This week’s discussion point from me is about paddling at sunset. There’s something truly special and unique about paddling in the evening and especially when the sun goes down. It’s a time when we can feel reflective on the day’s happenings or just be be drawn in and truly captivated by the moment itself. From urban to rural, inland to coastal: a sunset can be a truly magnificent sight and experience anywhere!

So…

Where do you love to paddle at sunset?

How does paddling at sunset make you feel?

What do you enjoy about paddling at sunset?

This week’s discussion point from me is about paddle planning. The well-known phrase “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” can be applied and may be vital to having safe and enjoyable paddling experiences. From your local pond to ocean paddling, there are a number of factors that we should check – and actions we should take – prior to setting off on our adventures, however big or small. These can include checking the weather and water conditions, ensuring we have enough food and drink, making sure we have the right clothing and equipment, and making sure that we notify someone of our plans and our expected return time.

So…

How do you plan for a paddle?

What checks do you make?

Has failing to prepare ever impacted one of your paddles? If so, how and what lessons were learned?

What information sources do you use and recommend for paddle planning? e.g. books, guides, forums, websites, apps, chatting with others etc.

What planning advice would you give to new and beginner paddlers before hitting the water?

This week’s discussion point from me is about paddling and leadership. Some of us are born leaders, some of us grow and develop into leaders, and some of us are just happy and secure in being led by others who may be more experienced and knowledgeable than us. So, what makes a great leader? Courage? Confidence? Experience? Intellect? People skills? What do you think? Can there be more than one leader? Is a leader needed at all? What about bad leadership?

Do you lead others in paddlesport whether that’s friends, family, colleagues, clients or club members etc? What’s your experience of being in that role?

Are you happy sitting back and letting others lead the way? If so, why? What do you get out of it?

Would you like to take the helm and be in a leadership role yourself? What will help get you there?

Do you feel prevented by circumstances or perhaps others to take responsibility and gain leadership experience for yourself? What barriers do you feel are in your way?

Has bad leadership ever affected you? Or perhaps you were at one time a bad leader – what impact did this have and did anything change as a result?

This week’s discussion point from me is about paddle staycations. The world as we knew it has changed and while we reset and readjust, for the time being at least, many of us are choosing to stay nearer to home for our weekends away, short mini-breaks, and summer holidays spent with the kids. As paddlers, we’ve always valued the outdoors but perhaps now, following various periods of movie-worthy global lockdowns, these restrictions on our liberty may just have given us the drive and curiosity to explore and discover what’s on our doorsteps instead of jetting off abroad.

With thousands of miles of waterways and other blue spaces right here in the UK, there’s never been a better time to pack up our craft, gear and paddles, and experience and enjoy the best of British! From flat water to white water, cruising canals to adrenaline filled rapids, exploring the Norfolk Broads to the Great Glen, the Llangollen Canal or the Tryweryn to the River Teifi and everywhere else in between – there’s so much to be explored!

Are you planning a paddle staycation? Heading to a regular spot or somewhere completely different? Tell us about it!

No stranger to staycations? What and where would you advise for those considering embarking on one for the first time? What top tips and recommendations would you give them?

Struggling for ideas? Tell us what you’re hoping or looking for and let our paddling community guide you to creating a truly great British staycation!

Thanks to Tyn Cornel Camping for the photo of their campsite by the Afon Tryweryn.

This week’s discussion point from me is about paddling related literature and audio and visual digital media. In the modern day, we’re never too far away from literary influences, from spotting a catchy newspaper headline or getting lost in a great book to information and instant news from perhaps just down the road or as far as the distant reaches of the earth through to ‘how to’ videos for paddle maintenance or personal skill techniques. We can be bombarded by them, choose to ignore them, stick to more ‘traditional’ methods to which we’re more accustomed or embrace modern digital methods to aid our learning and understanding of a subject, for entertainment, to meet our interests or quite simply; to pass some time. In your paddlesport world and enjoyment or development of it – what formats do you prefer? What do you like about them? When do you utilise them? And, what do you gain from them?

Tell us about your favourite, preferred or recommended sources of paddlesport information, learning and entertainment!

Such as…

Websites

E-learning

Blogs / Vlogs

Documents

Digital messaging

Films / documentaries

Social media platforms

Forums / digital communities

Apps/software/video games

TV channels & play back services

Books / magazines / newsletters / papers

E-newsletters / electronic subscriptions

Radio/podcasts/audio streaming services

Interactive media & virtual immersive experiences

This week’s discussion point from me is about World Mental Health Day. Today is World Mental Health Day where globally the aim is to raise awareness about mental health, how we or others may feel and how we can recognise and respond to lapses in good mental health. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma associated with mental health issues but it does not need to be this way – we should all take responsibility in recognising it in ourselves and in those around us and talk about it – it’s really healthy to do so! Communication is the real key in addressing poor mental health and then finding ways to deal with it or how to live manageably alongside it. Sometimes, just admitting to yourself and to others that you’re struggling is often the hardest step!

So, what is mental health? Sometimes it’s known as emotional health or wellbeing and is about the way we react and cope with issues and situations in our lives and whether we have control over them or not. Sometimes we can get a little stressed over the small stuff but if we let it manifest it can become so much bigger and harder to address. It’s important to know that this can happen to anyone, of any age , at any time for any length of time, frequently or infrequently, to your best mate, your auntie, your nan, your next-door neighbour, the postman, that person you see always smiling and even your role model or favourite celebrity.

Sometimes, just talking to friends or family can help us stop and reassess what is contributing to poor mental health and at other times, a little more intervention may be required. There’s a whole host of support out there for issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, anger and more complex, deep-rooted issues from your GP to mental health organisations such as Mind Cymru and in the private sector where issues can be communicated & tackled in a number of ways: one-to-one, over the phone, by email, by text or even webchat. There has never been so many opportunities and mediums through which to address it. Many of us work out, train hard and eat healthily but without looking after our emotional states we are not actually looking after ourselves at all. But it’s so important to do so!

So, mental health and paddling – What does paddling do for you in relation to your mental health? Does it give you that break and stress relief that you need or perhaps paddling and the pressures that can often be associated with it contribute negatively to your mental health or someone you know? Were or are you involved in either competitive or non-competitive paddling where you’ve witnessed the impact of a supportive environment where mental health is discussed freely or perhaps not spoken about at all and swept under the carpet? What did or does this lead to? Do you actively promote positive mental health at your club, centre, paddle meet etc and, if so, how?

For further information, signs, symptoms, suggestions & support:

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/…/world-mental-health-day

https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/mind-cymru/

https://www.mind.org.uk/get…/world-mental-health-day/

https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/…/world-mental-health…

https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental…/help-and-support