Blog – Page 14 – Steve Banks Outdoors

Sea Kayak Coastal Navigation course

Steve’s next course is a Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning course for sea kayakers on Friday 19th November based near Keswick. This is the one day classroom based, attendance only course for anyone going paddling on the sea in any craft. It is a prerequisite for those wishing to take British Canoeing’s Sea Kayak Leader qualification.

The course covers marine weather and tides and their implications for paddlers. It looks at sources of critical information and how to compute tidal heights, flow rates and sea states. Pilotage is included along with practical navigation exercises on both charts and maps.

If you venture onto the sea in or on paddlesports craft this is a very valuable course which is designed to help you make good decisions before setting forth.

Steve will also be running the Sea Kayak Leader training course on the succeeding two days (20th & 21st Nov) on the Cumbrian coast. If either of these courses are of interest to you please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help. 07796 213817 and steve@stevebanksoutdoors.co.uk

By Steve|November 8th, 2021|Website|Comments Off

Translating Thoughts into Action

Steve’s most recent research has been cited by Professor Gabriele Wulf and Professor Rebecca Lewthwaite in the latest edition of Current Directions in Psychological Science . Their paper, entitled Translating Thoughts Into Action: Optimizing Motor Performance and Learning Through Brief Motivational and Attentional Influences, explains the importance of critical motivational and attentional factors in optimising skill development and motor performance. In particular, they point out the significance of maintaining enhanced expectancies for future performance, performer autonomy and an appropriate external focus of attention. Steve’s work is cited as evidence of the beneficial effect of maintaining a distal external focus during performance.

Steve encourages anyone interested in developing their teaching, coaching, personal performance or competitive edge to engage with the most up to date scientific knowledge. Steve runs Skill Acquisition and Motor Learning courses throughout the year which aim to distil the current research into an easily understandable and useable form. His next two day course is December 20th – 21st and he’ll be pleased to hear from you if you would like to attend.

By Steve|November 5th, 2021|Skill Acquisition|Comments Off

Canadian canoe trip 2022

Come and join us on a trip of a lifetime canoe trip down the Wind River in Yukon, Canada, July, 2022! We have enough people so far to run the trip but have some spaces still available.

The trip involves travel from Whitehorse and an incredible float plane flight to our start point. We’ll then journey by tandem canoe northwards with all our gear for two weeks on the Wind River (image). We’ll be picked up on the river by float plane at the end of the trip. The Wind River is mainly grade 1 and 2 water and is suitable for competent canoeists and those with little experience paddling with a more experienced partner – we’re focused on providing an amazing and accessible journey by canoe through unspoilt and wild northern Canada.

This amazing adventure will be run by Steve Banks and Martin McCarthy who have combined canoe expedition experience of over 60 years. Steve and Martin are both British Canoeing Guides and Guide trainers. All Steve’s qualifications are available to view on this website.

The trip includes the first and last night’s accommodation in Whitehorse, all land and float plane transportation, all canoe outfitting and all food during the trip.

If you’re interested in finding out more please get in touch with Steve who will be able to tell you all about it and provide a video of an earlier trip for you to watch: steve@stevebanksoutdoors.co.uk and +44 07796 213817. You can also check the webpage here: Canadian Canoe trip.

By Steve|November 1st, 2021|Canoe|Comments Off

Cumbria Canoe Leader training

Our next courses are British Canoeing’s Canoe Leader training for both the Open Water Canoe Leader Award and the White Water Canoe Leader Award. These will take place on the 6th and 7th November and will be based in Cumbria, as close to Keswick as conditions allow. If you’re interested in either or both of these training events please get in touch with Steve so he can brief you on the content, provide any information you need to prepare, as well as to answer any questions you may have.

CURRENT DATES: Check the Canoe course page for current dates.

steve@stevebanksoutdoors.co.uk 07796 2132817

By Steve|October 26th, 2021|Canoe|Comments Off

Advanced Sea Kayak Leader assessment

Strong NW winds provided big conditions at St Bees to complete an Advanced Sea Kayak Leader assessment. Faced with difficult launching and landing, powerful surf, a distant break and some very big waves (which had our sea kayaks airborne and pointing skywards at times!), the candidate did a great job of managing two competent paddlers and providing an intense but very positive experience. They also managed all the staged rescue situations and incidents with aplomb – very well done!

If you’re keen to develop your sea kayaking or sea kayak qualifications at any level from flat calm to as challenging as you want, Steve will be pleased to help you. Get in touch for a chat about your paddling needs on 07796 213817 and steve@stevebanksoutdoors.co.uk

By Steve|October 22nd, 2021|Sea Kayak|Comments Off

Cave Leader training

Steve has just run a two day BCA Cave Leader training course in the Yorkshire Dales. Using the Great Douk area, Long Churn, Borrin’s Moor and Wilson’s Caves we covered lots of relevant limestone geography, geology and geomorphology; environmental, historical and speleological issues as well as critical equipment, group management and ropework – and much more! An enjoyable time was had by all.

