Blue skies, Waves and the Skerries - InterMediate Plus Sea Kayaking

InterMediate Plus is for those paddlers that have 3 star skills, are moving towards paddling in a Moderate environment and are keen to develop 4 star skills.  Its a perfect course for those who are 4 star leader trained.

Abi, Jon, Dave and Katie made up the team for the weekend and after coffee, chats and a look at the forecast.  Point Lynas  (PL) was the decision.  The race at PL, tends to be much more playful on the ebb, although it works mainly after the first 30 minutes for two hours then it starts to ease.  Above with a F3/4 NW wind and swell, reflecting back of the headland and below, with the gentle beginnings of the race.  Katie is in the main frame ...

Abi below and the race beginning to pick up and now we have the start of wind and swell against tide ...

This is Katie about 1.5 hours into the ebb, as the race got more explosive ...

Dave  ...

And Jon ...

Some top balance form Abi and super reactions ...

We decided to head around on to the East coast and make our way up to Ynis Dulas, using the back eddies and see the seals ... before jumping on the remains of the ebb tide ...

The following day, Katie had already expressed her wish to get out to the Skerries and with a lighter wind and swell forecast we headed out from Church Bay on the Flood tide, for about 1 hour due West. Once we clearly had South and North Stack in line, we paddled more NW and dropped on to the Skerries.  It was good to see some of the terns were still about ...

Self and assisted rescues and messing about in the last of the flood tide, with a super back drop of the island and light house ...

 

 

We landed in a small bay away from the terns, soaking up the sun and the beauty of our location, before another play in the now Ebbing tide and big ferry glide back to the main land.

Once back and loaded up, we sat down for tea and for some the mighty cream and strawberry scones ... it would just have been so rude to have posted a photo ... yummy!

Great weekend folks, with some super conditions.  So whats next ....

InterMediate sea kayaking course, is aimed at developing 3 star performance skills: 14-17th Sep (4 days and during the week and 3 places left);  19/20th September (weekend and 3 places left) and 3/4th October; 6/7th February and 12/13th March 2016.

The next InterMediate Plus, aimed at developing 4 star leader skills is: 10/11th October (and is part of a 4 star leader training) and 7/8th November (4 places left); 23/24th Jan  (4 places left); 27/28th Feb (4 places left) and 26/27th March 2016 (5 places left).

Thanks,
Roger


www.coastalspirit.com
roger@coastalspirit.com

BCU level 5 coach sea

explore. dream. discover

Winter Sunshine and Some Advanced Sea Kayaking

This was the 2nd Winter sea kayaking advanced course and Tavi, Andy and Jon were on the weekend.  We had a mixed forecast and it was promising to be colder, than what we had been experiencing, so far this Winter.  Each person came with trip and tidal plans and over a coffee, options and venues were discussed.  Rough water handling, moving up through flow, rolling, self and assisted rescues was the main focus.  The North coast and a fair spring tide looked like it could deliver ...  Harry Furlongs was the venue and I'll let the photos tell more of the tale ...

Above Tavi, paddling through the race as we all warm up to the conditions.  West mouse, beacon and The Skerries can be seen to the left.

Jon on the left in green and Andy on the right in yellow, now setting about with 360 turns in rough water and ferry gliding back into the eddy ...

Peak-a-boo ... lunch and sheltering from an gently increasing wind across tide ...

It had a been a super day with a lovely playful tide race and with each person working hard and achieving a lot of what they had set them selves ....

Forecast below, and me wondering what Sunday would really end up looking like!!

After the 3 sorting out a shuttle  (thanks Jon and Tavi), we set off from close to Anglesey sea salt, on the West end of the Menai Straits for what I hoped was going to be a down wind run with wind against tide ... but we had a fair bit of calm, and the sun shone, but the wind was cold ... (light f4)

And we had some of the above.  It wasn't what I had expected, but it ended up being a nice and gentle end to another good weekend.  Even more so after hot chocolates in Dylan's!!

Roger
www.coastalspirit.com

Bespoke sea kayaking - a spectrum ...

Its been a busy week or two so just catching up with the last weeks paddling and what a lovely varied week it was.  Monday saw Zoe out on the water and with a f3/4 forecast Bardsey Island made so much sense ... so after picking Zoe up from Bangor station we headed down the Lleyn to the lands end of North Wales ...

The tide was on the flood and Pen y Cil race was working well .. Carreg Ddu, further through the sound look big ... we decided to stay play and soak in the morning ... 

 It was close set but we got a few good runs ... before crossing Bardsey sound, and paddling down the west side.  It was a cool morning with misty patches pushing through and the occasional local checking us out ...

The southern tip of Bardsey Island was still flowing at about 4 knots at what was supposed to be slack water, and there was no swell to assist climbing up the race ... it was just going like a train!!

