OSK Magical Mistery? Kayaking Tour

23/04/2025

After meeting the Superstar last week, yesterday it was the time for an unexpected encounter with another coach featured in Online Sea Kayaking!

21/04/2025

Hayle beach with Godrevy lighthouse in the background.
Recharging the batteries, preparing and exploring the area for tomorrow's kayak surfing

20/04/2025

Online Sea Kayaking Magical Mistery Tour has started!
We had planned to stop near Calais for the night and get an early morning ferry boat to Dover, but we were late on the schedule for this plan. So we discovered the next level of inspiration: cross-activity inspiration!
We decided not to stop and copied Simon's sleep schedule for the Atlantic Row: 2 hours driving and 2 hours rest, 2 hours driving and 2 hours rest... Then, after a couple of turns, we literally collapsed on the 5.40 am ferry boat sofa 😂 Still wondering how they coped with this schedule for 45 days 🤔
Ah, youth!! 🤣

19/02/2025

DODMAN POINT (CORNWALL, SOUTH COAST) GUNNERY RANGE

As we didn't find info on the web about firing times and we don't particularly wish to be shot (!), we contacted Falmouth Coastguard.

This is their answer, we're sharing it as other people may benefit from this information:

"The Coastguard has daily information on submarine and gunnery firing activity, so you could call MRCC Falmouth on the day, 0344 3820565. This is also broadcast daily in the MSI (Maritime Safety Information) broadcasts at 0710 & 1910 daily on VHF channel 74. Alternatively, you can call FOST Ops who issue this safety information on 01752 557550."

26/01/2025

North coast of Cornwall: annotated and laminated 👌

19/01/2025

The biggest challenge

If we think at the places where Online Sea Kayaking videos were filmed, probably one of the most iconic ones is Enys Dodnan Arch, near Land’s End, in Cornwall, with its treacherous waters.

We had decided that in our trip we would avoid the biggest headlands and their associated races, but how on earth could we so lightheartedly just skip the place where THE BEST EVER RE-ENTRY ROLL 💙 has been perfomed?! ⬇ ⬇

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AtEFt4guS/

This choice requires careful studying and avoiding the most obvious heuristics: the commitment trap!

So, now we have Land’s End chart, tide constants and tide times in front us: let’s study!

Should we stay or should we go?

12/01/2025

COLD WATER! 🥶

For our tour of Online Sea Kayaking filming venues, we expect water temperature to be around 10-11°C in Cornwall and a couple of degrees less in North Wales, which is colder than our home waters in the same period.

Yesterday we tested our winter clothing in 5°C waters.

We were all wearing a drysuit, but with different layers underneath.
Our findings:
- With a thin breathable layer + 1 warm thick fleece layer the cold feeling started only after 20 minutes
- With 2 thin layers, one breathable (light merino) and one slightly warmer, immersion was bearable but not comfortable as in case one
- Withouth gloves, hands literally ache after only a few seconds in the water
- With 3mm neoprene gloves, hands feel ok as long as they stay in the water, but freeze immediately once out of the water
- Head protection is paramount for immersion: underwater with bare head, even the ideas freeze!

These points represent our personal experience and sensations and cannot be generalised. Testing your own equipment and clothing before going out paddling in cold water is strongly advised. When you do so, please do it safely.

We performed our test very close to the shore at our club with a heated room and warm showers available; there was at least one person on land all the time to watch on those in the water and ready to take action, ropes ready to be thrown, kayak ready to be launched to rescue.

Cold water is the biggest threat to kayakers in winter, it can kill in 2 ways: hypothermia and cold shock. Appropriate clothing reduces the risk of cold shocks and prolongs survival time before hypothermia kicks in.
Also remember that a dry suit will not keep you warm without appropriate layers underneath. Always dress for water temperature🌡 and paddle within your ability level.

Paddle safe! 🌊🚣🏾‍♀

Want to read more on cold water risks? Here are a few useful resources:

Shattock M.J., Tipton M.J., Autonomic conflict’: a different way to die during cold water immersion? (2012, J Physiol 590:3219–3230).

https://www.coldwatersafety.org/survival-estimates

https://handbook.safetransport.vic.gov.au/boating-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLdw5NBOf6g

Want to enhance your paddling skills? Check out
www.onlineseakayaking.com

11/01/2025

PLANNING! ✏📐📝

The first decision we had to take in our planning was if using charts or maps for navigation, or both. Without local knowledge, we felt we needed as many details as possible on the land, so it was straigthforward to take OS maps into consideration. We were also able to have an online preview of nautical charts and we soon realised that with the exception of a couple of bays with many lights and buoys, there's very little info that charts could add.
So for us it will be OS maps 1:40.000 / 1:50.000 scale, A3 size, with nautical details added by pen where appropriate and then laminated. We have 18 such maps for Cornwall only

09/01/2025

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Learning Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Nos da, Draig! 🐉

09/01/2025

In April and May we will be in Britain to play in tidal waters and experience some nice surf 🤞

In Hollywood people go on Celebrities home tours, similarly we - as big fans of Online Sea Kayaking 😎 - will look for some of the beautiful locations where Simon and James have filmed their fantastic courses, both in Cornwall and on Anglesey 🤟

We don't know if there will be mistery... but we are sure that our tour will be magical!! 🚣🌊

⬇️ If you don't know OSK, have a look here ⬇️

Online sea kayaking courses designed to develop your sea kayaking skills. Step by step lessons with exercises to practice at your own pace. Learn with detailed and progressive sea kayak courses filmed and edited to the highest quality.