On Sunday 14th August, 11 Nomads ably led by Dave set off on a sunny Sunday paddle from Berkhamsted to Wendover, covering roughly 8 miles. Temperatures were once again in the high 20’s and everyone was well armed with hydration and a tasty packed lunch (apart from Jai who barely had a morsel). The majority of the group rocking the new Ainsworth paddles and loving them!!
We set off a behind schedule, all thanks to Amie arriving nearly 30 minutes late and delaying the start of the safety briefing and warm up. We eventually hit the water just after 10.30am and set off with the Wendover arm as our stopping point. The trip saw John hit the water in his snazzy new kayak and new Nomad’s Hannah and Alexa paddle their first official excursion outside of the recreational sessions! We all agreed that they are a fantastic addition to the group and paddled excellently throughout the day
We steadily made our way towards the ‘Winding Hole’ turning point, encountering lots of rented narrow boats and other canal users, including a helpful lady on a paddle board who was happy to take a picture of the group. Smiles all round!
After stopping for lunch, the group was temporarily concerned when Dave pointed out some moving water coming from an outlet and expertly explained how we should navigate it, so nobody ended up in the rushes. After a bit of flack from the group and shouts of ‘watch out for the grade 3 rapids!’ We were all grateful to hear how to paddle across a current, without being knocked off course.
We made it back to our starting point almost bang on time and enjoyed a cold beverage (supplied by trip leader Dave – thanks Dave) whilst we de-briefed and generally said what a jolly good time we’d all had!
All in all, a very enjoyable and successful day. 100% would recommend!
Trip report by : Amie Dyos