What did you do at the weekend

[MG1]

Its a good walk up with plenty of sick stops believe me been there done it.

[RedLeader]

Its a good walk up with plenty of sick stops believe me been there done it.

We'll have to get an overnighter up there on the events calendar.... Is it okay to light fires or hobo stoves up there or would the firebrigade appear and hose you?

[MG1]

Any time we go up there we have a fire lit and have never had any problems.

[666_pack]

yeah as iong as you don't take the piss. We tend to use the same fire ring all the time anyway. you can't call it camping without a fire.

[RedLeader]

yeah as iong as you don't take the piss. We tend to use the same fire ring all the time anyway. you can't call it camping without a fire.

I totally agree. Its one of the main reasons I like camping. There's nothing better than sitting round the fire chewing the fat and perhaps having a beer! I also find I enjoy myself more if I've had a chance to fashion a seat

[DryBag]

this weekend I finally did something worth telling you about.  I was in Bushmills at the Education centre with the canoe/kayak coaches group.

Friday night kayaking in Coleraine pool, learning and improving our steering strokes and braces (and playing games of course).

Saturday morning in open boats paddled from Agivey bridge down the Bann and up the Ree for a bit.  I'd never even noticed the Ree before and it's an excellent wee slow-running deep river.  We turned after about an hour and made our way back.  Lots of experimenting with trim to account for wind and water flow.

Saturday afternoon, kayaks among the sea stacks around Ballintoy.  One or two hairy moments when the waves picked up (even hairier when the sea vanished leaving exposed rocks!), but excellent for practicing our newly learned steering strokes.  then we did some tow line and rescue practices - eskimo rescues and X-rescues. 
I even managed my first unaided roll in the sea - I've done it in the pool before, but when will you ever need it in the pool?

Saturday night looking at rescue, maintenance, safety and repair kit worth carrying, and practising with throw lines. (as well as watching Bill Mason's 'Path of the Paddle')

Sunday morning back in the open boats at the Cutts practising J-strokes, Canadian, Indian, box strokes, draws, stern rudder, bow rudder, cross-deck strokes... all that sort of stuff, then a couple of solo rescues to finish off.

Did I mention I'm a wee bit tired this morning?

I'm a bit diappointed not to have got my 2* this weekend, but I've only been paddling since the start of the year - plenty of time to get more practice and get certified before the coaching weekends in September.

[Michelle]

Wow sounds like my kind of weekend!!!  Congratulations on the roll - any chance of helping me nail that one??

Pity about the 2*, did they give you a review of why they didnt  pass you for it?  If you need practice give me a shout always u for a paddle!!

[RedLeader]

I was up Cave Hill oin Sunday for some fresh air and exercise. It was really hard going getting up to the top still. Was hoping I would be finding it easier by now... On Sunday night we had a BBQ and smoked up the garden burner. The weather was great, top night!

[DryBag]

Really I just need more practice Michelle,
I've only been paddling since the start of the year and I don't have my own boat yet so I have to think about what to do rather thaan it being instinctive and natural.  It'll come.

[DryBag]

Took the youth club to East Coast Adventure in Rostrevor for the weekend.
After a very very disappointing Saturday morning it gradually got much better with sit-on-tops, banana boating, jet-skiing in carlingford lough, and then canyoning/bouldering and cliff jumping at bloody bridge.
Ended up being quite a good weekend.

[Michelle]

Wow sounds like a a cool weekend dry bag!  I spent a lot of my weekend awake and having a few jars, its hard work not having to study any more.  I have a wee surf boat and a sea kayak, I may be able to borrow another surf boat if you fancied a tootle about. its all about "bum in boat time" a man once told me

[DryBag]

Robin's always telling us to get more bum in boat time.
I'll be picking up a boat tomorrow, on loan for the summer.  It's an old fibreglass kayak though, so I won't be risking it on anything but flat water.

Where do you usually paddle?  I might be up at the north coast in a couple of weekends' time, maybe we could meet up for a couple of hours?

I've been spending far too much time away from the family recently, so everything I do will fit round them for the next wee while.  I'm sure we get a one-year-old hooked on surf kayaking though!

[Michelle]

do you think we can get him turned int a pro by the olympics???

Send me a pm if  you want to come up we could go a wee doodle up the bann or down it   prob between coleraine and kilrea is best - it can get a bit choppy depending on weather from coleraine to bar mouth.  I know a couple of other people who are itching to get out a paddle too. 

I normally tinker up and down margy, or go out into the bay when i can get hold of a few ppeople to paddle with

[RedLeader]

Between a family birthday and Christening I only got a quick jaunt up Cave Hill this weekend. I feel like the summers starting to pass me by!!

[Damp Colin]

I was at Dungannon yesterday trying my hand at a bit of bog snorkelling not as easy as it looks. Well not that easy when half way down the course you swallow a mouth full of peatland bog  .
How they can call a fella standing on a scaffold with a power hose a "refreshing and cleansing shower" i will never know.