Paddling at Pinkstone

No 2 Son warming up!

On your marks, get set

Go!

Back in August our club, FCAG, had an evening jaunt over to check out the new whitewater course at Pinkston in Glasgow. For anyone who doesn't know about Pinkston, It's an artificial white water course where there is a flat water area for warming up, playing polo etc. Then there is the whitewater course, where the volume of water can be adjusted via 3 pumps. There is a short (30m) and a long course(100m) with the course features being able to be adjusted through movable bollard things (technical term!).

1st swim

CWW surfing

Cheese!

 When we arrived, there was junior slalom training going on, with all these little people making the course look incredibly easy all with the added hazards of slalom poles!

Still dry - just

Nearly an oops moment!

Sorted!

Phew, survived the first drop!

 We had booked 30 mins on the flat water for warm up, reminded me what a small boat was like! We were then on the white water bit for 90 mins. We started off with a single pump running, still masses of water! It wasn't too long before the 2nd pump was switched on - masses more water! By now it was getting quite dark, so the floodlights were switched on. Then the 3rd pump was on - lots more masses of water!!! Having more water didn't really mean the course was getting harder, it just changed the features a bit, having waves that weren't on the single pumps.

KP flat spinning

 

Although we were only on the WW course for 90 mins, it was a hard paddling, tiring, but good fun 90 mins. I managed a roll and only 1 swim (I was knackered by then, I'm definitely not as young as I used to be!)

Paddling by floodlight

 

No 2 Son surfing

Frothy man

Hubby dear flat spinning

No 2 Son trying out the Burn

 It was then time for a lovely hot shower.
We used to have day / weekend trips down to Teeside, although we haven't been down since it has been changed, but having Pinkston so close at hand is fantastic. An even better reason for having Pinkston, the water quality is checked regularly and is clean! - unlike Teeside where drinking bottles of coke was always the order of the day to kill of any of the dreaded lurgy which was in the water!

Big boats on the Tay

Nice, new and still dry

This trip was to launch my new acquisition, my new Pyranha Burn, which I was lucky enough to win. I had been in and out the boat umpteen times, getting it fitted for me, all in the comfort of the bedroom (the spare one!)
Off we set for Stanley, where there were a few groups of paddlers, all interested in why I should be taking photos of the boat on the bank. Once they knew it was the prize boat, a few did say they had put in for the competition too. They seemed happy enough to have seen the boat, but probably much happier had they won it.

Launched at last

I jumped in and launched it, no beer this time. I thought I needed to keep my wits about me, it's a while since I'd been in a kayak.

Getting a feel for it

Down at the weir

The burn is really comfy, like a big armchair. A lot bigger than my other river kayaks, but still good fun to paddle. The river was quite high and there were a lot of fishermen around, so we didn't bother going up to the Linn. We had a bit of a play up at the wall, then down on the wave on river left, before heading down to the weir.

Having a wee shot

I even allowed Hubby dear a wee shot! I'd like to get a bit longer to play in the Burn to get a proper feel for it, we were just up for a short stint.

On the wave in the new boat

Same wave next day

Early next morning we were heading back up to Stanley with the sea kayaks for the 4th of the AWE sea sessions. We started off playing in the wee side river, ferry gliding back and forward, before doing the same using the full width of the river.

Grabbing an eddy

 After that, it was up to the wall for a bit more crossing the flow and eddy hopping before making our way further over to have a look at the Linn. We didn't stay long, it was really messy up there that day with no real eddies to sit in, just big swirly boils appearing from no where!

With the Linn behind

Aline, still upright in calm water!

Iain grabbing the wave

The only time Young Trevor got the edge right

 We headed back to the car for a bite of lunch before our afternoon session. Sandy was going to have a shot at leading down the weir. Hubby dear and Iain sat below the weir whilst we were above getting our instructions from Sandy. Whilst there, we were swooshed swiftly across to river right - too far! I was to take the first run down, the rest would follow. I followed Iain's directions to come further to the left. The full width of the weir was flowing making it quite hard to see where the chute was, so when Iain finished waving frantically, thinking I was there and with the full force of the flow pulling me to the edge, I went for it! Hubby dear and Iain just looked on in dread as I disappeared down into a hole - all 17' of boat and me! However, I popped back up and landed plonk bang in an eddy, nice and safe! I looked round to see where the others were, realised I had come down a slightly different route than I had planned, so went to indicate to them to move further over, by which time Aline had decided to capsize in the flat water, leaving her boat to come down far right! This was quickly followed by Phil, sideways, before he decided to bail, swiftly followed by Sandy - ditto! This left young Trevor still above the weir on his own. Not to be out done, despite me yelling at him to come further to the left, he also came over. Now Trevor is fairly invincible, using the wrong edge wherever possible and getting away with it - not this time. He became swimmer no 4.
Once all bodies, boats and blades were collected and returned to the rightful owners, we had a bit of an incident discussion as to what happened, why and how to avoid the same thing happening anywhere else. A real good learning curve with no injuries.

Heading towards Hellhole

 Off we set down past Hellhole corner with another wee swim. Phil decided to take the bouncy route, was perched on top of a rather large wave, with only thin air all around to put his support strokes into.
Back in the boat and sorted again, we found another eddy for a breather when Aline decided to have another swim. It seems Aline only swims in flat water and paddles the bouncy stuff well!
Next we were down through Thistlebrig with no swims - hurrah! Then it was a gentle paddle back to our get out at Luncarty.

Calm water at last

 A slightly damp day, lots learnt, but still a great days paddling in very different conditions for the sea boats.

Phil obviously hadn't swam enough and fell in getting out!

You've got to be in it to win it!

Way back before Christmas I entered a competition to win a kayak. All you had to do was like  Scottish Kayak and Paddles facebook page - so I did!

Christmas day was the day the competition closed. You can imagine my surprise when I received a message to say I had won the Pyranha Burn 3, not just any Burn, but one in limited edition 2014 colours! I got to choose which one I liked and opted for the Avenger.
Today was the big day for going along to Scottish Kayak and Paddles in Stirling to collect my new wee toy!
And for those who wonder whether I'm going to sell it or not, the answer is quite simple - no I'm not! I'm going to have great fun in it and once I'm finished with it, there are another 2 wee folks waiting to take it over!

The Kayakey Kid tries it for size

With room for Wee Miss

A huge thanks once again to Scottish Kayak and Paddles. To say I'm fair chuffed with my prize is an understatement!