Summer sea kayaking ...

These last few weeks have just been beautiful for sea kayaking. How good is the UK when we have settled weather?  Anglesey and the North Wales coastline is perfect for sea kayaking and can provide such a broad range from sheltered gentle paddles as an introduction to sea kayaking.  Through to the rougher water and offshore islands, for the advanced sea kayaker. With a fantastic progression for those at the Intromediate to Intermediate level.

Here's a few photos from just the last few days, bespoke coaching .... enjoy ...

Pat and Bardsey island down on the Lleyn

North Stack tide race, the Irish ferry arriving and Pat enjoying the flow...

South Stack lighthouse ...

Simon and the SW corner of Anglesey.  Quite coves, with just the chatter of sea birds ...

Sandra below trying out a couple of different kayaks ...

One of the local inhabitants blending well into the rocks (centre of photo - grey seal).

I still have some places on courses over the summer, interested?

Xplore - Intermediate sea kayaking Anglesey (with 3 star sea training) - 10/11th August - £140
Improve - Intromediate sea kayaking course - 20-22nd Aug - £230
Discover - Introduction to sea kayaking 24/25th Aug - £140
Discover sea kayaking - Intro 27-29th Aug - £230
Improve to Xplore sea kayaking - Intro -Intermediate bridging the gap 2-5th September - £290
3 star sea kayak assessment on 5th September - £80

Phone me at 07873 132999 or email me at info@coastalspirit.com for more details or to reserve a place.

Roger

North Wales sea kayaking
+
sea kayaking anglesey

Sunshine and Puffins ...

This week saw two days of Intro -Intermediate sea kayaking and a third day of rough water handling and incident management.  And what a week of weather, with The Stacks as one big team, The Skerries and Rhoscolyn Head in two separate teams and Carmell Head as a small group.  

I let the photos mainly tell the story ... enjoy ;) 

The Skerries was a top day, with good conditions as we arrived, amazing amount of terns and their chicks and super display of mellow puffins ...

Carmell Head and looking for some rough water ... about to carry out a ladder rescue below

A gentle rocky landing for lunch  ...

Love this shot below with the green reflection from Thomas paddle ...

The return to Church Bay and looking at various rafted tows on the way ... and a giant strawberry scone, with a mug of tea over a debrief, toped the day.

Roger

roger chandler
www.coastalspirit.com

intermediate sea kayaking courses
+
anglesey sea kayaking

Day 17 Ireland Circumnavigation

Were off the sea today as the forecast of a northwesterly F5 and 6 is here! Noel O Leary from Irish Adventures found us and offered us a bed for the night last night so we took the tents down...how could we refuse?!! Thank you so much Noel. Were here again tonight...awesome!

My new friend...!


This evening Noel kindly took us out to find Fungie the local resident Dolphin. It was blowing out of Dingle Harbour F5/6 and we were borrowing paddles, kit and kayaks. The kayaks were 1 metre shorter than what we had been paddling which proved great for surfing! It was on the way back that Fungi made a brief appearance!!

Looking for Fungie


Sonja
www.coastalspirit.com

Cream teas and silky seas

Kath and Sedge were back and this time with a good friend of there,s called Ed and looking for a relaxed weekend.  Ed had done very little before so a gentle introduction was the theme. So when I suggested the west coast of Anglesey, Sandy Bay to Church Bay for a classic real strawberry cream tea and then paddle back, it fitted the day!

   

It was a great sunny day, with enough water to allow exploring of the occasional cave and rocky channel and a super lunch break!

Day two and some mixed weather, so jackets were out to begin with and the Menai Straits, as Ed was keen to experience some flow.  We were towards the end of the ebb, so after working on inside turns, we put these with flow, considering speed and angle, developing the theme as we crossed the channel with a ferry glide, (pointing across the flow so as not to loose any ground).

The wind was very lighter after the rain had passed and the light and reflection was magic ...

There was loads of herons about and a few more egrets ...  we met Barry shaw with a team and stopped for lunch at Yfellinheli. Our return journey now had a gentle breeze behind use and two hours of the flood, so we were soon back at Britania Bridge ...

Ed, doing really well after two days in a sea kayak!

Kath joining us ...

Sedge making his way back with a ferry glide, in the faster flow ... and keeping his eye on the ball ...

The team of Kath, Sedge and Ed and another super weekend of sea kayaking on Anglesey.

roger chandler
www.coastalspirit.com
sea kayak courses
+
north wales sea kayaking

Fog, flow and sunshine

Tom and Beatrice form Switzerland were back for a weeks bespoke sea kayaking, and this time with her nephew, Alain from Italy. I was aiming the course initially at introductory level as Alain had done very little before but did many other sports, such as snow boarding to a high level so i was hoping his balance and body awareness would transfer well.  The first part of the day was learning and refreshing core skills and as these were soon picked up, i moved into gentle flow.  I had chosen the Straits, so it allowed more opportunity to increase the level of difficulty, if all was going well.

Alain was picking up skills quickly so we moved into the area of the Swellies, on the last of the tide .... focussing on speed and angle, with eddy turns and ferry glides.  A great first day!

After such a successful first day and with a good forecast ... well light winds anyway, Puffin Island was our destination as the course now moved into sea kayaking intro-mediate .. Beatrice in her feathercraft, above.

Alain crossing the sound ...

A good welcome from one of the locals ...

Tom in his feathercraft and a snoozing seal ... it was another top day.

With the winds now drooping, sunshine forecast, day three was from Porth Dafach, to South Stack and back.  We went out on the last of the flood and work the area called the fort, which had some good swell and confused water.  Positive, active strokes and driving your kayak was the focus of the initial session ...  With 2 hours before slack water Pen rhyn mawr was still looking big, so we landed for a break and some lunch, to allow things to settle.

We did some exploring and close quartering ... and then with only 45 minutes to go before slack water, a run through the inner race ...

Alain was first through behind me and really pleased ... well done!

Then followed Beatrice and Tom ... we carried on in the flow, briefly looking back, leaving the tide race behind.

As we began to cross Abrahams Bosom, a bank of fog rolled in making conditions very atmospheric .... keep the wind on my cheek we carried on across the bay, briefly loosing sight of land and then paddling in close as we moved through various narrow and rocky channels ...

Day four saw us at Rhoscolyn (it was a nightmare to park up) and we worked on assisted rescues and recognising current and eddies ...

It was a super view ....

Super turn from Tom, with reasonable edge and improving body position/looking where he wants the boat to go ...

Day five saw us back at The Stacks and this time out past North Stack, to South Stack and back, for a mellow day, exploring the zawns, caves and gullies.  It was great to be able to allow them all to explore were they wanted to go and at their pace.

A short run through South stack race, had to be done and despite being at max (np) flow, due to light winds and little swell, speed was there but no rough water.  We remained on this flow and allowed it to transport us part way back and then paddled into parliament house cave for some lunch.

It had been a great week, lovely seeing all progress and super that the sunshine came out!

Roger

roger chandler
north wales sea kayaking
&
sea kayak courses