Martlet Kayak club is lucky to have a range of experienced paddlers and qualified coaches that volunteer to teach others what they know. Sometimes it is difficult to decide who to ask advice from so this page gives you an idea of who the active coaches and volunteers are:
Name: Dai Thomas
BCU Qualifications: Level 3 Kayak Coach BCU, FSRT provider, Aquatic First Aid Provider, Coach Educator UKCC level 1 and Level 2, 3 star kayak white water assessor
Years in paddle sport: 20+
Best paddling experience: A crisp sunny morning on the Dart in October is hard to beat
Scariest paddling experience: Upper Marteg, Mid Wales in a Dancer!
Likes: Beer,deserted beaches,being outdoors
Dislikes: Faffing on trips,people who don’t bring a hat, Marmite
Name:Nikki Jane
BCU Qualifications: Level 1 Coaching Certificate in Paddlesport UKCC
Years in paddle sport: since
Best paddling experience: Playing with seals whilst sea kayaking in Abel Tasman, New Zealand
Scariest paddling experience:Upper Dart
Likes:Weekends! the outdoors, spending time with friends, photography
Dislikes:Being stuck indoors
Name: Andy Pumphrey
BCU Qualifications: Level 4 Kayak Coach BCU, 3 star kayak white water assessor
Years in paddle sport: 30
Best paddling experience: Guardian Angel Gorge, French Alps
Scariest paddling experience: Bude Cornwall 15-20 ft Surf, “that was a long swim”
Likes: Curry, Kayaking, Cycling, Running
Dislikes: Long queues, being told what to do
Name:Ian Hebborn
BCU Qualifications:Level 1 Coaching Certificate in Paddlesport UKCC
Years in paddle sport:4 (+ 3 from 20 years ago)
Best paddling experience:Upper Dart, January 2008
Scariest paddling experience:Getting a lift with Ade!
Likes:The outdoors – the challenges and rewards that they offer – friends, parties, my wife and daughter…
Dislikes:Brussel sprouts… and swimming – believe it or not!!
Name:Marc Woolward
BCU Qualifications:5* Surf Kayak( leader), UK Surf Squad
Years in paddle sport:8
Best paddling experience:
Anytime I get to surf some nice waves alone or with some friends, particularly when one of our local gems are going off. Surfing helps me solve most problems, it changes the way I look at everything.
Placing 5th in Expert HP at the 2008 Santa Cruz surfkayak festival, which is the largest annual surfkayak event in the World, was pretty nice. The waves were large and perfect.
Scariest paddling experience:Had been in Kauai, Hawaii surfing every day at Hanalei Bay Point for a week or so. The wave is pretty fast and technical, but I’d been surfing it up to 8 foot faces without any problems. Overnight a 12ft (Hawaiian) swell was due to hit, which can equate to wave faces of over 25ft at certain spots.Read More…
Likes:
Surf kayaking
Kayakers. Almost without exception, the most open, helpful and encouraging sportsmen you’ll ever come across
Traveling to new breaks, meeting new people
Loves barrels
Dislikes:Crowded surf lineups, full of boardsurfers who’re there cos it’s a ‘cool’ lifestyle statement.
People who use the beach but don’t respect the ocean environment.
Name:Chris Childs
BCU Qualifications: Level 4 Kayak Coach Inland and Sea, Coach Educator Level 1 & 2 UKCC, Course Director UKCC level 1 & 2, BCU Course Provider, FSRT Provider, 3 and 4 star assessor for Kayak and Sea
Years in paddle sport: If I say that,when I started, you had to hollow out your own log with a flint axe-you’ll get a rough idea of the number of years.
Best paddling experience: Probably sea kayaking in Anglesey/Pembrokeshire/Jersey (Take your Pick) – Fantastic scenery,good company and sea state ‘Jobbly’.
Scariest paddling experience:Being pinned sideways against a tree on the river Eden (Carlisle). River in spate and rising all the time:Light fading fast:Everyone else off the river and out of earshot….
Likes: Foreign Travel; Kings of Leon; 3 Berry Crumble & Cowboy films
Dislikes: Marmite!! Travelling around the M25 to get to paddling events, Lenin’s Tomb and getting wet!
Name: Adrian Fall
BCU Qualifications: Level 1 Coaching Certificate in Paddle Sport UKCC, Trainee Level 2 UKCC Coach,4 star surf(leader)
Years in paddle sport: 7
Best paddling experience: Euthanasia falls, Upper Dart
Scariest paddling experience: Seal launching from the tree on the Dart loop
Likes: The Sun ( I don’t mean the paper)
Dislikes: The river Rother in January with the air temperature at -4
Name: Cliff Dargonne
BCU Qualifications: Level 2 Kayak Coach BCU
Years in paddle sport: 15 plus a few as a kid
Best paddling experience: Canadian Two’s on moving water, great fun if your partner stays in the boat!
Scariest paddling experience: Town Falls, Dee. My first day on white water!
Likes: Wide open spaces,climbing,Tom Waites
Dislikes: Lager!
Name: Paula Sibley
BCU Qualifications: Level 2 Kayak Coach BCU
Years in paddle sport:
Best paddling experience:
Scariest paddling experience:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Name: Rob Leatham
BCU Qualifications: Level 2 Kayak Coach BCU. 4 Star Surf (leader)
Years in paddle sport: 9 Years
Best paddling experience: Upper Dart Jan 2009 – though it could equally go under “Scariest”.
Scariest paddling experience: Tryweryn – capsized outside the cafe, then went down the next set of drops upside down, cracking my helmet open on the way down!
Likes: A good day’s paddling, followed by an evening of tall tales, good company and lots of beer.
Dislikes: Egos
Name: Tobin Landricombe
BCU Qualifications: Level 2 Kayak Coach BCU. Trainee BCU Level 3 Surf & Trainee Level 3 White Water
Years in paddle sport: Since I was 9
Best paddling experience: Beach dump outside the Club on the rare occasions when we get sun & a decent dump.
Scariest paddling experience: Coming back from a hard day on a Steep Creeking course to find that Ol had origamied my duvet.
Likes: Apres-surf
Dislikes: Pre-surf (or, indeed, any morning)
Martlet Kayak Club 