Grey Seal Pups | Living Seas North West (livingseasnw.org.uk)
Sea kayakers must tread carefully at this time of year in the Walney area.
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Back by popular demand, British Canoeing are delighted to share with you a series of Winter CPD webinars.
Sessions are open to all. Instructors, Coaches, Guides and Leaders will automatically have 5 CPD points added to their record for attending each Webinar. British Canoeing members will receive between 50% - 100% discounts on webinar fees, so please ensure your logged in before claiming your space. We listened hard to your feedback from last winter, and all sessions will be recorded, and recordings and any resources shared with all ticket holders to be able to watch back and refer to, however CPD points will only be allocated automatically if you ‘watch live’. Having a ‘watch party’? that’s no problem, we welcome device sharing, but we can only update records of those with tickets ‘automatically’. To find out more about the webinars you can visit Paddles Up Training website or click the links below to book now!
![]() By Sally Coleman - photographs from John, Jonathan and Tony Introduction To conclude the sea kayak starter/returner programme, we planned a “Salty Sea Event” based out of Roa Island - across the way from Piel and Walney islands. As only two participants from the spring programme based from Killington Lake were able to make the day, we invited the Cumbria Canoe Clubs to circulate the opportunity to get relatively inexperienced paddlers out onto the sea - the response was positive and we had 12 enquiries, which turned into a group of 8 paddlers. As many of the 8 were unknown to us, we decided to invite them all to a Tuesday eve session on Killington lake, for us to meet and paddle with them and for them to meet us - John Soady Cumbria Canoeists sea kayak lead and Mike Sunderland sea kayak - coach/leader. All went well on the Tuesday eve, until the light failed, so we agreed to meet at 8am on the Saturday morning to share transport and load up both the sea kayaks and equipment. All went well and on time we arrived at our destination - Brick Kiln Lane (Ulverston) on the Leven estuary, as the wind conditions were too extreme to go to Roa Island. Adventures are seldom planned, they just sort of happen and thus it proved when 13 of us, including coaches Mike, John & Mac launched our sea kayaks from the beach car park at the end of Brick Kiln Road near Ulverston. The original plan was to meet at Roa Island Sailing Club and paddle to Piel Island but a force four wind from the ENE necessitated a change of plan. Morecambe Bay, it seems, always has something up its sleeve. After a briefing and explanation of the change of plans, Mike ran a short session on the gravel beach, highlighting the paddlers actions required, in case of a capsize. so we all sat around and practiced the heel hook roll in and shimming down into the cockpit - just in case of a spill. As we set out, the incoming tide was running swiftly against the flow of the Leven Estuary creating tricky conditions – not a place for the inexperienced – so we spent some time in the small estuary of the Dragley Beck, practicing paddle skills beside strange cliffs of iron ore slag, with a white egret and flocks of waders for company. By this time, the sun was shining & the tidal flow had slowed enough for us to paddle north up the coast to a bay just south of Hammerside Point where we stopped for lunch, keeping an eye on our kayaks & moving a few up the beach as the spring tide reached its fullest. From there, we rounded the pier at the end of the old Ulverston Canal, avoiding the fishermen’s lines, and paddled into the wind towards the western end of the Leven Viaduct with the lovely Coniston Fells as a backdrop. A couple of trains trundled across the viaduct as we planned our next moves – first a ferry glide facing the viaduct to cross the tidal race created by the R Leven & ebbing tide and then a sloopy, wavy, slightly unnerving 15 minute downwind dash taking us to the north-east side of Chapel Island. We made a quick recce of the island, once the site of a chapel and a former base for fishermen but now a bird sanctuary. Large flocks of seabirds took off as we made shore, flying off in a big circle & returning. We launched again and paddled to the south end of the island, finding a colony of oyster catchers on the rocky shore. Not one to miss an opportunity, Mike had us practicing breaking into and out of the ebbing tidal race just offshore. Then Mac pointed out that if we didn’t start heading back to the cars, we’d be stranded on the sand banks! It was only 1km back to Brick Kiln beach. But how best to get there with wind and tide against us? The idea was to paddle in our groups a little way north in slack water and then to ferry glide across the tidal race – simple! However, as we headed across, the wind and tidal stream together built in strength to around 6 knots and we were no longer able to hold our position against the shore. The instruction came to paddle straight for the shore. The stronger paddlers made it first and were then able to paddle slowly up the shoreline in a slight eddy. People were by now all over the place. Some had made it to shore some distance south of the car park and decided to carry their kayaks back along the beach. Others, like myself, finally gained the shore and were able to paddle very slowly back towards the car park. Everyone lent a hand carrying boats, and ensured that all of us made it safely back – phew! It took an hour to do that 1km! It was slightly reassuring when Mike told us afterwards it was one of the hardest ferry glides he’d ever done! Certainly the toughest ferry glide in Cumbria! Malcolm said: “ Thank you and your team for an ‘Amazing Brilliant Exhilarating… (many other interesting descriptive adjectives are available..!) time paddling.. Cant wait to get back……….” Tony said “ Thanks for a memorable day’s kayaking” Our grateful thanks to Alison and George for assisting and sharing the day with us all, chatting about their personal sea kayak journeys and involvements with Lakeland Canoe Club and Cumbria Canoeists.” A HUGE thank you to Mike, John and Mac for their leading skills and coaching tips. We all enjoyed our Salty Sea experience – a memorable day out with a great bunch of people. And we have it on record that Mike promises to head straight for Roy’s ice cream van on the main Bardsea road, next time!
