Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown Volume 2 DVD preview.

I wasn't going to review Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown Vol 2 DVD for several reasons. Many of you will know I am friends with both Gordon and with Simon Willis, who has produced, directed and edited the DVD.  Also, I appear in the expedition section as I was lucky enough to be on the voyage to St Kilda aboard the MV Cuma that features in the DVD (as a full fare paying passenger). However, now that I have have made a declaration of interest, I feel better and you can keep it in mind to judge whether I am being objective or not.

Almost exactly two years ago, I published one of the first reviews of Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown Vol 1 DVD. In it I said that it had achieved a new standard for sports technique videos. I was not surprised when it went on to win several awards.

I have watched the preview of Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown 2 many times and it has raised the bar yet again. This is no dull technique DVD, filmed on flat water, there is a great deal of white water in this DVD! The technique section is divided into 8 parts covering up to date ideas on handling rescue situations and towing. The filming has been done in the environment and weather conditions that developing sea kayakers aspire to. It shows Gordon illustrating rescue and self rescue techniques while actually coaching students. Some of them, like Janice, are extremely long suffering! However, don't get the impression that Gordon is not prepared to get wet. Far from it, my heart was in my mouth watching him swim his kayak ashore then launch again in heavy surf, which was breaking into a rocky gully on the remote island of Cearstaigh off the coast of Harris. The final section on "anticipation and reaction" is designed to help you avoid the need to be rescued and builds nicely on the handling of a kayak in fast moving tidal waters that was introduced in DVD 1.

As with Volume 1, the filming and particularly the quality of the "on the water" sound recording is outstanding.  Volume 2 also features a journey, this time to the remote St Kilda archipelago, which lies 40 miles west of Scotland's Outer Hebrides. For me this is what makes this series of instructional DVDs unique. It is learning techniques in the context of and environment in which they will be applied. Ultimately sea kayaking is about the journey and learning the techniques, so clearly demonstrated in this DVD, will make your journey safer. During filming of the journey section, one of the team capsized and made a wet exit on the exposed SW coast of St Kilda. The rescue took seconds and a second rescuer was standing by to tow both rescuee and rescuer off the rocks if required. The paddler had not been dressed for immersion and quickly began to feel cold but a variety of spare over-cags, hats and gloves were produced to prevent hypothermia and the planned route was changed, given the weather conditions and the rescued paddler's condition. It was a wonderful, unrehearsed demonstration of the effectiveness of the techniques demonstrated earlier and more importantly the overall leadership and planning required to paddle safely in a demanding environment.

St Kilda features throughout the DVD and there are interviews with both Hamish Gow, the first paddler to reach it and Donald Thomson, the paddler who led the party which made the first return crossing.  The DVD is enriched by cine film of St Kilda shot by Gow in the 1960's. His description of his navigational method is a treat, though it might not feature in the BCU 5* syllabus!

I think that kayakers of all levels will learn from this DVD. Each time I have paddled with Gordon Brown I have come away with the confidence to take on more challenging conditions when paddling on my own trips. Sadly not every sea kayaker can have personal coaching from Gordon but this DVD is the next best thing. Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown Volume 2 is the result of a unique synergy between a coach at the top of his game and a talented film maker, who is himself a sea kayaker. I expect to see this DVD win several more awards for Gordon and Simon.

The DVD is due to have its first public showing at Paddle 2011 the Scottish Canoe and Kayak Show on 22nd/23rd October 2011. It will be available for purchase at the show and thereafter at www.seakayakwithgordonbrown.com

The cover of the preview DVD included this contents information:


ASSISTED RESCUES
The deep water rescue in detail. Also the scoop rescue for an injured kayaker.

SELF RESCUE FOUNDATIONS
Gordon’s coaching programme will help you teach yourself this vital skill.

SELF RESCUES
Starts with paddle float straddle and leg hook and leads on full re-enter and roll.

TECHNICAL LANDINGS
Heart stopping footage of landing and launching safely on  wave swept shores.

CONTACT TOWS - Watch Online
Making and modifying contact tows, plus their correct use in calm and rough water.

