Hi everyone,
I’m Lowri from North Wales, I’ve been kayaking for about 10 years and I love it. I usually do white water kayaking, where you paddle down a body of moving water, typically white water. I’ve kayaked on rivers mostly in North Wales, on sections of the Dee in Llangollen and Tryweryn white water centre in Bala.
Sometimes I travel to further a field locations such as Dartmoor and South Wales for white water kayaking. I also travelled to the alps last summer where I paddled white water for two weeks on sections of rivers including the Géronde in France and the Soča in Slovenia which was such an amazing experience. White water kayaking allows me to participate in an extreme sport and feeling that adrenaline rush whilst also enjoying and taking in the scenery in some of the most stunning parts of the world.
It can also be a team sport too.
I have also played canoe polo, regionally and for my university. Canoe polo is like water polo (rather than horse polo) except you are in a kayak of course. The sport involves wearing helmets with visors and the boats all have bumpers as it can get pretty aggressive! It’s a super fun sport as you get to play a team sport whilst also messing about in kayaks, pushing in (or “binning”) is also encouraged! Whilst at University I was the ladies team captain and even though we lost most games it was a lot of fun and that’s what counts right?
In addition to competing with polo I have competed in some flat-water racing, which involves sitting in a very skinny and tippy boat. I’ve also done a bit of slalom where you must travel down moving water as quickly as possible, whilst trying to get through numbered gates along the way. Both of these involve a lot of fitness and can be pretty technically difficult There are so many different ways to enjoy this sport. My best advice would just be to go and have a trial session and see what suits you best.
It’s really important to stay fuelled…
Kayaking can be a high adrenaline sport and I do it all year round so it’s important to stay warm by wearing the right kit and staying fuelled with the right snacks. Snacks and water are also important as kayaking is surprisingly active and I can be exhausting, I find Byrnmor flapjacks a great snack to take in the boat for a delicious and long lasting energy fix. It’s also important to wear the right safety equipment such as a helmet and buoyancy aid.
I absolutely love kayaking as it’s a fun sport and for all of the friends I have been able to make along the way. I would definitely recommend kayaking as a sport that anyone can do.
If you are interested in starting kayaking here are some useful links on how to get started;
http://www.shropshirepaddlesport.org/newblog/
https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/guidance-resources
https://webcollect.org.uk/llangollencanoeclub
https://chestersailingandcanoeclub.com/
You can also use code Bryn15 in your basket for 15% off your next Brynmor flapjack order to keep you fuelled on your next kayaking adventure.
Happy adventures everyone!
Lowri
Follow me on @lowri_leigh on Instagram