Welcome to my Sea Kayaking (b)log
After a very wet and windy night that saw me getting up at 4am to dismantle my tarp, that was trying to leave camp, we I met with James Stevenson of Adventure Elements and the other trainees in the paddlers at 9am. The other paddlers were Helen, Yorkshire Dave and Gordon. Having made our introductions James...
Having bumped into Abo in the Paddlers the night before, followed by a solid nights sleep (thanks to Abo showing me the delights of a Welsh Pale Ale which I cannot remember the name of, and err the green and yellow label was it?), I joined Abo and PL at Rhoscolyn. Both Abo and PL...
After seeing my wife and daughter off on Saturday morning to see the ballet in Sheffield, I set off for Anglesey. Leaving home, near Nottingham at this time would mean not arriving to Anglesey until 1300-1330 in the afternoon. But seeing as I am away for the week, to do my 5 star training,...
After a good night in the Paddler's Return with Gareth and Sarah, Sunday morning arrived all too soon. Sticking my head out of my tent, I met Becka and Jules who had arrived in the night and had pitched their tent close to mine. It was raining and by the time I'd been to...
On day 2 of the NWSK end of Season meet, I decided I fancied some more lumpy seas to play in so I paddled with Sue's group, which consisted of Graham Cooke, Alan Tonge, and Alan. We messed about in Penrhyn Mawr for a bit before setting off for lunch stop in Abraham's Bosom....
Meeting up at Anglesey Outdoors early on Saturday morning, we split ourselves into groups depending on the weather/swell/tides/conditions and what we wanted to do. I Paddled with Jimski, Graham Cooke, Sue Couling, Dez Watson and Alan Riggott. Jimski lead the trip. After the overnight storm, there was lots of swell and fairly lumpy...
Day 1 Skills with Roger Chandler. We paddled from Cemlyn bay and did skills on Harry Furlongs tidal race before heading towards Carmel head. I saw some Dolphins over lunch and thought I was seeing things. Roger later identified them as Risso Dolphins. This was a tough day with me making mistakes as...
Penrhyn Mawr and South Stack with Phil Clegg, Andy, Krista and Annette. Krista was from Canada and Annette from Sweden. Phil asked Andy and I if we would join him to make the numbers up. We set off from Porth Dafarch and headed to Penrhyn Mawr. I practiced my roll in the outer race,...
Once again a visit to Penrhyn Mawr, this time with Tani and Seda. Both are doing their 4 star with me next weekend. We did lots of skills - rescues self rescues rolls in the flow, on a fairly lumpy Penrhyn Mawr as swell was coming across the waves. On the way back we...
After a wet night (internally) in the Paddler's Return bar at Anglesey Outdoors, with Dave Blake and few others, we decided a surfing session at Rhosneigr was in order for Sunday. Just ten minutes into the session, Mike was hit by another Sea kayaker, resulting in a very nasty cut from his neck out...
After a quick flurry of messages on Facebook late on Friday afternoon , I arranged to meet Gareth and Sarah the next morning. Gareth also brought along Dave who I sort of knew a little of from the Paddlers Bar at Anglesey Outdoors. The more the merrier! After a quick conflab at <ahem> Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch...
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...
Day 1 As pre course homework Roger asked us to plan a suitable journey as a four star leader - I used Phil Clegg's Journey planner (see downloads) and planned from Porth Darfarch to Trearddur Bay and back, which was well within remit. In the end we paddled from Rhoscolyn out to the tidal...
This years 2015 Oban Sea Kayak Race was a bit of a classic, with very rough conditions. For the first 10km, it was into the wind and ever increasing swell. At the south end of Kerrera, conditions became very poor. Nine people abandoned here and a couple ended up on the rocks! Personally, I...
Sunday 24th May This recent bank holiday weekend saw me driving over to Anglesey (again) on Sunday to meet up with my paddle buddy. The original plan was to go out to the Skerries, but the wind from the NW had other ideas. So we settled on meeting at Borth Wen, Rhoscolyn at the...
The 2015 Anglesey Sea kayak Symposium has been running for around 30 years, hosted at the Anglesey Outdoors Centre, just outside Holyhead. I had heard about this event many times over the years and thought it sounded like a good idea to get my self along to it. So on the first May bank...
Monday morning saw my paddle buddy and myself meeting with Phil Clegg (of Sea Kayaking Anglesey) at Anglesey Outdoors and deciding where to paddle. After lots of discussion and referencing of tide tables, guidebooks, weather forecasts, surf/swell forecasts etc, a good mug of tea and using Phil's expert knowledge of these races, we decided...
I contacted my paddle buddy earlier this week asking if he fancied a paddle on Thursday. I expected him to yes and lets meet up and have a play at Newark Weir. But instead he came back with why don't we do something on the North East coast. Well that sounded like a good...
The 2014 Oban Sea Kayak Race took place on Saturday 23rd August 2014, with more than 70 paddlers taking part. Covering a distance of 20km, the race circumnavigates the beautiful and rugged Island of Kerrera, beginning and ending in Oban on Scotland's beautiful west coast. For best viewing crank up the Quality to 1080...
Having had an email from Mike Robson forwarded to me by Sabina Neall, about a forthcoming paddle from Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay and back this coming Sunday, I was all set to travel up to Whitby. The only trouble was as I looked out of my window on the Saturday evening, it...
