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25/08/09

Three weeks in Shetland are now over and I'm back in Kinnesswood. Shetland has again had a fine summer - much better than most of the mainland - and my second spell was no exception. Apart from a couple of unfortunate "no shows" and one poor Saturday we were able to get on the water every day, including three days in Unst with Shetland Canoe Club. On the way home I diverted to Orkney for OSKA's Paddle Orkney weekend - a great paddle on the Saturday followed by only the second bad weather day of the three weeks. Congratulations to OSKA on a really well organised event and I look forward to the next one.

Until next year all enquiries about trips in Shetland will be forwarded to Angus Nicol, and information about next year will be posted here as soon as I know what's happening.

24/7/09

Back to Shetland on the ferry tonight for three weeks. Lots of bookings but still a few slots available before August 14th when I'm off to Orkney on the way back home. Looking forward to Unst on the 7th - 10th weekend, and if the weather is as good as it was in May we'll all be happy!

02/06/09

I'm back home in Kinnesswood now after two very successful weeks in Shetland. The weather wasn't so hot the first weekend but after that we were on the water every day bar one. Sea Kayak Shetland will not be operating over the next six weeks or so but I will be able to pass on suitable enquiries to an independent coach in Shetland who will try to provide a sea kayaking experience for as many of you as possible. Then I'll be back in Shetland towards the end of July until at least mid-August. Exact dates are not fixed yet but watch this page for updates. Meantime feel free to enquire and we'll keep you posted.

12/02/09

If you've been following our news you will not be surprised to learn that things will be a little different in 2009. Our programme for the season will start on Saturday May 16th. From then till the end of the month we will be running a mixed programme of day trips and shorter trips, with a couple of introductory sessions added in. The exact details of what happens on which days will be kept flexible, and we should be able to accommodate late bookings, but if you are interested in these dates it would help our planning if you get in touch. For the next six weeks there will be limited availability, so if you want to join us in June or early July it's important that you book in advance and we will do our best to fit you in. Then from mid-July to the end of August we're back in top gear with a full programme of trips and coaching sessions, with a couple of more ambitious trips included (Unst in the second weekend of August anyone?)

14/11/08

At last we have email again! Everything back to normal.

1/11/08

We are now safely installed in our new home in Kinross-shire. See the Contacts page for full address and telephone number. However the email is not working yet, so if you need to contact us please use the telephone or mobile for the time being.

14/10/08

We leave Shetland next week for a new home near Kinross. Full address and new phone number will follow in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile you can still reach us by mobile or email - see the Contacts Page.

Before that there's a post by Graeme Burton on the North West Sea Kayakers blog that you might enjoy reading. Just click here to see it.

05/09/08

Well that's been a busy summer! In fact it's been so busy there has never seemed to be time to update the news page. Things are a bit quieter now and we are off for a week. Then it's open as usual from the 15th to the end of September. Shetland, in case you hadn't heard, has had the best weather in the country this summer, and it's still fine as I write this.

Then in October there are big changes coming. We are selling up our house in Shetland and moving to mainland Scotland for family reasons. We will be back next summer and Sea Kayak Shetland will be operating next summer, but at this point we are not sure whether that will be with a new operator (and your scribe as assistant) or whether it will be business as before but maybe with a shorter season. Watch this space, as they say. Either way you will not be able to reach us on the landline phone number after the middle of October, but the email address and mobile number will still be OK. We'll keep you informed.

30/04/08

If you are thinking of coming up to Shetland and would like to tie in with an existing event there are a few possibilities. The Shetland Sea Kayak Symposium takes place over the weekend of 4th - 7th July. It's based at Bridge End Outdoor Centre. Drop us an email if you would like more information on this event. In previous years the Club's annual Papa Stour meet has taken place over the weekend following the symposium, but this year because of problems with the venue they have decided to go to Unst instead. That's 11th - 13th July. If you wanted to come up for both events there will be some informal trips during the week in between, and it should be possible to get to Papa Stour then, weather permitting.

Over August Bank Holiday weekend Sea Kayak Shetland will host a paddling weekend, based again at Bridge End. This is aimed primarily at paddlers with some previous experience. It will start on Saturday 23rd with an introductory paddle, followed by three days of paddling at different locations around Shetland. All equipment apart from personal clothing is supplied, and participants can be picked up from the ferry terminal or airport as appropriate. Drop us an email if you would like more information on this.

16/04/08

We're back! If you have been following the blog you will already know that. If not you can still find out what we've been up to for the last few months by clicking on the link in the last news entry below.

The weather in Shetland today is fine - sunny and calm, though not particularly warm. We're itching to get back on the water just as soon as all the gear is checked out. Bookings and enquiries are already coming in, including a few old friends. It's going to be a good year. The good news is that our prices for 2008 will be the same as 2007. That means since we started up four years ago we have never increased our prices! Pretty good, eh? The other good news is that we are planning a spring sale of surplus kit and older stock. Lots of bargains for Shetland paddlers to set themselves up for the summer. Watch this space for more details very soon.

21/11/07

There won't be much happening at Sea Kayak Shetland for the next few months because we won't be here. We'll be on the "lang lippened" world trip. We've created a blog if anyone wants to check on our progress - you'll find it on blogspot, just click this link.

We'll be back in Shetland by the middle of April and accepting bookings from the 14th. Meanwhile we'll deal with any email enquiries as we go, and the mobile will get us in emergency.

