Welcome to my Sea Kayaking (b)log
Kerrera is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, close to the town of Oban. In 2011 it had a usually resident population of 34, and it is linked to the mainland by frequent passenger ferry.
Once again, my now annual trip around Kerrera on the Oban Sea Kayak Race. The sit on tops or Surf Ski’s, as their owners like to call them, probably outnumber the traditional Sea Kayaks these days and most people paddle with Wings (nothing to do with RedBull - although I suspect a few of...
Setting off from Oban Harbour on pan flat seas, I decided to circumnavigate the island of Kerrera. I've circumnavigated Kerrera three times in the Oban Sea Kayak Race, but this time I would take my time and enjoy the sights. This day was the lull before the storm, with high winds forecast for the...
The day after the Oban Sea Kayak Race I headed to Arisaig with the hope of being able to get out to the islands. The weather looked like the wind would be easing for a couple of days at least, before picking up again mid week. Soon after setting off I realised that a...
This years 2015 Oban Sea Kayak Race was a bit of a classic, with very rough conditions. For the first 10km, it was into the wind and ever increasing swell. At the south end of Kerrera, conditions became very poor. Nine people abandoned here and a couple ended up on the rocks! Personally, I...
The 2014 Oban Sea Kayak Race took place on Saturday 23rd August 2014, with more than 70 paddlers taking part. Covering a distance of 20km, the race circumnavigates the beautiful and rugged Island of Kerrera, beginning and ending in Oban on Scotland's beautiful west coast. For best viewing crank up the Quality to 1080...
The 2011 Wet West Paddle Fest (WWPF) was a bit of a turning point for me. Whilst I was happy paddling the Etive and other rivers in Scotland, the River Moriston had been playing on my mind for some time. This was due to all of the epic's I had experienced on this river...
