Week two and things are starting to get interesting. The water level is high at the moment so Nile Special is paddle on level, it’s steep, fast and with a good retentive pile people are throwing some huge tricks.
(Jon doing what he dose best)
We spent four days up at NRE where I stepped on a tent peg that put a nasty hole in my foot. After a couple of painful stitches and excessive cleaning it seems to be in good shape, I was told to stay of the water for a week but that lasted for about 3 days, it’s amazing what you can do with a neo sock, gaffa tape and a plastic bag! That was my pain but Gav had a nasty swim in the pour over on ribcage, after some big downtime we managed to get him to the bank, find all his gear and he has recovered well.
We are back at the Lemon at the moment getting ready for Christmas, the decorations are up and preparations for the big meal are taking shape. Nile Special last night was a great level and it looks like it may be here to stay.
+ Plus with Christmas over, that can only mean one thing! The Boxing Day dip. My beloved and her crazy friends once again took the dip for charity on Worthing sea front, well done ladies
All of us here at Whitewater would like to thank you all for a top year of business, Boating, drinking, Holidays & fun. Hope to see you soon
HAPPY CHRISTMAS.
PS Jon Boy & Emily, Hope you are having a great time in Africa Look after youselves, hope the paddling is going well, you're have to have you're present later..... Have a good one Bro!
I am posting from the Hairy Lemon, an island paradise on the Nile. Currently the water level is fluctuating quite a bit, Nile Special is running in the evening at a good level and is surf able during the day but quite flushy.
(Jon Boy in the sun, Lucky *******) They are in the middle of building a new dam on the upper section of river, this has meant some of the rapids have disappeared but also making the original ones bigger, for example silver back at the moment is huge due to the cut off of the ugly sisters rapid, no more wave. Also total gunga once a big rapid with many different lines and waves to explore is now a big lake with a small wave train down the middle. We spent the first two days running the day one section of river and on the last run of the day, Emily while paddling down silver back took a paddle to the face and split open her nose, but it’s ok we don’t think it’s broken so I still have a pretty girlfriend.
+ George has a new boat, Not satisfied with slalom C1"ing" George now has a fully loaded Robson Homes! shaped by the legend Frankie Hubbard this 10' Armerlite beast is ready to rock. Look out if your on the upper Dart, Woods is guna get ya.....
Note also the very dashing IR dry suit, Yes George has finally reached the age when Dry suits are cool!
Yesterday I and Matt found ourselves, Thanks to Lou again! At Wembley stadium for the Race of Champions a truly gladiatorial event that pitches the world’s best circuit racers, F1 drivers and rally drivers head-to-head against each other round a spectacular parallel track to determine who is the fastest. (Grand Tour Punto Fast in the bends) (Two mad guys on bikes, They were verry good)
As we arrived the race of nations was just starting, England didn’t do to well, and Germany did, next time! After that there was some amazing stunt driving and some crazy guy’s on motor cross bike’s doing the biggest air! Scary stuff but well cool to watch. Then the head to head main race it self started there was some a amazing races, Matt missed the best one with Andy Priaulx (GB) against I think Yvan Muller in 2 big ass Aston V8 Vantages, Priaulx was losing just until Muller stuffed is Vantage in to the wall on the last corner, great fun! No one was hurt.... Soooooo loud great cars. (the big Aston battel, Muller right, Priaulx left)
Driver of the day thought has to go to Michael Schumacher, I didn’t want him to win at the start but compared to every one else he is simply amazing and just so fast! (Schumacher (Orange helmet) at the end! great driver....Very impressed)
Not to sure who won I thought Kovalainen did but moral victor for me has to Schumacher, Great day out great cars, F1 cars very loud! Think I might have a perforated ear drum!
Big water nights at Shepperton in the depths of winter definitely sort the men from the boys! Over the last few days (day time) Shepperton has been closed as the back weir is commissioned by the Environment Agency, but by night she is left open and is a perfect place to try the new Pyranha Rev, Mike also now has a play boat a shiny Astro 58, some little kid dose seam to have tagged his name on the bottom! But mike seams to like it. Yesterday also was our Christmas Golf game, sorry to any customer who turned up to find us shut! (Don’t think there was any) The game took place at Abby Moor down in Chertsey the frost was thick but could not dampen our spirits. After a fun filled 9 holes Mr “Bandito” Laycock walked away with top prize, George 2nd and Jon boy a very respectable 3rd. Thank you George for a top day!
