I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of these sunglasses a few months back to try out.  I have to say I am very impressed with them so far. Whats the big deal you may ask they're just sunglasses
?! Well these are not just any old pair of shades.  The Wave are specifically made to be used by people in and around the water for sailing, kayaking, wake boarding and even surfing.  
If you found this review you probably already know the pedigree of these sunglasses, if not you might be surprised to know that Julbo have been in the industry for over 125 years and are trusted by some of the worlds best athletes and adventurers.  With a wide range of products and specialist expertise in prescription sports eye wear these guys know a thing or two about making top quality sunglasses.

Last week (31/3-5/4) I was in Slovenia for the Gene17 next Generation training course.  We were based in the beautiful Soča Valley in the Julian alps not far from the Italian border in north west Slovenia.  This area has become very well known in the kayaking community as the place to go in Europe for nice class 2-4 white water, predictable levels, good weather and excellent ice cream!.

The Soča lends itself perfectly to this type of course.  It offers lots of natural classrooms for improving personal skills and developing your coaching.  The Next Generation course has been running for a number of years now, it was know as future staff training until this year when it was made open to paddlers to apply for a place on the course. There were 12 places available over 2 weeks.  It suited me best to go on the second week. 

Winter is well and truly here and I'm sure you can feel it every time you step outside.  Well its just as bad when you have to get on the water for a flat water training session or a day on a white water river.  Having good thermal base layers is the key to staying warm in these conditions.  There is a huge range of base layer products on the market now that offer varying degrees of protection and comfort.  For me I have been using CRAFT sportswear products for about 3 years now for all types of kayaking and training.  CRAFT are a Swedish company that specialise in making performance sportswear for cycling, running and skiing and have done so for the last four decades.  Why CRAFT? Three reasons

This looks like a fantastic race and is high on the to do list.  I was hoping to do the race this year but it was only 2 weeks after the DW so it was ruled out.
Next year it is on the 22nd/23rd of March, a month before the DW.   This would definitely be a testing race given the unpredictable nature of Scottish weather and it being so early in the season. 

Here is what is on offer for the non-stop race:
21.5kms of canal...
60.5kms of open water Lochs...
10kms of
Grade 1/2 river… 1 Nessie!

Check out the video of 2013. It looks great.

I received this cool little gadget in the post today from the guys in FINIS Europe.  It is an audible metronome that can be set to different stroke rates.  I first heard about these devices from a triathlete friend who uses a Tempo Trainer for swimming. He suggested that it might be useful for kayaking.  So I am going to try it out as a training aid for marathon kayaking.  I am hoping that it will be helpful in developing stroke efficiency and timing.  It can also be used for interval training and few other things. 
I am really looking forward to trying it out over the next few weeks and posting how I get on.

Check out  http://www.finisinc.com/eu/ for more details and other FINIS products.

I am delighted to announce that I will be working with The RACE as an elite kayak trainer and adviser for the big event in March 2014.  This will be the first extreme adventure race of its kind in Ireland and will require competitors to run, kayak and cycle 260km in under 24 hours. This will be one gruelling event that will push even the toughest to there limits.

Check out the RACE website for more details http://www.therace.ie/

I had the Sipre Marlin M surf ski for the summer just gone here in Ireland.  This was my first ski to own and only my second to paddle.  When I decided to buy a ski I wanted to get something that I could paddle comfortably and confidently in some decent conditions.  As I would be paddling solo I needed a ski that was not a full on racing ski and that I could remount easily if needs be.

When my Marlin arrived I was delighted with what I had gotten.  There isn't a lot of info on this ski on the web so it was a bit of a punt, but it paid off. When you first sit in the ski it might feel a little tippy, but once you get moving the stability kicks in and its a pleasure to paddle.  It cruises on flat water at 10kmph and handles cross wind/chop really well.  I have had it out in some nice swell and have clocked 25kmph into an offshore.  Check the video below. 

