Meet George Bush, the fifth member of our team and the support driver!

Hi!
I'm George Bush, the only 'lady' of Team Source2Sea and I am the Support Driver, I have the very important job of cooking, cleaning, pitching tents, washing clothes, scrubbing backs, rubbing on sun cream, and chauffeuring....ok maybe not all of those things but definitely chauffeuring and providing food! I will be following the guys along their journey, making sure they are fed and watered, and to 'support' I will be taking the road as close to the river as I can get (I will be driving a 4 x 4 so looking forward to a lot of off roading) They think their journey will be tough....pfft, I'll be doing 100 miles further ;-) Being a support driver will be rather challenging for me, I have no directional sense, if asked to go left, I go right and vice versa...but, I have a satnav, so all will be fine!

I was born in Yorkshire, but very shortly after we moved to a very small Worcestershire village, where I lived for 20 years, I spent most of my time walking, cycling, exploring etc. But wildlife is and always has been my biggest passion, I would spend hours searching for things from tiny caterpillars to Red Deer. Whilst growing up my sister and I reared all sorts of things from day old Jackdaw chicks (I still do that now) to raising lambs in the garden that had been orphaned by the local farm. I have kept almost every animal thinkable and enjoyed every minute of it. I currently have two hedgehogs hibernating in my spare room, they will be fattened up and released when the weather has warmed up. I have a dog called Dave, a Cockatiel called Chaz, a tortoise called Flash and Turtle called Hector and my favourite animals are sheep!! I love the rain (we could do with a bit more for the river levels) and being outdoors, so I can not wait for this adventure to start!

Keith the Grey seal joins the team!

What a weekend we have just had!

The last section of our challenge will be along the tidal stretches of the Severn so we decided we would head up to Gloucester and paddle the 18 miles downstream to Arlingham. The aim was to get miles in, track the route with Viewranger to get a better idea of the speed we were travelling and also to test out clothing and watertight bags.

Little did we know as we were being dropped off in Gloucester, that things would take a very unique, interesting and unexpected turn!

We kitted up and paddled away from our drop off point, and with in a few miles, I heard a strange sound coming out of the water behind me. Looking around I was amazed to see a grey seal playing with my leash! We were after all 40 miles inland!

I quickly grabbed the camera and switched it on to film, hoping to get a glimpse of it, but instead of a glimpse, the seal played up for the camera. In fact it was as interested in us and our boards as we were with it! It was a bit of a worry at first though as the Red Paddle Co SUP's are inflatable, and with a mouth full of sharp teeth it could have all gone wrong!

At times we were within a few feet from it as it played with our SUP's and rolled, jumped and at times swam alongside us. It was a truly amazing experience for us and one that we will never forget.

For the rest of the paddle, although very scenic and full of other wildlife, we were in a bit of a daze, wondering what to do with footage, what to tell friends and family. It was all a bit exciting and as soon as we added it to Facebook, it went viral! Various papers and the BBC have been in contact, all good advertising for our challenge, but will also hopefully show what amazing wonders are tucked away in the river and why we should protect it!
http://www.facebook.com/Source2Sea2013

Since then we have discovered the seal has recently been up near Worcester, and has been named "Keith" strange for a female seal, but matching the markings on its neck area confirmed we had the right seal.

We managed to cover the 18 miles in 4hours 44mins which we were also very happy about!!

May the good times on the Severn carry on in to our challenge in April!

Remember you can follow our progress whilst we are on our trip by liking our Facebook page or following us on Twitter!
http://www.facebook.com/Source2Sea2013
https://twitter.com/Source2Sea2013

Thanks for your support so far! Tristan Bawn

Meet Tony Bain, Source 2 Sea team member

A lot of people say I’m different, some say I’m nuts. Some just stare in disbelief.

I don’t think that I’m extraordinary. I’m 46 A Kiwi, today my greatest passions in Life is the outdoors. My spare time is taken up with Mountain Biking, Hill walking, kayaking, Akwakats and now Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP’s). I also enjoy Mountain Bike Chariot racing and Bog snorkelling.

I grew up in New Zealand on high Country farms. As a kid I made my own fun as I lived miles from friends. I suppose this explains my ability to create things out of nothing. I can turn my hand to most things in life. I had an big black old 29inch wheeled bike that resembled a shopping bike that I cycled around the farm, Mountain Cycling or is that Biking, as they call it today.

Saturday was Rugby as it was for half the country. I played for my province from the age of 5. When I was 18 I changed code to Rugby League, Not a good move with my Dad. But Things improved when I made the Canterbury under 19s at 18 and the under 21st at 19. Knee injuries forced me to give up at 21.

In my teen age years my dad managed a Farm Park on the Banks Peninsular just outside Christchurch. We lived by a beach and Just across the road the mountains stretched for miles. I loved to run then and spent my days running on the trails in the park & mountains. It was here that my passion for the Kayak and paddle sports took hold. I had an Old Canvas timber framed kayak and I’d be out in all weathers and sea conditions, to the fear of my parents.

I then progressed to an 8’6” Wave Ski and spent all my weekends and spare time down the beach surfing the waves at Sumner near Christchurch or further up the coast.

In 1987 I went on Operation Raleigh in Fiordland, New Zealand. Where learn to Scuba dive. Had an amazing experience doing all sorts of adventure, community and scientific tasks. Turning an island into a rare bird Sanctuary by killing all the rats on it, swimming with seals, making walking tracks in the bush. It was after that I packed my bars and headed for the northerly shores of Britain.