Jon Boy has now left, again! For a hot African Christmas and will return at the end of January watch out for his African Postcards……
We are having our Christmas party tomorrow morning at the local golf club, because of this we are shutting up shop in the morning and will be back open for business at 1:30 pm until 7:30 pm for late night shopping.
This weekend, again I found myself down at the Dart country park for the Gene 17 double hard paddler weekend, Saturday the rain fell out of the sky like never before and most the river’s were suicidal, (allegedly) any information I have is all a bit vague as I wasn’t there but Saturday the lectures and drinking were both great fun and I enjoyed my self immensely. I think bleak is probably best word to describes the get in for the Plym, the west countries hard man river! And I would by lying as Myself, Jason, Owen and Roger slid into the river if I didn’t say I had some nerves, However what a top little river Unlike the Dart the Plym has some real gradient looking back upstream I thought to myself, at least twice “crikey this is really steep”. I’m not to sure how high the river was, according to Fordy and a few other guys said it was a top level that money couldn’t buy! but Whetman recons it was the lowest you would ever want to get on it, read into that what you will….. It’s a great river though however high we had it at; with a good lead in followed by some good drops, few slides and a couple of longer harder rapids with consequence. At the end there is a rather nasty siphon rapid that we all walked top stuff. (A rare Plym river Pixie) After that we shout off for a run down the upper Dart which was still at a cracking level and then finished with the obligatory top wave session Top Day!
The other members of staff all found them self down a selection this weekend Saturday saw Mike battling hard in the squirt competition round on the buck weir, while Jon enjoyed himself on the main weir. Sunday both lads ended up in Nottingham Jon finished 3rd overall, so back on the team for him! And Mike came 2nd in the squirt event. Both are now selected for team GB’s visit to the European championships June next year in Spain. Down side they both have diahorrea! Love Nottingham…..
Yesterday I had a day off so as normal I popped into Shepperton to go for a paddle, when I arrived it was clear something was not quite right. Vandals (Mindless Muppets) had set fire to two cruisers and then cut them free from their moorings, the two burning boats (Viking burial styleie) then drifted down river, one boat ending up in the lock cut. The second and larger of the two (some 27ft) floated down and broached across the weir, this in turn set fire the roof of the weir walk way. Eventually the fire service arrived and put out the fire by this point however the remains of the boat had sunk just up stream of the weir gates. Yesterday some 20 odd members of the EA took over 6 hours to remove all the remains. If you are paddling at Shepperton please be careful, however things seam to be back to normal. For now! (The smaller boat being removed from the lock cut) (EA divers check the weir gates for any damage)
This weekend with most of the Thames valley paddlers heading off to the Hurley classic, we decided to be a bit controversial and head off down to the West Country to paddle the Dart with local legend Steve Whetman AKA Ugg! Fat Cat’s Ali Marshall and Bill also joined us. Saturday morning dawned wet and windy; the drive across Dart more may quite possibly be the worse whether I’ve ever driven in! But as a result when we arrived at New Bridge we found the river, as Steve described it “at a Good sporting level”. Just lapping the steps for every one else. After loading Ali and Bill’s boats on the car’s we sped back over the more to waters meet and quickly jumped on. The water really was flowing quite high and definitely the highest Ali, Bill and I had ever paddled it at! Needless to say we stuck close to Steve & Mike how were both paddling there composite Bullets and quickly learned the high water lines. Usually the amount of people walking off the river + random Kit would have concerned me, but Steve reckoned it was pretty common and not to worry.
(Mike and Steve at the end) Thinking about I didn’t see another paddler on the water all day, just lots of boats and paddles in trees! Paddling was great though, the mad mile was ace. Super big drop’s were followed by big waves followed by even bigger holes, eddies seamed to be at a bit of a premium ho hum! Euthanasia & Pandora’s Box are the two main events on the river and neither disappointed, both turned into big pushy rapids with large holes to punch and move’s to make. Fantastic sport! After the first run Ali and Bill seamed happy with that and left me, Mike and Steve to do one last run. With the water level now starting to drop the rapids didn’t seam to get any smaller but the holes definitely increased in power, one image that has stayed in my mind is one of Steve getting a huge back loop at the start of the Mad Mile as he hit a big surging wave, Brilliant. Another first for me was to finally see Steve have to roll! And not only roll he took two attempts to get up! With 1 carp….. To be fair though he had just punched through a hole bigger than a house! But a roll is a roll. After two great runs down and a quick play session on the top wave of the loop section we headed home for medals and broken biscuits.
(It's just a flesh wound) Steve’s bullet has received it first wounds. A trip to doctor Gee’s the cure! Stay tuned on how she recovers.
Cheers boys a great day on the river, lets go again!
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