The Sit on Top, beach toy or whitewater accessory?

When plastic boats burst onto the scene manufacturers were suddenly left looking for the boat to
suit everyone, a boat which could be manufactured stockpiled and sold to the masses not a
whitewater machine with a relatively small end user group but a general purpose safe for all the
family style boat.
Mirages, Dancers, Europa's came and went being replaced by shorter more playful designs, gone
were the days of one boat did everything.
Eventually sit on tops were born.

With UK based company's building boats Perception, feel free and islander other companies have joined
on to the expanding market. Now in Ireland we have a huge choice of sit on tops for every need.
Sit on tops are a fantastic choice for all the family from taking your first paddle strokes through to
experienced fun.
In the past a sit on top was widely seen as a 'beach toy' with designs like the Perception Scooter and
the Islander Kayaks Calypso Sport two very similar boats both UK built and sold hugely in Ireland.
These created a family friendly platform for getting adults and kids out on the water. These general
purpose sit on tops range from between 8-10ft in length with cheaper options like the Winner Purity
II and the Islander Hula perfect for smaller guys and gals up to the increasingly comfortable
Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100 this range of boats were designed to do everything, whether its
pottering around your local coastline or playing in the waves they will feel at home on canals and
inland waterways manoeuvrable yet super stable. The shorter a boat is, generally the wider it gets these
boats all provide a fantastic platform for getting out on the water with the worst case scenario involving falling in, getting wet before simply climbing back on, a sit on top takes the hassle out of paddlesport.
So why are they not more often used??
Well now that is the question over the past few years companies have expanded their ranges of sit
on tops looking at specific uses for many boats to draw people in to the non covered way of life.
Tandems

There's not a lot of things better than a sunny day on the water in a boat except for sharing that
experience with friends and family, a tandem offers that experience with space now for 2-3 people
for both adults and kids the capacity of the boats is huge which provides a stable platform for kids
playtime and adult enjoyment boats like the Islander Kayaks Paradise 2 comes with really soft seat
backrests to keep you comfy and stable whilst out for a paddle other boats like the Tarpon E from
wilderness systems provides solid flip up backrests for extra support. both designs offer the centre “third” seat, a moulded space to bring a little one along for the ride.
Surfing

With wave skis being used the world over it was natural for a company to attempt to build a surf
specific boat the Perception 5-O at the time the only high performance sit on top-esque wave ski of
its class, hard rails and fins with a flat belly and lifted nose provided the platform for a popular
introductory surf boat but soon many would be upgraded to a lightweight ski.
Touring boats

With sit on top designs the big factor has to be the length and the width, as a boat gets longer it gets
narrower. As with sit in kayaks the 14foot designs like the Tarpon 140 and the Venture Kayaks Islay
14 SOT offer a fantastic option to take your beach toy and suddenly give it some speed and you can
start exploring coastlines, islands and caves. By extending the length will allow the boat to track better and
provide the extra speed to head off and explore with boats like the Tarpon 160 a 16ft monster taking Sit
on Tops right up into the performance sea kayaking end of things. Being able to load up these huge
capacity
crafts with the built in hatches and head off on your adventure. Add a rudder for better steering in
bigger water and you have a boat you can paddle all day. What you gain in length and straight line
speed you will lose in manoeuvrability, the longer the boat the less easy it is to turn around so before you
pick yourself up a speed demon just decide if your canal is wide enough to turn in!
Fishing

