_____________________________________________________________________________

Just back from two days paddling on the Llyn peninsula North Wales in my Cetus LV, Ally had her Bahiya, Bob M and Deb Cook were in old style PE Capellas. We had a superb trip along this fascinating coast line. Sticking out in to the Irish sea it gets its fair share of wind and storms but we caught it pretty nice.

We put in at Morfa Nefyn and paddled along the coast West playing in the chop and having a look at the fascinating coast line that makes North Wales so special. We were loaded pretty heavy as it was my birthday trip so we were carrying quite a bit of liquids, the boats all handled the wind blow chop really well and so life was easy! The usual crowd of your pup seals followed us for ages watched by careful mothers.

After a bit of a swim in the sea we set about making our overnight camp on a lovely sheltered spot called Porth Widin. Bob M collected firewood, Deb started to cook a wicked curry and me and Ally dropped a few lines and brought up some nice Pollack for dinner too!

Dinner around the fire was followed by much drinking and the opening of a bottle of rather nice Champaign!

We slept well and the morning was brought to courtesy of some blustery winds and pretty big swells running up the peninsular so there was no way we were going to continue around to Hells Mouth! It was going to be a bouncy ride back as it was.

The swell was running at an award angle to us so we had to play about with the skeg’s a bit but they really made a difference especial as the boats were loaded up and we had a few interesting surf’s on the way back to keep us on our toes as the bigger sets rolled in.

We finish a fantastic trip off back in Morfa. W were all beaming at the fun we had just had. This is what its all about for me, adventures, friends and having some fun out on the water. Cheers to Ally, Bob M, Deb for making this one so special. P&H for the boats that make it all possible! To see more photos check out our Campbell Coaching site at www.campbellcoaching.eu

Bob Campbell

Well, after nearly a year of no paddling, except for a short trip in December, I have today been out in the Cetus MV. My forced absence from paddling has been due to two operations for collapsed discs, L4 L5 and a nerve in the same area being damaged during the second operation. I am now awaiting the results of the latest MRI scan, hoping to escape a third surgery….
I really enjoyed my quick paddle in the MV, I have previously used an Cetus LV & Quest LV for coaching. The MV suprised me a little by being quite like the Quest LV in its straight-line stability in a force 3 – 4 side-wind. What didn’t surprise me was how much more easy it was to maneuver the Cetus MV than the Quest LV, easily held edging produces quick turns and the boat is lightning fast to respond to a bow-rudder or even more so, a cross-bow-rudder. A chance meeting with two large, very fast RIBs (with the Danish equivalent of the SBS aboard) was great fun, they obliged my wishes by producing some good confused waves for five minutes or so…
The MV was really solid and stable whilst being easy to turn and get up-to speed again.
All in all a great return to paddling, I am now hoping to get the chance to try a Delphin over the next few weeks

Mike

Took a vacation up to my homeland of Massachusetts last week and got a chance to paddle the Cetus MV a good amount. What an amazing boat it is. My friends at Osprey Sea Kayaks at the head of the Westport River in Westport, MA were kind enough to provide me with a demo MV to paddle for a couple days. A big thanks to Sam and Carl Ladd for the use of the boat and for being and awesome group of people. I urge anyone to check them out if you are in the area.

First day I took the boat out of Padanaram Harbor and paddled with fellow P&H enthusiast Brandon “Mango” Gunderson over to New Bedford Harbor. Conditions were pretty flat with about a 10 knt wind blowing. Coming from the LV the MV felt more maneuverable and faster. It was also very clear of an increase in height for my knees to sit in the braces. For my size ( 5′9” about 175 lbs) this boat fit PERFECT! Unbelievably comfortable and paddled like a dream. We took the boat just under 4 miles to New Bedford and was able to compare it to the Scorpio that Brandon was paddling and found it to be MUCH faster. We swapped boats for the way back and as great as the Scorpio is I couldn’t wait to paddle the MV again.

The second day I took it out I paddled alone around Sakonnet Point in Rhode Island and played in and around the rocks. There was a gentle 3′ swell but would pick up around some of the submerged rocks just enough to surf the boat. Surfing was the way it should be, a couple strokes to get going and a slight edge to correct. Fast down the wave and buoyant enough not to purl on the steeper ones.

