Islay Canoe Club
Thursday, November 29 2007
Last week I sent Dave Proterough an email about the Islay Canoe Club. Reason was the fact that there was little information available online. Dave was kind enough to supply me with enough information and pictures to create a special webpage for the Islay Canoe Club. The page is now online and explains what the Canoe Club and canoeing is all about. Dave also told me that they will get a new website soon and he will keep me up to date on the progress. I will post something here as soon as the new site comes online. As a follow up on the new page I thought it would be interesting to post an article published in the Ileach about the club's invitation weekend last September:
The Canoe Club’s annual invitation weekend was held on 28th to 30th September. The invitation goes out to friends, acquaintances and anyone else who may wish to make the trip from the mainland. It was gratifying to hear the island being praised by the visitors for its natural beauty and the quality and variety of waters around the coasts, particularly the Scotland Canoe Association instructors. The locals consisted of our senior, experienced members and learners, some just out of the swimming pool nursery being tested in the open waters. Braving the surf at Kintra was the first obstacle on the Saturday and once escorted through under the watchful eye of the qualified and experienced paddlers, safety being the major consideration, a course along the cliffs of the Oa was taken. For newcomers the cliffs, stacks, caves, waterfalls and bird life, everyday scenery to our fishermen, is quite different from the seaward view and invites exploration which has to be undertaken with great caution.
Surfing back to the beach tested the techniques learned in the pool. Next day the facilities available at Port Askaig car park were found to be excellent for all the vehicles and equipment and bested only by the link-span launch and retrieval at the pier. The learners and escort paddled down the sound making use of the back eddies to the main tidal flow. Although these currents are of great assistance, the wind has more effect on the canoe’s progress. After lunch ashore we returned in main stream which was a bit lumpy but exciting as we were swept along ahead of the Hebridean Isles. For the experienced paddlers a trip up the sound for a bit of fun among the eddies was more to their liking. Once a year is not enough, so it was proposed at the AGM of the club to supplement the fortnightly Friday sessions in the pool with an outdoor paddle on the first Sunday every month. This may sound extreme to the average couch potato but on outdoor ventures in these waters it is normal to wear a wet suit which can nowadays be purchased at under £30 brand new and perfectly adequate! Furthermore, additional sea going canoes are being sought for all members to enjoy year round canoeing. Scotland is a major player in canoeing being naturally endowed with the requirements of the sport, so if you want a physical challenge, look in at the pool on a Friday between 6pm and 7.30pm. Contact information can be found on the Islay Canoe Club webpage
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