Probably the most practical use for sit on tops had to be there stable nature and load capacity. This has
meant thousands of fishermen worldwide are now availing of these easy going craft.
With Sit on tops easy to launch and recover as well as being able to get into places a boat may find
difficult the cost of a Sit on Top in comparison to a motored boat has led to a new culture with top
fisherman now pulling in huge fish onto their sit on tops. With many favouring the likes of the
Tarpon 14 and the Ocean Kayak Prowler series it's easy to look at the Jackson Kayak a whitewater
brand now makes more fishing kayaks than whitewater boats. With boats turning into full on fishing
platforms now makes it much more accessible.
At the budget end of things the strike angler from Islander Kayaks provides a simple set up with flush
mounted rod holders which can be used for trailing lines and accessories.
Many of the fishing boats have comfort in mind with better seating positions to give you comfort and
support whilst out for the day, with many now offering higher seats and ability to stand as well really
proves the stability of many sit on tops.
Seating
As previously mentioned throughout the article the seating, probably the biggest area of change in
Sit on tops, from simple plastic moulded seat locations providing an area in which to sit, next the
fabric backrests and seats, a simple clip on clip off design which can be adjusted to offer support and
comfort this is the standard as found on many a sit on tops.
Next comes the solid backrests with simple flip up designs to go with padded seat areas provide solid
support and very user friendly,
At the top end the boats look like arm chairs wilderness systems have a unique three way
adjustment system to provide height adjustment in the backrest as well as angle of the back rest and
a leg lifter to take pressure off of your legs.
If you look at Jackson kayaks with their rock and roll seat
which provides height adjustment and then lift out of the way to provide standing room you might
as well be in heaven, Sit on tops provide some of the comfiest seat positions going because of their
nature the seat doesn’t need to be able to fit into a round cockpit to be fitted this allows more space and
more comfort for the end user.
Many of the boats have simple moulded in footrest positions this allows the user to choice a spot
and put their feet on the right mark, this makes boats really user friendly, for slightly more comfort
an adjustable footrest is then used whereby the user is able to slide the pedal into position for
optimum comfort.
To combine usability with performance knee straps can be used a simple foam and fabric pad which
is clipped along each side of the boat allows knees to slip under and grip this provides the user with
extra control in rough water and waves it also helps to be able to roll some of the boats. In the event
of a spill simply straighten your legs and you will easily fall of ready to hop back on.
Storage
All of the kayaks mentioned have their own storage compartments many are done by the way of a
watertight hatch cover which allows access to the inside of the hull. Many of these are highly water
proof but because of the nature of the boats not totally water tight so dry bags should definitely be
used as well.
The bigger the boat the more storage with larger hatches and hinged covers making loading easier
and specific areas on the top deck designated for bait boxes and rod holders on fishing specific
boats.
Maintenance
As with all kayaks a Sit on Top is virtually maintenance free with the exception of the odd hose down
after being in the sea many a folk leave the boats outside, as with all plastics the biggest thing to
degrade a boat is the UV damage from the sun so a good idea to keep them covered if possible but
as far as being waterproof the rain provides no threat. A quick hose down after being in salt water will help keep fixtures and fittings in good working order.
Accessories

Sit on top accessories are a huge thing with seat upgrades through to camera mounts and rod
holders all available my personal suggestion would be a paddle leash. First thing when buying your
boat, PFD, paddle and paddle leash so when you fall in or put the paddle down its attached to your boat and
won’t be off floating without you, your paddle is your engine and without it makes things fairly hard
going.
Whitewater

So the article had to lead back to whitewater, as many may have seen over the years people have
tried to create whitewater sit on tops whether it’s a good idea or not has led to much debate, with
boats like the Liquid Logic Coupe and the Fluid Doitnow not really taking off in Ireland its now turn of
the Pyranha Fusion Sit on Top.
The Fusion has been an excellent crossover boat for a few years now paddling whitewater and
flat-water with ease so Pyranha have taken the ever stable hull, made it more stable and changed the
top deck to a sit on instead of a sit in.
At first glance I had never thought much about the idea of whitewater and sit ons thinking about
how much it might hurt falling off, but then again how much does it hurt when you fall out of a
kayak? So having taken a demo Fusion sit on top for a spin I found it easy to paddle, very
manoeuvrable and not a whole heap different from my standard river kayak, almost disappointing
how good it was. So over the past while I've been pushing it further and further paddling class 1-3+/4
on it with relative ease, I've had it sea surfing and bouncing down weirs whilst still surfing holes and
spinning on waves. Firstly the control means the boat rolls with the thigh braces and if rolling isn’t
for you hop off and hop back on within seconds your away again no more emptying boats or lifting
swamped boats.