DISTANCE TOWS
Modifying and using tow lines. Using for rafted and ‘dog-lead’ tows on injured kayakers.

RESCUE SCENARIOS
Kayakers tackle challenging real-life rescue scenarios.

ANTICIPATION & REACTION
Rough water paddling skills to help you avoid the need to be rescued or towed.

Farewell to St Kilda

Once the kayaks were secured on the Cuma's deck at 1730, Murdani wasted no time in setting off on the return journey to Loch Reasort, which divides Lewis and Harris. First Boreray and Stac an Armin then...

 ...the entire St Kilda archipelago slipped away over the western horizon. We were sorry our adventure had come to an end and spent the long return voyage chatting and reliving our experiences.

 At 2240 we passed to the north of Scarp and to the south of Mealasta island on our way to the entrance to Loch Reasort.

The midsummer sun was well set by the time we dropped anchor in Loch Reasort. Then Murdani, Gary and Louise prepared our evening meal. A long day for them meant we had enjoyed a very full day! We slept well that night.

Sea kayaking the north end of Boreray and the Stacs.

 We emerged from the cave on the west coast of Boreray. A freshening SW wind blew us north towards Stac an Armin. Our planned route was to go between it and the two small stacs in the foreground then loop back to the north of Boreray and down its east side.

Boreray rose sheer out of the sea and rose to dizzying heights in the great horns of rock which form the summit ridge.

In Geodha na Tarnanach  Gordon found a buoy circulating in the current. It was a St Kilda mail boat of the type used by the St Kildans in the winter when there were few visiting steamers. Some got washed up on the Hebrides, one even got washed up on Norway and the finder forwarded it to the addressee:  the landlord, MacLeod of Dunvegan on Skye. In those days an inflated sheep's stomach replaced the fishing buoy.

We later opened it and discovered it had been released by a member of one of the National Trust for Scotland work parties 6 weeks before. Simon phoned and asked what to do with it. The owner asked that it be released at sea again.

From near Stac an Armin we looked SW to this amazing view of the archipelago. Boreray is on the left. In the middle distance are a small unnamed stac and Stac an Armin. In the distance Dun, Hirta and Soay stretch across the horizon.

We paddled between the two small stacs and Stac an Armin while the Cuma made her way through the gap between these small stacs and Boreray. The Cuma then made her way down the east coast of Boreray

After we rounded the two small stacs we crossed back to Boreray just as the Orca 11 tour boat from Harris made her way through the narrow channel. We could just imagine skipper Angus telling telling his awe struck passengers about these dangerous, wild and uncharted waters when, all of a sudden, a bunch of sea kayakers bobbed up and down from behind a stack.

Words can't describe the north end of Boreray.

 The swell round the east coast was huge and...

...the gusting wind was increasing all the time.

It was rather difficult taking photos in these conditions but Ian has another great selection of photos which capture the bits I have missed out!

Murdani knows these waters so well that he had picked the perfect spot for our rendezvous with the MV Cuma. It was sheltered from the wind, the swell and the tide and soon we were safely aboard. We had completed the most amazing crossing from Hirta to Boreray and the stacs.

The skies had clouded over and the wind was continuing to increase. It was now time to scarper to the shelter of Scarp!

Sea kayaking Stac Lee and the great cave of Boreray

As we paddled under the amazing cliffs of Stac Lee, Simon took station on the bows of the Cuma to film the proceedings.

Stac Lee is the second biggest stac in the British Isles and it blotted out much of the sky as we approached its base. As we slowly paddled beneath it we caught sight of the two great caves of Boreray ahead of us...

 ...and a little further round the largest stac, the great rock fin of Stac an Armin rose from the sea like a menacing giant shark!

It was not just our sight that was being overloaded by the sensational environment at the base of Stac Lee. We were deafened by the constant croaking of thousands of gannets, the smell of their guano overwhelmed our noses and even took our breath away.

