So this post has been due since the weekend
, So Clifden... IT'S PRETTY DAMN AWESOME! If you can at all make it to Clifden you should go. I've been paddling at least once a week for the whole summer and it was still a big step up but a needed one at that. That's not to stay it isn't beginner friendly because it is, it's probably the best place it the whole country to swim in moving water, I should know it happened to me about 15 times! But I am a far better paddler from it. Not only progressed my roll but improved my other skills, it's amazing how rusty you can get over the summer.
Which means that if UCD want to do even half decently and Freestyle this year you need to have people go to Clifden and other freestyle spots and train. Peter's even willing to teach it which is great. Clifden is a great spot to learn. The level would need to be at 4.4m or higher to practice high end competition moves but 4.2/4.3 is still worth going down for as even getting practice of "fun moves" is worth the time. I only got in side surfs and spins ( and some half loops
) but they're worth something in freestyle points and side/front surfing is the bases of most fun moves. Clifden is also a great spot for "dropping in" as it's a 30 second walk to do it again.
It also helps that the club has some freestyle boats, even though a few are a bit old school, and that I-Canoe rent a very good range of playboats for €40 a week. Heck Alex even showed that a lot is possible in just a G-Force!
Even though it's early in the morning, the process of getting out of bed(sleeping bag) and getting to the hole in 20ish minutes, putting on damp gear which you don't mind because your sleepy, getting on the water and then the rush as you plough in the hole is AMAZING!
