paddlesport Archives - @sccjono

Port Talbot Paddlesport

sccjono — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 10:13:32 +0000

What a great weekend spent teaching cadets paddle sport. We travelled to the docks at Port Talbot. This is a venue that Sea Cadets have been using since the 1960’s and although there is less shipping traffic, not much else has changed. We enjoyed unseasonably good weather and some passionate and engaged cadets. Activities included, rowing, sailing, powerboat and myself leading kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. A huge thank you to all the other volunteers, without whom, weekends like this would not happen.

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Canoe Restoration – Part 1

sccjono — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 19:57:54 +0000

Follow me as I attempt to restore a 25 year old canoe. My Old Town Explorer 158 needs some attention and I am going to give it a try. I enjoy all forms of paddlesport and I am a British Canoeing Coach. So when I got the chance to own an Old Town canoe that needed a bit of TLC, I decided to give it a try. So this is the first video in a series. In Part 1 I begin to strip down the boat and assess how bad things are. I then start to give it a good clean.

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Personal Fall Protection Equipment

sccjono — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 14:43:45 +0000

Part of my work involves me periodically inspecting our Personal Fall Protection Equipment (PFPE) and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This type of PPE is class 3. That means it helps minimise the risk of mortal injury due to falls. It is essential that it is inspected regularly. We have ropes, harnesses, carabiners and other protective equipment that has to go through this process. I had qualified to do this about three years ago. Whilst the IOSH qualification doesn’t technically expire, I thought Brexit may have caused a lot of changes and so I opted to repeat the course. There is very little margin for error, as a life could be at stake. This makes for a very stressful assessment.

However, I’m pleased to say that I did pass. I’m just not sure that I want to put myself through that again. A big thank you to Arco Professional Safety Services.

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Canoe Restoration Project

sccjono — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 13:07:03 +0000

A canoe restoration project, amazing! There is an opportunity to acquire a rather dilapidated canoe, for free, and the plan is to restore it to it’s former glory. My experience of DIY and the use of fibreglass etc., is non-existent but I hope to learn as I go. It’s an Old Town Discovery 158 and it must be at least 15 years old. An initial inspection of the craft tells me that much of the work required is cosmetic. However, there is a gouge in the hull at one end that may cause leaks. So I’m going to need tools, materials and a whole heap of tutorials. I can’t wait!

I’ll be filming the whole process and will release one or more videos on my YouTube channel in the hopes that they will be of use to someone.

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Charity Challenge 2021

sccjono — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 18:05:00 +0000

My employer, the University of Worcester, holds a 24 Hour Charity Challenge every two years. Due to COVID-19 it could not take place last year. So we were extra delighted to help make it a success this time around. In aid of Cure Leukaemia, teams from across all areas of the university competed in several events. Walking, canoeing, running, basketball and a water assault course to finish. Working for our outdoor campus, I was able to help with the design and build of the assault course. Testing it out and lifeguarding were a lot of fun.

My qualifications meant that I could also assist as one of the safety boat crews for the canoeing. Getting up at 2.00am, the plan was for a 16 mile journey in sparred canoes along the River Severn, starting at 5.00am and finishing around 8.00am. The views of the sunrise and the mist on the water were stunning and thankfully only my photography skills were called upon. The best part of course was raising £15,864 for a very worthy cause.

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A Relaxing River Trip

sccjono — Tue, 04 May 2021 11:33:07 +0000

Would you like to join me on a relaxing river trip? One of my roles is that of a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) powerboat instructor. This time though I was taking our boat out solo to provide escort to some canoeists. Our short journey was from Upon-Upon-Severn in Worcestershire, to Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire. I wanted to make some kind of ASMR video, but the noise of the outboard is no good for that. So instead I chose some relaxing music. Enjoy the scenery, watch the wildlife and relax.

By the way, the picture above was not taken on this trip but a previous coastal journey of mine. I am pretty sure that there are no dolphins in the River Severn. Sadly!

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Coach Award

sccjono — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 10:54:08 +0000

I have been working toward my British Canoeing Coach Award for some time. I should have completed it in early 2020, but the pandemic put a stop to that. Last week, after several delays, I finally achieved success. The Coach Award (formerly known as UKCC Level 2) allows me to move on from just facilitating taster sessions, and to begin the coached development of paddlers, in both canoe and kayak. The pandemic has caused frustration amongst many of us of course, but just being able to get back on the water will be amazing.

Hopefully I can add stand-up paddle boarding to my remit very soon, but for now, bring on the sunshine!

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The Best Job

sccjono — Sun, 27 Dec 2020 13:33:50 +0000

I have the best job in the world. I realise that is quite a claim, but as far as I am concerned it is true. I work in outdoor education which means that I essentially get paid to play. My employer is a university and so I get to work with adults and children from a range of backgrounds. For a number of reasons, they come to us to learn a range of skills and to challenge themselves.

The reason I’m telling you all this is that nearly all the videos that I have created for my YouTube channel so far, have featured photography. So I have decided that this one should feature another passion of mine. For those of you that are only here for the cameras, don’t worry, they’ll be back.

I’m currently enjoying a Christmas break and so please enjoy this short look at a typical day for me. I will hopefully see you all shortly.

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Fancy Paddle

sccjono — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 22:31:59 +0000

If, like me, you paddle a canoe on a regular basis, at some point you’ll want to purchase your own paddle. But because I spent my hard earned money, I want to keep it in good condition. For a while at least. A common problem is that the paddle can scrape along the gunwale, causing scratches to the shaft. Many people therefore choose to protect their paddle by wrapping the shaft with something like paracord.

I decided to do the same and because I have training in “fancy” ropework, I thought why not make it look pretty whilst keeping it protected. I managed to track down some bright and reflective cord and used two colours to create the spiral grip. I then used some white cord to add a Turk’s Head knot, top & bottom, to finish it off. I’m really please with how it turned out.

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Round-Up

sccjono — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 10:52:36 +0000

My apologies for the radio silence. Whilst I have not had the opportunity to post, things are moving fast in the background. I expanded my vintage camera collection by another two cameras. Videos featuring them in detail are currently in production. Other videos coming soon feature my negative scanning process and a review of some software.

YouTube encouraged me to make a “What’s it about?” video for my channel and so I have posted it below. I have also bought a new wooden canoe paddle and so I am hoping to get out on the water more. Especially as I have my assessment for my coaching award coming up. So look out for more paddlesport videos too. I am busy working on two assignments for my Masters degree as well and so there may well be more quiet times as my deadlines approach. So stick with me, more coming soon.

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