Canoe and Kayak Store, opened their door,
And started an event;
Ronnie's dream: to gather his team,
And party with intent.

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The paddlers began to rise;
'Though they were tired, they felt inspired,
With eyes upon the prize.

The team appeared all chilly eared,
But OzDz brought salvation;
Her wooly hats for river rats,
Were perfect for the occasion.

The trades came in, to help them win;
Wave Sport, Palm and more;
They were set up to help build-up,
Excitement on the shore.

The first event to  cause a dent,
In prides and boats combined;
The boater-cross, a shared ethos,
Of matter over mind.

Next the freestyle brought a smile,
To boaters and their crowd;
Loops and twirls from boys and girls,
Left Ronnie feeling proud.

He saw his dream was being seen,
Before his very eyes;
The real win was clear to him,
Smiles all round - his prize.

Those of you who know Ronnie from the Cardiff branch of Canoe and Kayak Store, will know that sense of crushing devastation when you turn up at CIWW and Ronnie is nowhere to be seen. Ronnie is quite simply where the party’s at. Aside from giving superb kit advice, technical help, and providing a great range of demo boats and paddles, Ronnie is one of the most helpful and cheerful people you will meet. If you haven’t yet experienced the full effect of Ronnie Time, get over there and give it a go!

Whether you are an out-and-out playboater, a river runner or someone who likes to dip their toe into both disciplines, the timetabled, reliable and variable flows as CIWW have a lot to offer.

For those who are just starting to venture into the world of whitewater, the 4 cumecs sessions are a great opportunity to practise breaking in and out, ferry gliding, surfing waves and getting stuck in holes!

The 4 cumecs sessions are often followed by 8 cumecs sessions which allow aspiring dare devils to start to push the envelope a little more.  

For the seasoned playboater, the features for the 8 and 10 cumecs sessions are changed on a fairly regular basis so that you can practise a range of moves.  

It's fair to say that we weren't blessed with fantastic levels on our spring trip to Scotland, but we made the most of it by getting up to no good!

Think of this as an instructional video on how to squeeze the most fun out of a river trip.

In the rush to paddle in increasingly exotic locations, sometimes the British classics can be easily overlooked. 


The levels weren't amazing today. It would have been very easy to stay in bed when my alarm woke me up at some disgusting time, but I didn't. Against my own better judgement, I dragged my snotty, cold-ridden body out of bed and got ready for boating. Four slices of burnt toast, 10 minutes wafting the fire alarm and one squashed slug later (long story), I was out of the door and on my way to Dartmoor. 


What I didn't know when I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed, was that the day ahead would offer one of the best days of paddling that I had ever experienced. No it wasn't Scotland, the Alps, Chile or Norway, it was the Upper Dart at a modest level. I didn't push my limits and I didn't get an adrenaline rush, but I did get out on a beautiful river with a quality group of mates. I paddled, I smiled and I laughed. 


Sorry if I have gone a little mushy! All I'm trying to say is that next time I am lying in bed checking the levels at some disgusting time, I will ignore my better judgement with vigour. After all, who wouldn't be stoked if the day ahead could offer one of the best days of paddling that they had ever experienced?

Here is a quick edit from our Mellte mission at the weekend.

I have wanted to paddle this river for so long but never got around to it. I was a little worried that my high expectations would lead to disappointment but I couldn't have been more wrong. Such a fun little river. I can't wait to go back when the levels are a bit better.


Thank you to Wave Sport for all of their support.

In a vain attempt to work off some of the Christmas food and to break the constant cycle of eating, James and I headed off to Coney Beach, Porthcawl to mingle with the surfers.

British boating welcomed us home with 5-8ft surf and seemingly every weather condition known to man...

...A quality day's boating!