Having now returned to N. Devon, I picked up 2x Intex Challenger K1 inflatable kayaks.
With a new interest you can't really predict how much you will get into it. It may be that - longer term - I would want to look into a higher value kayak. But for now, this was a good choice.
1st foray: Tuesday 20th June [Patrick & I]
Conditions:- 28C - sun - low wind conditions - 4.5m max tide [launch ~50mins pre-high tide]
River Torridge: Launched from near Bideford Police station
Route - upriver beyond the Tarka Trail iron bridge, before returning along the same route to Bideford
Landing - slipway near Bideford skate park
Distance - ~3km total
Happiness is a pasty
Summary: First test of the kayaks, and in a heatwave.
It was pretty pleasant. We took it fairly easy. We had launched a little later than might have been ideal, but it turned out that the 4.5m max tide was pretty low.
Patrick found his kayak reasonable, but a tighter fit and to have perhaps worse balance, as he is taller than the average man. We will have to see how that affects things in more challenging conditions.
There were various learning points for me. I found I wasn't very good with deflating/packing, that the carry bags could be worn on your back - but really dug in leaving marks, and it also tore at the straps.
Storage on the kayaks was good, as was general handling. Gloves during paddling seemed better than without. Suncream can ruin a white synthetic fibre shirt... the list goes on.
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2nd foray: Thursday 22nd June [Solo]
Conditions:- 19C - overcast - fairly low wind conditions - 5.65m max tide [launch ~90mins pre-high tide]
River Torridge: Launched from near Bideford Police Station
Route - Upriver, up to Landscross
Landing - from launch site
Distance - ~5.5-6km total
This was a solo trip. Heading out with others has the advantages of company and increased safety, but I don't want my kayaking to be 100% dependent upon the timetables of others, and going solo and just enjoying some splendid woodland isolation also has its associated pleasures.
I took it easy for the outward journey, as the moderately strong tide and slight wind really carried me. It felt quite luxurious; I even found that I could be super-comfortable by putting my feet up on the deck. And again I enjoyed some food I'd brought with me.
As the tide slowed and began to turn I pushed onward beyond my previous maximum distance up the Torridge - i.e. beyond what Patrick and I had managed the previous summer. Not much further [?500m], but something to add to the trip. Really nice surroundings.
A panorama type photo from my new max upstream distance
During the return journey I soon met a fellow kayaker ['kayak pilot' perhaps I should say! or 'kayak captain'!?] called Marvin, and we had good conversation all the way back to Bideford. He was in a rigid, open-top kayak, but mine didn't underperform comparatively. When I asked about other good routes in the local area [he had a couple of years experience], he said that Taunton canal, maybe Bude canal, the Taw, and the river mouth/estuary/Crow Point area could all be good. He also mentioned coming down the Torridge from Torrington [just exiting the river and carrying at a certain point to avoid a were] as a more ambitious route. I was especially interested in that latter route, and also his talking about having kayaked around Crow Point without issue. Having experienced some currents near there with the tide, I had provisionally assumed it might be a more dangerous area for kayaking. Mavin also mentioned about the wake from passing boats being something to watch for; you should turn into the wake head on for better stability.
Actually, at a certain point on the return journey [while we were alone, and in sight of no one], Marvin pointed to an area of shore and said "that's where the kayaker found the corpse those months ago". Suddenly the thought struck me - 'Marvin is a kayaking serial killer, and I, isolated out here, will be the next victim found!'. A funny/silly thought that I did not take in any way seriously, but quite memorable now.
Learning points from this trip: I had reinforced the bag straps, which helped. I tried wearing strips of towel on the shoulders as protection, which also helped. I eventually worked out a good approach for packing up the kayaks. [give them time to fully deflate, as the final phase is slower, and fold the kayak half inwards both sides from the side, before rolling up to pack]. I had an issue during the latter half of the return journey, with the back of my seat deflating - so learning point was to fix the entry socket in more fully. Using a towel to wipe down the kayak pre-packing was a good idea. Central setting works best for the kayak paddle, and they have side specific labelling on the blades. Finally and perhaps most importantly I found a style of paddling that gave pretty good effect, with good stability/comfort, and without splashing myself.
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3rd foray: Friday 23rd June [Solo]
Conditions:- ~17C - overcast - ~16mph from the SW - 6.06m max tide [launch ~100mins pre-high tide]
River Torridge: Launched from Instow slipway
Route - up to Bideford, [i.e. towards the SW]
Landing - Bideford; the slipway near the Police Station
Distance - ~3.5km [took 95 min of constant paddling]
This was a solo trip, and quite a challenging one. It turns out that ~16mph headwind provides a lot of resistance, both in terms of the winds direct effect, and also the waves it generates across the open water against your passage. While the fetch on a river is less than at sea, I still had water splashing over the first 1/3 or so of my kayak deck [and hence onto my backpack].
I had underestimated the effect of the wind in advance, and also hadn't paid much heed to the direction. Big learning points. However I went ahead with the trip, because I thought that at worst I would just get carried back to my launch site [in which case I could just take the bus back home again]. Well... 'worst' actually might involve a collision with another craft, because you have to start being more aware of that risk in the lower river area - hence my high visibility jacket! [& paranoid horizon scanning & staying closer to the river periphery]
Short story...I paddled and paddled...[no time for food, though I had actually forgotten it!]...and eventually prevailed. The harder part was the lower river, plus going under the old bridge. [actually, if the tide was another +0.5m, it might be difficult to pass under the Old Bridge]. That evening aftwards I was really quite fatigued, somewhat similar to how it could be after a long distance running event sometimess.
It's more fun with a high tide [here ~6m], though much beyond this might get inconvenient
Lots of lessons from this one. A new appreciation of the importance of wind strength and direction; I was going with the tide, but it didn't feel like it. Using the bus worked well, and Instow has a great slipway. Foot pump makes for easier assembly pre-launch. Put a waterproof bag around your backpack! This was an important learning point, as by the time I had landed, my backpack, including its towel inside, was completely sodden. By this 3rd trip I had finally got quite good at packing up at the end, but need to do a better job keeping things clean. Other things; wear a triathlon suit next time [the fabric of running type shorts can get quite sodden and 'clingy'], gloves really help, wear a watch, ?bring a spare paddle? [this paddle sometimes squeaked from the strain], take photos at the start, ?bring kitchen roll.
And finally and quite importantly - get a buoyancy aid jacket. While I don't think this journey was unsafe [its not a wide river, the tide was coming in, I'm a confident swimmer], its better to maximize safety, and I should get a buoyancy aid anyway in preparation for the sea or other tougher conditions...so that is now on order.
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