We had some lunch, chatted and then headed back out, with heads down and paddles swinging!

We landed and then walked the short distance up to the Porters house, it was good to see Steve and his wife and briefly chat .. the wind was due to increase and it was clear that there was a lot going on "out there" today .. so I was keen to move on ..

It was a top day and great to see how far Zoe has progressed, within a couple of years ... an ice cream at Aberdaron and then a train to catch!!

Tuesday saw me out with Sarah and Peter.  Peter had bought a sea kayaking bespoke gift voucher for his wife's birthday and was joining her. We had a super forecast with light winds - Trearddur Bay it was and paddling North .. hugging the coastline and being really mellow, sea kayak rock pooling as we travelled.  The seas visibility was really magic ...

And a cave or two along the way ... with some spectacular rock structure.

It was Peters time in a sea kayak and to be honest if he didn't like today, he would never ...

Smiley faces and happy days ....

Roger

bespoke sea kayaking
+
sea kayaking north wales

4 star personal skills ... rough water handling

The day was focused on increasing Rebecca's personal skills, rough water handling, leadership positioning, rescues and confidence.  After a good chat, planning and coffee we headed off to Cemylm to look for some rough water.  It was a f3 NW forecast and we were approaching springs, so i was keen for some wind against time as we were on the ebb, to provide the appropriate conditions

It was a cold day to begin with, so be both wrapped up.  loads of eddy turns, looking around, dropping gears so as to accelerate through an area and me emphasising my position and why.

The venue was great and as one channel got slower, another outer channel became spot on and usable. Working with ferry glides, adjusting position and using transits.  As we crossed the channel for a 4th time we then did a rocky landing on the far side, which had more swell kicking in.

After lunch, rolling, assisted rescues like the ladder rescue and use of the towline. Contact tows and use of a short line.  We discussed use of the group, and the essential element and ideal of the leader keeping an overview, not being drawn in.  We then headed up the flow, were Rebecca, clipped a line on me to keep me into flow as we moved back into the bay.   Some fun and balance and the eventful self rescue, finished the practical work, before heading of for a table, drink, refection and the creation of a workable action plan.  A great day ... with some welcomed Autumn sunshine ....

roger chandler
www.coastalspirit.com

4 star leader personal skills
+
sea kayak north wales

Designed for you ... bespoke sea kayaking

It was great to see Sue and Neil back and this time for some Bespoke sea kayaking, 4 days based around what they wanted, to fast track them on their journey.

After coffees, planning and chats the main aim was for them to have more ownership, so they could gain more skills and confidence to do their own trips.  Each morning a detailed planning for the day with looking at a couple of different wind/swell forecasts  was the essential element, with consideration to crux points and options along the way.  

Bull Bay to the Brick works with a F4/5 SW forecast, was the perfect choice with a good tide running, looking at eddy streams, indicated by texture and colour and in many cases just looks different to what were on at the time.

Neil enjoying the view, above.

 
Day 2 and a more settled F2/3 saw us heading of to the South Lleyn and the Tudwal Islands, which has become one of my favourite paddles.  Neil above in the ebb stream running off the side of the island as we paddle up and surf the small waves, to the top of the island.

One of the locals, just happy enjoying the sunshine and a lazy day ...

Sue and some super sunny light ...

The main sound had a good swell running which at times was 2 mts and just magic ... the swell was opposing the current and we were at the end of the first 90, so it was likely to get bigger!!

We paddled into Porth Ceiriad, had a good lunch break and then paddled back out to work on some surfing skills.  I was also keen to allow more of the ebb to push on out, so reducing the swell in the main sound, as we were going to paddle back ...

Looking back and quite a different place, to earlier ....

Point Lynas to Ynis Dulas, is one of my top paddles .. I love the race on the flood, the remote feeling, the island and the seals and the many porpoises that can be seen here.  Its another area that has lots of eddy streams ...

The wind was due to pick up to a gusting F5 and it had already began to funnel out of Dulas Bay, we paddled round the island and headed back to the shore for some lunch, before heading on to Point to play in the race.

Rhoscolyn and the last three hours of flood, some wind against tide and swell, provide just what we wanted, and as it became more comfortable, we could get closer to the outer race ... Neil above on the inner channel, close to the main land.

Sue on the inner channel, closer to the islands and running down through the flow ...main work was emphasising ... speed and angle to help achieve the required result.

With 1 hour before slack a run down and through the outer race, with Neil leading ...that's the top of his paddle on the right!

And then both working together, leading me back across to a suitable landing place for lunch ... there was loads of these butterflies about also enjoying the sunshine ...

We finished the day with a good paddle towards the headland, into my favourite cave, before returning to the beach for self rescues and some messing about in boats ... what a great few days ...

Roger

roger chandler
www.coastalspirit.com

bespoke sea kayaking
+
sea kayaking wales