Having the boat sit slightly higher in the water allowed me to spin it around on a dime with a good edge and really have a blast in the rocks. Had it been my boat and had a keel strip I would have been more aggressive with it but I had my fun! Planning on paddling from Sakonnet to Newport I changed my mind and stayed around the rocks for 4 hours having a blast. Never have I paddled a boat so much fun yet so refined. The MV will certainly be my next boat and I will be looking forward to tripping in it. Paddle one if you can!

I had the chance to paddle the new P&H Delphin for the first time a couple weeks ago. There is a lot of excitement out there about the Delphin and I know that people are eager to hear how the boat paddles. Here are some initial impressions to hold people over until they have a chance to paddle the Dephin themselves… (more…)

Team P&H have been on the road again making the long haul from Runcorn to Southampton. This inaugural event was hosted by the Woodmill Canoe Shop at the adjacent Woodmill Outdoor Activities Centre. The venue is situated on the banks of the River Itchen where it meets tidal waters in the Southampton suburb of Swaythling. The weekend workshops included: first aid, navigation, VHF radio, rough water handling and guided trips. The ‘paddle to the pub’ was by far the most popular of the guided trips on offer.

Saturday evening brought an opportunity to borrow a short boat from the canoe shop and try a few moves in the play spot of the Itchen Weir. The traditional slide show preceded an excellent barbecue. Generous portions of meat and bread were used to stem the flow of alcohol to our senses. Later, desert was cooked over a huge bonfire. Seered marshmallows and spiced rum… Yum!

The highlight of the paddling was the trip around The Needles at the western end of the Isle of Wight. Dodging the ships in The Solent, rounding the mighty chalk stacks and riding the tide races in brilliant sunshine. This may seem like a simple recipe, but these ingredients work every time!

The event was really well organised by the staff from the shop and outdoor centre who are a really friendly and helpful bunch. It is worth keeping an eye on next years calender as the organisers hope to make this an annual event.

Over the last Bank Holiday weekend the P&H team met up with around 80 other sea kayaking enthusiasts at the outdoor centre known as ‘Stackpole for Outdoor Learning’. The centre is set in beautiful grounds, just back from the coast in the rolling south Pembrokeshire countryside in south Wales.

The emphasis of the weekend was on ‘Paddling Lightly’, or in other words; enjoying our sport with the minimum impact upon, and with the greatest respect for our wild and beautiful marine environment. The modern sport of kayaking can involve heavy use of motor vehicles. But last weekend’s events showed that with careful planning impact upon narrow lanes, small car parks and the wider environment can be minimised.

The events on the water were largely organised by Pembrokeshire’s collective ‘Sea Kayak Guides’. The staff at ‘Stackpole for Outdoor Learning’ were amazing too. Louise Smithson and the rest of her team were extremely efficient, especially when it came to meal times when great food was turned out in plentiful dish loads.

Peak UK and P&H Custom Sea Kayaks were out in force to support the event and brought kit and boats to try & buy, a splash of colour and a bouncy dog called Georgie!

On the Saturday the blustery weather kept the paddlers in sheltered waters of the Cleddau and other sheltered shores. In the evening we were kept well informed by a local wildlife expert and local sea kayak guide Nigel Robinson. Afterwards the adventurous Olly Sanders recounted tales of how he clung to walls, paddled amongst icebergs, caused an explosion in a hunting cabin and watched helplessly as his compatriots were kidnapped by murderers.

The stories grew taller and taller and and we drank late into the night …

On Sunday a more adventurous group went to circumnavigate the exposed island nature reserve of Skomer. The tides here proved as entertaining and tricky as a bucking bronco. Circumnavigating the monks haven of Caldey Island, or traversing the rugged coastline between Solva and Porth Clais was quite enough for mere mortals in the chunky rolling swells of the day.

The evening started with a sumptuous barbecue before descending into a musical furore instigated by a local ceilidh band.

Bank Holiday Monday was more sedate. A few more gentle palling trips before tea and cakes and home to reality. Ho hum…

There are more photos from the weekend on the festival Facebook page.

Well I just finished my solo trip from Key Largo to Key West and I feel great.

