Take a look at this video ! ( click here )

Whiterock Part deux !

My little girl Lauren , and I enjoying the sand dunes !

Also my 2 year old Lee hitching a ride .

Guess what ! " the old " paddle in wrong side - wrong time trick then washed up a beach eating sand maneuver !
My son Lee giving me some good advice , why are you all wet Daddy !
This is how to do it !
Lesson over back to the car park for tea .
Mush Mush !!

Surf was big today and was "dumping hard" ( my new term I heard today)
Surfing a bit .
Waiting for a wave .
Matt from CCKC doing it in style . He was very good to watch and we all talked after in the car park and we all arranged to meet up for a paddle sometime . Belter of a day again ! cant wait untill next time .

Desi B.K.C. Made this nice surf Video of us at Whiterock ( click on here )

Whiterock Bay , surfing on the north coast Co, Antrim N.Ireland with Belfast Kayak Club 20.1.08

Desi B.K.C. first at the car park ! don't forget - " click" photo's to enlarge !
Me and my first view of the surf (with a nervous smile on my kisser) Some folk enjoying the waves already.
The Skerries in the background , noted for sea paddle in the future. Below me!

Getting on the water .

Decky and I , big thanks to your other half Aine for taking the photo's cheers.

Desi and Pete tooling up also.

3 hour's later the car park was nearly full of paddler's and surfers.

My first wave was 30 feet high ! ( it felt like it !)
struggling but still dry !
But not for long , a pincer movement soon sorted me out and I crashed .
I tried again and managed to ride in a wave .
Here we go again ,Decky and me waiting for water .

A great time was had by all . ps - Desi did you like my roll ! caught on your video ! ha ha .

The squad - Philip

Pete, Desi ,Decky, and me Danny

Cant wait till next time lads.

Cheers.

Click here. Michelle paddling into Carrick harbour VIDEO.

Me having a rip in Michelle's P&H Capella 166 feel's good !
Capella and my Avocet near wall.

If you look very carefully, you just make out our mate Sammy the Seal.
Michelle leaving me in her wake !
The old sea front of our town.
Michelle going past the Marine garden's and war memorial above (back hatch) in her new Christmas present

Today we had a lull in the weather , so Michelle and I took the opportunity while the two kid's were being minded , to get on the water and enjoy the day and get some exercise and mental cleansing.
Our put in spot was the usual slipway at the local harbour , which attracted quite a crowd of people , who's normal question was - (are you not freezing in those canoe's) if I heard it once I heard it a million time's it's still ringing in my ear's. So we became good ambassador's to the sport and today educated everyone all about sea kayak's ,
(to the best of our knowledge) and our gear and how we were quite cosy in our clothing ,we might have to fight our way through all the new paddler's next time !

Look at what Santa Got me !

Michelle with her new Capella at fisherman's quay , No stopping her now !
Snow was still on the hill's in the distance and added a bite to the crisp air as we paddled towards the Castle and back to the quay where we enjoyed our tea and planned our next outing . Bangor is barely visible in the back ground , it will be a target for future paddle's .

Michelle - my other half , Marine highway C/fergus Sunday 13:20 6th Jan 08 in her new,

P&H Capella rm 166 for the first time.

Home port Carrickfergus - Belfast lough last paddle of the year 30.12.07.

Me at Whiteabbey shore and Carrickfergus in the far top right . Roy and I are getting some distance training in , as we are going to be paddling for charity very soon and need to keep up the mileage ! The Sea Kayak's we use are made to carry a few day's kit in three water tight bulkhead's ie : food, tent, spare clothes sleeping bag , fishing rod , and any other equipment you need to stay safe on long trip's, and the shape is to help track and glide through sea's you encounter in your journeys . As alway's click all photo's to enlarge . ps happy new year to everyone and keep visiting my blog thankyou. Carrickfergus harbour. 15:20 air temp dropping like a stone.

Belfast lough is a narrow inlet a u shape maybe 4 mile's wide and 20 - 30 mile's from headland to headland and is sea ! very cold Irish sea , trust me I've been in it a lot ! (zoom in on it use the map at the bottom of my blog. )Titanic built in Belfast once steamed out of here many year's ago. Roy and Belfast dock's in the background. Me again.

Me at the seaplanes mooring point used by RAF and U.S. during w.w.2 1939-1945 , they hunted U boat's and supply vessel's belonging to German Navy, the North Atlantic and our coast's were patrolled daily . No bad pic's this time mate !!

Leaving Carrickfergus marina with a winter's sky looming before us .
Marina.
A Grey Heron I startled . Grub ! and coffee stop ! 5 min's later I heard my ar-- is freezing ! I sat on my boat , been there read the book and ate the stew !

Marina again.
Some nice boat's, but no patch on our sea kayak's .
Paddling up the pontoon's
Roy near his Orkney ( blue hull - white top) .

My ugly mug , note my Isle of Man hat is dry ! no roll's today, I am trying out a new sailing long john wetsuit from (Rooster Sailing) under my cag ( paddling jacket ) seem's the bee's knee's so far ! nice and comfy - next time out I will bail out and go for a swim and see how it hold's out or the other way around ! video will be rolling so don't laugh !