radio ’ s for which you need a licence , sat phones , and the Garmin In-Reach system , which includes mapping , GPS , messaging and an SOS system . They all have pros and cons , but I can confirm I have tested them through the harshest of conditions and environments . For typical rivers , coastal corridor and open water , you should generally have some mobile phone coverage .
RIVER APP
The River App is excellent for monitoring river levels . You can set the review period between hours , weeks and a more extended period to establish averages and whether a river is in spate to help plan your trip .
MAGIC SEAWEED
Although designed for surfers , this can provide excellent information on swell , wave height , and general sea state for sea kayak trips around the UK .
ABSOLUTE TIDES
A great app showing tidal information , speeds and heights , as well as some tidal flows and forecast information .
ORDNANCE SURVEY ( OS ) LOCATE
OS Locate is brilliant for accurate grid reference and direction from your smartphone .
DYNAMIC RISK ASSESSMENT
As part of your trip planning process , people generally consider the hazards and environment they are facing . This may include weirs , rock gardens and trees on rivers , tides , tide races , overfalls , and prevailing wind on the sea and open water . Getting into the habit of completing a dynamic risk assessment is a potential lifesaver . Although we all do it every day of our lives , assessing the likelihood ( probability ) multiplied by the severity ( impact ) to determine if something is too risky , we need to try and adopt a process for trips and expeditions to provide rigour and protection ( it is also a great life skill ).
As part of this , we consider three core elements , the people , the environment and the task or activity . We have broken that down further as below :
Environment Weather conditions , river levels .
Task or activity Nature of paddling challenge , location and journey considerations .
People Experience levels , injuries or lack of mobility , young paddlers , group level .
OS MAPS
I am reluctant to encourage people away from paper maps . We believe they remain the most useful format and tool for trip planning and navigation , but having OS Maps with their subscription service is useful . Imagine access to the UK ’ s OS maps for £ 23.99 . Bargain .
WHAT THREE WORDS
Our first foray into this app was calling out the fire service for a power cable arcing onto trees in a forest whilst mountain biking . We provided a six figure grid reference , and they asked for What Three Words !
POSTCODE FINDER
A useful app mainly for getting to your paddling destination , put-in ’ s and get-outs and ensuring a smooth shuttle for rivers or A to B journeys .
OTHER TECHNOLOGY
For my more significant expeditions , sea kayak journeys and crossings , I also use a range of other equipment and technology to provide emergency contact in a rescue incident . These include an EPIRB ( Emergency Positioning International Rescue Beacon ), which pings a signal to Falmouth Coastguard , VHF
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