Welcome to my Sea Kayaking (b)log
Waking up at about 4am in the morning, I stuck my head out of the tent – it was already light. The view of the Sound, "Caol Rona", didn't look great from a paddling perspective. Looking at the wind and swell coming through the Sound, I could see that going around Rona would be...
Friday Lunchtime: I had some time to kill before setting off for home from Dunbartonshire. With it being a public holiday weekend for King Charles Coronation, I didn't see much point setting off at lunchtime, only to hit the holiday traffic below Preston, Manchester and Stoke on the M6. Setting off much later, say...
The video says it all really, although the wide angle GoPro footage does flattens the sea. It was a pretty rough day, blowing F6+ when we got on at Trearddur Bay. The wind and swell did weaken throughout the day though, with even the sun making a welcome appearance a few times. Not long...
Simon and I had arranged to set off from Anglesey Outdoors at 8:00am, for some breakfast, before heading up to Cemaes Bay. Cutting a long story short, someone (ahem me!) forgot to pick up their kit from the drying room at Anglesey Outdoors. I guess a combination of still being a bit sore about...
The final truck stop meet of the weekend, but this time SI and I were meeting Andras. A chap I'd met before at Rhosneigr and who Si knew from paddling with in the past. The wind and swell had picked up overnight. With both Si and myself needing to get home at a reasonable...
Saturday. Si and I met the others at the truck stop at 9:00am in Holyhead. We were joined by Ashley, Matt, and Gareth. Due to the tide, predicted swell and anticipated weather - a strengthening SW breeze, we decided to paddle from Porth Dafarch to Rhoscolyn and back. We didn't get to see much...
Keefy Green messaged me earlier in the week, asking me if I fancied going along on simon B's trip to Flamborough. I have to admit I wasn't at all sure. Simon B tends to paddle from South Landing to North Landing and back again. It always seems a long way to go for such...
I've just come across a little booklet written by the UK Sepsis Trust. I wish I had been told about this following my little sepsis episode a year ago. Or at least been given some of the info by the hospital when they discharged me. But then again, if I was told, I would...
Looking out to sea from my van parked at Porth Dafarch in the morning the sea state didn't look too bad, but every now and again I would notice some fairly hefty waves coming into the bay. I'd then look out a few minutes later and all would appear calm again. Hmmm.. interesting. I had...
During a rash moment over Christmas I booked onto an Advanced Sea Kayak assessment. I thought, "March, It'll be warming up by then". Wrong! It was only the week of the "Beast from the East". Even so, I travelled up to Anglesey after work on the Tuesday night, arriving at Anglesey Outdoors close to...
Having arranged to paddle Harry Furlongs on Saturday, I headed to Cemlyn bay in my van, late on Friday night, arriving at around 11:30pm. Next morning the weather was lovely and sunny and the sea state smooth. No sooner had I taken my boat of the van and carried it to the beach, I...
As there were a few of us we split in to two groups initially. Then following a little exploratory trip out from the shelter of Borthwen, we became three groups. I paddled with Andy, Kris, Trevor. The wind was blowing a good F5/F6 and there was some big swell coming in.We paddled out to...
Having set various alarms the night before, I found I didn't need them. I had been awake since about 5 o'clock. My head was throbbing and I really wasn't feeling good. I manage a small bowl of muesli for breakfast and headed up to the marquee for day 2 of Incident Management Training. To...
After another wet and windy night, I woke to the sound of the rain pitter-pattering on the roof of my van. Eating breakfast and drinking coffee in the warmth of my centrally heated van, I looked out of the windows at people scurrying about in the rain. Hellen Willetts was on the telly giving...
The start of the day saw us meeting around Simon Beasley's caravan at Anglesey Outdoors looking at options for a paddle. The group of ten was going to be of mixed abilities and with a strong southerly wind blowing, our options were going to be limited. In the end it was decided to paddle...
"My last paddle of the season" (possibly). Well that's what I told my wife! Still it won't be long before I can use the excuse of it being the "first paddle of the season"! hehehe... Well I blame this trip all on Mick Hargreaves. Having already told Andy Sloan there is no way I...
Both my paddling chum and I were both very keen to do this paddle. The wildlife, cliffs, and caves make this an excellent trip. The forecast was for sun, sun , sun, with winds f3-f4 SE, strengthening later with 1-2ft of swell. Setting off from South Landing we were soon rounding Flamborough head in...
This was definitely a weekend of two halves! The Saturday was a glorious day, but the Sunday was a complete change with gales of force 7-8! Someone suggested to me earlier in the year that I join Liverpool Canoe Club, as unlike my local club in Nottingham HPPCC, they are very active on the...