Personally I feel previous whitewater sit on tops have never really taken off because they haven’t
been paddled, my best advice for any one whether experienced whitewater paddler or intermediate
just give it a go. Get it out and see what you think it's some of the best fun I've had. Mentally the fact
you're not enclosed brings about a sense of comfort for many who feel kayaking claustrophobic and
entrapping. Being able to jump off when things get scary will give people a lot of confidence and
then the ease of hopping back on quickly gets more time in a boat and less time underwater.
Sit on tops have many positive factors and very few negatives, they will never completely replace a
closed in kayak but for sure will make paddlesport more accessible for many users whether an
introduction, an afternoon hire or a trip down a class 2 rapid it's about the fun the excitement and
the exhilaration it brings to the end user.
 
.Sit On Tops are available in a whole heap of shapes and sizes for the best advice on what your require always visit your local kayak store before ordering to make sure you pick up the right boat for your needs
As always thanks to the photographers for use of images Palm Equipment, Conflueance watersports and Irish Photographer @Oisin McHugh - http://www.oisinmchughphoto.com/

What’s my buzz??

So this morning Phil, a colleague of mine asked myself “How's the progress with the hospital?” I replied that “The only efficient part was their accounting department” He then asked me… “So what’s your buzz? You know for when you can’t get on the water, what do you do?” I looked at him bemused by his silly question he continued “You know when I can’t go running I lift weights gives me the same buzz”

I thought about what he said for a moment with no real answer to him, I have no “Buzz” so I started asking myself, what is my buzz and where can I find it, these might seem very personal questions but a real idea that could be explored, so I told him “let me think about it and I'll let you know!”

The “buzz”

the word with a thousand meanings, (and I haven't even checked the dictionary!)

 Buzz like a bee, Buzz buzz the greeting, Buzz-ard flying so high, Buzz the annoying noise from a radio, Buzz as a lift approaches, Buzz the atmosphere from a huge crowd, Buzz the warm feeling inside that gets you going, Buzz the terrible kids game, Giving you a buzz on the phone, Buzz or an electric shock.

So for this topic I'm going to use Buzz as to mean the warm feeling inside that gets you going,

For as long as I can remember kayaking is the one sport that continues to give me enjoyment as a junior donning my shorty wetsuit for cold days on the creek (Stoke Lake) back home in Gosport freezing to the bone but cannot wait for the following week, to now being able to zip into my drysuit for wherever my next adventure takes me. Kayaking has given me so much with so many disciplines its shown me how to train and stay motivated on a goal its shown me adventure and expedition, its given me determination to push on when the seas howling in, it gives me the fun and freedom to surf big waves and fall on waterfalls. Kayaking has shown me hard times too, losing friends and putting myself in difficult, dangerous (don't tell my Mammy) situations, its given me injuries and proved I'm not indestructible. Kayaking has taken me to places and allowed me to meet people I never would of met and given me the respect of nature and her elements.

Kayaking is more than a hobby for myself and that's where the #Paddle4life came from, its all about my journey and I feel my journey is still only a journey not all paths need to have a end point merely milestones along the way. at the moment I'm currently heading for the rehabilitation milestone of fixing myself, this chapter of my journey I could call injury, its a part of the book that id love to write off but as an experience I learnt a lot about myself and my body, I need to refer back to this chapter often in the future to remember the feeling of waiting and being patient, and putting in place preventive measures to make sure I don't rewrite this chapter of my journey,

 

In the distance I've got other milestones these are my goals my aims and they are all in sight, the plans for King of the alps, Jura, Sickline are all there. just over the horizon there's always another adventure and goal but at the moment its about being realistic and getting myself back into the best shape possible.

