Work and Play

Lots of people think their dream job involves earning bucket loads of cash others say it would involve being a chocolate taster or a bubblebath tester.

The real difficulty is making your job work with your hobbies.
As a paddler I went along the usual route of working as an instructor through multi activity then specialising in paddlesport and high performance coaching.
Dont get me wrong I loved what I managed to achieve throughout the time. But as a multi activity instructor the sessions were always short splash and dash the development was limited.

As a coach it was great to be able to work on long term plans seeing the same faces and identifying talent to push through squads this was an amazing time but meant unsociable hours and far too much time spent on a flat lake and in a gym. 

While coaching was my first opportunity to really be able to differentiate between work and play. Work meant flatwater, play meant moving water this motivated me to still get out between sessions in my own boats.

Now having moved back into the shop the work play balance is still extremely close but the motivation to get out drives me through the day. 
To be able to distinguish between work and play is important a dream job out paddling everyday leaves you feeling drained and unmotivated to get out, where as an office job 9-6 each day leaves you longing for the weekends.
 Luckily from when I started instructing I spent much time working in the shop at Woodmill this gave me a platform to grow and move on to I-Canoe and now into The Great Outdoors, the shop means I have to be instore daytoday but I get to touch and talk about paddlesport and kit, days off are then testing days taking out the newest shinyest kit to see how it works,
my advice never trust a shop assistant who doesnt actually paddle its all about first hand knowledge how and where something works its not what the book says that matters. 

Sounds great... But the problem with this falls when play becomes work always thinking how and who something will suit, during the dark months when time on the water is limited this can be a real downfall to enjoying time on the water,
Personally I overcome this by paddling as often as I can a day off without paddling is a wasted day off, whether a short sluice session or a day on the river paddling is important to me. 

As I spoke about before in a blog its important to set aside time to get out yourself and participate in what you love.

Don't let work dictate your leisure time, use your time wisely,
can you do something at lunch?
Can you start late?
or get away early?
plan your days off
Have a back up plan
Be prepared to get out don't spend days hunting kit 

The cold winter months leaves everyone ready to hibinate and hide away infront of the fire, 

set your new years resolutions now to get out more be in once, twice or five times a week set a plan tell your friends and il see you on the river.  

One Year On,

Having now been in the job at the Great Outdoors over a year now, I've seen the shop grow in stock in stature and in customers, The great Outdoors IS a kayak store once again having rejuvinated.

We have always been a huge sponsor of paddlesport in Ireland and this year was no exception, we have had a huge presense again this year, supporting flagship events like the International Liffey Descent and Junior Paddlefest as well as other events such as Galwayfest and student intervarsities plus many more.

As a person I have learnt a lot about business and what it really takes, its a tough industry with paddlers always after the best deals especially when your main competition is one of your best friends, to make headway you need to be out their participating, really on the ground with what works what doesnt and whats new, I came into this role as a paddler mainly focused on freestyle over the past few seasons but with most people suggesting that my paddling time would decrease hugely, I decided that 2013 I wanted to take shorter trips into Europe with my creek boat.

This was a bold move having not travelled much with a creek boat And watching the freestyle world championships from home I was definately upset not to be their but in review, Ive actually paddled more and met even more new people in 2013 than any year of paddling.

People often ask me where am I back from now, as I always seem to be away, the trick is to use your holiday wisely and work hard in between.
Work has given me the income to fund trips away as well as a place I can vent outside of the working hours.

If I were to break it down I paddle 200+ days a year, and I definately dont get that much holiday. for any sport you need to be committed I want to be fit to travel while im away I want to push my self on new rivers and sections and its important Im fit every day of my trip, I dont want to spend a week warming up I need to be on and ready to go,

Look at this year some of my supposed warm up days -Egua, Italy. Passer, Italy. Wellerbrucken, Austria. but was I able for this.... Certainly. Because of the preparation id done at home.
This year ive managed a selection of trips away which if you scroll up theirs plenty of blog posts and videos to show
Wicklow, ireland, Val Sesia, Merano, St Gallans, Dubrovnik, London, Wales, Oetz, Portsmouth, Dartmoor across 7 Different countries in a grand scheme its not alot but for a chap with a full time job who was to get less paddling time this year is undoubtably impressive.

