Sunday 30th saw the end of British Summer, the extra hour in bed didn’t help ease me in to the new daylight time zone. All three major disciplines have been covered with trips, training and camping events during this month; Norfolk Broads Open Boat trip, sea kayak training and assessment, and Lee Valley White Water Centre Legacy and Olympic course assessments.

The Open Boaters or Canadian paddlers enjoyed a long weekend in the Norfolk Broads, with five boats and six paddlers. They paddled the Bungay Loop on the River Waveney, The River Ant and the River Bure. An excellent weekend of camping, paddling, sailing and just messing around on the water…see Norfolk Broads blog.

There were several sea kayak training days in preparation for people taking their Sea Kayak Award…well done to those who passed.

The Blackwater at Bradwell and the Old Felixstowe Sandbar have proven to be very useful training areas, with everyone getting involved in rescues, breaking in and out of tidal races and very lumpy bumpy water. Well done to all those who participated and instructed on these days.

Training is such an important part of kayaking, instilling confidence and helping to hone the skills necessary making more adventurous trips possible.

There was also an upsurge in people attending Lee Valley White water Centre along with people taking the Legacy and Olympic proficiency session.

Well done to those who passed and commiserations to those had attempted it. The Lee Valley WW Centre has also been an excellent facility for the impending White Water trip to Devon in November. Needless to say the infamous duck has changed hands quite rapidly throughout the month.

In between all this there have been lots of peer paddles on the rivers and sea, making October a very busy month.