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Kayaking trip to Rivö

kayakr — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:23:55 +0000

I have spent too many days indoors this year but last week my friend Patric suggested that we just should do a short trip to Rivö in Goteborg Archipelago. It’s about one hour kayaking trip from the harbor to Rivö. Rivö has a population of 35 sheep, 4 horses and some Ravens.

We had really nice weather and a really good time.

We spotted two caribous today! Built in Marstrand.

The view from Rivö is excellent. A nice spot for dinner!

Geveskär in the inlet to Goteborg.

The wild raspberries at Rivö was delicious! The Public Access in Sweden is great.

The Hurricane Riders

kayakr — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:57:56 +0000

I haven’t discovered it until today but The Hurricane Riders have a facebook site. A videoclip, learning to backsurf… was publicized there yesterday. I really enjoy watching these kayakers skills. And the production of the videos is also good.

Cool kayaking with Hurricane Riders

Day trips

kayakr — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 07:58:29 +0000

I have been kayaking the last couple of days and mostly day trips in Goteborg. Not very long or advanced paddling but still very nice and relaxing.

Gabriella is taking her first strokes ever!

Lunchbreak at Eskilsholmen in the Goteborg Archipelago.

Tomas is his Rumour in Goteborg Archipelago

Kayak survey – most popular kayak

kayakr — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:09:42 +0000

During the spring I have asked a question about what brand do your paddle. I listed 14 different common kayak brand (including build your own kayak and different brand). The result is not scientific but 117 did answer. The number one answer was different brand (26%) followed by Valley (15%) and Rockpool (10%). I was surprised by that high number of different brand. Well, my Silhouette from Foster Rowe is included in that number. So I can imagine there is many different brands. Click here for the complete list of the kayak survey.

By the way, Valley have a quite new design of their website. Pretty good actually.

The Clapotis Kayak is proberly one of the kayak brand that is not included in the list. It is very popular here in Goteborg.

Annual kayaking trip to Valö

Annual kayaking trip to Valö

kayakr — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 03:39:33 +0000

First day of my vacation and kayaking. The weekend could not start in a better way. Well, I prefer tailwind so the the gale from south wasn’t that nice for a start. Otherwise it was great. Every year in the beginning of July the Gothenburg Canoe Club is having an open paddling trip to Valö. It is getting more and more popular. This year it was about 60 attendants from a lot of places in the south of Sweden. It is a relaxed atmosphere and lot of fun. There wasn’t any special program this year except the mandatory barbecue on saturday night. This year the wind trigged our playfulness.

I’m having a break behind a small light house, to avoid the headwind for a while, on my way to Valö.

Some of the kayaks at Valö.

A group of paddlers are heading out to the waves.

Some islets south of Valö was the playground this time.

Tomas is getting out through the break in his Rumour.

followed by Andreas in his Clapotis.

Johan and Tomas is having fun.

Tomas posing in front of the camera.

Johan is the designer and builder of Clapotis and Clapotis 2.0.

High brace

Anders bought a hull from Johan and designed the Clapotis lowrider. Great work! I want one!

On the leeward of Valö some practiced sculling and eskimo rolling.

Some was just having a good time.

Saturday night and the barbeque

It was really calm conditions on our way back to Goteborg

A video from Valöträffen

Kayaking in Stockholm City

kayakr — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:50:37 +0000

Yesterday I went kayaking in Stockholm City with my friend Åsa. I have been working in Stockholm for a few days and we took the afternoon of and rented some kayaks at kajakkompaniet on the island of Kungsholms west side. Paddling in Stockhomm was really nice weather and the there were many kayakers and boats on the water. The cost was 225 SEK for 4 hours. They had about 12 kayaks of good rental standard.

We took the most paddled trip in Sweden, according to Fredrik at Kajakkompaniet, and circumnavigated Kungsholmen. It is fun to see the city from water level. You see lots of people, beautiful houseboats, nice buildnings including the Stockholm City Hall where the Nobel Prize Banquet is held. Here is more information about kayaking in Stockholm.

Åsa is paddling with the Stockholm City Hall in the background.

Karlbergs Palace

Kayaking trip

kayakr — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:35:58 +0000

This weekend I went kayaking with my friends Patric and Martin. This was the first kayaking trip for Martin in seven years and he just did a trial trip then. At Hinsholmen we ran into Babs Lindman who has circumnavigated the south island of New Zeeland and also the coastline of Norway. Her company kajaktiv was having a demonstration day. I have met Babs a couple of times before when I did some courses in white water paddling and I have also joined kajaktiv to a white water trip in Norway two years ago. I can really recommend the courses and trips. The instructors are among the best white water kayakers in Sweden. Babs is full of life and I really admire her strength, guts and sense of humor.

Babs jumped into my kayak and discovered that the silhoutte is low…

Patric is leaving Rivö in his fairly new Corsa.

After having a chat with Babs we started to paddle and went out to some islands west of the city. Patric stayed until afternoon and then headed back home. Martin and me continued for another 30 minutes.

Tent spot at Galterö

The conditions were perfect. Hardly no wind and really warm. We have had a really long winter that has affected the spring badly but now, just in a few days, it feels like summer. Even the night was warm.

Martin enjoyed the trip.

Some sheep is still sleeping in the early morning!

We stayed at the island of Galterö. Galterö has a nice fauna with heaps of different birds and also quite a few sheep . When we headed back home we had a nice tailwind helping us coming back home quickly. I think Martin ejoyed the trip. He fell in love with the kayak, the Clapotis, we borrowed from a friend. I wish there was a lower version of the Clapotis. That would be a real nice kayak.

Dreaming of waves

kayakr — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:16:34 +0000

It’s still cold in Sweden than it usually is. Maybe it is the long winter or the ash from the Icelandic vulcano that are affecting our climate. I’m dreaming of the summer and some nice white water. Hopefully there will be some paddling in Stockholm Archipelago next weekend. But I don’t expect any white water there.

Magnus is side surfing at Härmanö huvud outside of Orust

Kayaking in the fog

kayakr — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:50:16 +0000

The first kayak trip of the year went to the island of Valö. It is located in the south part of Göteborg Archipelago. Kayaking in Sweden has been a struggle this year. The winter has been really long and most parts of the coastline has been covered with ice. So it is a late premiere. It was a really windy paddling to Valö. Even if the distance is just 12 km I thought it was really hard. The trip back to Göteborg was really nice. A light breeze in the back and a nice fog that made the trip more adventurous.

Patric is having a rest, protected from the wind. When we left Göteborg is was sunny but it was just about to change…

Eric and Pia is having a rest on our way back to Göteborg

The best part of Valö is that we as members of the Göteborg Canoing Association have access to the lighthouse and the cabins. Some of the Cabins have a stove which makes the staying more comfortable. We had rain mixed with snow during sunday afternoon. Then it felt good that we had left the tents back home.

A video clip from the trip. Erik and Pia was already at Valö when we arrived.

Now I’m off for some cross country skiing in the mountains further north of Sweden.

Finally…

kayakr — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 15:53:58 +0000

After almost 6 months is the waiting over. The first paddling trip this year is a fact. We started in Göteborg and headed south to the island of Valö. It was quite windy and it felt as the longest trip ever. I have not been a frequent visitor at my gym last winter. I will suffer tomorrow…

At Valö we met Pia and Erik. They started their trip yesterday. I’m glad we are staying indoor tonight. The mix of rain and snow feels cold.

More pics from the trip will be published when I get back home. The picture below is taken with my Iphone and the Hipstamatic app.