First paddling trip for the season

February 26, 2012

I have been paddling in January but this weekend was the first paddling trip for the season. The ice is almost all gone. We carried our kayaks about 200 meters from our club house and we had to paddle between some ice floe to reach open water but it wasnt that hard. We had a really nice trip to Valö in Göteborg archipelag. Valö is an island and also the outer harbour for our kayak club. On valö is a lighthouse and some cabins located. The cabins are available for the members to stay in over night.

Patric is breaking through the ice in the harbour

We had a nice evening paddling to Valö

Johan and Patric in the cabin

The lighthouse gives good protections from winds from north

We took a short walking trip at sunday morning

Patric is packing the new club kayak from Kayakpro

Johan is packing his Clapotis

I have started to use a Braca IV Wingpaddle last year.

Johan is pulling his kayak on the ice. The ice is pretty thick the last 50 meters.

Cool winter paddling

January 22, 2012

Yesterday I went out for a downwind paddling trip togheter with my friend Jens. Average winds 16 m/s (31 kt) with top winds of 21 m/s (41 kt). Water temperature + 1 C (34 F),  Air temperature -1 C (30 F) and heavy snowing. Great fun but I wish I was on the southern hemisphere…

Winter paddling in Sweden. I had to swim a few times. Good clothing with good insulation is essential. I use a dry suit from Ursuit. Neoprene gloves and hood.

Kayaking trip to Vinga

January 17, 2012

Johan, Patric and I paddled to Vinga last weekend. It was pretty calm weather and I haven’t been to Vinga in January before. The island Vinga is located furthest west in the Gothenburg archipelago. It’s is exposed it is a fairly long day trip, nearly 32 km back and forth. Vinga has one of oldest and also is one the most famous light houses in Sweden. Anders paddled with us the first part of the kayak trip but turned back at Böttö. I was really tired back home.

Johan in his Clapotis Sea Kayak and Patric in his Surfski from Zedtech. Just before we got the headwind at Böttö.

Lunch break by the light house. The light house stairs protect us from the wind.

16 km each way from the harbour to Vinga. I was so tired and fell asleep in the cinema later in the evening.

New Year Paddling

December 31, 2011

Finally is the weather decent enough to do some kayaking. Just in time for the new year and the winter… My friends Pia, Erik, Patric and I had a great paddling in Göteborg Archipelago. The days between christmas and new years eve is pretty soft at work. I could work from “home” and my home yesterday was Valö!  A great way of ending the paddling and working year.

Happy new year everybody. Let 2012 be a great year for kayaking!

The sunset was magnificent.

Dramatic clouds but hardly any wind.

Pia is paddling her green Skim kayak. When she is not paddling, hardly ever happens, she is creating really nice silver jewelry.

Sunrise at Valö

The winter is coming closer. Frost on the deck this morning.

Patric has bought a new kayaking hat! Orange…

I had to break through some ice to get ashore.

Great weather but the ice will make it harder for me to launch the kayak the next coming months. Today it was easy to break through.

Pictures and movie from Tjäröfestivalen

September 5, 2011

Tjäröfestivalen 2011 was held at the island of Tjärö in south of Sweden and was a great success to the organizers. About 200 participants from all over Scandinavia and Europe attended the festival. I have put together a videoclip with pictures from the event. A full report will be published later on this week.

Danish paddler guarding the festival! (photo by Gabriella)

Gordon Brown was one of the instructors this year. Now in a Play from Arrow kayaks.

Nigel Foster is back in Sweden. This year with a new haircut…

Dubside is cooling down. He had many participants in his classes.

 

Perfect start of the day

August 31, 2011

Last evening my friends Jonas, Patric and I had a great kayak trip to Valö. We left Göteborg about 7 pm and arrived at Valö just after sunset. Some hours with nice conversations about life, non-important things and kayaks was really nice. An early morning start at 6 am, downwind and I was in time for a meeting at 9 am at the office. This was a perfect start of a weekday!

Patric in his surfski ZedTech Griffin. I’m getting more and more interested in buying a surfski.

Paddling to Eskilsholmen

July 6, 2011

Eskilsholmen is a small island, just 30 min paddling. That is a perfect way to spend an evening together with some good friends. This was the first time that Gabriella tried the Qanik. She is not an regular paddler but she enjoyed it. She discovered that the course stability was quite different comepared to the Silhouette. I used my old Silhouette for the first time. That was also nice.

Gabriella in the Qanik for the first time

Good friends at Eskilsholmen, discussing life in general, paddling and having a great time.

Patric in his Zedtech Griffin.

Finally Valö

July 3, 2011

I was delayed due to laziness for almost a day to the annual gathering at Valö. So when I finally lanched my Qanik I tried to focus on my speed. With a nice tailwind I reached Valö in the afternoon.

Valö light house with some of the kayaks

Today it was about 55 kayakers at Valö

Afternoon paddling

June 13, 2011

My friends Patric and Markus joined me today for a short kayak trip in the archipelago. I’m trying to learn how to use my new wingpaddle. It is a used wingpaddle but still a wingpaddle. I’m not sure if I will keep it but why not try something new for a while. At the moment I cant really tell any difference on the speed. I’m more confused when I cant do some common strokes. I will let you know more about my progress or if I will let the paddle be available on Ebay.

Markus joined us for the trip. He is paddling a kayak from Point65.

Patric is paddling a Zedtech Griffin. I joined him last november when he bought the Griffin. He is getting more comfortable in the Griffin now!

John Linder, who finished second in the 24 hour paddle race in Malmo, has also bought a Zedtech Griffin. We met Johan on our way back to the harbor.

Kayaking bachelorette party

June 11, 2011

My girlfriend and I went for a walk in Gothenburg today. After enjoying a good cappuccino at Da Matteo, we went to the harbor. We spotted a group of kayaks, including the longest kayak I’ve ever seen. It was a bachelorette party that had rented a take-a-part kayak from Point65. They have two models of take-a-part kayak. I cant tell which of the models it was. Kayaking on the bachelorette party is a really nice arrangement.

Hen party in a kayak in a Tequila or Martini solo from Point65.

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