Hi David, Im thinking of buying a Dabber. Ive had a Lugger and really liked it. What engine are you using? Woudl a Two and a half horse be big enough for a Dabber? Any concerns doing coastal and lake/river sailing?
Those passages between rock walls (especially the "under a roof" paddling section!) are quite something. Quite the views! Glad the smell from the birds doesn't come across on RU-vid 😎
It's one of the best stretches of coast. For advanced paddlers it can involve tide races, overalls, rock hopping and a long run to Rathlin Island. Ken Whiting of Paddle TV did a trip here last autumn.
Enjoyed the video. Nice relaxed paddle. I had a great day on bank holiday Monday around ballintoy with my grandson, for a bit of rockhopping. Still one of my favourite spots.
It is a fun community event. Some rafts got in trouble because of the wind and I was exhausted towing. We had to use a 2 kayak tow to get them off the rocks.
David - thanks for posting the video. I'm interested in an inflatable for travel, and because I'm getting too old to put a rigid kayak on my car's roof rack. Could you comment on the maintenance in terms of cleaning and drying the boat after use. Thanks.
The PVC material wipes clean. Drying is simply a matter of using a sponge to empty out any water and leaving it inflated to dry outdoors (unless it's raining). I usually need to pack it damp and let it dry thoroughly at home. It's much easier to dry than inflatables with tubes inside fabric sleeves. You will need some patch material and PVC glue, like Stormsure.
You need a big deck spray deck preferably with relatively thin elastic as the cockpit coaming is narrow and it can be difficult to force the elastic under the rim. I have a Yak Zinc which works well
I had missed this one! Majestic and a bit scary in a way. Reminds me of the waves off the coast of western Fuerteventura. Good catches by the four-legged companions. And yes, I did laugh at "this is where Guinness comes from". 😅
They are great wee kayaks, if only reliability were better, but repairs are easy. That's a split Greenland Paddle from Canada. Eastpole paddles sell similar ones in Europe.
I was immediately impressed by the STATIONARY bracing turns while leaning IN @ 0:30. I learned about fast turns possible when at speed by leaning into the turn while putting weight on an outstretched low brace. Using the speed of the water passing underneath the paddle to provide the support. But as the boat slows down, you have to finish with a sweep to keep from going over. I was taught to turn in place by leaning on the OUTSIDE edge and sweep so that the boat chine is now forming a radius in the water that corresponds to the circle you are trying to make. I had never seen, been taught, nor ever heard of turning on the leaned edge while stationary. I can’t wait to try this!!!
Thanks, that's kind. I think the greenland paddle is much better for boat control. Top tip, rotate your trunk and look at the paddle. Check out Dancing With the Sea, he has great instructional videos.
Bonjour de BRETAGNE; where is the "colmcille" on 27 04 2024 ? the "briog" currach is near FALMOUTH -KERNOW, she go to iona . The "sant efflam" currach is in porz ty-du in plougastel ( i'm the "abbey"(skipper))
Bonjour de Ireland. Colmcille will spend the summer on Rathlin Island. Saint Efflam will pass close by us on the way to Iona. facebook.com/groups/423488087703185/?locale=en_GB
Well done everyone, an awesome challenge achieved. Thinking of Adrian and so admire how his mind can continue thinking and plan this type of event for the benefit of others. Take care all 🛶🤩
Omg you are a man after my own hart! Just with Sea Kayaks. But that Thy strap makes me nervous. Have you thought about the type used with inflatables like a packraft? Guy like you could install the required D rings, and it would give you real knee braces.. Subscribed
The strap is certainly not a perfect solution, perhaps because I'm trying to make a small touring kayak into a rough water sea kayak. I have tried those other braces but find they just fall off my thighs. I keep the strap very loose, which gives me support when I need it and let's me exit the boat in a capsize. That's why I tried it when I had friends nearby to do a rescue. It did work but I keep thinking about how to make some foam knee pads, sadly no good ideas yet.
Noble effort paddling for such an important cause, and a very interesting video as usual! Wish the best for Adrian and his health. Very cool with these environments, such as the castle and rockhopping opportunities, not to mention the waterfall! Amazing to have access to this. The arch is just such a cool feature. Confident and relaxed rescues by both paddler and helping paddler 🙂 This is one of those videos that certainly inspires to further paddling, development, and not least, doing some good in whatever way possible in connection with the sport. Top marks for this one! I'll take the liberty of sharing this on my RU-vid community wall as a post, given the importance of the cause.
