Sea Kayaking Destinations

If like me you end up spending a lot of time on aircraft ( an inevitable consequence of living on an island) there are plenty of opportunities to get some unusual pictures of some classic sea kayaking destinations.  This is just a selection of some of the views I have seen over the last 30 years.  Most of them were taken either heading towards a paddling trip or coming home from one.  Great memories.

 This is possibly my oldest aerial shot.  Scanned from a slide it was taken as we approached Spitsbergen in June 1983.  We were just about to embark on a two month sea kayaking expedition along the west coast of the Arctic archipelago.  I still remember the excitement as we approached Longyearbyen, we really were heading into the unknown.  

 This is home.  It was a steep take off as we headed towards Gatwick en route to a Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium.  Although many people consider Jersey to be crowded the overall impression is still of a green island and once on the water it is possible to escape any crowds which might exist.

 This must be one of my favourite sea kayaking destinations, the Ecrehous.  We were flying back from Cherbourg, in an aircraft that was nearly 60 years old, when we were able to do a few circuits above the reef.

This is the only photograph I didn't take.  It is from the same aircraft as the Ecrehous shot though.  I do like it particularly as I am in the party of kayakers who are playing off Noirmont point on the south coast of Jersey.

The Needles and Hurst Castle Spit as we headed home one evening from Gatwick to Jersey.  Great paddling but I am almost embarrassed to admit that I haven't paddled in these waters since 1983.  I really should do something about it.

Another south coast headland, Berry Head.  Again somewhere I haven't paddled for years, the last time my paddle was dipped in these waters was 1996.

 The Solway Firth taken whilst heading home from a Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium.  We took off from Glasgow on a beautiful Sunday morning and the whole of Britain was free of cloud.

 En route to another Symposium, this time Shetland.  It was a beautiful flight up from Aberdeen with great views of Fair Isle.  It was just a pity that the weather didn't stay like this for the following week, but the beauty of Shetland is that there is always somewhere sheltered to paddle.

Another Scottish island. Stornoway from about 40,000 feet as we headed into Heathrow from Seattle.  The whole of the west coast of Scotland looked superb, it was easy to see why it is one of the great sea kayaking areas.

 Take from Ilulissat with the ice fjord just south of the town.  Views like this can't fail to excite you.

So next time you fly try and get that window seat, have your camera at the ready and hope for clear skies.