We set off from Kerne Bridge bright and early on a lovely hot day – a mix of kayaks and open boats. Some of the less intrepid of us (me included) had opted for the dry suit/onesie option for the day, which proved to be a touch much for the warm weather, although my fears that I would “boil in the bag” were unfounded. The heat did provide plenty of excuses for a spot of swimming during the day, however it was a welcome change.
We covered 8 miles at a gentle pace, taking in some of the lovely scenery. It proved to be a very popular day on the water and we passed a number of groups also out training. Some of our number opted to try seal launching from “splat rock” mid trip. Certain members appeared to suffer short term memory loss, and managed to “forget” their kayaks when launching into the water.
The lunch stop was very welcome and a lovely spot was chosen by our Chairman, even if we did have to bribe the local duck population for the use of their land. Again, the warm weather led to some gentle throw line practice before we carried on.
Once we reached Symmonds Yat, there was time for a brief comfort stop and then onto the rapid. The site proved to be very popular with paddlers and so there was plenty of opportunity to both practice skills and observe others. Top marks for the afternoon have to go to Dale for paddling the rapid standing up, falling out of the boat and climbing back in just in time to catch the eddy he intended to!
The purpose made kayak slide back at the end point provided a final source of fun before ice creams and the journey home. A lovely time was had by all – thank you very much Dave for a great trip!
Rhiannon