Monthly Archives: April 2014

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Jet Skiing

Two people riding a two-seater Jetski in the ocean.

Jet skiing is a thrilling sport that is relatively easy to learn and extremely fun at any level. It’s great for both those who want to dip in and out of the sport as a beginner and those who are looking to take something seriously and make a long-term commitment.

Jet skis come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types and it’s important that you match the machine to your own capabilities, as well as your intended use, to ensure the safety of you and your peers. Types of ski include stand-up, solo ‘bikes’, two-seaters and even those that can accommodate for around four passengers.

Even second hand, good quality watercraft can be fairly expensive, so it may be worth starting out by looking for lakes and clubs that have skis for hire, so you don’t end up wasting money on something you don’t stick with. Real Buzz have published a list of the top 10 places to jet ski in the UK and it’s worth checking out if you’re looking for somewhere to go. It covers a large portion of the country and there’s a good chance that it includes somewhere nearby.

A second-hand, black and white jet ski in a garage.

When you’re ready to buy, skis can be affordable if you shop around. This Seadoo is listed on eBay for £900.

Although not entirely necessary, it is recommended that you sit the RYA’s jet ski proficiency course before you purchase your own craft or hire one. A lot of lakes in the UK require you to have passed the course before you can launch your ski into the water. The qualification is globally-recognised and it’s a necessity to if you’re wanting to ski abroad. You don’t need any previous qualifications before you can sit the course and it can usually be done as a one-day training session. You can use the courses section of the RYA’s official site to find training near you.

If you’re buying your own jet ski, no matter the type, it is recommended that you take out jet ski insurance. Jet ski insurers Towergate have a great guide to jet ski insurance on their site, which also provides a lot of information regarding getting started, as well as racing. It’s worth taking a look if you’re trying to decide whether or not jet skiing is for you.

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Crafts

a picture showing nine different pictures of different craft materials including ribbons and felt
a picture showing nine different pictures of different craft materials including ribbons and felt

There are many different types of craft materials

What is craft?

Craft is about making things. It is an thoughtful and physical activity where the maker explores the infinite possibilities of materials and processes to produce unique objects.

Having a craft as a hobby is to enter a world of wonderful things which can be challenging, beautiful, sometimes useful, extraordinary, and helps you to understand and enjoy the care which has gone into their making.

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Which electric guitars suit different music styles?

As either a perfectionist that strives to make a sound as close to studio quality as possible, or a guitarist in a band aiming to make your image and performing style as similar to your music as possible, you’ll want the best suited guitar.

At Hobby Umbrella, we looked into which guitars suit some of the music styles out there, and give two suggestions, each adapted to either end of a price range.

Indie

Indie music requires guitar versatility that isn’t common in other styles. Most songs often combine a blend of clean sounding chord work, and more high gain distorted riffs or melodies.

You’ll want a guitar that is capable of producing a good sound on both channels, and is well suited to a variety of amplifiers. There are plenty to choose from, that cater for varying price ranges.

Low price suggestion – Fender Squier Stratocaster.

Cost – around £91 for guitar alone, bundle packs approx £110 depending on retailer.

Image Courtesy - Fender.

Image Courtesy – Fender.

High end suggestion – Gibson ES 335.

Cost – Around £2000.

Image Courtesy - Gibson

Image Courtesy – Gibson

Metal

If you’re a metal guitar player you’re probably looking for one thing and one thing only, a good distorted sound.

Luckily, there are quite a few brands that specialise in making guitars optimised for metal and hard rock music. These guitars are extremely versatile, can adapt to different tunings easily and go well with effects pedals.

Low price suggestion – Ibanez GSA60

Cost – around £160.

Image Courtesy - Ibanez.

Image Courtesy – Ibanez.

High end suggestion – Gibson Explorer.

Cost – approximately £3000 new.

DSXREBCH-Finish-Shot

Image Courtesy – Gibson.

Blues

Blues music has a huge guitar playing community, as many blues players play along to backing tracks by themselves, and lots of others play in bands.

A good blues guitar must have a variety of talents, it must be able to play grungy low scales as well as solos and riffs higher up the fretboard. Many blues players opt for guitars with ‘Humbucker’ pick ups as opposed to single coil to create a more full and warmer sound.

Humbucker pick up. Image Courtesy - Seymour Duncan.

Humbucker pick up. Image Courtesy – Seymour Duncan.

Low price suggestion – Epiphone Les Paul Standard.

Cost – Around £300.

Image Courtesy - Epiphone.

Image Courtesy – Epiphone.

High end suggestion – Fender Telecaster.

Cost – Anything from £300+. Highly dependant on model and age. 

Tele

Image Courtesy – Fender.

Some of these guitars can be found from GuitarGuitar, Gear4Music and GAK.

It’s also worth checking your local music store to see what guitars they have in stock, don’t be scared to try a few!

Want to hear our suggestions for a different kind of music?

Be sure to fill out the ‘what’s your hobby?’ form by clicking the sentence above, and we’ll see what we can do!

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Getting started in Stand-up: Finding an open mic night

A photograph of a Microphone, looking into a dark venue lit by a spotlight.

Trying stand-up comedy is a great idea for those who’re trying to challenge themselves to do something new, whilst having fun in the process. It may be unlikely that those who’ve never considered it will jump at the opportunity, but those who have at least imagined themselves on stage should try and act on their desire to make people laugh.

One of the brilliant things about stand-up is that you can take it as seriously as you want. If you’re looking for a full-time commitment, then there’s plenty in the world of comedy to keep you busy all day, every day. If you just want to jump in and out of performing every so often, then that’s a possibility too.

There’s hundreds of open mic nights throughout the UK, where you can get on stage for the first time once you’ve written material, although some of these are easier to find than others. If you live in a busy city, then the easiest way to find a night is simply to walk around one evening and keep your eyes opened. If not, then check out Open Mic Finder to find events within travelling distance, but it may be worth contacting the venue directly as well, just in case the site hasn’t been updated recently and they no longer run the night.

To give you a bit of a helping hand, here’s our favourite nights for beginners:

Beat the Frog – Frog & Bucket, Manchester
Beat the Frog is a gong show that takes place every Monday at the award winning Frog & Bucket in Manchester. A gong show is the same as an open mic, except the audience will be given the opportunity to ‘vote’ each comedian of stage if they’re not pulling their weight – think Britain’s got Talent, but on a lower budget. Beat the Frog is not as cruel as some other gong shows though and there’s a good chance you’ll make it to the end of your 5 minute set if you’re not totally bombing.

Red Raw – The Stand Comedy Club, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow
Now one of the country’s most respected names, The Stand Comedy Club has grown from a regular venue in Edinburgh to a chain of brilliant clubs across the North of England and Scotland. Their open spot night Red Raw has a long waiting list, but is worth applying for anyway. The crowd is often friendly and forgiving as many comedians make their stage debut at the night.

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Kayaking

Kayaking is a watersport. A bit like canoeing, kayaking involves a paddling through water.Kayaking

Kayaking involves using a double ended paddle while your legs are inside your kayak. Yes, this means only your upper body is above the kayak. It can sound quite scary and it takes some getting used but once you embrace it, it can provide some of the biggest thrills you can experience.

Thrills are one thing but getting fit is a reason you may want to do a sport as your hobby. If this is true then kayaking may be the hobby that is perfectly suited to you. It provides:

  • Core strength from using your abdomen to move your kayak.
  • Shoulder strength from pushing your paddles through the water.
  • Fitness, cardio and endurance from the intensity of the activity.

To find out where you can kayak check out kayaking clubs throughout the UK.

Want to learn the basics? Here’s a video to give you some understanding.

 

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