Overall I really like the Marlin.  Its a perfect intermediate ski and an excellent craft to get started on if you have a bit of experience paddling racing kayaks.  It's fully adjustable as well so it can cater for various leg lengths. My ski was a basic construction and weighed about 16kg.

Above are some pictures of the Gopro mount I bought a few weeks ago.  It is very simple mount and doesn't take up much room on the deck or effect the stability of the kayak to much.   The mount is available on Ebay and other sites like Deal Extreme for about $20 - search "Gopro extension".  The suction mount comes separate.
 I have only used it on sea kayaks (plastic) and it has worked really well.  You do have to find a smooth surface for the suction cup to stick but this isn't and issue on composite kayaks.  I don't think that it will be ridged enough for white water as the impacts are very hard compared to sea kayaking.  Make sure to tether the camera to the deck lines just in case it comes off!

Here is the mount in action. Enjoy

The Crana Canoe weekend took place over the weekend (19th/20th).  This year seen nearly 200 kayakers taking to the water in 6 disciplines. There was Sea kayak racing, Freestyle, Slalom, Rafting, Wild Water racing and Boater Cross to choose from.  There is also coaching clinics in paddling technique and safety and rescue available to everyone over the weekend.   This event has been running for a few years now and has become the biggest white water kayaking event on the Irish calendar.  The setting is perfect for such an event.  The Crana river is dam released for the weekend so the water is guaranteed which is fantastic as you can plan your weekend well in advance and not worry about the event being cancelled due to no water. A novelty in Ireland!

Saturday was a busy day packed with competitions.  Starting in the morning with the sea kayak race.  I took the win in the sea kayak category in the Tahe Marine Wind Solo.  This is the second time I have raced this boat and the second win.  Definitely one of the fastest plastic sea kayak on the go.   Then there was a raft race which was great craic and after that the Dagger Dash fun race.  At the same time there was also a freestyle competition on the lower part of the river and racers training on the boater cross course.

The main event of the weekend is the advanced boater cross which is raced over the upper section of the river and the infamous "Claw" drop on Sunday afternoon.  The level of carnage here on race day is unbelievable and a real show for the spectators who line the river bank.  I came 2nd in this event last year so I was hopeful of a repeat performance this year.  I got of to a good start winning my first heat.  But I got caught up in some dirty tactics at the start of the next heat and this left me in 3rd place coming into the Claw.  Only 1st and 2nd would advance. So a last ditch effort was made to take out Eoin Keyes in 2nd.  Boofing on to his deck sent me right into the "room of doom" and the slow line. Crossed  the line in 4th and was out of the competition.  The final was set to be a cracker. Irish international slalom paddler Ciaran Heurteau had come specially for the event and didn't disappoint.  He charged through the heats and took the final win in style. 

Well done to Adrian Harkin and the Just Kayak team for putting on such a great event.  Put it in your calendar for 2014 no doubt it will be even bigger and better next year.

Welcome to the Paddle & Pedal blog.  I hope to use this blog as a platform to share some of my paddling experiences with you, from trip reports and gear reviews to training updates and plans.  There are hundreds of blogs out there but   its not always easy to find the information you want on a new piece of kit or the logistics of organising a trip abroad.  2013 alone has been a busy year with two trips to Europe for white water and two trips to the UK for the Devizes to Westminster race and an Irish sea crossing thrown in there as well. You learn a lot from these events and it always good to share the little cheats and insider knowledge that might help others on there journey.  

As for gear, I use the best gear I can afford for the job. If its LOMO or SWEET it doesn't matter.  It works that's what matters.  Lots of  reviewers will tell you every piece of kit they review is great in the hope they might get more free stuff from the manufactures.  I wont! I will share with you my thoughts good and bad on the actual gear I use when I'm paddling.

Anyway thanks for reading and hopefully you might get something helpful from my posts. If there is anything you would like to ask fire ahead.

Cheers David