So what do I do.

• To make paddlesport my life I have to love it. If I dont enjoy my time on the river I need to get off simple.
• Paddle everything - how many people use the excuse theirs no water, we are on an Island surrounded by water, crack out the sea kayak, or get in the marathon boat if your a social person hit the polo, slalom and flatwater freestyle does wonders for your core and technique or take an open canoe for a gentle spin. I can and will paddle everything. I enjoy being in the water whatever the craft, by mixing it up eliminates boredom and keeps things fresh and enjoyable.
• Paddle with friends - a huge part of enjoying paddlesport is the company its who I paddle with. My best friends are people ive met through kayaking. Get out on the water with them its sometimes just the motivation they need to get out as well.
• Paddle alone - when theirs noone else about thats no reason not to paddle, by paddling alone theirs a lot to learn both about yourself and your fears, im not telling everyone to go out alone but its not an excuse, how many evenings ive turned up at the canoe club and just done a slalom session or taken the marathon boat out alone, take a watch and lose yourself in times.
• Try and push yourself everytime your out -wether its flat water or moving water work hard on the water make it feel like youve done your best if it means higher intensity or better technique attempt to learn and try different things you can push yourself mentally and physically everytime your on the water.
• Understand principles of training - by understanding and tapering your sessions will reduce the risk of overload and injury, injury is the biggest fear for any competitive or active person not being able to paddle would drive me crazy last year I pushed myself too early in the season and picked up a niggling torn tricept which really hampered the end of last season for this year ive worked hard to alter my sessions to work hard but without injury. Im now into November and still paddling well and at a good level of fitness. Its simple things which really makes a difference.
• Look after your kit and it will look after you, I paddle everyday and I can still get out each day in warm dry kit. Take some time at the end of each session empty your boat and hang out your kit to dry. Wet kit is no excuse not to paddle its an inconvienience to you but im going paddling anyway. Goto lidl / aldi / great outdoors stock up on base layers things you wear everyday on the water. Perfect christmas presents! Keep paddling when it gets cold, generally our best water comes when its cold (typically) to take advantage of this get yourself set, some warm drywear, good thermals, skull cap, neo socks and paddle mitts/ gloves make sure your warm everyday your on the water to enjoy it more.
• Set targets and aims - always have a plan write aims and goals or talk about them with friends, just from chatting to friends I know what they really want to achieve some are realistic others pure adventurous but do what you can to assist people reaching their targets and in turn will help you reach your own.
• Trust a crew - set yourself up with a group of friends and peers who you can call, understand their working patterns and days off and plan accordingly for when theirs water. If your looking to improve you dont want to be the best in the group always try and paddle with people better than yourself across any discipline will help you to grow and improve.
• Be confident in your own abilities - this is something I really think makes a difference by being confident and knowing your able to do something, mentally puts you in the right mindset to undertake the take. Whether its a big drop a huge wave or believing you can score a goal its important. By putting doubt in the way your attention is looking for the escape option the easy way the mights and the maybes if your not feeling it walk away their no point getting hurt. But believe in yourself instead of a maybe look and understand what you can do and look at the challenge around that.

I paddle because I enjoy it and because of the friends I have met and paddle with, sometimes the post paddle coffee is more important than the time on the water itself.
:-)
Adrian
Paddle4Life.eu

Clare Glens

SO after a lovely day on the river Maria posted some really nice shots from Big Eas I wanted to share,

take a look

And heres the video

Clare Glens

 

 

Thanks Maria for the shots!

Video dump

So with lots of water about the last week heres a few videos of the fun

 

First up we found this delightful set of stairs at the get out of the lower Oetz onto the Inn so what else to do but slide on down – Neil Slevin, Dave Holden and Dave Horkan.

Stairs

 

Next up we found a dribble of water still running down the Glen mac so with the new burn in tow we took the opportunity for a bounce down the river

Glen Mac

With the levels dropping we were back to the old favourite of the Avonmore with Jenny and Vicky and three lovely Pyranha boats off we went, A nice level with lots of eddies and fun to be had.

