dark before, never intentionally, normally because it all went a bit wrong somewhere. You can add a grade to any normal river if you don't have lights 
I used to go to Stanley Embankment quite a lot, it's a surf wave under a bridge in Wales. It was fine in the eddy but pitch black if you got on the wave. Just had glow sticks on the helmet so people could see you if you swam.
Finally on the more sedate side I did some night paddling on a trip in Canada because we were trying to cross a large but shallow lake. It was very rough during the day but calmed at night. It was pretty close to the arctic circle so it was night but never got any darker than dusk and we had a 6 hour sunset. It was very eerie.
Sounds great - I may have to get mine out this week and paddle round some of Oxford.
In my white water kayaking prime, I worked in Uganda on the white nile....
Did a couple of night runs down that under a full moon...It was amazing!
You really need to be in the zone and feel at one with the river..go with the flow.
I paddle at night sometimes on the Thames near Hampton Court. Just in a sedate "escape from the sofa" kind of thing. It's nice to see the river when it's not quite to crowded.
Careful out there - someone died in the Forth last night in a kayak.
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/scotland/Kayaker-killed-in-the-Forth.6850754.jp
Marcus - now you showing your age that was a long time ago & the Rab wave had flood lights till midnight, I don't remember paddling past 12 we probably did but was far to drunk to realize what tie it was ;0) - Fast forward to 2011 and the Rab Wave doesn't exist any more!
Back on subject - paddling at night is great just be careful - the consequences are a little more serious than coming of your bike!
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