Hey David, just noted that this vid has reached 7,000+ views in just a month or so. Shows how appreciated the content is and the knowledge behind it! Nicely done 🙂
Firstly looked like you all had a great time, and the caves looked amazing. So sad to hear about your friend Adrian However he sounds like a fighter so I wish him well. You all did fantastic to do this for a very worthwhile cause (Motor Neurone Disease) and I hope you raised plenty of money. One last thing a shout out to Catherine, well done love for keeping going and never giving up.
Sea kayaks have enclosed buoyancy compartments fore and aft, which keep them afloat even if the paddler has to bail out. We also wear neoprene spraydecks which do a great job of keeping the cockpit empty, unless we go for a swim :)
Thanks for the vidéo. I have been looking at the itiwit x500 2 place version and thanks to Google, your vidéo popped up on the screen. With a price of 1250 euros new, i’m obviously keen to buy with as much knowledge as possible. The handling of the bigger version is bound to be différent but i can see the quality is there. At 528cms, it’s a bit of a long one. I have little expérience with kayaks but a lot with boats and the sea and the objective is to have something secure and reliable to explore the islands around northern Brittany. I think your vidéo has convinced me that it’s a good buy. The alternative is to buy two 1 place x500 but with the two place, i can go out and i’ve got the place to put my fishing rods😊
Thanks, yes at this price, even though they do need maintenance, the x500 is a good buy. I have a two person kayak, but only use it occasionally. Most of the time it is more fun to have two 1 person kayaks. Brittany has a great coast to explore, please carry rescue gear and a phone and stay safe.
@@davidpoots8362 Thanks yes, the law here is that to go beyond 300m as far as 2 nautical miles, you need to have the specified équipement required by law.....and specified lengths of the kayak etc to be in conformity....and most certainly à phone. Just subscribed.....will no doubt learn from your vidéos. Thankyou.
@@Breizhjean22hi David. On the French decathlon site and some other countries sometimes the x500 two person is discounted at 800 euros so don’t rush too quickly on buying yours and monitor after the price drop which may occur again.
Thanks for testing the boat for o fus all that are interested in it. One idea about the strap: maybe you could use something with a quick-release system like the strap on whitewater personal floating devices that hold very reliably but are completely released with one tug on the very visible cord even if the person using it is panicking a little... Then you could maybe tie in a bit tighter to support rolling and bracing more and still fell save enough and confident that you could get out in case you need to...
Another paddle I will have to add to my increasing list. Good to attach the warning to the video. Last week, I was sitting in Ballintoy harbour with my kayak in the boot. Had a look at the conditions and went for a walk instead 😂 I will stick to the Bann unless sea conditions are near perfect. I don’t want to win a Darwin award.
Very wise the coast from Sheep Island to The Causeway is hard core, but also some of the best paddling on the planet. (Of course the other direction Sheep Island to Torr Head is even wilder. ) Maybe I can put you in the front of my 2 man sea kayak and give your a tour.
@@davidpoots8362 Thank you for the kind offer. However, I would rather go in my own kayak. I'm waiting for good conditions - so I don't turn myself into a statistic. 😆
Interesting thought. I have used similar straps on sit on tops and was able to roll the boat, but they tend to slip off. Not sure how successful that would be with a closed cockpit.
The problem with this boat is, that due to its price range, it's often sold to beginners, with ads showing it going in open seas and large lakes... It's nothing for beginners. It's not as stable as it should be. It's fun for experienced paddlers, but I guess, those have even better, more practical boats available.
Interesting point, although I would argue all beginners should have training. Kayaking requires skill and knowledge about trip planning, rescues and what equipment to carry. We see far too many poorly prepared paddlers getting into trouble.
@@davidpoots8362 It always surprises me the amount of lone Paddlers I have watch on YT who don't and some of them go far away from the shoreline (CRAZY)
Awesome footage and scenery in this one! Particularly enjoyed the waves around 2:12 and hearing the weather warnings over what I assume is your marine VHF radio (on channel 16?).
Yes, that one almost got me, which is why I always carry comms and rescue equipment. With proper planning kayaking is a great way to experience the coastline.
Hi David, thank you for a very comprehensive look at the X500. I am going to make similar modifications. Where did you get your foam blocks and what size did you buy? Thanks.
Thanks, I bought the foam on ebay, the block was 30x25x20 cm and was enough for two hip pads. Basically I measured the size of the flat area on the side of the seat and made pads to fit that footprint, which were wide enough to make contact with the side of the boat. I'm sure there are other ways to achieve the same result.
