With high pressure in the forecast and little to no wind, I knew it was time to head out for some long-overdue sea kayaking. The year has been disappointing in terms of weather, so the chance to hit the water was too good to pass up. I recently visited Whitby for the Scatterings, so this time I thought I’d explore a bit further along the coast and paddle from Scarborough to Robin Hood's Bay. According to Jimski's book, Northern England and IOM Fifty Great Sea Kayak Voyages, this stretch is a challenging 10-nautical-mile paddle each way, making it perfect for a day trip. It also happens to be the one missing link in my paddling route along the coast from South Landing, near Flamborough, up to Staithes.
I set off early on Sunday morning and reached Scarborough by 9:00 a.m., aiming to be on the water by 9:30. It was still dark when I left home, and even as I arrived in Scarborough, the sky remained overcast and dim. Thick, dark clouds hung low, hinting at a moody day ahead.
Surveying North Bay, I noticed plenty of surfers already out, taking advantage of the North Bay swell. The forecast called for waves around 4-5 feet from the northeast, with sets coming in at about 10-second intervals. A smaller secondary swell from the southeast, though shorter in period, was also noticeable. I timed my departure with the tidal flow; the northwest stream was due to continue until about 1:30 p.m., which would give me a helpful push toward Robin Hood’s Bay. Although the wind was a bit stronger than expected, blowing at a steady 2-3 on the Beaufort scale from the northwest, this meant I’d have it at my back on the return leg.
Setting off in my Tiderace Pace 17 Tour, I quickly encountered my first challenge: breaking through the surf at North Bay. Misjudging my timing, I was hit by two breaking waves—a bracing way to start the journey! Once past the breakers, I set a course leftward for Robin Hood’s Bay. In the relative calm of North Bay, things seemed fine, but as I paddled further offshore, I could feel the primary swell from the northeast rolling in with consistent sets. These larger waves required careful attention, particularly near the cliffs where breaking waves could easily push me onto the rocks. I decided to keep a cautious distance from the shore, staying well offshore as I paddled north.
While I would have liked to get closer to the cliffs and rock-hop, the combined swells and gloom made that too risky. The atmosphere was eerie, with the murky sky casting a muted, gray light over everything. After about two hours and 10 nautical miles, I reached Robin Hood’s Bay, pulled up onto the beach, and took a break for lunch.
Around noon, I started my return to Scarborough. The sky was still dull, and the cliffs loomed as dark, massive shapes along the shore. On this leg of the journey, I suddenly found myself surrounded by hundreds of seals. Everywhere I looked, seal noses poked just above the water, bobbing up and down with the swell. While I’d seen only a few seals on my way out, now it seemed to be their sleep time. Many remained undisturbed, floating vertically in the water with just a few feet between us. Some startled as I passed, splashing away in a swirl of bubbles, while others stayed oblivious to my presence.
With the wind behind me, I was making decent time, although the secondary swell made the return leg harder than expected. The tide wasn’t as noticeable, but the frequent swells parallel to the shore meant I had to be cautious about any waves breaking too close. A few times, the bigger waves gave me a helpful push, though the advantage was short-lived as I navigated away from the shore to avoid being caught off guard.
Finally, back in North Bay, I enjoyed a bit of light surf before calling it a day. The return trip took about two and a half hours—just enough time to appreciate the challenging conditions and the beauty of the coast in all its rugged, gloomy glory.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Just the long drive home now...
10 NM out in 2 Hrs and 10 NM back (surprisingly), although 2.5 hours coming back, although maybe some of that time was messing about in the surf.
Total Distance 20 nm Total Time: 4:30 hours
GPS track Purple is outbound - Scarborough to RHB, Navy is return - RHB to Scarborough Notice how I was paddling closer to the shore on the return in an attempt to minimise the effect of the ebbing tide (well that was the plan)