I married while in the UK, and we had 2 Sons who share a passion for some of the outdoor activities that I enjoy. My attraction to the water and paddle sports continued while in the UK, Kayaking courses and Sub aqua courses

Today, and now single I live in the smallest town in the UK, the home of Bog Snorkelling. I hold the title of the Fastest Local Bog Snorkeler and have done so for the last 4 years, (only 20secs off the World record). Either I’m the only local nutty enough to do this more than once or I’m quite good at it. I have also held the title of the fastest Local Bog Snorkelling Triathlon as well. I also race in the Mountain Bike Chariot event with my Green Dragon Activities team.

Green Dragon Activities offers to the world a range of unique adventure journeys and activities. Our most famous being Bathtubbing, Kayaking in a bath. We hold a World Championship event each year. This year we are raising funds for our charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support.

I also guide Mountain Bike groups on mountain bike adventures around the Cambrian Mountains, as a Stand Up Paddle Board instructor we offer SUP Journeys on Canals around the Welsh and UK Canal network.

We also offer Wacky Welsh Weekends of fun, magic and mayhem, Wild and Gorge swimming, Mountain Biking, paddle boarding, bathtubbing, Coracles and Kawheelies. You can call us to arrange an event or book on one of our listed dates that suit.

I love a challenge in life, and to those that say I’m nuts. I just like to say I like to be “Just a little bit different” and I love to have fun at work. Why not join us sometime to see what I mean.

A change of waters

As a change we decided to visit a water filled quarry for a paddle.

Distance wise, probably not idea for training, but as a change, nice and interesting! Strange how paddling from the rocky edge and looking 10 feet down in to clear water, dropping away in to a darker blue unknown was very weird!

After countless times of paddling around the quarry, and as the snow showers started getting heavier, we decided to pack our boards away and call it a day. Not a huge training session, but great fun and nice to paddle in clear waters for a change!

Tristan Bawn

Sunny feb morning on the canal and river

With a sunny morning predicted last weekend we just had to get out for a paddle, and with water levels dropping the river Avon was also on the hit list! We decided to do a circular route near Bath, starting on the canal, them jumping on to the river for a return trip.

The morning started with a misty light, slowly clearing to warm sun. A pleasure to paddle in and even at times, warm!

Getting on to the river was a relief, for so long we have been stopped from doing so by flooding. Paddling in to the current was great and our mph was instantly increased. Gentle strokes to steer our boards were really all that was needed to steadily made our way back to Bath. Lots of wildlife along the banks and we had a great view of it all! 

With improving strokes and better speed, the thought of the Severn and the mammoth 200 miles, actually seems doable! Our spirits are high, amazing what a session on the river can do! 

Tristan Bawn

A cold paddle on the Kennet and Avon canal.

We decided to hit the Kennet and Avon canal on the weekend for a bit of training, as once again the rivers are high! We parked up in Bathampton, and in heavy rain and a building wind, we headed out on to the canal.
I was the first to suffer from the cold as the rain was slowly but surely getting in to my wetsuit, and with the wind chill was making things decidedly colder. Definitely something to think about for the trip as although the weather will be warmer, if we get wet, things could cool off pretty quickly. So we are looking in to all sorts of options, including a drysuit!

Another problem we need to resolve is the footwear. Although again it will be warmer, your feet don't move much when paddling, so if they get wet or are in water at all, the temperature in your boots can drop quickly. So footwear is a tricky one. Drysuit would be a great option once again,  but april can be a funny month, we could be melting in them! So Sealskinz socks and a good pair of coasteering boots may be the final option?!

This short trip also gave us a chance to test out the GPS unit we would be using to track our journey. We need to have this working perfectly and work out the logistics, battery wise! So far so good, but we will keep testing this. You can see this trip here:

View ranger

Although we were left with many things to think about regarding what we are going to wear, the paddling side of things is coming on leaps and bounds. Confident we can cover the milage, and with improving paddle strokes, we could really enjoy the stunning backdrop of the Kennet and Avon canal.

I'm looking forward to getting on this canal in the spring and summer months!
Tristan Bawn

Talybont-On-Usk paddle and meeting.

The team met last weekend to discuss the trip in april, and of course go for a paddle. We met at Talybont-on-Usk which has the Monmouth and Brecon canal running through it, and it also happened to have a lovely pub for the meeting afterwards too!

We paddled for a few miles along the canal, taking in the views of the slowly disappearing snowy peaks, cracking ice on the way and also exploring a very long and dark tunnel! A truly lovely place to paddle and a great way to start our meeting.

Plans are going very well for the trip and things are getting exciting. The gear is coming together and we are hoping to get out hands on the Red Paddle Co 12'6" Explorer boards very soon. This is when we will be able to fully try all out kit out and get a better idea of milage per day. We are currently estimating that we will have to paddle at least 25 miles per day, sometimes more, sometimes less.

The meeting also gave us a chance to put on our Red Paddle Co tee shirts, and we finally managed to get a picture of the whole team, including our support driver Georrge Bush!

From left to right, Georrge Bush, Dean Broad, Rob Yates, Tristan Bawn and Tony Bain.

With the river Severn still in flood, the canals have been a lifesaver and to be honest a bit of a eye opener. We have paddled through some of the most stunning scenery so far!

Tristan Bawn