A combination of looking up at the thousands of gannets wheeling in the air above, a heaving swell and the smell of the guano meant that we needed to be careful to hang on to our luncheons. Some gannets were not so lucky. Marauding bonxies chased them till they vomited their catch. The bonxies then fought over the partially digested fish.

We now paddled towards the northernmost of the pair of great caves on Boreray.

Gordon went in first. He wanted to see if it would be possible to paddle through a narrow slot at the back of the cave and emerge from another entrance several hundred metres further north. It was and he did but no one else felt up for this aqueous roller coaster in the dark!

There was room for all of us in the cave. There was a boulder beach at the back but it was much too rough to land. What a viewpoint the inside of the cave made. Stac Lee was perfectly framed by the arching roof of the cave.

The Cuma nosed in so that Simon could film us emerging from the darkness of the cave for the DVD he is making. When we emerged we discovered that the wind had got up and was now whistling round the cliffs. It looked like the rest of our Boreray paddle would be even more exciting!

Sea kayaking through the "Gates of Hell", St Kilda!

 After lunch on MV Cuma, we entered Soay Sound at slack water and passed to the east of Stac Dona.

Ian and I could not help but stop to take photos. The horizon looked very flat but the scale of the stacs dwarfed the...

 ...size of the swell at their bases and...

 ...we were paddling right through Soay Stac from east to west... Yikes! It would be fair to describe the conditions in the arch as somewhat lively!

It was with some relief that we all got through safely and were able to look back at these great stacs, which are known in Scottish sea kayaking circles as the Gates of Hell!

We were now on the west side of Soay Stac and were about to leave the coastal waters of...

...Hirta and Soay  to paddle across the open Atlantic, some 168km west of the Scottish mainland. We were now truly kayaking at the edge of the World!  St Johns in Newfoundland was a mere 3128km away to the WSW.

Let's do lunch, in Soay Sound, St Kilda!

 The Cuma was lying waiting for us in the shelter of Soay and...

 ...we boarded her for a first class lunch break.

 It is difficult to imagine a more impressive spot for lunch.

This view shows Stac Dona in the foreground with the tall slender Stac Biorach and Soay Stac behind. Boreray can just be seen in the distance between Soay Stac and the headland of An Campar on Hirta to the right. After lunch our route would take us to Boreray, right through the heart of Soay Stac!

 Soon it was time to get back in the kayaks and...

...bid farewell to Cuma, just as a pod of six dolphins cruised by.

Escape from the bustle of Hirta; by sea kayak through Dun!

On the morning of 14th June, Village Bay, Hirta was a noisy, busy place. First the peace was disturbed by the rumbling diesel of L105 HMAV Arromanches arriving with a load of oil for the power station. Then the interminable Health and Safety reversing beeper of St Kilda's heavy tractor echoed round the hills.

The "beep beep beep" was then joined by a "whup whup whup" as PGD helicopters' G-PDGN (a Eurocopter AS365N Dauphin 2) brought in Qinetiq workers  and supplies for the base and prepared to take relieved workers and the mail out.

In comparison our departure was in near silence. The weather was fair but the forecast was for a front to come in from the SW by late afternoon with force 4 to 5 winds and increasing swell.

So we wasted no time and quickly passed the Dun Gap...

...on our way to Seilg Geodha. This cave system goes right through Dun and two days before we had entered from the other side  but were unable to get through the slot due to swell from the NE.

This time we got through the slot into the main cavern where we had been before but frustratingly heavy swell, this time from the SW, meant we could not get right through again!

We emerged back into the calm of Village Bay...

...then made our way in increasing swell towards...

...the Great Arch of Dun. This is looking through towards the SW. The photo makes it look as flat as a pancake but this is a huge arch and the scale swamps the size of the swell. This was bouncing back off the right hand wall and breaking over a shallow reef that lies right in the middle of the channel.

With some careful timing...

...the passage through the arch was successfully negotiated....

...and we made our way along the SW coast of Dun.

The swell increased...

...as we approached the Dun Gap. Gordon made the most of the swell wrapping round Cul Cleite. We had now completed our exploration of Dun and were about to experience the exposed SW coast of Hirta!