If you are interested in trying caving, working towards caving awards or just moving your current caving forwards Steve will be pleased to help you. He also runs a caving trip to Northern Spain in April which is appropriate for any suitably fit and interested individual – no significant caving experience is required as it is mainly trekking in vast and spectacular spaces. Just call on 07796 213817 or email for a discussion about any of the above.

By Steve|October 21st, 2021|Cave|Comments Off

Canoe Leader Open Water training

Steve ran a Canoe Leader Open Water training course last weekend. This newly separated (from WW) award permits more focus on open water skills and knowledge – an opportunity we took full advantage of. An excellent day on Derwentwater was had building and using sailing rigs for solo boats as well as rafts, personal paddling on open water in waves and wind, group leadership on open water in more challenging conditions as well as the management of a variety of incidents requiring first aid, rescue, improvised craft and self rescue. This award is already proving popular, particularly with those working in outdoor centres, as they are more likely to be leading on open water rather than rivers.

Special thanks go to Dave Crooks at Endless River in Worcester for so rapidly providing support and equipment to enable everyone’s solo sailing. Endless River’s solo sailing rig (as in Steve’s boat in the image) is ideal for the task – Steve has no trouble sailing across the wind with this rig using his paddle as a leeboard.

If you’d like to advance your knowledge and understanding of open water canoeing, or to work towards British Canoeing’s qualifications in this environment, please get in touch with Steve – he’ll do his best to help.

By Steve|October 18th, 2021|Canoe|Comments Off

Sea Kayaking Cumbria: Barrow & St Bees

Cumbria provides some great, though perhaps less well known, venues for sea kayaking. This past weekend saw Steve taking private clients out round the North end of Walney Island following the fast flowing tide through the North channel past the nature reserve. They were surprised by its unpopulated and wild nature despite being close to a large town. Barrow provides many other excellent venues for a day out (image with Piel Castle) whilst Cumbria as a whole has plenty of good coast for sea kayaking: St Bees has the only cliff coastline between the Great Orme and the Mull of Galloway and is festooned with cliff nesting birds in spring and summer; the huge sandy expanse of Morecambe Bay and the many river estuaries on the coast provide for fast tides and several tidal bores as the incoming water is concentrated in narrow spaces; the North Solway has 6 knot currents on spring tides to carry the adventurous northwards to return on the equally brisk ebb. These and other Cumbrian paddling sites await those interested in broadening their kayaking horizons. If this appeals to you Steve will be happy to advise and provide any support you need – just call 07796 213817 or email for a chat.

By Steve|October 11th, 2021|Sea Kayak|Comments Off

Orcadian adventures

Steve is just returned from running his sea kayak trip to Orkney, though the weather did encourage some significant adaptations! We did manage a paddle from Stromness to the Ring of Brodgar, a day surfing at Scapa Bay and an excellent round of Gairsay (image) where we had some great tidal conditions, archeology and a huge group of grey seals bow riding the kayaks and leaping out of the water. We also had the opportunity to explore Skara Brae, Kirkwall and the western mainland of Orkney before very strong winds dictated a change of plan.

A check of the weather across Scotland showed the Moray Firth to be the calmest and sunniest place, so we relocated to Inverness and had three further excellent days paddling from Hopeman, on the Beauly Firth and at Fortrose from Chanonry Point to Fort George in the exciting tide races. We did also manage a really enjoyable night paddle in near perfect conditions from Bunchrew.

Steve’s next sea kayak trips will be in June 2022, one week of which will be in Jersey to make up for the week lost during the first lockdown. A second, consecutive week will be in Brittany. The dates and details will be advertised on the sea kayak trips page so please get in touch if you’re interested at steve@stevebanksoutdoors.co.uk or 07796 213817.

By Steve|October 7th, 2021|Sea Kayak|Comments Off

Canoe Leader Award

With the new BC Canoe Leader Award structure now implemented candidates are coming forward for the newly separated open water and white water elements. Steve ran an Open Water assessment last week in the Lakes which went very well. It’s become quickly apparent that the majority of individuals seeking these awards are predominantly interested in the Open Water award as it tends to fit best with situations in which they will be leading e.g. outdoor centres and clubs. The training and assessment for both elements now permit greater coverage of the required skills and knowledge to be an effective leader in these environments – this is a clear benefit of the new system.

The ability to focus on either discipline in isolation is proving popular, as the numbers enrolling on the specific training days has increased significantly. If you are keen to further your qualifications to lead in either moderate or advanced open or white water in canoe Steve will be pleased to help you: his next Canoe Leader training courses are Oct 16th & 17th for open water and white water respectively, with further courses on the 6th & 7th Nov. Get in touch for a discussion at steve@stevebanksoutdoors.co.uk

By Steve|September 22nd, 2021|Canoe|Comments Off