My first kayak

The very first boat I paddled was a lil' Joe borrowed from Bridgnorth Canoe Club. But I quickly went out and brought my own boat, A medium Pyranha Z One. I still see it every now and again paddled by the students of Birmingham University Canoe Club.

My first combat roll! October 2022

Dart Loop, October 2022

My Current Fleet

My school of Pyranha

Pyranha Ozone

January 2023 Force Falls, River Kent

January 2023 Force Falls, River Kent

Taillee!! River Dee, Below Serpents, May 2024

Breaking in on the Graveyard, Tryweryn May 2023

About to get on the Vyrnwy, March 2023

Icicles on Serpents Tail, December 2022

The Ozone caught my eye when I was looking for my first boat. But I decided it would be too much for me at the time. But 4 months later in November after demoing one at MEM. I ordered my new ozone from Go Kayaking, and as Pyranha were doing free custom designs, I got to pick my favourite colours! 3 weeks later we went to pick it up from Runcorn (early Christmas pressie for me!!) and straight to the Dee for a -4°C paddle. My first paddle strokes in my new boat were a roll after I capsized on entry, through a sheet of ice!! We were quickly covered in ice; boats, buoyancy aids, pogies, and helmets. The sound of the ice cracking as we paddled down the otherwise silent Dee was ethereal. 5ft icicles hung down from Serpents tail. This was by far one of the most magical paddles I have been on to date.

A year and a half on I still adore this boat and have paddled everything from the Seiont to the Kent in it. But a knock (or several) to the head after capsizing on the upper graveyard on the Tryweryn and the resulting concussion in May 2023 has lost me some confidence in the boat and I now only paddle G2/3 in it. One of my summer projects this year is to change that and regain my confidence in it. (As of June 2024 I am now back on the upper Tryweryn in the Ozone!!)

Pyranha Jed

My pyranha Jed was a bit of an impulse buy. I'd been looking at freestyle kayaks second-hand on Facebook and just before I went to pick up the Ozone I noticed they had a small blue-crush Jed on sale. So I bought it. It was my pool session boat until the levels dropped at Jackfield the next March.

The Jed has been a great boat for me and has become my summer level Jackfield go to boat as it's perfect on our wave. I have paddled the Dee, and taken part in the #Shepaddles freestyle sessions at HPP in it. And I have taken it to Cardiff a few times (really want to get there on a 10 cumec release). I hope to get the nerve to take it on the Tryweryn this year!

I've discovered I really do not have the patience for flat water freestyle and have found that I really love messing around in playholes and on waves, the only move I can do is a flatspin but I am currently trying to figure out how to do a loop!

Jed at Jackfield, May 2023

Cardiff IWWC, September 2023

The Wave at Jackfield, Summer 2023

The Scorch

In late spring 2023 I realised that coming into the next winter season I might want a boat with a bit more volume than the Ozone to take on some more challenges. So I demo'd a scorch on the Dee. I couldn't justify another new boat within 6 months so the hunt for a used small scorch was on. In June 2023 I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to buy a Ukrainian Flag Scorch. And as is tradition with my boats I went straight to a river after picking it up. Jackfield was the first place I paddled it.

It took some getting used to as I'd only ever paddled a much shorter kayak before and never one with any significant volume in the stern. For a bit it felt like I took a step back, but it was great learning a new style of paddling, (once I stopped automatically trying to stern dip turn). And once I was used to it I really appreciated the extra stability of a boat like the scorch compared to my ozone (accidental rolling exercises became infrequent.)

Bringing the scorch home, June 2023

First paddle at Jackfield, June 2023

Everest Boof!! Upper T, February 2024

This last winter paddling season I've taken took the scorch on so many different rivers, From my first waterfalls on the Tee's and the Swale, to the lower Mawdach, The Plym, The Dulas and many, many more (thankyou rainy winter!!). I really love this boat and it's my go-to boat for most things now. (It's also ridiculously easy to roll).

Me and Paul in Ski Slope Eddie, Summer 2023)

The only boat I have been able to hand roll

Public Toilet Falls, Lower Mawdach January 2024

Low Force, River Tee's, September 2023