It was a big spring tide weekend, but with HW around midday it was not the best time-wise for getting on the water at 10:30am. I paddled with PL and Abo. Due to the prevailing weather conditions, everyone with a sea kayak on Anglesey seemed to have the same idea. The car park at Rhoscolyn was already pretty much full. In fact we were the last cars to get parked.
Abo had a new boat, so we did lots of rock hopping and skills on way to Cymyran straits. We stopped at Silver bay so I could fiddle with my outfitting and Abo a fag. At the bottom of the Cymyran straits we played in some very small surf. It was good practice for Abo, as he is not really been in moving water before.
In the Cymyran Straits we found a great lunch stop. It rained during lunch and was generally pretty dull. I brewed up using my meths stove. A perfect stop for some tea in the rain!
On the way back down the straits we played breaking in an out of the very fast flow from a nice eddy. We even managed to talk Abo into having a go.
We slowly rock hopped our way back to Rhoscolyn and on our arrival decided to go out to the Beacon to see if anything was happening. Except for a few seals there was nothing happening, but at least the sun had finally made its appearance.
Back at Rhoscolyn we did some rolling/rescue practice. I managed to do a nice reentry roll using the pawlata roll and Abo also managed a good roll. I followed up my re-entry by doing a self rescue using a paddle float.
Top Tip! The pawlata roll is a good way to ensure you have you paddles ready and in the right position when doing a re-entry roll. Gripping the end of the paddle ensures your support blade is at the right angle, ready for the roll! Plus you get the extra leverage to help cope with a boat full of water.
By the time we had finished it was 16:30 and the tide was well out. In fact I have never seen Rhoscolyn bay so empty before. There were so many rocks exposed by the super low tide you never normally get to see!
We rounded of a good days paddling in the White Eagle where thirsts were re-hydrated and plans were hatched for the next days paddling.
Then is was off to Anglesey Outdoors where we pitched tents before going to the Paddlers Return...
What an excellent days paddling!
