SUP Mag UK October 2023 issue 39 | Page 3

66

Conversations with Canal & River Trust

By Emma Love

80

Chelmer Reservoir : The perfect bluespace

By Clare ‘ Rutz ’ Rutter

88

SUP11Cities

By David Partridge

74

AquaPaddle

By Samantha Rutt & Brett Scillitoe

84

New horizons , with Steve Barraclough

By Tez Plavenieks

94

Gear Shed featuring :

Jobe , Aqua Marina , Ullman , Zhik , O ’ Shea , Paddle the South West book , Mistral , Flymount , JP Australia , Mustang Survival , FatStick , Sea to Summit , Rooster

3

Ed ’ s note

Season ’ s change …

As I write , the sun ’ s blazing , it ’ s 27C , and whilst the summer holidays have finished and kids are back at school , Mother Nature seems to have forgotten we ’ re now supposed to be in autumn ! But I ’ ll take it . With summer being so hit-and-miss this year , enjoying a quieter week of fine , sunny weather is a must-have . Of course , good weather means plenty of reasons to get afloat . And this is for the majority as well . There are plenty of paddlers who only SUP in fair weather mode . There ’ s no problem with this , but having developed those skills , there ’ s no reason not to continue through the off-season .

Autumn can remain mild until it isn ’ t - usually around the start of December . Even then , it doesn ’ t get properly cold until January . With the right gear and safety precautions , there ’ s plenty of reason to keep riding in the dark months . Having an outdoor activity to help get you through until next spring may be the very antidote to winter you ’ ve been searching for all these years . There will be periods of autumn / winter weather that won ’ t suit SUP , but plenty of days can be amazing .

I wholeheartedly recommend frosty , calm sunrise and sunset paddles in autumn and winter . The colours can be amazing , and you ’ ll likely be the only ones around . Getting your fix before work during the off-season is extremely rewarding . For those who fancy a wave or two , then good news ! This is the time of year when swell ’ s more likely to pulse in . And if you think dark nights are prohibitive , then think again . I ’ ve done my fair share of paddling in the dark . With the correct forecast and experience , you can enjoy paddle boarding without daylight . You may find enough ambient light in the right location to make it feel almost day-like . Whitewater aficionados love the winter when rivers are usually full . And speaking of rain , sometimes it ’ s just as much fun to paddle in those showers as when it ’ s dry ( honest !).

Residing in the Northern Hemisphere , we often groan about the changing seasons . Don ’ t get me wrong : I love summer . But equally , I take the good points of winter and make them work for watersports . ( You have to if you ’ re a keen bean in this neck of the woods ).

Preparation is key if you ’ ve never paddled through autumn and winter before . Ensure you have all your ‘ ducks in a row ’ with good quality paddling gear . Then , you ’ ll be poised to make the most of it . For now , though , I will lap up the sunshine and warmth as pretty soon it ’ ll be a distant memory .

As always , big thanks to the many contributors who help make SUPM what it is – we couldn ’ t do it without you . Scribes , clickers , shoulders to cry on , brands and advertisers ; every bit of support we get is most appreciated . Enjoy the mag , and the off-season , and we ’ ll see you in 2024 . Tez Plavenieks , October 2023 Thanks to our advertisers :

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Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishing parent company , 2b Graphic Design Ltd . The publishing of an advertisement in SUP Mag UK does not necessarily mean that the parent company , 2b Graphic Design Ltd , endorses the company , item or service advertised . All material in SUP Mag UK is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved . Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden .