Adventures in Paddleboarding (2)

Normally, buying something requires little explanation, but these are not normal times. I was in the unusual situation of starting something that was a little trendy. Although the restrictions on being sociable had been relaxed, lots of people were staying in the UK and getting stuff for new activities. Bottom line: there were no entry level paddleboards left in the UK.

Having fixed a date for our next paddleboarding session, I felt there was a bit of deadline, though we could alternate if required. Mostly they are made in China and the indicative delivery dates were a week or month too late. I contemplated my options. Do I pay up (£200-£300 more) for something better? Do I order one and be patient for its arrival? Or do I wait and see?

Those who know me will not be surprised that I chose the last option! One extra consideration was the size of the board. E had suggested pumping them up was a major effort, and her 4″ thick one sounded a lot easier than any 6″ thick ones! Online reviews about what was best were far from conclusive, so I decided that my preference was to get the same one E had. But if something else came in stock sooner then I might go for it.

As it happened, it worked out nicely. I’d been monitoring since before my first session (I was optimistic!) A few days before our trip, the desired board came in stock on Amazon. Delivery was Thursday or Friday, which was great for going on Saturday. So I had a new paddleboard!! 😀

Whiteadder Reservoir

E had only ever paddled at St Mary’s Loch, but, ever the explorer, I suggested trying somewhere else. After some negotiation we settled on Whiteadder Reservoir in the Lammermuir Hills. I scrounged a bike rack from friends, which I belatedly discovered didn’t fit my car. So we stuffed everything into E’s car and headed off. A quick lunch in Duns and we arrived at the Reservoir on a sunny afternoon.

We easily found a good spot to pitch the tents, then started on the boards. To my surprise, the inflating wasn’t too bad. I quickly got it up to pressure and didn’t feel too tired – maybe another sign that I’m recovering. A quick change and ready to go. Being a warm day I settled for shorts and my short sleeved rash top, though E stuck with her full wetsuit.

There was barely a breeze as we crossed towards the far side and headed up towards the dam. Although there were a few people around the north side of the loch, only a handful were on the water. After starting on my knees again, I got to my feet. Definitely felt less wobbly than on my first attempt.

We got to a big point, maybe two-thirds of the way down the reservoir, at which we turned around. I got back on my knees eventually – although I could balance on my feet, it still felt like work. We got back to our camp about an hour after launching.

After a tea break, we went for an early evening walk round to Gamelshiel Castle. Or rather it’s ruins, which are perhaps most notable for the bank of nettles, which protect it more effectively than the walls. Because of my memories, we went to the Goblin Ha’ for dinner. I haven’t been there since I was a teenager. It didn’t feel like much had changed.

Back at the campsite, the mist rolled in overnight, leaving a heavy morning dew. We decided best to make use of the bikes as we had brought them. A circuit of the reservoir proved too easy, so we headed up to the old fort at White Castle. This proved too hard! I fell off into some mud, apparently in a comedic, slow-motion fashion, and my energy faded badly just shy of the fort. Fortunately, it was much more downhill than up heading back to the tents.

Exhausted by this, we had a relaxed BBQ lunch (starting to be a pattern). We (I?) felt too tired for another paddle, so we just packed up afterwards and headed off. A further walk in Duns did me in completely. But it was still great – just need to plan another adventure!!