TREASNA NA DTONNTA

Newsletter of the

irish sea kayaking association

Newsletter Number : 8

April 1997

Edited by : David Walsh,

Editorial

The SKA and this newsletter will only ever be as good as the membership make it. Manned lighthouses around Ireland and the neighbouring island are a thing of the past since Sunday 23rd March 1997 (when the Baily lighthouse on Howth was de-manned), essentially for lack of support, so even the SKA must be seen as vulnerable ? Pay your sub and send in news, views, tips, and articles.

12th / 13th April

A fortnight after Easter the SKA will meet, with a view to camping on Achill Beg, or maybe day trips each day, and also visit Inishbiggle before it gets / doesn't get its cable car ? Meet 11.00 AM at the island side of the bridge.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are now overdue. Those who haven't renewed should immediately pay up and let me have up to date contact details to be cross checked against the contact list. Fees are unchanged at £10.00 per member, and an extra £5.00 for each second / third member at the same address content to share one newsletter. ICU membership is again available as an optional extra for an additional £2.00 each for those who specify and pay up. The record payment in 1996 was £27.00 (4 people, one opting for ICU membership) and so far this year we haven't beaten that.

Pool Session

Cormac Daly organised a pool training session for the Dublin area, which the Ska underwrote, in Clondalkin S&L Centre on 8th February 1997. The session was not oversubscribed and cost the SKA a few pounds. I still believe that such sessions are an important part of (especially early season) safety and training. Remember that a good roll is better than a long swim, so if you can organise a session in your area, the Ska will underwrite any reasonable proposal.

Celtic Watersports Festivals

1996 & 1997

Inside are a report on the 1996 festival, which was held in Tenby, South Wales last summer, and details for the 1997 model which will be held in Ile de Batz near Roscoff in Brittany. Mary Butler as chief afficionado (year to year) assures us that this year's organiser is a mighty man and it should be the business.

Causeway Coast

The Causeway Coast Kayak Association has sent me this year's meets details and very impressive it is, packed with details for virtually every weekend from now to next October. Anyone interested in paddling in Northern Ireland this year could ask me for a copy, or ring Robin Ruddock at Portrush 01265 823871.

Technology

GPS has arrived in earnest. Available now for £250.00 or so from Sutton Dinghy Supplies, the GPS 45XL is the size of a mobile phone. I do not know (if or) how waterproof it is, but it reads out in Irish (and many other) national grid references for those who find charts indigestible. Know your location or the compass direction and distance to somewhere else. No expedition or gear freak should be without one.

Hand Signals

I have received an interesting document from a German paddler interested in establishing a standard set of simple hand signals usable for sea kayakers (much as with river paddlers), which is enclosed. I would welcome feedback please. For myself, I like the first two suggestions. I think the third signal should also (and indeed, probably mainly) mean (from a Leader) "Do not follow" (or, as Gaeilge, "stad"), The fourth and fifth might be amalgamated to mean just "Help" (or, en Francais, "Attention"), (the degree of emergency in the event to be inferred from the apparent degree of agitation). I don't like the sixth at all. This is your unique chance to influence world events, so don't be backwards about coming forwards !