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As most people soon realise who are into paddle sports, it allows you a view of and access to some incredible places that many others don’t ever see.
This.
An amazing way of travelling and exploring.
We are back on the Spey this autumn - a few years since I have been, time to remind myself how utterly absorbing a paddle down a river for a few days is. Tonic for the soul. With added whisky tasting.
Do you use a Canadian canoe for that?
We have a some sea kayaks, but starting to think I want a canoe for inland waterways.
I bought the decathlon X100 Kayak a few months ago mainly for use on hols. Me and my youngest took it along the Macclesfield Canal a few weeks ago and it was great. I must have been along the canal 100's of times before but the perspective was completely different on the canal. This is just by AstraZeneca's site in Macclesfield but it could be anywhere.
i like that it had the portability of a SUP but it's more practical and I'm much less likely to fall in and catch some dodgy disease.
@robola - we do use open canoes, but have also kayaked in white water or touring kayaks. I would take a sea kayak down the Spey, easy and fast trip with only a few iffy corners at Aviemore and just before Spey Bay.
As we are taking kayaks as well, Mrs Kilo has ordered a Mercury GTX Solo modular kayak for our place in Ireland. Not really able to stick a full size kayak on a hire car roof so this is to complement her SUP. Only gone for a single seater - I don’t do the life aquatic.
Will report on it in a few weeks.
@matt_outandabout Cheers, good to know. But then I don't get to justify a new boat to the Mrs...
Ah yes, but bank of plastic time.
Our boats cost £300 and £350 8 years ago. They are ex-hire, heavy workhorses that have seen a hard life. I have replaced a seat and some bolts (maybe +£100).
They are worth easily what I paid for them - possibly post covid even more...
#ManMaths
I bought a Lidl Mistral board last summer - queued outside at opening time to get one. It was one board per customer and not everyone in the queue got one.
Fast fwd a year and I noticed a pallet of untouched boards in the middle isle in my local store on Monday tea time.
FYI, my board developed a few bubbles under the foam pad, so I emailed Lidl customer support and they gave me a refund as no replacements were available. Turns out the bubbles have gone away and the board is still going strong.....
One benefit of a SUP over an inflatable Kayak is that they are much easier to clean and dry after use.
Mrs Kilo has ordered a Mercury GTX Solo modular kayak
interested to know how you get on with that.
I came close to getting a tandem tequila for accompanying mrs TR on her long swims - then bought a SUP.
I demoed one and it wasnt great - they didnt lock together all that rigidly .
they then released the mk2 which addressed the issues (mojito i think it is ) and it was well out my budget 🙁
I have an inflatable kayak and a sup, both similar price from Decathlon. I much prefer the kayak. It's much easier to go in the direction you want without constantly swapping sides, and quicker too I think.
I bought MrsRNP one last year, she's tried it as an SUP but I tend to pinch it more and use it with the back rest as an open canoe - the dog loves swimming alongside!
I'd like a Canadian but we wouldn't use it enough to justify it beyond the Aldi / Mistral.
The drop stitch kayaks are much easier to dry than a standard inflatable kayaks. They are also much cheaper in France than the UK. 300E vs £400 for the two man and 380E vs £500 for the three. I'm going see if I can convince the missus to buy the three man when we are on next on hols so we have a 2 and 3 and then we could all kayak together
It’s much easier to go in the direction you want without constantly swapping sides
Stack your hands vertically. Keep your hands straight(er). Bring the paddle put at your feet. You should be able to hundreds of yards without switching.
Or learn to J-stroke…
It’s much easier to go in the direction you want without constantly swapping sides, and quicker too I think.
Tell me you taught your self how to paddle board without telling me you taught your self how to paddleboard.
Stack your hands vertically. Keep your hands straight(er). Bring the paddle put at your feet
Not exactly sure what these things mean but I do bring my paddle out at my feet.
I have read about J strokes and that's what I was going for.
Tell me you taught your self how to paddle board without telling me you taught your self how to paddleboard.
Thanks for the passive aggression everyone, it really makes me feel good. Keep it coming 🙂 sorry I failed your barrier for entry by not coughing up for organised lessons.
sorry I failed your barrier for entry by not coughing up for organised lessons.
Chip on your shoulder much .
I've not had an organised lesson either. But I do have friends who can paddleboard competently and were able to help me get an adequate j stroke on such that I can move fast without looking like I'm stirring the soup or changing gear in a 2cv
Not exactly sure what these things mean but I do bring my paddle out at my feet.
This is bad (like really bad) - the paddle is across the body, with bent arms. The paddle will describe an arc as its moved through the water, moving wide mid stroke, turning you and necessitating you to swap sides frequently. It's slow, tiring and tedious constantly swapping paddle hands. And what you see at most beaches up and down the country.
This is much better - the left arm is across the body so it is 'stacked' vertically on top of the right making the paddle held vertically. The paddle is nice and far forward in the catch with the straight arms using the core to do most of the work for a powerful stroke and is pulled back straight and close to the board. For cherries on top a bit more pressure on the opposite foot to keep it running straight even more.