Day 1: 9 hours – 26 miles
Launched from John PenneKamp State Park and was on the water by 10:00. Grey day with big storms brewing out over the Atlantic. I had a bout a 2.5 foot chop most of the ride and was staying cool due to the weather. Stopped in Tavernier Key to have lunch at a marina there and was welcomed by a huge manatee under my boat.

Fought the 6knt channel back out to the ocean and pressed on. I hadn’t paddled in at least a week and had not done a 20 miles paddle in over a month. I was feeling a little tired by the 20 miles point. Finding a camping spot in the upper keys is more difficult than the lower. Could not wait to find a non Mangrove island. Reached Indian Key around 7:00 and was thrilled to be there. I set up camp and spent the night.

Day 2 :11 hours – 31 miles
Woke up around 6:30 and explored the Island a little. Old cisterns, cottage remains and a watch tower were spread out across the island.

Path roadways connected the whole thing a made a very cool experience. Got on the water by 8:00 and headed for Marathon over 30 miles away. Headed off and stopped to take a lunch at Lower Matecumbe Harbor. Had my first of a series of medium crossings.

Took off for a 4.5 miles crossing from Lower Matecumbe Key to the outside tip of Long Key. The wind and chop were in my face and continued that way for the first 3/4 of the day. Crossed pass Duck Key, Curry Hammock State Park and finally did one more long crossing from Key Colony Beach to Vaca Key where I followed Sister Creek into Boot Key Harbor. I met up with Mike, Nancy and Randy from Burdine’s Marina for a wonderful meal and nights stay in preparation for the 7 mile bridge the next morning. I had seen over a dozen shark by the end of the day

Day 3: 10 hours – 40 miles
Got up around 6:30 and a had a quick breakfast and shower and said goodbye to my most hospitable hosts at Burdine’s.

Once about 20 minutes out in to the Seven Mile Bridge crossing the wind and swell picked up nicely. Foretasted 25knt winds from the E, SE were spot on and I had a rocketing 3.5-4′ swell following me almost right behind me. An ear to ear grin came upon me as I surfed the Cetus LV like a mad man for the rest of the day. Crossing took 1hr and 20min to complete and I was on my way headed towards the beautiful Bahia Honda State Park.

Took a 30 minute swim and consulted the charts thinking, did I really do that crossing that fast. The Cetus surfs like none other. Here the trip really started to get good. Took off again and stopped before my last big crossing of the trip. Ate a snack at Big Munis Island where there is a private resort reachable only by boat (kayaks anyone) and marveled at its beauty.

Got back out a mile and a half to catch the wind and swell again and surfed the 8.5 miles crossing from Munis to Sugerloaf Key where I planned to camp. Google maps had shown an almost empty large beach called Sugerloaf beach and looked very inviting. As I surfed with fury across I almost missed the beach due to it not looking anything like I thought it would! Houses all over the place and all private. The only houses that were not occupied were the hurricane ravaged ones on the west side.

Noticing 2′ plus iguanas all over the place I though better of camping there and decided to press on past the 34 miles I had already gone. A strong day of surf assisted paddling left me feeling still pretty energetic. Pressed on to Geiger Key where I took out unhappy of all the rest stops I carelessly took after noticing the great time I was making. Had I not I would have made Key West on the 3rd day!

Day 4: 1.5 hours – 6 miles
Got back on the water to complete my journey at 8:30 and paddled my last 6 miles to Smather’s Beach on Key West by 9:50.

At this point 6 miles felt like not even getting in the boat. As I pulled up on the beach and got out in wait of my ride home to Naples I marveled at my first solo trip and how luck I was to have the boat that I do.

P&H was well represented at ECCKF by the team from Asheville, and team paddlers: Ben Lawry, Bryan Smith, Russell Farrow, Donna & Don Thompson, and Tom Nickels. And, Karen Knight was there with a team logo on her spiffy new Cetus LV.

Here are 4 of the 6 Blue Angels.  throughout the weekend we were treated (?) to the sounds of acrobatic jet aircraft.  Once in a while we even saw them.

Here is Karen Knight putting her new Cetus LV into a spin.

Team members spent many hours teach on-the-water classes, doing skill demos, and giving lectures in tents or classrooms.

On the left is a typical tent session.  This one is What’s the right paddle for you?

On the right: Donna & Don taking a break after teaching .

(more…)