Some of us was born with natural good manners, but for other folk its all a big mystery so a guide comes in handy. People says to me, Aunty Pawlata what`s all this etiquette stuff? So I`ve gathered together some bits and pieces and written it down so as you`ll all know what it`s about. A little bit of study and you can be real posh on and off the river.

My most useful piece of personal kayaking kit is my Ouch Pouch.  It is a small waterproof case that fits my buoyancy aid pocket and it contains a few essentials for dealing with the common mishaps that occur on the water.

Warming up is an essential preparation for any physical activity. If your muscles and your mind are cold it is difficult to move or react quickly. It is this difficulty that may lead to aches and pains, torn muscles and other injuries. The amount of warm up will reflect the intensity of activity being planned. A gentle warm up will suffice for any easy paddle on a local canal, whilst a white water river with a difficult rapid at the start will need more intense preparation.

Before paddling on white water is always a good time to check whether your helmet is still effective.  So go and dig it out and take a good look at it.