2026-01-17 Sailing club and return via Clynder
Training paddle out in the Taran. Started off looking pretty miserable but turned out to be a really nice enjoyable paddle. Out and about in Gare loch Fab! 6.5 nm 1 hour 36 minutes GPS track...
2026-01-13 Loch Lomond Island Bagging
During the Loch Lomond Helensburgh Canoe Club trip on 27th December, we bumped into another kayaker, Phil Smith, who had driven to Scotland, all the way from Portsmouth. Phil was desperately trying to bag the Loch Lomond Islands to rack up as many points for the 2025 "Performance Sea Kayak 1000 Island challenge". Coming...
2025-12-27 Loch Lomond with HCC
A nice between Christmas and New Year paddle with Helensburgh Canoe Club - Gordon, Steve and Stuart. Not only was it my first trip with the club, it was my first time on Loch Lomond and my first trip on fresh water in my NDK Romany Surf. We paddled across to Balmaha for coffee,...
2025-12-22 A new boat “IRN-BRU” – a NDK Romany Surf
First trip out in my new boat “Irn-Bru”. A Romany Surf with an orange deck and blue trim, as per the IRN-BRU colours. I have to say I am quite pleased with it. Especially seeing as I have never paddled one of these boats before, even before buying it! Thankfully, and as expected it’s...
2025-11-29 Garelochhead again (not quite as planned)
My plan was to paddle across Gareloch to the house, opposite my house, and then head south towards Rhu Narrows, around to Kilcreggan, across to Helensburgh and return. Except, once on the loch I realised the wind was somewhat stronger than forecast and heading south for me was not going to be a good...
2025-11-20 My new house to Garelochhead and back
A week on from moving into my new house, I finally managed to get out on the water. It was most odd kitting up in my driveway, before walking with my trolley a few meters to the slipway to get access to the loch. I guess I am so used to packing the car...
2025-10-11 Whitby Staithes and return – Solo in the Taran
Solo kayaking in my Taran from Whitby to Staithes - and back. Although due to a file corruption error on the GoPro Max, I only have footage of the Whitby to Staithes section and a little clip on the return leg. Conditions were not easy, due to large sets of swell coming in every...
2025-07-31 A Day on the Water with the Taran – Plymouth Sound Adventure
After such a brilliant time in Looe yesterday in the Taran, I wasn’t ready to head home just yet. I booked into a campsite for two nights, giving myself a full day to make the most of paddling before driving home early Friday morning – and crucially, avoiding the dreaded Friday afternoon traffic. Eddystone...
2025-07-30 Looe – New boat day
First Date with a Rockpool Taran I’ve had a bit of a hankering for a Rockpool Taran for a while now — probably made worse by scrolling through the blistering times that Taran owners post on the Performance Sea Kayak pages. For the last few years, I’ve been paddling a Tiderace Pace 17 Tour...
2025-07-12 Bardsey Island
A nice little trip around Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli). I've been eyeing up Bardsey Island for a while. Now I was staying in Aberdaron and the weather was looking good, I had my chance. I had looked at the tides and studied various tidal stream atlases. But I had another parameter to account for,...
2025-07-11 Aberdaron Afternoon Splash
With temperatures set to soar well into the mid-30s in the East Midlands, we decided to head for the coast—somewhere cooler, with a nice sea breeze. Five and a half hours later, we finally arrived at the end of the Llŷn Peninsula in Aberdaron. There had been a bad accident on the M6, and...
2025-06-06 In-between Showers
Friday 6th June A quick paddle from Helensburgh Leisure centre. At first, I didn't have any plans on where I would head too. But on getting into my boat, I decided to head into the wind and against the ebbing tide. Low Water wouldn't be for a few hours so at least I would...
2025-05-07 House Viewing from the Sea
Monday 6th May I was up in Whitby visiting an old friend, with also the cheeky intension of getting a sea paddle in. Having looked at the forecast before setting off, I decided to take my surf boat along, as well as Tiderace Pace Tour 17, AKA "the Carrot", just in case the conditions...
2025-04-07 Helensburgh Sugar Boat Greenock Grourock Dunoon Kilcreggan
So you may (or may not) be asking how come I've only logged one sea trip so far this year, and it is now April? Well, it's been a bit of a funny 2025 so far, with lots of family stuff happening. Mainly clearing and selling houses, and hopefully moving to Scotland, once we...
2024-11-03 Scarborough to Robin Hoods Bay and Return
With high pressure in the forecast and little to no wind, I knew it was time to head out for some long-overdue sea kayaking. The year has been disappointing in terms of weather, so the chance to hit the water was too good to pass up. I recently visited Whitby for the Scatterings, so...
2023-09-16 A Windy Maiden
Having left the Mull of Kintyre behind us, we ended up just north of Oban, near the airport. The weather was not looking great, with stronger winds and heavier rain forecast well into next week. If I was going to get a final Scottish paddle in, this holiday, I had to make the most...
2023-09-15 Mackerel for tea! Carradale, Mull of Kintyre
Friday, 15th September was a wet, wet day. Having been to Campbeltown in the morning to buy some whisky, I decided to go for a quick paddle out into Carradale Bay to see if I could catch some Mackerel for tea. Earlier that morning, before setting off to Campbeltown, I had been walking the...
2023-09-14 Carradale, Mull of Kintyre – Windy!
Having left Arran via the Lochranza ferry, we headed down the single track road on the Mull of Kintyre to Carradale. The first night we were there there was an almighty storm, but the following morning the winds eased and I was able to get out in my boat. It was still fairly windy,...
2023-09-12 Arran – Lamlash Bay – A quick fish and pootle (downwind fun)
For todays paddle in Lamlash bay, having made sure I was well outside the "No Take" zone, I had a little fish for some mackerel. My rig is very simple, a weight, with four lures on a hand spool of about 40 meters of mono filament line. On my first cast, I let the...
2023-09-10 A trip around Holy Island (Arran)
The $100 Million super yacht Sea Eagle II was visiting the beautiful island of Arran. I had a paddle out to her in Lamlash Bay before circumnavigating Holy Island. Lamlash Bay, Arran and Holy Island are stuningly beautiful. I will be going back. My boat is better than yours! Distance: 6.4 nm Time: 1...