Avonmore Pyranha

So with the rain falling we were off to the jewel in the crown one of Irelands most fun rivers with Neil Slevin and Neal Kelly from the Kayaking company, Bernard, Cian and Odhran it was glens time, A classic run with some beautiful moves, boof city, clean lines and good company.

Clare Glens

Crana 2013

So after an amazing few weeks away in Europe I was back to work with the Brand New 2014 Burns awaiting my arrival,

First stop was Cranafest a weekend of paddling fun for everyone, with coaching workshops and competitions across about every discipline with the big expert Boater X finale to top it all off,

Hosted by Just Kayak in the quiet town of Buncrana co Donegal, a calm quaint river of the Crana sleeps, with a little help from the skies bringing rain and the release of the dam upstream the quiet river brings in a stunning grade 2-4 alongside a riverside park.

At the top of the site hosts the Claw a grade 4 double drop with sneaky holes to keep the very best on their toes further down theirs a series of small almost natural weir style drops, rock gardens and cushion waves leading down towards the sea.

The event kicks off with a meet and greet on the Friday night with people travelling from all over the county its a great opportunity to catch up with old friends,

The Saturday is alive with activity, sea kayak race, coaching workshops, beginner slalom, div 1 slalom, wwr, freestyle comp, the dagger dash, the wavesport big trick and importantly the raft race time trials,

 

I was lucky to spend some good time dialling in lines on the claw playing in the new Burn before switching back to the big shiva for that extra speed,

Crana Clips

After a small window accident with the work van we headed back to the hotel to clean up before dinner and party,

THe sunday came as boater X day with beginner intermidiate and expert boater x all taking part its a fantastic experience for all. with top slalom paddlers, weekend warriors and ald fellas all competing against each other makes the event special,

The expert Boater x starts a few hundred yards upstream with a flat sprint into some small boulder gardens before lining up for the claw, with guaranteed carnage to keep the spectators happy

After Ciaron took his boater X win it was time to get back in the rafts for the rafter X final with 4 rafts attempting to navigate the lower stretch at the same time was always going to be some fun well done to the WWKC lads for taking the win.

Twat Raft

Well done to Just kayak for putting on another super event we will see you again next year!

thanks to Eamonn and Maria for the great photos

October Ramblings – Sickline

After a couple of days of the PaddleExpo trade show it was time to head out and drive down to the Oetz valley for Sickline world extreme kayak championships.

I paddled here back in 2012 and had a fantastic weeks paddling so have been looking forward to being back in the boat on nice water again.

After a long drive down I headed over for a quick look at the course, with no boat it was just looking at lines, before heading upto the registation to pick up my entry pack and bib. Following dinner it was time for a cheeky pre race beer and to meet up with some friends, guys I have met at other events over the years and the Irish Lads from home. Obivously beers with Ruedi is never quiet so a few shots before bed always helps.

We were up bright and early for race day with a different format to 2 years ago this time we had to do 1 mandatory qualification run followed by 2 race runs of which its the total of both runs added to give you a total time. The the top 45 would then progress to the semifinals.

After finding Colm camped out in the car park I collected my kit and got set for my first paddle on whitewater in a creek boat since king of the alps in June, as I put in at the starting eddy I felt confident of the line, I trust my boat and my kit and I was sure I could hit where I wanted.

I peeled out of the top eddy and through the slot, keeping the boat up on edge, driving the boat across the pool aiming for the corner of the rock, at the last minute getting carried by the flow and towards the corner of minus one, punching minus one and keeping the bow high to ride into the pool, while driving the boat around the rock and peeling around setting up for the champions killer the biggest drop on the course. A delayed boof to kick out the nose reaching forward for the next stroke to hold the bow down without going tail happy now driving for the slot and onto the flat pool, an absolute killer on the arms before hitting the flow and pushing down towards the slalom course trying to avoid the rocks and keep the bow riding high through the holes. Driving hard now for the line, the relief of crossing the line is immediately mixed with the thoughts of what mistakes were made and where can time be made up in the next run.

