After ripping my beloved Palm Classic spraydeck on a weir (on the River Ness of all places!), I was looking for a replacement. Palm had stopped producing Classics as they were soon to launch a revised version; I couldn’t wait that long!

I shopped around and, after trying out a Yak Bolt deck (which I hated as it didn’t have a good seal) and trying for a Palm Extreme Deck (which we’re out of stock everywhere), I plumped for an Elephant Mammoth deck.

The Mammoth decks is great value for money and comes out of the same factory as PlayBoater gear. It’s made from nice thick neoprene with a ¾ kevlar reinforced rim to help protect from the wear holes that appear around the cockpit rim.

It’s also rubber-lined around the inside of the cockpit edge for extra grip; but doesn’t stick to the kayak like glue, unlike some other brands. Importantly, the grab loop is robust, well-stitched and also bright yellow for those of us with poor vision!

It’s very much like the Palm Extreme Deck, but better value for money in my humble opinion…

I’ve used the deck a good few times now and am 100% happy with it…hopefully it’ll last for a good wee while and stand the test of time!

We’re proud to announce the official opening of KayakScotland’s new oline shop!

The shop is hosted on our behalf by CafePress.com and features a range of clothing and other merchandise with kayakscotland-produced logos.

The range of products and logos available will be expanding over time, so if nothing catches your eye at present, please return soon to check out our newest releases!

You can visit the shop by clicking on the ‘shop’ link on the left-hand menu, or by clicking here.

Well, today was something new. Perhaps not the most pumping river in the world, but it was nice to paddle an unknown bit of water and get out and about with a few new faces.

River Grade: 2/3 (with one 3+/4)
Author’s Boat: WaveSport Diesel 75
Group Size: 14

The day started with a long drive to Bridge of Avon (pronounced ‘Ah-n’) and then a picturesque meet at the lovely old bridge. Levels looked good, so we got our kit together and drove up to ‘Distillery Falls’ near Glenlivet.

A few of us brave souls ran the falls; they’re probably grade 3+/4. This was probably the only real bit of excitement all day…after that we headed down the river…mostly flat, yet fast moving, but there were other little bits of fun and play potential. A few ledges here and there…some little drops and lots of wave trains. A couple of sweet surf holes too…

Still, while it might have been mainly Spey-ish in character, Dave Young still managed to require eskimo-resucing…this time it was Dave 4 out of 4 who did the ‘hand of God’ and lifted him upright…this was the same awsome kayaker who later hand rolled twice in a stopper!

So, it was great to be out on the water as ever…next time, thought, I’ll probably take up the offer of the Upper Findhorn…

[Thanks to Emma G for the pics]