Introducing Del, another of my fellow 2020/21 #ShePaddles Ambassadors. Del’s passion for water and whitewater kayaking is undoubtedly clear and her enthusiasm for it stampedes through flowing as fast as the water she paddles on! An early riser, she’s ready and out seizing the day before most have barely even thought about peeling open an eye! She’s motivated, a go-getter, an achiever, a blogger, an adventure sharer, an inspirer, an enthuser and so much more and I can’t wait to share her story with you!
So who is Del Read and what’s your paddling backstory?
Hi, I’m a whitewater kayaker from Nottingham. I started kayaking when I lived in New Zealand for a year. At 20 years old I realised I had found my passion and I haven’t looked back since! Whitewater kayaking is where my heart is but recently I’ve been open to other forms of paddling. To be honest – I just enjoy spending time on the water!
What’s your contribution to or stamp on paddlesport? How or why do (or should!) we know you? If you were nominated by a previous guest or invited by myself, why do you think they or I nominated you?
I was invited by Clare to take part in this who I know from my time as a #ShePaddles ambassador for British Canoeing. I paddle because I love it and I encourage others to do the same. I also write a paddle sports blog (delkayaks.co.uk) so I guess that is a good reason to know me if you like reading about paddling!
What tips would you give aspiring paddlers wanting to try the paddle discipline/s you’re involved in and what steps would you advise they take to begin?
I started whitewater kayaking through a club. It allowed me to pick up some of the basics, get out on the water and importantly meet lots of other paddlers. I generally think it is a good way to start although doesn’t suit everyone. If you wanted to start paddling outside of a club, I would recommend getting a couple of coaching lessons first. There are so many things about whitewater which are important to know but not always obvious.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not paddling?
I just enjoy being outdoors in general and sharing adventures with friends. I run regularly to keep up my fitness and enjoy a good day of hiking.
Your worst habit?
Depending on who you ask, this could be seen as a positive or a negative but I am very much a morning person. I get up before 6am most days and am quite hyperactive in the mornings. When I’ve been on multiday trips with people, I’ve learnt quickly who loves or hates this trait of mine. Sometimes I have to rein it in a little so will go off for a couple hour walk by myself whilst I wait for everyone else to wake up!
Your happiest or proudest moment of adulthood?
Probably moving to New Zealand and deciding to get as much out of life as I could. Don’t have a single regret from the year I lived there and it will probably remain the best year of my life. It is also where I took up kayaking so pretty much changed the rest of my life for that reason alone!
Your biggest regret?
Not starting paddling sooner. Children pick up new skills so much easier than adults do. I sometimes think about where I might be now if I’d started paddling as a child. Equally though, if I had paddled as a child, I might have given up before adulthood. Maybe starting as an adult helped me to love it more – and get over how cold it can be!
Your favourite song?
So many. ‘I’m blue’ my Eiffle 65 is pretty high up there though.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you were older?
A pop star called Roxy. Luckily I realised I couldn’t sing pretty early on and changed my aspirations!
Your chosen craft/s and brand/s?
Brand is easy – Palm Equipment. I love their products, their ethos and their team. They do so much for the community and for paddle sports. Craft is a little harder – I have several whitewater kayaks and love them all! I use them for different things and enjoy spending time in each of them. I have been out on a SUP a few times recently too and really enjoyed that.
Tell us about your local area blue spaces and why we would want to paddle there
I live in walking distance from Holme Pierrepont whitewater course which is based on the Trent. Whilst the Trent is a bit smelly, the community of paddlers based at HPP is world class. Nicest paddlers ever!
Tell us about your favourite blue spaces anywhere and what you love about them
Sooooo many! I love a high water Tawe in South Wales – fun without being scary! The Upper Dart is amazing – such good whitewater. The Mawddach in North Wales is phenomenal and feels like a proper adventure day out. Of the course the Kaituna (New Zealand) will always hold a special place in my heart too – can’t wait to go back there and actually paddle the river, not just swim down it!
I’m always dreaming about my next #clarerutterwherenextadventures, if you could paddle anywhere in the world, where would your #wherenextadventures be and why?