I feel kayaking is my buzz and I don't have anything else to replace it. I can ‘do’ other sports but they are for fun they are there to complement my time on the water, some climbing, a bit of biking, anything involving an adventure, Id love to try some surfing as well but these are merely complimentary and not a replacement. The Buzz is the enjoyment the warm feeling if you think of something you love to do and in the best scenario close your eyes and believe your in that environment the sounds the smell the feeling, this feeling right here this is your ‘Buzz’

For myself a piece I wrote in a blog a while back keeps coming back to haunt me, summing up my buzz in one go.

The feeling of flying, or the feeling of falling one of the two, that last stroke to pull through and let the boat release from its downward pull to accelerate away from the pool and into the clear water. That’s a feeling I miss as I look at photos from sickline last year and cant wait to be back. Paddling is about feeling the water and the flow and forms it takes that's what I think of that's what I dream of and that's where I want to be.

 

I participate in kayaking hugely because of the friends I meet and for the moment I get a huge amount from simple things like a coffee with paddling friends or some coaching without hurting myself. I love watching other participate the smile on their faces because I really understand what they are feeling, its the same feeling I get every time I sit in a boat.

Luckily for me I've met an amazing girl who also understands my buzz and what it means to me, and will help however she can to get me back fighting fit and support my adventures. In return I will do whatever I can to support her adventures, she's a girl of many talents and expertise, and for me I get to help her hugely through support and through equipment I will do whatever I can to give her the best opportunity to explore as many adventures as possible with simple modifications that will really help her along the way.

Whatever your buzz is get out and do it, there are ways and means to facilitating participation in any activity and as long as it makes you smile its certainly worth doing.

#Paddle4life

Pyranha Kayaks Adaptive Outfitting (Pyranha on Wheels)

Having been using the New Pyranha C4S Outfitting for a while now in Burn 3’s and my new 9R I’ve been impressed with how adjustable the outfitting can be, fully customising the seating position to fit a huge variety of people so when asked what about outfitting a boat for a paddlesport coach with spinal cord injury the only boat to turn to was the Burn 3 Medium, The outfitting options combined with the stable predictable hull meant it was the perfect choice.

The boat in question had previously been demoed by one of my team paddlers who had moved up from the Small Burn 2 with some custom work on the seat to lift it high enough for her to paddle the larger boat with no problems,
Firstly I used the largest power block (power block 3) under the front of the seat then using power block 1 reversed under the tail of the seat and redrilling the seat onto the brackets allowed for the seat to be lifted much higher then standard whilst still offering a secure fit.

Next step was to start with the feet, as a spinal cord injury with paralysis from the core down any movement of the feet will cause knees to slip out unbeknown to the paddler making the boat more difficult to control and rolling impossible.
So to keep the feet in position I used the 2nd power block measured and cut, to slot between Jenny’s feet to stop movement left and right. it is important to take into account footwear being used to provide adequate space.
This can then either be secured and glued into the boat or slotted in when the paddler gets into the boat.
The thigh braces have been left as standard only slid forward to provide a snug fit, staying off the knees so not to create any pressure sores. the thigh braces are effective because the high seat position will really lift the legs up into the braces.
The hip pads were lifted along with the seat, to lift just above the hip bone and provide both support and to lock the paddler down into the boat. experiment with the foam shims and the strap positions to get the best fit. putting a strap above the ratchet strap will hold the pad high.
Now the backrest, my pride and joy a work of art,
Because of Jenny's level of injury she has a vastly weakened core resulting in very little core stability this means she cannot physically do a sit up so if the backrest does not support her fully she will fall backwards and land on the back deck unable to lift back up in the boat previously she has been using 2 backrests to hold her upright, this has worked successfully as the best option until now.
 
So I took the standard C4S backrest lengthening the lower retaining strap to lift it higher, then thanks to the guys at Pyranha who kindly sent me a Flip top backrest from a fusion I cable tied this into the same webbing hole on the bottom of the rear seat, this then stretches a full 12 inches up much more than the standard backrest,
To use the backrest Jenny must slide her waist tube of her skirt over the backrest this acts like a corset, providing the support needed to allow her to concentrate on paddling.