After my first run I knew I could make up time in the lower section as I had a couple of rock touches but generally happy with my top section.

 

Sickline Run 2

The second run I had a clean line through minus one but then got myself slightly tail happy through champions killer getting pushed left, having to work hard and getting pushed into the rock slot losing time, the lover stretch I made up time but couldn't beat my previous run.

After the two runs I was left in 89th middle of the field, having not paddled anything big in a while and my first time on moving water straight into a G4+ race I was happy to have clean lines and not get a surfing in minus one nor a swim in champions killer like so many others,

Not making the cut for top 45 it was now time to go paddling,  we loaded up and made our way upto the upper Let's for a nice spin in a good flow bounce and fun, holiday had now started,

After the losers party it was finals day with semi in the morning followed by the superfinals that afternoon, with Ciaran qualifying second fastest out of the semis he was second last up. A fast top section was put to bed with an unfortunate surf in minus one and finishing his hopes of getting into the hot tub.

Well done to Joe Morely the new Sickline World Champion with a faultless run smooth and concise a very confident run from the English lad.

After the race we got another spin down the upper with the overnight rain lifting the level to make things a little sportier.

Over the next week I had the opportunity to paddle plenty of the Oetz  and Vent valleys with so much to do this is a really nice destination to head for.

If paddling not your thing (your probably reading the wrong blog) but theirs some class biking and climbing in the valley as well as rafting.

I managed to then get a few days in Switzerland before heading back for Dublin and back to work.

PaddleExpo 2013

Once again the circus roles into town, from hype machine to secret designs this years PaddleExpo was no different. A new hall and a condensed show continued to bring new product to retailers across Europe.

On first glance the show looks smaller with less big names than previous years, but step inside and you'll. Find all the big Brand names are about,

My show started with a Palm mega meeting looking through what's happening for 2014 after last years huge push on new products we wer'nt sure what to expect.

With a huge emphasis currently on updating and improving we were excited to see updated colours and styles across the range, with some really exciting developments in the kids department.

First off the amp and extreme vest have had some nice colour updates to smarten things up along with the Fx which is now coming in a sherbet colour to match up with the Fuse jacket.

A new piece for this season is the FXR which is essentially an Fx with a facelift and rescue harness to create a low cut, high buoyancy (70n+) pfd. This is a piece to come up against. The Zen from Nrs with an attractive array of colours this will work for both the freestyle superstar as well as the ultimate river rescuers. Ultimately this will replace the existing Axis pfd which has served many people really well over the past decade.

Other new product would include the updated team jacket now the Atlas along with the tempo two pieces which allow you straight from the mountain to the boat whether biking, riding, or hiking these pieces can go anywhere.

A really exciting piece for next year is the new women's Lofoten drysuit to complete palms range of drysuits its a women's specific touring and sea kayaking suit complete with drop seat. A women's Aleution something which has been missing from the line up.

For 2014 neo 3/4 are back something which was missed in 2013 has made a welcome return to the market,

For those junior whitewater warriors we have the new Rocket jacket which is a semi dry (neo neck latex wrist) cag built specifically in junior sizes to keep them warm and dry all year round, this combined with the electron junior longjohn and some junior rock boots will keep them charging whatever the weather.

Over at Sweet Hq weve a couple of new colours plus the arrival of the much anticipated Intergalactic drysuit with a space station sized price point in GoreTex its a thing of beauty,

Boat wise we've all seen the hype with new freestyle boats released in the lead up to the 2013 worlds. With the jitsu available in all sizes and the jed working well its passports turn with the new Mobius with a huge fan base who have been through through the Ezs, and onto the project line ups this is a boat for you. Definitely a boat to rival the Jackson superiority.

Another big talking point of the show is the new Burn or the Burn 3 its one of the most anticipated river boats we've seen in a while. With extra length and longer rails we've a faster more creeky design. After another year of development Pyranha now have a new seating system to compete with daggers popular ergo seat.