TThey are also much cheaper in France than the UK. 300E vs £400 for the two man and 380E vs £500 for the three. I’m going see if I can convince the missus to buy the three man when we are on next on hols so we have a 2 and 3 and then we could all kayak together
Ooh, any links to French dropstitch kayaks?
I've done enough paddling of other forms (and had the sore elbow tendons) to not do it like that. I do as per the videos mostly but it's still harder than it is in a kayak for obvious reasons.
Today I was paddling for about 10 strokes on each side. My daughter was sat on the front which I don't think helped. I had thought it maybe better to move slightly further forward, being further away from the skeg. But now I'm thinking that was the wrong approach.
This is bad (like really bad)
The people in the videos are doing that instead of pulling all the way back to the end of the board which is what I started out doing.
I paddle my sup opposite to my Canadian canoe, in that the micro-correction element of my stroke is at the beginning rather than the end.
It's got a degree of a 'hanging draw' stroke, as it's called in a kayak, but it's a hanging draw into a stroke.
Is that called a reverse-J?
I tend to arrive at technique by trial and error rather than instruction. 😊
I've no idea how other people paddle sups.
Not sure if that's 'wrong' or not, but I can go as far as I want paddling on one side, just as I can in my canoe and it feels like a fairly efficient stroke usually.
I should probably get someone to look at what I do and see if it's the most efficient way for me or not. 🤔
Yes, I do the same. A small difference of angle in the catch either way followed by a conventional stroke nudges the board either way. On the surf sup which is far more manouverable but where you don't have time to switch hands you really can pull the board around without switching hands but an exaggerated paddle entry. You can rapidly turn left with the paddle on your left side for example.
Also, like a sea kayak you can edge (though admittedly less on a soft rounded sided isup), with the side of the board pushed into the water slightly going faster and turning you the opposite way. So the pressure on your feet can make a difference too.
It’s got a degree of a ‘hanging draw’ stroke, as it’s called in a kayak, but it’s a hanging draw into a stroke.
Bow draw into power stroke I would call it.
Dare you to try a bow jamb on a SUP... 🫣😀
Does anyone have any experience of Wave SUPs? In the event that theres none left at Lidl when I nip after work!
I'm not one for organised group activities but if you can join in with good SUP club it's really worth it for the knowledge that you can gain to get more enjoyment and safety. The one we go to doesn't have membership fees, tell them you are going and pay a fiver with access to at least 3 coaches on the water, shower facilities if you have a dunk in the river etc.
Those of you that are paddling around on rivers and canals, are you members of British Canoeing or similar to cover licencing fees? Or just winging it and hoping to not get asked?
Yeah we have BC membership, I see it as good karma. Some of the lock keepers will ask if you want to go through.
IdleJon
Pretty much. I’ve paddled around the bay with a friend and had a coffee and cake before paddling back. Down the river, coffee, back. It’s a pleasant way to spend an evening, or Sunday morning. I don’t yet trust my competence to paddle around the sea-cliffs a few miles further along the coast, but I’ve seen plenty of people doing it, and that means you’d get to see seals, seabirds, great scenery, maybe dolphins and bigger stuff occasionally. You don’t often get that on a stroll to the pub. ;D
kayak23
As most people soon realise who are into paddle sports, it allows you a view of and access to some incredible places that many others don’t ever see.
I’ve kayaked in river valleys all over many parts of the world that basically, only kayakers tend to ever see.It’s different on sups of course but that still stands. Someone likened it to a nice walk before and I suppose it is.
So I'm not saying I don't mind a nice walk for the sake of a walk... or perhaps I am (introspective)???
My sons (12) mother decided to buy one (well used my CC to buy one) and I'm suddenly expected to go on holiday with them and "entertain my kid" with it (In Newquay) but I can't see how its going to "entertain him" when he'd obviously want to be surfing assuming any surf at all and won't be allowed to actually do anything interesting.
Mate of mine just bought 2 sup’s from sup warehouse 199 each on offer with pump paddle and bag. No idea what make though
Osprey Action Sports have a board on sale at 195 that looks v similar to the Lidl one - very similar kit
My sons (12) mother decided to buy one (well used my CC to buy one) and I’m suddenly expected to go on holiday with them and “entertain my kid” with it (In Newquay) but I can’t see how its going to “entertain him” when he’d obviously want to be surfing assuming any surf at all and won’t be allowed to actually do anything interesting.
Paddling and standing up on a sup in even very mild 'chop' in the sea is 'entertaining' and pretty hard.
You can surf them to a degree too.
Pretty sure you'll not find it boring.
Thinking of getting one for bimbling up and down the canal with one of the kids sat on. Something like the Osprey one. Good idea? Might take it on holiday to Anglesey too.
Stainypants
Free Member
@thegeneralist Here is the link to page in French Decathlon page
Drop stitch starting at 500 quid or so.
The two man drop stitch is £250 in France and the three man £320. I bought the 2 man at Whit.
Here is the link to page in French Decathlon page
Grazie 😉