Sea kayak with Gordon Brown 2

Working with individuals and groups, techniques are demonstrated in calm water and rough, with on-screen graphics and slow motion emphasising key learning points. From the basics of Assisted Rescues, Self Rescues, Contact Tows and Distance Tows, the coaching develops to explore more complex rescue scenarios. Using a group of experienced paddlers in challenging situations we see how difficult rescues under pressure can be. The group also attempts technical landings on rocky shores, and we learn from their common mistakes, before Gordon demonstrates a swim landing and launch in outrageous conditions.

The emphasis is on providing training drills and techniques for the viewer to practice on the water and thereby improve their own techniques. Multiple HD cameras and high power waterproof radio microphones capture every moment and put the viewer at the heart of the action.

Our journey takes a group of twelve kayakers to a sea kayaker’s dream destination, known as ’the islands at the edge of the world’ (Please have a look to the guide "The Outer Hebrides").

Lying forty miles into the north Atlantic, the double World Heritage site of St Kilda was inhabited for thousands of years until its community abandoned it in 1930, leaving a fascinating history to explore. With Britain’s highest cliffs, tallest sea stacks, and the world’s largest colony of Northern Gannets, the scale of St Kilda’s dramatic scenery is overwhelming. We kayak through the heart of an island, travel under massive rock walls in huge swell, and tackle a crossing accompanied by a blizzard of sea birds. Using previously unreleased historical archive footage, we also reveal the story of the first sea kayak crossing to these islands.

An exceptional sea kayak film in its own right, the St Kilda journey provides a narrative counterpoint to the intensity of the coaching sessions.