The new Pyranha seat to many looks and feels like a traditional bombproof seat which has served pyranha through its connect era extremely well. For the new boats we have a new system this time allowing for the seat to be raised and lowered either front and back or as a complete seat pan this is a great feature for you little guys who want to paddle bigger boats or in the jed wanting to get up nice and high. A couple of simple screws then drop in the foam under the seat pan and you've lifted your self quick and simple. Another new feature is the seat adjustment front and back has now changed to a plate with teeth and wheelnuts so no more having to remove the bolts to get your seat moving, this now offers plenty of adjustment to get your perfect ride.

Not letting an old workhorse die the 2010 burn is to have its rails soffened slightly and drop in spec and price to become the B2 a boat to rival the popular MX series.

Over in the Dagger booth we have their new cross over (yes another crossover boat) the Katana at first glance it resembles a mamba but stretched and now hatched skegged and decklined, asthetically a really nice looking boat in two sizes 9.7 and 10.4 and in both action and whitewater specs.

As we get longer still the new skudder system some say its powered by fairy dust others believe its a little fella in the back hatch but what we do know is it takes a tidy sytem to a new level. With no dirty overstern rudder to snag or take up deckspace the Skudder drops out of the skeg box like a normal skeg but then reacts like a rudder controlled by toe pilot system on the pedels. So no longer does your tail catch in the wind this system is always their when you need it.

This is going to be on the new Jura touring boat at 16ft its probably going to drop nicely in as a modern alternative to the british classic of the Capella. Some smooth lines its hard to see how this wont work another really nice boat by Venture.

With all the hype of recent years of composite playboats I can report their is only one here from an italian manufacturer The Spot from RCS Canoes otherwise its all plastic. But step out into the world of touring and its all on show glass, carbon some very beautiful boats even the epic V14 ski is here to make an appearance.

On the paddle front we have some new blade colours frim Werner as well as the new range if AT paddles, I cant wait to get out and try some of the new AT collection with the Hercules carbon ergo shaft really taking my eye, this will also be available as a glass and carbon straight shaft option. Around the hall I had an opportunity to look at some of the Streamlyte blades, something I havent used for a few years but with a new split blade on the way and some well priced glass options we might be stocking a few extra designs in the future, but dont worry, for any competitive paddlers im hoping to pick up both the Glide wing (braca iv shape) and the Nomad slalom blade to compliment the polo kinetics.

Another cool product I found before I left was a all set dive sit on top, complete with sliding tank holder, anchor, alpha flag and clear hatch to take a peek below. I reackon one of these in the aquatic centre would go down a treat :-)

As paddler this show is like being a big kid in a sweet shop wanting to touch and try everything but as a retailer we have to be realistic we are trying to bring the best range of products back to your local stores. We need feedback from time to time tell us what you like and what you dont, if we are missing something let us know. Ive been with The Great Outdoors now a year and have mostly enjoyed the challenge, We once again have a functioning store supplying you with what you need.

Thanks

Happy Paddling

Adrian

Hunting the Wren

With the dry summer of Ireland our paddlers have had to make do with what we have heres another great example of what happens when we run out of water.

Thanks Bernard Walsh

 

Hunting the Wren

Junior Paddlefest 2013

Paddlefest Promo

 

20th – 22nd September – Hidden Valley Campsite, Rathdrum Co Wicklow

ORIGINS OF PADDLEFEST

Whilst still messing around in competition boats, I decided to try downriver racing boats, even competing in a Lower Liffey ranking race,

didn’t place anywhere but, great fun. Whilst I was dabbling with the

Wavehopper at the time, which was the only WWR boat that I could get my hands on or afford, the realisation of the skill that I had drawn from other elements of the sport became very apparent. This is where the original thinking behind Paddlefest began.

