Sea Kayaking Shetland Series... Day 6 Ramna Stacks

More in this series of my 14 day trip "Sea Kayaking Shetland"....
Day 6: Kayaking Ramna Stacks, around 2Km North from the Point of Fetherland, the most Northerly point of Mainland Shetland.
A cracking trip in tasty conditions, kayaking around the rocks, stacks and caves, with light winds and over 1.5m NW swell on the exposed sections.
The trip had something for everyone and the conditions made the features a real joy to kayak around.
Lots to explore and a glimpse into the past with old ruins of the " Haff" fishing hamlet on the Fetherland peninsula, believed to have Viking origins. 'Haff' meaning offshore deep sea fishing, was carried out on Shetland until the mid 19th Century, where fishermen would travel to these remote hamlets for the summer months to be closer to the rich fishing grounds 30 miles offshore, they would spend 2-3 days at sea returning to the village to split and salt their catch leaving them to dry on the pebble beach. This practice was perilous in huge seas, in calm conditions where sailing wasn't possible the six strong crews would have to row the entire way.
Music: Courtesy of 'Bensound' Tracks Used: Little Planet & Newdawn
Music: www.bensound.com

[@calatoruldac]

Hello my friend 🤗 I saw that the water was agitated. How dangerous is it to be in a kayak so close to those rocks?

[@geoffburke]

Thanks, very, the sea is always in control and mustn't be taken lightly!! Action's are always taken on the nature of perceived risk based on observations at the time and experience. 👍

[@josephinebennington7247]

Eee, I was at Fetherland, except on foot, last Spring. Amazing place. Did a bit on the water down at Nesting with the local club. Going back for more asap.

[@geoffburke]

Hi Josephine, yes, it's a truly amazing place as is all of Shetland. I enjoyed every minute of 2 weeks I was there and like yourself, can't wait to return!

[@davidpoots8362]

Serious water there and great skills. One of my worst experiences was getting it wrong through an arch and puncturing the hull

[@geoffburke]

Ouch! Yes, not a good experience but we can always get it wrong at some point 😂👍 Thanks for your comments David and I'm pleased you are enjoying the video's and my adventures 😀 Reading water is so, so important and it's amazing how often I see kayakers leave the beach and paddle straight out without watching the waves, or approaching a feature or gulley and doing exactly the same. Watching well ahead and being aware is extremely important. It's all about getting that timing right 😀😃

[@weekendwithbevoblog2171]

Some edge of your seat stuff in this video. At 10.22 there's a face in the rocks or am I up too late watching KZbin videos?

[@geoffburke]

Ha, ha, yes thanks Bevo my wife noticed it straight away. A member of the group Eric lives on Shetland so it's been called "Eric The Viking" 🤣🤣😂 pleased you enjoyed this one, lots more to follow 👍😃

[@JamesFleming888]

FANTASTIC, what a great video. Nicely captured. Loved the drone footage. Thanks for this. James.

[@geoffburke]

Thanks for your comments James its much appreciated 👍 A fabulous place and I loved every minute of each day...stunning

[@janeseddon5500]

Great video Geoff. You just keep producing. Some serious close in paddling there with some amazing natural features. Your decision to not allow others to attempt Geoffs Hole was a wise one. That rock feature at the end would have claimed someone without doubt. A nasty place for a rescue or even a quick roll if that is an option. Paddling those large ocean swells on the western side also looked amazing....and fun....Peter

[@geoffburke]

Thanks for your continued comments Peter, it's always great to get feedback and opinions from the video's. Paddling Shetland's coastal formations and mix of conditions were "top notch" and still allowing me to get 'close in', which I love, you can almost feel the energy of the swell as it surges against the rocks 😃🙂 I'm currently editing Day 11 of 14 (no particular order), it's a bit more mellow on a brighter day but still shows some magnificent kayaking...caves stacks and arches around every corner. Hopefully uploaded by the weekend, so stay tuned. 👍😃

[@Dfl87165]

Awesome conditions for these fantastic features! Group very nicely led!

[@Dfl87165]

It’s all a matter of skill level. The author definitely has it and has the leadership skills to determine whether other group members would be up to certain passages.

[@geoffburke]

Thank you for your kind comments, it's a fantastic place, no particular leader just everyone looking out for each other as a close knit group.

[@keithmoriyama5421]

Much better on the dialog production. If you notice, on mic live action is actually more audible than directly recorded voice over. That's because (a) you are projecting your voice and (b) the added distance from the mic results in a thinner more clear sound. When doing a voice over do not make the rookie mistake of speaking right up against the microphone. That results in mumbling as the mic level is high and non projection because you are so close. And NEVER add bass when you are doing a voice over.

[@geoffburke]

Thanks for those top tips Keith 👍 I'll see what I can do with this next one as I'll be working on the audio today 👍 I got 1 thing right, not adding bass 😂

[@geoffburke]

Just read your comment on mic live action which is interesting because I'm actually using a mouth mount for the action camera so virtually speaking right into the mic, I also sound like a poor ventriloquist as I bite on the mount to hold it firm...🤣 there's nothing simple about producing sea kayaking video's but things are improving....I think 🤔 😃👍

[@keithmoriyama5421]

@@geoffburke Lav mics are meant to be used up close although they can over load quite easily. Voice over mics are full diaphragm and tend to over emphasize the low end when used up close. Two main problems with your dialog is you tend to mumble and lower your voice when speaking over video. And two, it is just not loud enough. If you listen to dialog, background music is often lowered during speech while live ambience is not. It can be a change you don't even notice but, it enables the voice to be heard. Also remember that we around the world find it hard to decipher foreign accents so when you play your own video back it sounds fine to you, but much harder for others to understand. I realize I may be coming across as an audio snob, but the truth is after a 30 year career as a pro I really don't care about sound anymore-- unless it is a distraction. p.s. The footage, scenery and editing is superb. That's why I watch your videos.

[@geoffburke]

@@keithmoriyama5421 Thanks again for the information and tips Keith. Before a ventured into adding voice-over I knew I'd have problems with my voice and speech. I'm determined to learn more about improving not only my speech into the mic but also getting the best out of the mic I've bought and the editing/mixing of sound, if that's the right way of putting it. I'm using Davinci Resolve video editing suite which has very comprehensive (Pro quality controls) with 'Fairlight' audio editing suit built in. The controls are mind blowing to someone like me who hasn't got the first clue and thought all I had to do was increase mic gain....wrong! Another steep learning curve, but I will get there in the end, I intend to learn what all the different terms mean within the software and how to use them to produce a more pleasant and appealing sound. You're not a sound snob, as you put it! You know your craft and industry inside out and it must be frustrating listening to elementary, ear bashing mistakes like mine. I'd still welcome (if you don't mind) any advice tips and tricks to help improve. Ive literally just posted my latest video where I've tried to improve the voice-over, camera mic sound will be very very difficult to improve, as I've mentioned the GoPro Hero 10 is attached to a bite mount in my mouth, so speech, background windnoise, waves, echoes inside caves and distant paddled dialogue is impossible to master without a full sound crew and specialist equipment. Thanks for all you help and comments are greatly appreciated 😃😃👍

[@slugmctut7577]

Nice one Geoff!

[@geoffburke]

Thanks Slug, pleased you enjoyed it 👍🙂

[@gailmciver1440]

Looks Amazing in those caves.... Looked fun out in the swell too. Great video Geoff, thanks for sharing.

[@geoffburke]

Thanks for your comments Gail, I'm sure we'll get out for a paddle together in the not too distant future 👍😃