Monday 9th June 2003

New report on the Cwm Pennant Sea Kayaking Festival, thanks to Richard Seaby.

New links are being added gradually. In particular, Mike Buckley has put together a really useful compilation on weather and Richard Seaby has supplied a huge list of boat designers and manufacturers. Keep it all coming in, please!

Did you get out on the water at the weekend? How about please contributing a brief trip report?

Right: Ken Spurway paddling near the Lleyn Peninsula. This year's Cwm Pennant Sea Kayaking Festival is from 5th to 7th September.

Saturday 7th June 2003

Trip Reports

I've decided not to use this website to create a detailed 'guidebook' to the coast as I think that paddlers will find this tough to write in practice. Instead, I am encouraging paddlers to simply contribute Trip Reports every time they make a trip. In this way, we can more easily put together a large database of knowledge, experiences and conditions. These are filed under the TRIPS heading in the menu above, along with links of local relevance.

Two ways for you to contribute a trip report...

1] Fill in the 'Contribute' page template after your trip. Here's a completed example.
2] Simply write an article story about your trip. Example.

The Almanac

I've given this some tweaking and it is now basically intended to be a combined links and technical articles section. I am very dubious of sites which are completely composed of links; what's the point of having a site which just sends somebody somewhere else? So, the hope is that the links will be buttressed by our own articles; and here your help is needed. Take a look at the headings and think if you could write anything linked to the topic, even if it's just a paragraph or two. All contributions welcome...

Any comments or suggestions on the development of this site? Please make them heard on the Community Pages.

Still dreaming of the Isles of Scilly....Heather Rainsley on Bryher. Anybody else have interesting photos to contribute?

Thursday 5th June 2003

www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk launched!

Right folks, what you are looking at is a rough outline template for a sea kayaking equivalent of the UK Rivers Guidebook website. Obviously there isn't much here so far, but watch this space and consider how you might be able to help get this off the ground..

Why? Well, at present the UK does not seem to have an independent site dedicated to sea kayaking, other than commercial sites and that of the BCU Sea Touring Committee. That doesn't necessarily imply that one is needed! I think though that this site could be a genuine asset to UK sea paddlers if used positively.

To my mind, these are the priorities of the site - in vague order of importance.

1] Community development. This site could form a central point for the exchange of news, ideas and opinions. In other words, getting paddlers together and out paddling. The Sea section of the Community Pages has been established for some time and seems to be growing in use and membership.

2] Offering info on where and when to paddle. This is perhaps less of a priority for sea paddlers; we don't have the same 'guidebook' culture as whitewater paddlers. Even so, I feel it would be helpful to collate notes on paddling locations and trip reports. Also helpful will be the 'Almanac' - a collection of links and data sources for tides, weather, wildllife, dealers, etc.

3] Sharing knowledge and expertise. The 'Technical' section will be used for reports on the nuts and bolts of our sport.

4] AOB. I am open to any further suggestions...email any comments or thoughts to me at mark@ukriversguidebook.co.uk

The site will be absolutely worthless unless UK sea paddlers find it to be useful; we'd best do it properly, then!

We Want You! I am looking for people to start off work on various aspects of the site. Mail me if you are keen to take part.

Some nice pictures of the Isles of Scilly to start things off....