Feels like all my friends are currently paddling in South America right now. Would love to get out to Chile / Ecuador at some point! To be honest, given the last 2 years, I would happily paddle ANYWHERE right now. Just grateful to be able to go out on weekend adventures in the UK again!
If you could paddle with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? Living or not, past or present, paddler/non-paddler…there are no rules here!
Such a boring answer I guess but my friends! The UK paddling scene is soooo friendly and welcoming and I have so many friends I love here. I’m sure a more exciting answer would be a list of sponsored paddlers from around the globe, but honestly I would rather just get to spend time with my friends on the water!
Most memorable paddle?
Probably trying to paddle down the Etive at Christmas time in a blizzard. We had to eventually walk out because we were worried about the road out getting too snowy. It was the coldest I think I have EVER been but it was magical sitting at the bottom of triple step waiting for my friends to come down. I sang Frozen songs at the top of my voice whilst it snowed on me.
Your happiest or proudest moment in paddlesport?
So many. I think the Winter of 2019/2020 was one of the best I have ever had. It was super wet and I felt like I was stepping up my paddling every weekend. Just before the lockdown I had a week in North Wales in February. At the end of that week, we went down a high Upper Mawddach. I had a couple of rolls but made the lines I needed to. Got off the river feeling absolutely elated. My friends (who are much better paddlers than me) were so complimentary too and I actually felt like I was good at paddling you know. 5 years of grit and finally felt like I was showing what I could do. Yeah I was pretty proud / elated that day.
Many people paddle to aid their mental health and wellbeing, what does paddling do for you and what does it mean to you?
Looking after my mental health is probably one of the main reasons I paddle. It is so important to me that I actually wrote a whole blog post on it! (You can read more about it in that article).
It is also the reason I took on a 24 hour paddling challenge last Easter. Myself and three friends raised over £4000 for the mental health charity Mind. Myself and friend Ibbo ( who came up with idea) really wanted it to go to a mental health charity. For both of us – paddling is the main way we look after our mental health.
What lessons has paddling taught you?
Be resilient, work hard, look out for your friends, plan ahead and most importantly – have fun.
If you could restart your paddling journey, what would you keep or change and why?
Spend more time working on the basics. My base of basic skills is now the biggest thing holding me back from progressing higher. I have developed some terrible habits which are now really hard to change. I’m working on it but I wish I hadn’t developed them in the first place!
What’s your top safety tip?
Spend time communicating beforehand.
Top general paddling tip?
Engage your core.
Favourite paddling gadget/item/must have lucky pants etc!
Love my minion hat. It makes me so happy and keeps my ears warm when scouting!
Favourite or most utilised books, magazines, e-zines, websites, apps or digital services/provisions etc. relating to paddlesport and/or your participation in it?
Guide books – I keep three for Scotland, Wales and England in my car and use them regularly. They also make good reading for back seat passengers.
When paddling, what makes you laugh and what makes you sad?
Laugh – when a (much better paddler) friend has to take a silly roll. One guy in our paddling group, Tom, is amazing at kayaking. He will always be fine on the rapids but he has a lot of silly moments. Like catching an edge and flipping on the grade 2 on the paddle out etc. He is always fine but it is hilarious every time he does it.
Sad – when a friend gets hurt. It is an adventure sport for a reason and we all know the risks, but it still hurts when something bad happens to a friend.
Who inspires you and why?
One hashtag to answer this – #myfriendsaremyheroes .
Anything else you’d like to add or any last words of wisdom?
I paddle because I enjoy it. I don’t paddle when I stop enjoying it. Paddle to have fun and everything will be good. If you are not having fun – really look at why that is and see what you can change to address that. Talk to people and be open about how you are feeling.
And finally, where can we follow you? What’s your social media and weblinks etc?
Easiest to find me via Instagram. My Instagram handle is del_likes_kayaking.
Do check out my blog as well – delkayaks.co.uk
Photos: Tom Clare
Thanks Del! Fantastic hearing about all your adventures big and small!
Waiting with baited breath to see what you do next! Happy paddling!
If you are or know someone who would be ideal to be interviewed for Clare Rutter’s Paddle People: An Interview with… please send a brief and the best way of getting in touch to email@clarerutter.com.