Author: Charlotte Hurrell

Borrowing kit 101

It’s pretty common practice, your kit is not great or just non-existence and your mate has a good set that he’s not using. That’s when you go, “do you mind if I borrow it?” Well here are a few tips to keep you, the kit and the person lending it happy.

The first thing to remember is whilst it always ok to ask don’t be offended if someone says no. Kayaking kit can cost hundreds of pounds and can be used every time that person gets on the water so naturally would become attached to it and be protective about it. So don’t take it personally if they preferred you didn’t use it.If they do say it’s ok then great, but they will probably add on “prostitute rules apply,” in other words, “you screw with it, you pay for it.”

Still confused, well, it’s just a way of saying that if the kit got damaged or broken whilst you were using it you would then pay to get it replaced or repair.It is very important that you understand this and although you would of course be as careful as possible if anything were to happen you would be held to this and expected to shell out.

With that in mind, once you’ve got the kit, make sure you look after it.
All the gear will have Do’s and Don’ts specific to taking care of them. Things like not walking around in the socks of dry trousers and dry suits or squish a BA in the bottom of your bag. Make sure you follow these. If you’re not sure what they might be, ask the guy you’re borrowing it off. They’ll know how to look after it and will gladly tell you, they want it taken care of as well.

Finally after you’ve used it and it’s time to give it back, and here there are two ways to really make someone regret lending you there stuff. Make sure you give it back the way you got it. If your given it nicely dry, clean and folded and you hand back soaked from your swim, covered it whatever makes up the bank you pulled yourself out on, they’re not going to be happy.

So here’s what you do. Offer to take it home. Give it a wash, they’ll be Do’s and Don’ts for this as well, and then make sure it’s dried out. Last but not least make sure you give it back to them in good time. It may be washed, dried, pressed and folded, but if it then spends two months in your room, that’s no good.

Follow this and you’ll keep everyone smiling.

Just remember, it’s not your kit but until you thank them and hand it back, it should be looked after as if it was.

 

– Andrew Sinclair

‘Snow way I’m paddlin’

snow picA normal white water and safety and rescue course is a couple days of paddling, swimming and learning new rescue techniques, but for the few of us that went and did the course run by Tom Parker just before Easter it was far from normal. We had ended up do the course in the worst snow seen by that part of Wales for 60 years.

The drive down started with a light snow in Lincoln but got so much worse as we went on. Motorways were reduced to single lane with snow drifts bigger than the crash barriers and roundabouts became a guessing game as to where the centre was. Even parking at the accommodation involved using paddles to did a space out of the now 2ft high now just to get the car off the road.

We woke up on the first day and decided we’d still go to the meeting point arranged in Llangollen about 5 minuets drive away. Over an hour later, after a lot of pushing, digging and avoiding fallen trees, we managed to get there.  After waiting / playing in the snow we decided, as no one had signal to get hold of them we’d go back to the hotel and try and use their landline, so after more pushing and waiting for fallen trees to be moved we got back to find that the other group were going to meet us at the hotel.

So the course began with every one there, paddling today was out of the question, so we decided to have a day of theory by the fire, occasionally going out to practice in the snow. After a bit of talking everyone put on a combination of dry kit and cold weather clothes and went outside. We practised throwing tapes and throw lines to each other and recoiling whilst running after someone, all in knee high snow. We have made a rock out of the snow with a kayak on it acting as if it’d been pinned and practiced different methods of getting it out, which turned out to be a great way of demonstrating it.

The last day was the day we actually paddled. All of us in dry suits and layers of thermals we paddled up the canal in Llangollen having to portage round more fallen trees, to where it met the Dee at a section called ‘serpent’s tail.’ We took it in turns to throw our boat and paddle in at the top of the rapid for our partner to rescue them before they got carried too far down the river. Here we had our only unexpected swim of the weekend but we soon had him back in his boat.

Further down we all went for as swim in the cold water when practicing throw lines, and then again when clipped to the end of a throw line and dangled out in a rapid for live bating where a couple people got quite bruised arses going over a few pointy rocks. Once we’d gotten out and shamelessly changed in a car park, we went for a coffee and a debrief in town.

All in all, the hotel was surprisingly amazing, the paddling was a laugh no one had gotten hypothermia and since everyone had passed it had turned out to be a really good trip.

– Andrew Sinclair

 

National Student Rodeo T-shirt Comp!

Luck tshirt comp

So with NSR fast approaching our wonderful kit sec has launched our first ever Tshirt design competition! The winning submission will be printed on our tshirts for the upcoming trip it designer will a get theirs free. So get creative, competition closes 2nd Feb.

 

On a blank template you must submit a Tshirt:

-That indicates who we are – LUCK

-That indicates where we are – NSR 2013

– Is designed around the events theme: Circus

– That indicates or shows and intended shirt colour

– That had front and back designs clearly labeled

 

So other than that you have pretty much free reign. Please send submissions to canoe@lincolnsu.com by Sat 2nd Feb.

 

Into the new year…

There are many upcoming events and opportunities to look forward to this year and below is just a list of some of these activities. Further information will become available closer to the events.

Intro to white-water:
Currently in planning is an opportunity for those who have had little or no experience on moving water to learn some of the essential skills needed to begin to develop your white-water paddling skills.

National Student Rodeo:
Europe’s largest student paddling event, held at the national water sports center, this competitive event is open to all members and is really great weekend of paddling, camping  and mixing with kayaking teams from universities from all around the country.

Newquay:
The longest and biggest trip in our calendar, our annual trip to Newquay, Cornwall is a week long paddling trip that’s all about surf kayaking. Staying in a surf Lodge in the town we spend most days down at the beach, learning new skills, trying to catch some waves, and getting some funny looks from surfers doing it.

Wales:
The last organised event of our year, this canoe specific trip is at the start of the summer and is more relaxed and about have a chilled paddle for breaking up for the summer. Again Camping, we take a two day trip on the river Wye on the England – Wales border.