Justine’s Blog

  • Testing, Testing!

    This weekend, Barry and I paddled joined Kev, Gill, Chris & Matt for a paddle down the Menai Straits and an overnight camp at Aber Menai Point. Although, the snow on the Welsh mountains has largely melted it was still a frosty cold night, so was a good chance for Barry and I to test out some of the kit that we’re planing to take to Tierra del Fuego. It was exciting to sleep in our new Hilleberg Tarra tent for the first time and our first impressions are great. It’s roomy, very sturdy and a fantastic shade of red! We’ve both got a large porch to ourselves so there will be no squabbling over space to put our kit! The footprint extends underneath the porches so our kit is off any wet soggy (or frosty!) ground.

    While we were testing out our kit, it wasn’t all serious! I am happy to confess that we spent most of the evening in Kev & Gill’s big family size tent, crowded round Kev’s homemade fire pit, drinking mulled wine and scoffing mince pies! Kev & Gill were in a canoe which meant they had lots of space to make life very comfortable!

    I was also trying out a few new bits of kit from Kokatat. I’ve had the dry suit that I’ll take on the trip for a few months already and I’ve been wearing it most of the winter so far! but on Friday I received a box with some extra goodies in it. I tried out my new destination paddling trousers which I’ll live in when I’m on land. They are very comfy, and fit over my thermals nicely ( which was definitely needed on Saturday night!). I also had on Kokatat’s long sleeved base layer which is very warm and snug, and the new Msfit tour buoyancy aid ( PFD). The new Msfit has slightly larger pockets than the original one and has a new piece of material over where you can clip your knife, so that it’s less likely to get caught on anything. Thanks to Kev & Gill for inviting us to join them! I’m looking forward to a couple of months of camping in Tierra del Fuego. 3 weeks to go!

  • Rolling with Cheri & Turner in Wales

    For those of us with snow outside the window, it’s that time of year when  rolling your kayak is probably the last thing you want to do! Especially a whole day of rolling with 2 of the worlds’ very best rollers and rolling teachers. But read on….. for when the snow melts and the sun returns, Cheri & Turner will be coming to Wales and offering 2 days of coaching on 7th and 8th May 2011. The classes will be on Llyn Padarn, Llanberis and are a fantastic opportunity for anyone wanting to learn to roll, or to develop lots of fancy ( and practical) rolls.They use ‘skinny sticks’ (Greenland paddles), but you don’t have to use a Greenland paddle to benefit from the teaching. I’ve had a bit of coaching from Cheri & Turner and they are excellent teachers. This is what they do all the time and it shows. They are quick to spot what people are doing wrong and have lots of tips for correcting it. They are also lovely people with plenty of interesting stories about competing in the rolling competition in Greenland, making their own kayaks & paddles, and getting out on the water all over the world. Places are limited to 8 people per day, so contact Cheri & Turner if you have any questions, or to book your place.  Email: info @ kayakways.net

  • Inspiration in a box


    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!

  • Leap of faith


    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.