At this time I had also taken on Open Boating and the old saying of ‘half the paddle and twice the man’ is true in open boating, brute force and

ignorance will get you nowhere fast you have to use the flow so much more to steer those beautiful boats. When you paddle one of these craft in a straight line, the angle of attack of the blade shaft is reminisce of amarathon stroke, yet when you want to turn you really have to get your sweeps like in a river boat.A friend of mine introduced me to Sea kayaking and it was like a kick back to my school years. They handle like Marathon Boats and Down river racers. You have to edge the same, the stroke is the same. Happy days.Marathon paddling on the open sea! Big waves like in a river! Sustained adrenaline, the constant changing scenery, wildlife, caves, I am so there! You put all of these adaptive and honed skills that you have learnt fromall the aspects of kayaking and canoeing, put them in a washing machine and turn it on, full spin. The result is the physical torque and power of the Freestyle discipline, 0 to 100kph in three seconds. Thankfully for me I had a little bit of knowledge and muscle memory from the other disciplines,and so when I got into the washing machine and went for a spin, I survived, a little bruised, colour faded but all in one piece. Whilst learning

to cartwheel I heard the expression ‘double pump’ I asked for

clarification on this and was told that it is how you use your feet to

transfer the energy from the paddle pushing the hull. I thought to myself,this is nothing new to me, I do this all the time on the horizontal plane

when I’m in my river boat, a skill which I took from my marathon days.

The concept of Paddlefest is to try and expose young paddlers to the disciplines, and to try and impinge on them the diversity of the sport but,also how all of the aspects of the sport are interconnected and help the mover all to tweak, tune and hone certain skills in isolation and then bring them back to their chosen area. Remember, from a recreational stance,the more honed your skill and strokes, the more enjoyable the experience. From a competitive stance, the difference between first and second place, winning the sprint at the start of a match, making that splitwheel could be as little as a 100th of a second or having a more effective stroke. This extra edge can be achieved by diversifying your training and honing a skill that you can practice in isolation in another discipline. ‘The proof is in the pudding’.

In 2004, I began to get involved with the juniors in Wild Water Kayak Club through the pool sessions. At that time working with John Healy, we ran pool sessions right through the winter months right up to March 2005.During those sessions the emphasis was on basic strokes. It didn’t matter

so much if the stroke worked properly, just once it was technically sound.From March, the students worked with coaches like Martin McCarthy,Colm Ryan and Adrian Barber, all respected coaches in their disciplines.The students were exposed to all aspects of the sport over the summer months. They where exposed to boating and surfing too and all of this combined has laid the foundation for the next generation of Athletes.You only have to look at some of our national team members across the competitive spectrum. They are members of WWKC, the pathway works. Around 2007 I was introduced to Lar Burke, who had taken over from John Healy as the junior officer in WWKC. The juniors were heading away on the annual junior weekend away, and if memory serves me right, they were heading surfing in Sligo. The following year, Lar was arranging the weekend away and having knowledge of the Hidden Valley site in Wicklow, I suggested that he try there for a change. I was there for the weekend and following a marathon river trip with Canadians and riverboats, seven hours in total, I began to think.Following that weekend, the concept of Paddlefest began to form in my mind, drawing from years of experience and seeing how this would be beneficial to the juniors, I approached Lar with the Paddlefest concept.From the early days we knew that this was bigger than us both, it was bigger than WWKC, and this would have great benefits for all juniors from all clubs. Whilst Lar undertook the Administration side and I looked after the operational side of things, the success or failure would depend on the input of the many volunteers that so kindly gave up their freetime,.Paddlefest is bigger than two people, it is bigger than one club,Paddlefest is a combination of a lot of factors and people coming together to help develop the sport, to learn from each other in a controlled and safe fashion and to take things to a new level. The ramifications of Paddlefest will leave a legacy on the paddlers of the future, it is up to you to continue the legacy.The benefits of cross training between disciplines is of vital importance to the overall development of the sport of canoeing and to the paddler as a whole. Failure to acknowledge this will result in a lot of paddlers failing toachieve their maximum potential and development.

Herein lies the Origin of Paddlefest

Written by Paul Donnelly

Sea Kayaking Irelands Eye

With Ireland still dry (tho rumour had it rain fell in Cork/Kerry) we grabbed the sea kayaks and went for a spin,

Out around Irelands Eye, an Island just off of Dublin the front side a beached coastline and a martello tower the back side and you could be anywhere towering cliffs and stacks with some intresting swells and breaks with hundreds of sea birds perched and poised, the odd seal popping up for a look.

Another vastly underutilised area which is on Dublins doorstep, this was my first trip out but wont be my last.

heres a quick video of the paddle.