All enquiries about the symposium should go to Julie Phillips - email postmaster@davejules.plus.com

27/09/07

Well that's it for season 2007. I'm off to foreign parts for the next month - well Edinburgh! I'll be at the Paddle 07 show in Perth at the end of October (see the Scottish Canoe Association website). Then it's back to Shetland for November. Till then I should be contactable by email or mobile phone. Messages on my landline will be picked up from time to time but please be patient. That goes for email as well.

14/09/07

The season is coming to an end now. Our last day for bookings will be September 26th then we're off for a while. We should still be in touch with email and enquiries about next season are welcome. The 5th Shetland Sea Kayak Symposium will be on the weekend of 4th - 7th July 2008. Further details will be posted when available.

20/08/07

Another day with a Force 6 from the north and heavy rain. Last week we had a full gale for most of Thursday, but amazingly in between two days of calm, dry (but not very warm) weather on Saturday coincided perfectly with our North Isles weekend. On Saturday one group paddled down the east coast of Unst from Baltasound to Uyeasound while another group braved the swell on the west side and the tides in Bluemull Sound. On Sunday a large group made it to Muckle Flugga while a smaller party crossed to Fetlar returning via the island of Haaf Gruney.

25/07/07

It's hard to believe that it's nearly two months since the last entry on this page. I suppose we've just been too busy. In the meantime Papa Stour has been and gone. Nearly 50 people made it over, most of them paddling. The weather was fine for the crossing on Friday 13th, miserable on Saturday (Force 6 northeasterly and heavy rain all day), fine on Sunday though with a big northerly swell, and fine for the return on Monday. The BBC film crew has also been and gone. We should see the results on The Wild Show early next year.

It's been a strange summer so far. The wind has been almost permanently in the north and northeast. We've had persistent northerly swells and almost nothing from the west, with the result that most of our activity has been close to home - South Havra, West Burra, the Scalloway Islands, Skeld/Reawick and St. Ninian's Isle have all featured regularly, Ronas Voe, Eshaness and the north side of Papa Stour not at all.

Last weekend 9 paddlers from Shetland visited Orkney at the invitation of the Orkney Sea Kayak Association. We had two brilliant days, paddling from Birsay to Stromness down the west side of the Orkney mainland on Saturday, then out to Copinsay on the east side on Sunday. Many thanks to the OSKA people for organising it and making us really welcome.

We're off to Edinburgh on other business next week, back on August 6th then it's full on again until mid-September.

29/05/07

Sea Kayak Shetland is now stocking Yak equipment. Initially cags and buoyancy aids, but in due course we hope to promote the whole range. Meanwhile if there is anything you want from the Yak or Crewsaver ranges give us a call. Our first order finally got here today - that's nearly three weeks after it left Yak. Not their fault - the box was correctly addressed but the carrier obviously consulted the wrong map and redirected it to Bridge-end, West Isle, Out Skerries, complete with a different postcode. There they scratched their heads (I guess!) and sent it back on the ferry to Lerwick. Thanks to the ferry crew I managed to intercept it on the dockside and liberate it. Aren't carriers wonderful!

9/05/07

The 2007 season is now well under way. Our first visitors took to the water at Bridge-End on Sunday April 29th, and the first visit to Ronas Voe was on Saturday May 5th. Bookings for later this month are looking good, and we are expecting a BBC film crew in July. Shetland Canoe Club's Papa Stour meet will be over the weekend of 13th-16th July - that's right, we will be crossing on Friday 13th. We're not superstitious! The Northern Isles meet will be in Unst from 17th-19th August and there are already a number of early bookings for that one.

Meanwhile Sea Kayak Shetland now has its own copies for sale of the new book. That's The Northern Isles - Orkney and Shetland Sea Kayaking , by Tom Smith and Chris Jex. It's priced at £19.99 and postage is free. We also have a few copies of Justine Curgenven's earlier DVD This is the Sea 2 at the same price. Just send a cheque for £19.99 to Sea Kayak Shetland with your name and address and which publication you want (or £35 for both - how's that for a bargain!). The first few orders will also receive a free copy of Justine's first video This is the Sea. Check out the link below on This is the Sea 3 to see clips.

24/03/07

Well that's it folks, the book is finally out! It was launched last week at the Outdoor Show at the NEC in Birmingham, and today it had its local launch at the Shetland Times Bookshop in Lerwick. The Northern Isles - Orkney and Shetland Sea Kayaking, by Tom Smith of Sea Kayak Shetland (the Shetland bit) & Chris Jex (the Orkney bit). For more information see the link below. For a review see the Sea Paddler website.

18/03/07

The following new titles were released this weekend at the Ordnance Survey Outdoor Show at the NEC in Birmingham:

The Northern Isles - Orkney & Shetland Sea Kayaking Tom Smith & Chris Jex, (Pesda Press, £19.99)

This Is The Sea 3 - (Cackle TV DVD, £19.99). Justine Curgenven's new DVD includes a section filmed during her visit to Shetland in July 2006. The locations she features are all regular venues for Sea Kayak Shetland trips, except Foula.

01/03/07

Podcast March 2007 - Tom Smith talks to Simon Willis about the new book and kayaking in Shetland in general. Hear lots more about Papa Stour, Ronas Voe and Noss.

2006 archive

Kayaking is also one of the best ways to see Shetland's wildlife.