A reminder from our chair to check, clean, dry. NZ pigmy weed found in our Lakes!
Continuing the tradition Carlisle Canoe Club invites paddlers young and old to join them on Ullswater for the Jim Wilson memorial paddle.
Meeting at Glencoyne Bay, Ullswater at 10am, 24th September. Paddlers of all abilities are welcome. You are asked to bring a drink of your choice for a toast to the memory of Jim. The legend who inspired so many people with his friendly personality and knowledgeable love of paddling. Also bring some food, a suitable craft which you are able to paddle the distance you want to, in the conditions on the day. Or simply bring a chair and sit back and enjoy good company. The plan is simple, remember good times, share them and create more good memories… If you have any questions please contact Carlisle Canoe club. The link leads you to a comment page supporting this planning application .
Some positive points for having a car park at Armathwaite. 1. Safe off road parking for canoe clubs and small groups who are running the river Eden - from Lazonby to Armathwaite or Armathwaite down stream. 2. Prevents congestion on Village roadside with cars 3. Prevents the Armathwaite bridge being cluttered with vehicles and causing an emergency vehicle to be delayed in crossing the bridge in an emergency. 4. Often vehicles - cars and vans - are parked for much of the day on the roadside and can now be parked sensibly in a car park - reducing roadside cluttering. 5. The car park is ideally situated for watersport users to access and egress the river Eden, directly into a car park and not along the footpath onto the bridge, then a pavement or road side to access their parked vehicles. 6. It just makes sense to provide for the welcomed visitors of Armathwaite. 7. Cumbria Canoeists is in partnership with Eden Rivers Trust to create an access/egress point, just below Armathwaite bridge, which will link directly into the car park from the river bank. The link leads you to a comment page supporting this planning application. Please have your say and share the link above! Cumbria Canoeists set up much needed outdoor canoe polo venue in South Lakes and Lancaster14/6/2023 Cumbria Canoeists (with help from British Canoeing) have set up a much needed outdoor canoe polo venue at Killington Lake in South Lakes. The new venue will be used to run canoe polo coaching courses, referee courses, local friendly club tournaments and training sessions. We aim to establish a regional Div 1 and 2 team which local clubs can feed into. In addition, the venue can be used by local clubs to run their own activities. In order to further develop this new exciting venue, Cumbria Canoeists will be applying for a Sport England grant to raise money to build up our kit supplies to support the venue.If any local businesses are interested in supporting this please contact Chris Archer at: [email protected] Any donations are gratefully welcomed.
From Tuesday 27th June, we’ll be running weekly beginner sessions running from 18:30 til 19:30 every week. No previous paddling experience is needed, all kit will be provided and your first session is free. Due to insurance reasons, you need to be 11 or older to attend. Canoe polo is a really funsport and a great way to get into kayaking. If you would like more information please contact Matt Carter: [email protected] [Fletcher] Linked to the Polo Initiative, several of the Cumbrian Youth Paddlers regularly attend the GB Polo Academy Training Sessions in Liverpool each month. These sessions are helping to progress Youth Polo players - drawn from many clubs across the Country - to help prepare them for Elite-Level sport. Luckily three of the Cumbrian Youth Paddlers have been selected to play in the St Omer International Polo Tournament in France in a couple of weeks time. Jethro, Avery and Cameron - all from Penrith will represent GB in the various U21 and U18 Divisions - as a squad of 20 Paddlers selected to attend. They have been supported in this venture by bursaries from Cumbria Canoeists. |
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January 2025
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