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It’s that time of year again!

For me, Christmas brings a mixture of excitement at the snow, the mulled wine & the festive spirit, but also dread at the thought of traipsing around trying to get presents for everyone!

If you feel the same then please consider making your life easier, and at the same time putting a smile on the face of the paddlers in your life with some inspiration in a box this Christmas!!

With this in mind, and because I haven’t released a new seakayaking DVD for a couple of years (shame on me… there will be a new one this time next year, I promise!)… I have collaborated with some kayaking filmmakers from across the pond and have brought in some award-winning films that people outside of North America have probably not seen. I have limited copies for sale in the UK, Europe & Australasia so get yours first!

The first film “Paddle to Seattle” is about the very likable and fun paddling duo of Josh Thomas & J.J. Kelley who make their own kayaks in Alaska, and proceed to paddle 1,300 miles down the Inside Passage. Guess where they end up? … Seattle! This is a 2 hour film which has won more awards than I have fingers, and it’s been shown on TV in various states of America. Paddler magazine called it “the best feature film on kayaking produced in the last decade”. It’s yours for just £15.99 ,plus a small contribution towards postage if you live in Europe or Australia. If you’re not already convinced then watch the trailer!

Also available is a box set bursting with seakayaking adventures from filmmaker Jon Bowermaster. This great value boxset contains 8 films (on 4 DVDs) that were originally produced for the National Geographic Channel. Jon kayaks in Tasmania, along the lost coast of Gabon in West Africa, amongst the islands of French Polynesia, in the beautiful Aleutian islands & in the South American Altiplano. He has run-ins with hippopotamus & crocodiles in Africa, and battles into icy winds while crossing between Aleutian islands. Jon’s films examine the culture and people of the places that he visits, while being immersed in the adventure! Get all 8 DVDs for just £29.99 (free postage to the UK, £1 extra to Europe, £2 extra to Australia).

Here’s a preview of one of Jon’s films. You can see previews of the others on his website.

Of course, all the Cackle TV DVDs are in stock and are also full of fantastic seakayaking and canoeing adventures. “This is Canoeing” was released earlier this year and has won 3 awards! I’m sure there are lots of paddlers who have been too busy paddling to buy it, but who would love to settle down with a mince pie and watch some of the 12 high definition films.

Last but definitely not least, for the bargain hunters, “This is the Sea 3” is on offer for £15 or US $22.50 for a limited time on our special offers page, & as always you can save money when you buy multiple DVDs. Shipping is always free on Cackle TV Products!

So check out the store and let us help make your Christmas shopping that little bit easier!

Last weekend Barry and I paddled in the Scottish islands around Oban. I’ve paddled there a few times before and was reminded what a gorgeous area it is & the snow on the distant peaks made it extra moody. On Saturday we raced 35km around Lismore island which proved good practice for Tierra del Fuego with all seasons in 5 hours! We had a force 5 headwind, flat calm, rain, hail & sunshine – everything but a following sea! Barry now reckons that ‘cyclonic winds’ means that if you are paddling around an island that the wind is always against you! The day was topped off by 4 otter sightings – a couple of them almost within reach of the paddle.

Sunday was a glorious sunny day, although still a day for poggies in the crisp November temperatures! My day was topped off by spending about 10 minutes in the company of acrobatic dolphins. Hopefully this little film clip will put a smile on your face too! Thanks to Rowland Woollven for putting us up for the weekend and letting me point my camera at him and all his kit on Sunday for a new DVD out next year.

This weekend I’m in the Lake District for the UK’s biggest adventure film festival, the Kendal Mountain film Festival. “Rannoch Moor” is showing on Thursday night as part of the ‘wild water night’ and “Dougie Down the Pet” is showing all weekend in the ‘wild water’ and ‘family friendly’ film programmes. Hope to see some of you there.

As winter comes upon us and many of us are spending less time on the water, and more time wrapped up inside, I’m offering a fantastic 25% off “This is the Sea 3” DVDs for a limited time. If you haven’t got a copy, or you want to get organised for Christmas and treat a friend… now is your chance.

The DVD is packed with over 2 hours of great films – including the award winning documentary of Andrew McAuley and friends on a challenging journey down the Antarctic Peninsula, exciting action from the mighty Falls of Lora tidal race, Greenland style rolling with Freya Hoffmeister & Cheri Perry & a feature on the legendary Paul Caffyn – and more!

It’s yours for just £15, or US $22.50 with free shipping. If you want to pay in Canadian dollars, Euros or another currency then you’ll be charged the equivalent bargain price.  You can pay via credit card or paypal. Happy Paddling!

For more information about “This is the Sea 3” click here.

“This is the Sea 3” £15

“This is the Sea 3” US$ 22.50

Preparations for attempting to kayak around Tierra del Fuego are in full swing. As part of that we are gathering together all the gear that we’ll take on the trip. We’ll take a lot of tried and tested kit and we’ve also approached a few companies about sponsorship. Today our first goodie bag arrived – or rather goodie box!

I was recently introduced to Nakd and Trek bars by Sarah Outen, who fueled up on them while rowing solo across the Indian Ocean. I was very impressed with their yummy taste and with the fact that they contain only natural ingredients. Not a single E number or artificial anything in there. While on a remote trip with limited access to fresh food, I always try to “feed my engine” with as much healthy and unprocessed food as possible so these bars will be ideal. They also contain up to 11grams of protein, great for sustained energy.

In the words of the founder, “Most bars are drenched in sugary syrups, heavily processed and low in protein. That isn’t a recipe for sustained energy, appetite control or good nutrition. Trek bars are different. They’re a precise balance of nourishing wholefoods cold-pressed together for energy and replenishment when you need it most. NOTHING BEATS NATURE”.

We’ll take as many bars as we can fit into our luggage and pockets with us to Tierra del Fuego but we might just have to test them out a bit first in Wales. Oh, and did you notice in the photo that one of the bars arrived half eaten. I’ll have to complain about that.

So far, Valley kayaks, Mitchell Blades, Lyon Equipment (UK distributors of Ortlieb, Aquapac, Exped, Julbo & Petzl), Icebreaker, Kokatat & Reed are also on board as sponsors so a mighty big thanks to all of them.

One big bit of gear that we are so far missing for our trip is a satellite phone. We’ll have to call the Chilean & Argentinean Prefectura every day (when we are in their country) to tell them where we are so we need a sat phone, and lots of 10p’s for phone calls. If anyone knows of a company who might sponsor us with a phone then please let us know.

Sarah Outen has written a blog about our week of kayak training in Menorca. She’s extremely flattering about me, so to avoid getting a big head, I am remembering that she’s keeping me sweet so I keep her alive! (although she’s a very capable kayaker herself!)