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Monday, August 22, 2016

Peak UK RACER ST LONG

                 



The all new Racer ST is a unique and ground breaking three in one garment that combines a paddling jacket with spray deck and buoyancy aid for the ultimate streamlined performance. This revolutionary garment was four years in development and is a collaboration between Derbyshire based Peak UK Kayaking Co Ltd, British Canoeing and the English Institute of Sport. It sped Joe ClarkeDavid Florence &Richard Hounslow down the whitewater course in Rio to Olympic Gold and Silver.








Traditionally with a regular PFD ( life jacket ) athletes will have 40-50mm of buoyancy foam on the front and back of their body. The Racer ST holds around 30 percent of its flotation in it’s spraydeck, meaning now there’s less than 20mm of flotation foam on the athlete’s body. Lines can be cut closer to the poles and run times reduced. This piece of kit is truly “Performance Enhancing”. It does of course meet all the ISO 12402 and ICF 6.12kg pfd safety standards. 











  • SS3 four way stretch, breathable and waterproof fabric with 20m hydrostatic head and 20k moisture transmission
  • Gaia environmentally friendly super soft flotation foam
  • Only 20mm thickness on the body
  • Load bearing and secure webbing body harness
  • Tough faced 4mm neoprene spraydeck with added Gaia buoyancy
  • 2.5mm neoprene neck
  • Low profile latex wrist cones
  • EU Registered Patent Pending design
  • ISO 12402-5 Certified
  • ICF 6.12KG Approved
  • Olympic Gold and Silver medal winning performance
  • Deck sizes available: K1. C1. Composite. Keyhole


Some of the other colours, available. 








Saturday, April 16, 2016

8 Essential Checks to Make Prior to Travelling to The Alps This Summer

With the weather starting to heat up, we are starting to day dream about Alpine paddling in glorious sunshine and guaranteed water.  With only a few of weeks until the exodus begins, here a few essentials to check off the list before the last minute panic sets in:


1. Passport - OK, so it's probably the most obvious one to start off but most of us think we know where our passport is, but the reality is more likely that the drawer we thought we threw it in after the last time we used it, isn't the drawer where it is now!  Apart from locating it, it is also worth checking that it is still in date and has enough spare pages for the border guards to stamp if travelling through multiple countries. 



2. E111 Card - When travelling in Europe, the E111 European Health Insurance Card, while probably not absolutely essential, is very handy to have.  This will make admittance to casualty quicker and easier and reduce the chance of you being left abandoned in a waiting room with blood pouring out of your elbow.  If you a fortunate enough to have private medical insurance and/or travel insurance cover, make sure to have a card with the relevant contact details to hand.


3. Travel Insurance - A missed flight can mean the holiday is over before it has even begun so even a basic travel insurance plan can take some of the headache out of even a minor disaster.  It is worth checking with your health/car/motor insurer as some have discounted rates if you are already a customer or might have basic travel insurance already included in another policy as standard.



4. Breakdown Cover - Even if you have domestic breakdown cover, make sure to get add on cover for travelling abroad.  The cost is usually very reasonable (under 100 euro) and usually covers up to 30 days or the entire trip if longer (read the small print).  This can speed up recovery and repair or provide a replacement vehicle to continue your holiday if your own has to be towed home.  It is also worth notifying your motor insurance provider as some may require advance notice and/or an additional premium for travelling abroad.


5. Get a Service - Bearing in mind you are probably going to cover more kilometres in two weeks than you would normally do in two months, on a mixture of high speed motorway and steed windy mountain roads, it would be only fair if you gave your car/van a little TLC before you head off.  Even little things like making sure the coolant is topped up and carrying spare coolant, oil, bulbs, etc... can keep things running smoothly when your 2000 metres up the side of a mountain with no phone reception and the dashboard looking like a Christmas Tree!

 


6. Waterproof Document Case - You've probably all heard the horror stories of boats lost/pinned on rivers with keys/passport/wallet/etc... safely tied inside.  Or cars broken into and all the valuables stolen.  Get a medium sized document case - or most smartphone cases these days are just about big enough as well.  This will act as your personal "safe" on the water with all the valuable essentials inside.  Make sure it is big enough for passport, car keys and some cards - it is worth carrying health insurance card, credit card and some cash in case you don't get to the chosen take-out or you shoot past it chasing gear.  The Aquapac 658 is a pretty good option:



7. Airports/Airlines - Probably the most stressful part of any holiday is the airport check in procedure and experience can vary wildly depending on which airline and airport you use.   For this part of the trip, your kayak has magically transformed into a bike/surfboard/ski's/golf clubs - basically anything other than a canoe/kayak/boat, so it helps to disguise it with a bag or cloth to hide it's true identity (an awesome whitewater machine!).  Get things off to a good start by booking on the oversize baggage option, keeping it within the weight limit and arriving to the airport early.  DO NOT try and blag it by saying it's an extra bag for your girlfriend, it's part of your standard baggage allowance, it "just looks heavy" or arriving within minutes of the departure time, skipping to the top of the queue and gasping breathlessly that it's a matter of life and death to get you on board with your "life saving medical device".  Also some airlines/airports (Aerlingus, Dublin/Cork) offer an "evening before" check-in/baggage-drop service which means you can drop off your gear during the usual off-peak hours the day before and stroll in the day of the flight with just your carry on bag and sunglasses.  Lastly, if you are part of a large group/club travelling on the same flight, it is worth phoning ahead to make sure there is enough room for 8 surfboards, 12 ski bags and 15 forty kilo gear bags all at the same time!


