Because we have a dog, we have to take turns paddling. Mrs T went first on her paddleboard in the morning, and I had a cooling-off splash in the afternoon. As far as I was concerned, it was just great to be on the water.
I paddled out towards the end of the headland at Pen y Cil, before cutting across the bay toward Ynys Gwylan Fawr and Ynys Gwylan Bach, trying the odd bit of jigging for mackerel as I went. I didn’t catch anything, but looking down into the depths, I couldn’t help noticing how many sand eels were in the bay.
As I neared the two islands, I started to see rafts of puffins everywhere. Some dived or took to the air, while others just stared at me—seemingly reluctant to get out of the way.
On the way back to the beach, I decided to cool off with some rolling practice and a few self-rescue drills. The water was cold, but that didn’t stop me from going for a swim once I’d dropped my boat and gear on the beach.
It may have been a short and sweet paddle, but it was great.