Then using bungees to secure the C4S backrest to the Flip top backrest and tying the fliptop’s string adjustment into the ratchet loops means the whole backrest now tightens as one offering a solid support for Jenny holding her upright in the boat


Because the backrest sits much higher up Jenny's torso she can now feel the soft upper edge against her rib cage this provides feedback whilst the boat is edging something she's only ever been able to do by visual references.

Lastly Jenny has added a lap belt to the boat, this assists her in staying in place in the seat making it possible for her to roll the boat.

The lap belt is a beaver dive belt but berg buckles also work really well, releasing under tension. On the Burn we simply ran the belt through the two gear attachments to the rear of the seat and around.


And now the Burn was ready for a paddle!

Jenny found the Burn to be responsive and stable, with the new found feedback she was able to push the boat onto its rail to carve and ferry,

With the lap belt Jenny is able to roll the burn. The C4S with the raised seat tail and fliptop backrest creates a bucket style feel to the boat offering support.

Jenny is a BCU Paddlesport coach and coach educator, with a background in Strength and conditioning and clinical rehabilitation, Jenny has competed in many different sports winning medals, records and personal bests at National, European, World championships as well as two Paralympics.

Back to France

After a super weekend at Cranafest and an enjoyable evening in Dublin with Martina, I had more time booked off, as normal all my plans changed and was left with no plan, having been at Mick Reynolds in France the week before we had talked plans and rivers. I took a look at cheap flights and booked a last minute flight to La Rochelle grabbed a hire car and drive over to Micks where the adventure would really begin.
Arriving Monday evening just in time to check the levels and make a rough plan, the van was loaded the scooter shuttle in the back along with full expedition kit for any eventuality and a pair of lovely Dagger Nomad 8.1s a size smaller than I would have been accustomed to but beggars cant be choosers, luckily she was lime green to match my kit :-)
So Tuesday we awoke early to drive down to the Allier a 16km stretch varying from grade 2 -3 with a couple of 4/5s. During its entirety it never really let up. An enjoyable paddle, great to familiarise myself with the new boat,
This is an amazing stretch for a group or club giving something for everyone, smooth lines to read and run with S moves galore you could spend all day hitting flares and spins on all the rapids,

So that evening we made a plan by pure guess work and a little hope as well as some of Micks aspirations we picked the Number one river in the region the Fontaulière. Dropping 149m in 3km this is also the steepest river in the region.
We drove over to the river staying in Chateaux Traffic and awaking to a freezing morning with cold winds and just generally fairly miserable, with low motivation we set our shuttle, using the scooter and the van made for easy work. Kitted up and ready to go we descended down to the waters edge, the cold water and the chilling breeze kept us on our toes,
When we met the river we were welcomed with drop after drop,as the gradient fell away so did we, some smooth lines and some big moves this river was a great way to go. At the halfway point we found the big drop, Micks eyes lit up with that look that nothing was stopping him, having spent nearly 5 years without much gradient he was finally home! eyeing up this drop a stlick slot entry leading into a 10m vertical slide. Before hitting the kicker and ejecting away from the base on a huge plume of white water sending you up and out a spectacular drop. By this point the flamingo was flapping he was ready he was up. A slight wobble on the entry and the smile as he reached the lip before plummeting downwards at Mach 10 he hit the kicker and planted into the whitewater below grinning from ear to ear, Reynolds was back in the game!

