Training Sessions#1

Paul Thomassen, an experienced Dutch sea kayaker, paddled not less than 240 kilometres to reach the Belgian West Coast. He started from Noordwijk, Netherlands, with the intention to join our team for a few days. This is the footage of a standard open sea training where he participated during his stay. It is certainly not an instruction video, but we added some tips and tricks in it. We were very honoured with his written report and feed-back on the NORTHSEAKAYAK team. This is a part of it:

…”I’m tired but very satisfied. Why did I paddle solo 240km in 5 days to the Belgian West Coast from Noordwijk(Netherlands) to paddle with the NORTHSEAKAYAK team for a few days? The answer is that from the beginning of this team's establishment I was fascinated, and wanted to know more before I would have a judgment about it. Together with my own desire to learn more about coastal sea kayaking, I made a combined trip of it. The first six days on my own (the trip from Noordwijk to Nieuwpoort) and the last four days, I left the shore with Dimitri`s team. These guys helped me in any way when I arrived in Nieuwpoort. Strange language, strange nautical law, strange biscuits with the coffee, current that is 2 instead of 1 NM an hour, many sandbanks just in front of the Belgian coast line, which can give dump waves 3 km offshore. And most off all; my astonishment: How is it possible that this group reached such a high level of experience/safety without the following off let’s say the regular channels (BCU system/Dutch system)? I received my answers along with a lot of humour, serious conversations and challenging trips and exercises on sea. I came as a guest sea kayaker from Holland, I left as a member off the team. That’s how it feels! Yes, when I write this 48 hours before my next trip starts ;paddling from Noordwijk to Den Helder to join the Peddelpraat sea camp instruction week 2017 with 40 Dutch paddlers, I feel a bit lonely, and satisfied at once. The NORTHSEAKAYAK sticker which I got from Dimitri and Sylvie ,the founders of the team, means a lot to me, and I will find a good place for it on my kayak. For sure I’ll be back in the future.”…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG33D2Pbu7M