On May 19th myself and Wicklow paddler Dave Holden caught an early morning flight to Bergamo Airport in Northern Italy. We were due to take our Level 5 river skills assessment on the Friday of that week, so the plan was to get a few days of paddling in beforehand to warm up on the steep Italian creeks. 

The Poseidon is the latest addition to the Kokatat range of touring PFD's (Personal Flotation Device). A completely new design offering lots of versatility to the user. Sea kayaker's require a lot more storage in their PFD's than river runners and the Poseidon has you covered. The Poseidon comes equipped with a chest pocket that has three compartments and a knife tab. It is also possible to put a water bladder in the back of the vest. In addition to these features you can buy extra accessories to add to the vest including, a belly pocket, shoulder pocket, tactic back pack, water bladder and electronics pocket. Depending on what you want to carry and how you want to carry it, you can set up the PFD to suit your paddling preferences.

In the last few months a whole load of new river shoes and boots have come on the market. With the choice bigger than ever its a buyers market. I have been wearing the NRS Velocity river boot for the last couple of months and I have to say I am very impressed. The design is neat and very clean even with laces.
They have a really nice feel to them, offering good support but not feeling heavy or bulky. The soles are fantastic, lots of grip for wet slippy rock and thick enough to absorb shock and keep your feet insulated.  Long term it will be interesting to see how these boots hold up. But at the moment I have no complaints.

Available from I-Canoe 

My old Astral Water Tennies (above right) have not worn so well. Lets hope the Velocity lasts better.