Best Wetsuits for Kayaking UK — What Thickness and What to Buy UK water is cold. Even in summer. The average sea temperature around the English coast in July sits between 14 and 17 degrees Celsius — cold enough to cause cold water shock if you capsize and enter the water unexpectedly. A wetsuit keeps…
Best Inflatable Kayak for Beginners UK — What to Actually Buy Buying your first inflatable kayak does not need to be complicated. Most beginners make the same three mistakes — buying on price alone, not understanding what drop-stitch construction actually means and safety. Get those two things right and you will buy the right kayak…
Best Inflatable Kayaks UK — What to Buy for Rivers, Lakes, and Beyond I have kayaked a lot. On a yellow Intex K2 with friends on the River Severn — genuinely one of the best days you can have outdoors in the UK. Wild camping trips, kit in the back, a cold beer waiting at…
Sewage in UK Rivers and Seas — What Every Swimmer Needs to Know Before I get in the water anywhere in the UK — sea, river, or lake — I check an app. Most people call it the Poo App. Its proper name is the Safer Seas and Rivers Service — the SSRS — and…
Kayak vs Canoe — What Is the Difference and Which Should You Buy? People use these terms interchangeably and they are not the same thing. Here is the plain English explanation of the actual differences and who each one suits. The Fundamental Differences Kayak A kayak has an enclosed cockpit — you sit inside with…
Best Kayak Paddles UK — What to Buy for River and Recreational Paddling The paddle included with most inflatable kayak packages does the job. It is usually heavy, stiff, and asymmetric in a way that makes it slightly awkward to use. After a few hours on the river it makes your arms ache more than…
Best SUP Paddles UK — Why Your Included Paddle Is Holding You Back The paddle that comes with most inflatable SUP packages is functional. It is usually aluminium, adjustable, and perfectly adequate for a few sessions to see if you enjoy the sport. It is also noticeably heavier than a quality paddle and makes paddling…
SUP Accessories UK — What You Actually Need vs What You Can Skip I have paddleboarded on the River Wye, the Great Ouse, and in the sea in Greece and Croatia. The accessories that actually made a difference on the water are fewer than most people think. Here is the honest list. The Accessories You…
Kayaking Safety UK — Complete Guide The most dangerous mistake a beginner kayaker makes is not understanding the water. Not the kayak, not the paddle, not the weather — the water itself. Rivers flow. Tides run. Weirs are dangerous. Currents can take you somewhere you did not plan to go faster than you expect. Get…
River Kayaking UK — Best Rivers for Beginners The River Severn is my favourite. Cool stops along the way — Ironbridge is genuinely one of the best lunch stops you can make from a kayak, a historic town right on the river with a proper pub and a bridge that has been there since 1779….