My turn as he set the camera I hit the entry slot taking the wobble and driving hard to the line I was looking as the boat kicked up the rush of air as I hit the kicker I drove with my knees to get the bow high up into the air landing flat with the noise echoing around the canyon the line was beautiful (even if a little sore)

but at this point we had come to the right river, descending and dropping further down the valley with the gradient stacking up behind us from smooth chutes and cascades to cruising rapids, a little more water would of cleaned up a few of the lines but we were having fun, some pinball fun in the bottom drop and we were out.
The short shuttle made easy with pizza delivery boy Mick and we were away to find our next run,

This time heading south back towards Millau where I hurt myself all of those months ago we headed for the Haut Tarn another absolute French classic, dropping some 223m with most of the gradient in the first two thirds of the river. The levels were low but runnable with a quick text to the local boys to confirm it was on, dropping into the valley and the walls just seemed to lift, greeted by horizon line after horizon,  this river had us smiling from the off.
A short way in we were greeted by the biggest drop of the run a technical series of rapids coming around a left elbow of 90 degrees before swinging right onto a sliding kicker dropping maybe 15m from the top. The drop was on but the lead in was tight, Mick had his mind made up to portage the lead in and drop in above the chute as he took off down the flow he was but a passenger plugging hard below,
I was already sore and looking at the right hand stroke I was starting to walk, having seen crash dummy Reynolds forget to pull any stroke and realise the run was easier than the portage I booted up. Ferrying out onto the flake pulling a left stroke through to lift the nose as I hit the crux lifted the knees and sailed through the air, bow high, once again landing flat on another big drop, it looked and felt stunning but knowing I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Continuing downstream being met by horizon lines meant plenty of scouting, with some incredible cascades and rapids the river left a lot of flakes to run with sticky holes hiding keeping the bow high was essential. Another committing rapid opened up in front of us on inspection 4 drops with the crux the constriction style drop as the third down a a 8 foot channel where the water had to flow uphill to leave the pool causing a huge towback and recirculation,

on inspection Mick was out, but something on it felt good, to link the 4 drops in one series looked good, with Mick on camera and rescue I fired it, drop one right flake, drop two left flake, then charge at the third, on the green chute pull a right stroke to keep the bow high of the first wave and plant the left into the pile to keep it moving, the small nomad skipped and sailed straight through the drop not stopping to look back, as I reached the 4th drop I was far to excitable and forgot to pull the stroke so came through a little tail happy but wow what a line.
The river didn't let up throwing in  gradient behind big boulders some with consequence scouting was the order of the day.


Another big flare leading to just off vertical pour over made me think of champions killer, again I was paddling well and it was on, probably because the flare entry just looked soo sweet, it was worth the rest of the rapid, again the line went and stayed the nomad flying through with ease, at last I was back on my game, paddling with confidence. the bigger the water the better I got.

Mick was back in his element after so long off of big rivers, many would joke he cant paddle big rivers anyway too much water for him, but I can assure you all he held his own, safe and strong, knowing he had the line and would pick me up was a good feeling, his lines were improving as the trip went on shaking off the rust quickly to paddle these 3French Classics at last minutes notice.

As we eventually reached the dam to mark the get out after a full day on the water he was already planning the next adventure...... Jura
A short flight back to Dublin with a bank holiday weekend upon us time to load up and hit up this magical place called Kerry before my holiday ends.

October Travelling

The trip started with a work trip to Nuremberg for Paddlexpo the yearly European Kayak trade show to check out the latest and greatest and to see what we can do for the next year, as I was on holiday I decided to drive out this year with boats, bikes and about any other toy that would fit in the van,

Paddlexpo is a great opportunity to meet up with friends from different brands who we may  not have seen during the year as well as new acquaintances really makes the show a great place to start my trip.

After a busy start to the season to then be hampered by a shoulder injury, its given me a lot if time to reflect on what I'm doing and where I'm going,
Firstly I'm an awful patient, like any active person I'm the physios nightmare, they give a little and we take a mile then wonder why recovery is delayed.

