I have always had a play at paddle boarding whilst on holiday, but never in the UK. Back in March (pre lockdown) I hired one from Snowdonia Watersports and took it out for a few hours on Llyn Padarn. The guy at the shop asked if I was taking the dog on with me... Yikes, it never even crossed my mind but thought hey, why not give it a go! I never thought for a second I would get a collie to sit still, he blooming loved it!
So, the most random lockdown purchase for me has been a SUP and a dog lifejacket
With lockdown rules eased a little, what better way to stay local and explore a different angle of Shropshire than on the water. Once you start to research into it there are so many places to go in Shropshire, just make sure you have any relevant Licence (if needed). To get on the canal for instance, you need to get a licence from the Canal & River Trust, I opted for a 30 day explorer which cost of around £38 which can be used over 12 months.
I took it for its maiden voyage on to the Shropshire Union Canal starting at Market Drayton and headed off North towards Nantwich. It was so easy to get to with parking literally seconds away, so we were able to get set up and out on the water pretty quickly.
It was a truly stunning paddle, with blossom floating in the water, we welcomed by all the barges who loved seeing the dog out with me.
A 5 mile paddle was the perfect way to test out the dog on the board again!
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