I have been paddling my Roman kayaks Dynamic Evo for just over 12 months now and feel in  good position to review it. Its the kayak I paddled to win the 2022 Devizes to Westminster kayak 3 day 170km marathon. 

The first thing that you notice about this K1 is its striking looks. The hull shape is completley different to all the other major brands and popular K1's. The only other K1 that has this shape it the Kayak Centre Spectra.

Snap shot:
Pro's -

• Stability is excellent for a fast K1
• Build quality is excellent
• Fittings are excellent 
• Looks amazing 
• Turns very tight 
• Good direction and control on the wash

Con's -

• Weight- I would prefer if it was a little lighter for a marathon K1(I havent weighed it but it feels heavier than 8kg) * Have have since change the footrest to a full plate pedal system and the kayak now weighs 8kg race ready. 
• No watch holder. I think it would be great if boats came with these fitted as standard.

MessyWeekend are a Copenhagen based sunglass company with a cool social responsiblity program called Clean Oceans and a really cool selection of eyewear products from sunglasses to ski googles. I have been testing out a couple of the sunglasses over the last few weeks.

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.

The second week of January as snow began to fall here in Ireland I boarded a plane for Malta and some winter sunshine paddling.

The Shuna is Werners best selling high angle sea paddle and it is no wonder. The blade size is not to big but still has some bite. Built quality is as usual excellent from Werner and the paddles feel very robust but are still very light. In the water the catch is firm and the pull through the stroke is smooth with no flutter.

The shaft is split with Werners unique smart view system, which is very neat and effective but does limit you to one length and set feather angles. On some other spit systems you can have any feather and 10 cm of length adjustment which makes your paddles more versatile. 

I am currently using a set of Werner Shuna paddles for sea kayaking. So far I am really impressed with these paddles. 

My paddle stats:

Length: 215cm
Blades: Glass
Shaft: Carbon, Neutral bent, Split

I recently renewed my first aid certification and moved up to Remote Emergency Care Level 4. Coincidentally I also needed a new first aid kit. After the training I decided to build my own but soon realised that it was a lot of hassle and probably more expensive than an off the shelf kit.

After a bit of searching online I took a punt on the Lifesystems Mountain first aid kit. It arrived today and I have to say its very impressive. It is more compact than I thought it might be which is good. The quality and layout is excellent.  It is missing a few things I will add myself like a Sam splint, but for an off the shelf first aid kit it is great value and perfect for leading small to medium sized groups.  9/10

Here is my review of the Liquid Logic Remix 79. The Remix is without doubt one of the best and most overlooked boats on the market and for me it has the makings of a true classic.  After four years of paddling mine I feel its time to offer my opinion on this excellent boat.