From the moment I got injured I had my sights set on competing at this years Sickline event, since last years event I know I can be competitive, I just need to be fit, So id planned a holiday around the event bringing friends with me to paddle and share the experience, unfortunately in the weeks leading up to the event I knew myself I wasn't getting stronger and still in a great deal of pain I've hardly sat in a boat and holding a set of blades made me hurt, I had been teasing myself with the prospect,

On arriving in Austria and the beautiful Oetz valley as I looked at the course and pictured the moves I knew honestly that I was not able for it, in the days leading up to the event I took it easy paddling the lower and upper stretches of the amazing valley just testing the water and the shoulder knowing I had a lot to do before I was ready to start pushing, after a couple of days on the water I felt I was smooth and comfortable the boat was paddling well and I was confident on the water, having not been on a river since I was Last in the Oetz the beginning of June I was just happy to be out, unfortunately after paddling I noticed a lot of inflammation and soreness. So at registration I made the decision not to risk racing and didn't take my race number, for me this was a tough call and one I was worried I may regret.
As the competition kicked off I was sad not to be a part of this years race but it was fantastic to see the young lads, Cian, Conor and David holding their own against some if the best whitewater paddlers on the planet.

The lads paddled without fear showing no nerves to push their own performances to the highest level
If I had raced would I of beaten them? ?........
Mentally - I know the course, I know my ability and I know my strengths.
Physically - Not a hope! I cant pull a right stroke confidently and rolling or bracing leaves me in huge amounts of pain.
I can look at the event now knowing I made the right decision, Personally I had nothing to prove, a couple of years ago id of paddled regardless, but I guess a sign of growing up, what's more important, the fame of that 90 seconds or the next 12 months of paddling?
Its important that paddlers understand their own abilities and limitations as a good coach can understand their athletes strengths and weaknesses, the motivation to get back up after a fall is it to prove to themselves or others around them? Its important to do things for the right reasons.
Sickline was once again a spectacle with some of the fastest paddlers pushing hard with the slightest mistakes punishing them for valuable seconds.
Personally its a chance to paddle and catch up with friends from around the world who descend on the valley each year,

It was great to have a great crew of Irish paddlers at the event this year, having the craic and causing trouble like usual! A great bunch that really was a pleasure to spend time with.
After the event many paddlers headed away soon after but a few stayed behind, as I was on holiday I really had no plans with many of my plans already changed in the previous few weeks, I decided to stay where the water was, paddling and biking with friends, exploring areas of the region we hadn't come across before and enjoying the time away.

The Oetz Valley really does have so much to offer the paddling in the region is top class, having paddled there this year in both Summer (high) flows and the autumn lower level theirs just so much to keep you amused, from technical creeking to big water fun and some big holes in between the Oetz will keep the best paddlers on their toes.

Aside from the paddling the valley homes some amazing bike routes running high into the mountains from easy road rides to technical single track, higher up is the glacier one of the largest around so if skiing is your thing this place is made for it, as well the climbing the paragliding, they don't do things by halves with routes marked and set up for ease of use and maximum time taking part, just over 2hours from Munich leaves you astonished in what you will find this is definitely one of my favourite spots to be.

During the week I was lucky that Jenny decided to hang around (some peer pressure) which meant some really nice chilled paddling on the upper and the vent sections, taking in the views and cruising down the rivers before heading back to the qualification course and slalom course to push the boat around.

After a night at the aqua dome relaxing and chilling it was time to depart the valley but not before a couple of laps on the Wellebrucke, by now, a week after the event, I was confident I was strong enough to paddle the course without further hurting myself. Some nice lines really got the new 9R running, a superfast boat and a joy to paddle, keep her straight and smooth and she will reward you with speed and lift.
After paddling it was time to say goodbye and head off to Switzerland to meet the lads and deliver a boat.

 

A couple of days rest in St Gallen left me feeling much better the shoulder looked normal and the soreness had died down so I decided to head back over to Oetz to milk the last of the water, not knowing the next time id see water I decided I should make the most of it, just running laps on the Wellebrucke to really test out the boat before meeting Luca in Innsbruck for a few beers and to plan for 2015.
Another day in St Gallen and it was time to start for the ferry, calling in with Great Outdoors Team Paddler Mick Reynolds at his new place in France, drinking wine and talking waterfalls long into the night.
After a look at some local waves it was time to hit the ferry back from Cherbourg into Ireland before starting the drive up to Cranafest for the weekend.