Irelands Eye

Old Town Paddle

While we were in Croatia we were invited on another paddle with the lads from Outdoor Croatia this time an afternoon /evening paddle to miss the mid day sun and enjoy the red sunset from the sea,

We met the lads at their office in the port where we hopped in the van to load up boats from their mainland hideaway,

We launched onto the inland estuary with Marko as our guide, paddling upstream to meet the river and the top of the tidal stretch from here we were shown the Bosnian boarder and some of the key vantage points from the war, as well as the old water station which supplied Dubrovnik's water until it was damaged during the war,

Its hard to believe this Country and in fact this region was involved in war during our lifetimes and the lifetimes of many still living in the area.

We continued along the river out towards the sea. Passing by roads and villages and boats on our way to the new bridge, a large suspension bridge which crosses the estuary spanning just over 500m and save 45 minutes of driving along the old road now takes less than a minute. As you pass under the bridge the Gruz Harbour is to the left and here you will find cruise ships lined up with day passengers flocking to the streets if Dubrovnik's old town, each ship carries between 2000-4000 passengers plus crew which offer a huge passing trade to local businesses,

We passed the entrance to the port as we skirted around the new inflatable water park and onto the Lapad coastline, this area is heavily populated by tourists with about 15 hotels in a small stretch next door to one another all hugging the rocky beaches offering swimming and watersports from their front door, we headed past the hotels and made for a small rocky outcrop which housed a lighthouse building and some interesting rock slots to paddle through, as we weaved our way through the gaps we headed back for the main coastline, looking up at the towering cliffs above with no access we had left the busy hotels behind for quiet tranquil paddling before we hear the slapping and bouncing of a pair of jet skis flying by.

The coastline is full of boats weather it be small fishing boats, fun pleasure boats, yachts or multi million cruisers the Adriatic has it all and because of it warm climate and no tides if you have money you can have a big boat and sail with little experience, luckily many of these people never take their boats anywhere the water actually move and has tides,

We continued across the bay heading for a locals beach and beach bar where we tied up for a cool beer and a quick dip, with the beach crowded with locals, sunbathing, or huddled around playing cards it was a nice stop off for a dip in the cool blue to stretch the legs before rounding the head for the old town,

As we passed the corner with the city's walls high above our heads we cut into the below the pile gate for a photo opportunity, we rounded the Old Town of Dubrovnik taking in the spectacular view of the old walls, earlier in the week we had taken a walk on the walls to look out to see this time we were paddling from the bottom looking up, as we passed cafes some were swimming from the rocks others fishing all relaxing in the evening sun, we took a turn and headed for the island of Locrum Just off the Dubrovnik coast another magnificent island with much more greenery than some of the others, full of trees. On the backside of the island we found more people fishing looking for their dinner, many had climbed down the cliffs and rocks to find their own secluded spot, as we came to another large sea cavern we were passed by a rival outdoor company paddling around the island on double sit in tops struggling to move as we glided onwards in our 16ft6 Capellas making the job look easy having already paddled 15km plus where these guys had done less than 2km.

As we rounded the corner we were greeted by a sunset view of Dubrovnik's old town a perfect end to the paddle, one of the most beautiful city's silhouetted in one of the most beautiful sunsets, reds and oranges of the evening sky passing behind the hills behind,

As we paddled back into the Old town we were greeted once again by Vedran with the van where we loaded up before heading back to their apartment for some dinner, we were greeted by Johnny who had been busy rearranging the fridge for the beer, that evening we chilled out on the terrace drinking Slovenian beer (Croation beer is terrible as Jonny put it like sex in a kayak - Fu**ing close to water!) and a  feast of meats and salads, long into the night.

Thanks to all the guys at Outdoor Croatia, Vedran, Marko and Johnny you were fantastic hosts and will be travelling back again soon for more adventures,

For more information on sea kayaking in Croatia as well as other activities on offer check out OUTDOOR CROATIA

And the OUTDOOR CROATIA FACEBOOK PAGE

 

Croatia

They are genuinely nice people and always happy to give the best advice on planning trips away.

 

www.outdoorcroatia.com