8. Last, but most definitely not least, get out and practice!  Most of us have barely managed to squeeze in a half day a week over the winter and now we will be aiming to do a week of full days paddling on the water.  Even if there is little to no water in your local river, get in your boat and do some endurance/resistance training.  Focus on edging and boat control as the jump in volume is what catches most people out during the first couple of days.  Practice short, sharp, acceleration strokes to get the boat up to speed on faster water.  And make sure to test out your roll in a couple of different positions and set ups.  If there is no convenient river close by, the sea is also great for training on especially in swell and surf.  Most river paddlers don't realise that the skills needed for big volume river paddling are the same as swell/surf.   


Monday, April 11, 2016

NRS Tyrant SUP Board - First Look


The Tyrant is a nice short and stable river SUP.

As soon as it is rolled out, you can tell the quality construction. 
Plenty of D-rings and handles for easy handling both on and off the water.

All fins come with the board and are not moulded in like some other boards.
There's a nice selection of fins supplied as well as a repair kit.
Lovely textured deck pad with heel kicker for added control.
And finally everything rolls up in this sturdy carry bag.

Keep an eye on www.i-canoe.com for SUP specials and demos.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

New Waka Tuna



News just in from Waka HQ on their new Creeker.


Here's what Sam Sutton had to say about the new design:

"Our main goal when we made this new boat was to improve the things we didn’t like about the Tuna and make something that will be lighter and faster to assemble to fix our production issues we have had from day one. 

The main changes that were made to the hull was

Rounded the nose rails, this has made it much better when paddling straight down the river and not getting pushed on the nose and trying to go straight, it was also hoping to lessen the impact when dropping waterfalls and it feels much nicer to stomp the nose. 

The rocker is a bit more even and now the boat planes much nicer out of drops it holds it speed. 

It will be 3cm longer than the original. 

We have taken all the lines off the top deck to spread the plastic more venially to reduce weight and increase strength. 

There is now 5 alloy handles which make the boat look nicer. 

The cockpit has changed lots now and the thigh braces are moulded in as this was where we lost time in assembly. It also reduces the weight by 1.5kg. 

The seat and pillars are fixed internally to reduce stress on the boat and remove holes through the boat. 

The first two boats we made are 17.8kg and we except production to be 19kg with a solid shell weight."

Personally I loved the original Wak Tuna so I'm anxious to see what they have done with the design.

All going to plan, we should have the new model in stock before the Alpine season starts in May.


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Corelite X from Venture Canoes

 

A Breakthrough Material from Venture and P&H

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You won't see it, but you'll definitely feel it!
It's not often a product comes along which has improved in absolutely every way, but with CoreLite X there is no compromise:
*   Canoes are approximately 3 to 5kg lighter, and sea kayaks weigh between 2 and 3kg less.
*   Hull stiffness has seen a significant increase, bringing it closer to composite performance.
*   Greater durability means they'll work as hard as you do, without showing their age.
Don't just take our word for it though, try it for yourself! Your local dealer and test centre is:
CoreLite X is quite simply, better; no need to have a separate instructor boat, as you'll enjoy paddling these as much as your clients will!

Venture Canoes available in CoreLite X


Ranger 149
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Ranger 162
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Prospector 155
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Prospector 165
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Hunter
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These class-leading, British made designs are available in CoreLite X now, and are fast becoming the choice of the UK's top canoe coaches.
"It was the combination of design, Venture's enthusiasm and CoreLite X that convinced me to paddle the Prospector 155; the new material is far stiffer and gives an enhanced experience on the water. Not only am I going to be paddling CoreLite X myself, but I am introducing more Venture canoes into my fleet."
- Ray Goodwin, Author of 'Canoeing' and Freelance Paddlesport Coach.

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More informaton on Rays Pink Canoe HERE

"I've been managing centres for over 15 years now and delivering coach courses through them all over the UK and Europe; durability of the boats at these locations is as important as handling and performance.

Rest-assured that I have tried my level best to destroy the CoreLite X prototypes lent to me; I have dragged them everywhere, thrown them down slip ways and pushed them off the top of a 12 canoe trailer. Bystanders winced, but the boat was fine every time. We all know that customers never take as much care of our boats as we'd like, but CoreLite X canoes will put your mind at ease."
- Richard Witheridge, UKCC Level 3 Coach & Coach Educator.


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contact us now for more information; joining the CoreLite X revolution just might be the easiest decision you make this year!

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Friday, January 15, 2016

College Day Instore 23rd January 2016

college copy

I-Canoe will be hosting a Student / College open day on

Saturday 23rd January. 12-4pm

Bring along your college or come alone, we will have extra discounts instore

(with a valid student card or vouched for by captain)

  • Extra Discounts with student card

  • Bargain Sale Items

  • Special offers on boats

  • Demos on the canal

  • Coffee and soup instore

  • Gear Talk

  • All the banter

  • Free Stickers

For more information email or call us instore

Adrian