Expedition: Bass Strait - Joining the Dots: Justine Curgenven
Article: Kate's First Sea Kayaking Adventures
Classic UK Paddle: Portland, Dorset
Trip: Roving among the islands and Wilderness of Mull’s west coast
Incident Management III: Surf Zones, Rough Landings & Repairs to get you home
Article: Following Instincts
Review: Valley Nordkapp RM
Review: Advanced Elements Advanced Frame & Convertible Kayaks
Stern words: Brian Wilson - Blowin' in the Wind

and, much, much more..

• All the latest news from manufacturers and expeditions;
• Reviews of Mitchell Paddles; the new Hebridean Waves book, and the Yak Vent buoyancy aid;
• Win a two-day course with Sea Kayaking Cornwall (that's Jeff Allen and Simon Osbourne)  for you, and three of your friends (they'll be queuing up if you win!)

  
  

Kate's First Sea Kayaking Adventures: Ingrid Tomlinson

We had been travelling with Kate from an early age, having spent two seasons trekking with her in the Everest and Annapurna regions of the Nepal Himalayas. By the age of two she was becoming too heavy to carry, but was still unable to walk far. We were missing sea kayaking together and wanted a way to continue with our adventures.

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Any journey round Portland can be a serious undertaking: dumping surf on Chesil Beach; powerful tides around Portland Bill; and numerous smaller tidal races along the eastern side all add up to create an advanced environment for sea kayakers. That said, in the right conditions, and with the right knowledge, a trip around Portland can be a fantastic day trip for intermediate paddlers

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I’ve got a problem; being instinctively drawn to distant horizons. Part curiosity, part adventure, there is an irresistible urge to explore these feint, colourless landmasses, and to get there armed only with a paddle. Part Viking, I hope, part bonkers, I’m told.

 The last eighteen months has been rich with opportunity and experience. A 1500km trip up the west coast of Scotland, six weeks accompanying BBC newsreader Kate Silverton around Britain’s best known waters, and recently a trip from Barahead to Turnberry, following a direct line of the Stevenson’s lighthouses.

 I am still ‘buzzing’ from these experiences but surprised that in all this time I saw just two kayaks and one canoe. This is not a travel log but an attempt, hopefully a responsible one, to inspire paddlers to get out there and cross the seas. Bear in mind that I am not qualified in any way other than the fact that I’ve done a ‘bit’, and this article is based purely on my experience over the last few years. If you really want to know how, see a qualified instructor, and probably a doctor!

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The Bass Strait - Joining the Dots in Australia: Justine Curgenven

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end the first time I saw a map of the chain of islands tantalisingly curving across the Bass Strait. A few small green dots, spaced sparingly across the expanse of blue made a kayak crossing of the 300km channel, not only achievable, but also impossible for me to resist. It was the perfect sea kayaking challenge – island hopping up to 70km at a time across a notoriously stormy sea, and a chance to explore the rarely visited islands that I now traced my fingers around.

 I’d first become aware of the possibilities in 2004, while paddling around Tasmania. From Little Musselroe Bay I had glanced north at the prominent hills of Clarke Island, 13 miles away and I vowed that one day I’d come back and join the dots. Finally, two and a half years later I returned, with Alun Hughes, to attempt the crossing…

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In Part III of our Incident Management Series, Jeff Allen takes a close look at the managing the surf zone, rough water landings and repairs to get you home..

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Valley let us loose with their new Nordkapp RM; a reinvention of a classic composite sea kayak into plastic - does it work??.

We put it through its paces and let you know what we think of it. more..

This month, we also review these kayaks from Advanced Elements.

These are innovative inflatable boats, which use aluminium frames to give the bow and stern a traditional kayak shape. They share a packable design that can be unfolded from a suitcase sized bag and inflated within about five minutes, using only a two handed double action barrel pump

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And Finally..

Brian Wilson returns, and following on from Patrick Winterton's article on open crossings, Brian turns his thoughts to alternatives to paddling long distances..

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