I am just home from a fantastic two weeks  kayaking in the south of England with Sea Kayaking Cornwall. I was there as part of an Erasmus Plus work experience program with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competencies in the delivery of coaching, leading and guiding in sea kayaking among Irish kayakers. The program was put together by Landon Carver, SKC and Irish industry professionals. A group consisting of 12 kayakers from Ireland with various backgrounds and levels of experience were selected for the program and I was privileged to be offered a place.

After circumnavigating Achill Island in 2014 with Tim Healy I was really keen to go back and have a go at a solo mission. I have been watching the weather all summer and it looked like it was't going to happen this year. Luckily we finally got  decent high pressure over Ireland for the last few days of September. I had one free day in the diary and I knew it was my absolute last chance to have a crack for 2015.

Here is my quick step by step guide to reproofing Goretex Dry suits or Cags. When you get a new Dry suit or any outer shell garment for that matter, it will have a DWR coating on the fabric. This coating helps to repel water by beading it on the surface. With use over time this coating will wear off and the fabric will start to "wet out". It will still be waterproof but its performance and breath-ability will be greatly reduced. So it is necessary to give you kit some maintenance now and again, to keep it at its best.
I like to wash and reproof my dry suit about once every season depending on how much use it is getting. Below are the steps I take to get it back to life. 

*Note: This is the method I use and find effective. But please check with manufactures guidelines and instructions before treating your expensive garment!

I did  my first crossing of the North Channel in 2013 when I piggy-backed on a group trip over on a sunny day in June. I don't know how long it took - probably about 6 hours or more. Ever since I have been wanting to go back and have a proper attempt - solo and as fast as possible. 

A brief window in the weather and a clear day in my diary gave me the perfect opportunity to make for Eagle Island on the Westerly side of County Mayo. One of Ireland's most exposed and battered islands, this rocky out crop is situated only a mile from shore, but bears the brunt of the biggest Atlantic swell and ferocious storms. 

Kayaking the longest river in your country has to be high on every kayakers list of achievements and the River Shannon has been on mine for a couple of years now. Not only is it the longest river in Ireland it is also the longest in the British Isles. For most people kayaking this mighty river is a leisurely trip, enjoying the sights and sounds that could take weeks to complete but I wanted to take a different approach. My plan was to kayak as fast as possible from start to finish and set the standard for the "Shannon Sprint".

I recently took part in my first Audax Ireland cycling event-the Around Down 200km. For anyone that doesn't know and I would say that's most people - Audax riding is a form of long distance endurance cycling where cyclists complete a course ranging from 100km to 1200km under a pre-defined time. This is generally very comfortable time frame but the real challenge is against yourself, the distance and your watch. 

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.

A crossover boat that truly excels in any water, the Katana was designed to inspire confidence in the paddler with a balanced rocker profile for speed in the flats and maneuverability in whitewater.- Dagger

I was kindly offered this kayak to paddle for a few weeks and to see what I thought of it.  To be honest I was a little sceptical, as I have never paddled a "crossover" kayak before and I had some preconceived ideas that it would be too big and awkward for whitewater and to slow for flat..

The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon or DW, is one of the toughest canoe and kayak marathons in the world. Held every Easter since 1948, the course covers 125 miles (201km) from the small town of Devizes in Wiltshire all the way along the Kennet & Avon Canal and the River Thames to Westminster Bridge in the heart of London City.

Over the Easter weekend there are two races taking place. The non-stop K2 event starts on Saturday and crews paddle non-stop through the night until they reach Westminster on Sunday morning. The second event is a four day stage race for senior K1's and Juniors that starts on Friday and finishes at Westminster on Monday morning.

This year I was taking on the senior K1 event for the first time. I  completed the non-stop K2 race in 2013 with Jim Mescal in a time of 20:49, but the K1 race is completely different challenge and there was a lot of unknowns going into the race. Like would I be able to get up each morning and race long distances 4 days in a row?