Kayaking down the River Soar, the perfect birthday present! A blog by Jenny Kent

Did you know Go Dive can help get you on, in or under the water? Whilst we are known for our wide range of diving products, we also stock watersports items too including kayaks, stand paddleboards (SUPs), wetsuits, buoyancy aids and items for open water swimmers. We even have SUPs to hire if you are looking for something different to do on a sunny day. They make a fun activity for all the family.

In this blog, Jenny Kent shares a recent kayaking adventure on the River Soar.

My name is Jenny Kent I am a Maritime Archaeologist at MSDS Marine and have a love for all watersports. So, when my sister and I were trying to find a 70^th birthday present for our Dad in the pandemic last year an outdoor activity seemed like the best idea.

As it turned out, due to the pandemic our trip was postponed until July this year, but it was definitely worth the wait. A glorious Sunday afternoon set the scene for our trip “Paddle to the Pub” with the team at Let’s Get Lost. The only concern we had was whether to apply factor 30 or 50 sun cream!

After an entertaining start watching my sister and Dad climb down into their kayaks, we were off. The River Soar is unbelievably beautiful, we passed through many sections where we were the only people on the river, gliding through secret paths in the reed beds. It was so quiet it was magical.

As we came to more populated areas there were stunning houses whose gardens backed on to the river, some with very amusing, quirky sheds. All around were people making the most of the river in this hot weather and we passed many groups of friends swimming in the river – the trip was a great insight into river life!

We stopped at the Navigation Inn half way on our tour, drinks were ordered and we had a beautiful view over the river. The locals continued to entertain us when a Canadian canoe drifted free and group of ‘rescuers’ half-filled the canoe with water trying to help. It all ended well, if not a bit wet!

The journey continued and we passed many narrow boats, who were on their permeant moorings. These moorings ranged in style from very basic to the more elaborate with stylish decking, and manicured lawns. It seems if you live on a house boat you still have to cut the lawn!

We passed other kayaks, stand up paddleboarders, rowing boats, pedalos and even hydrobikes on the river! The hydrobikes look like a bike on floats and we think we probably need to go back and try them soon.

We finished our trip with a cool experience with a trip through a lock gate, which was also relaxing as the lock was open and closed for us as we floated just about in our kayaks.

The trip finished back at the pub where we started, with a well-earned dinner. It was a truly amazing afternoon and a magical escape into life on the river.