Improve + sea kayaking Anglesey, North wales

What a super sunny day ... well my trailer is out of action due a wheel bearing exploding at the end of last week, so it was kayaks on roofs! Gary and his team met me at the boat yard and soon kayaks were on roofs and we were driving off in the rain with hope and promises of sunshine ... by the time we got to Bull Bay, North coast, Anglesey the sun was out : -)

The group mainly comprised of white water paddlers with some keen and enthusiastic open boaters, as a private course this was aimed at Improve +, winds were f4

and due to drop off ...

Lots of close quartering using bow rudders and cross deck bow rudders, on the way out with lunch at the brick works and then on to hells mouth and then out to middle mouse to feel more of the current ... and then back on the conveyor belt to Bull Bay and some liquid refreshment, while soaking up the sunshine!

Sunday looks rather ?? so pleased to have made the most of it today. Rumour has it, that we have an indian summer on the way ... happy days!

www.coastalspirit.com

north wales sea kayaking

sea kayak wales - 5 star leader sea

After some contemplation ive decided to work towards becoming a 5 star leader sea trainer and assessor. This means I need to observe assist and be signed off as doing this and then put in to be assessed doing this before im set free to run my own. Its a long process, as most courses you need a minimum of 3 candidates, for it to be viable and with the 4 star leader award, fewer candidates decide to progress further.

Well some photos which tell their own story of a super weekend, which was mainly windy ...but with some super conditions on the night nav ... the wind dropped off and a long drive to Dale, for some good shelter and the journey leadership day. The wind was there but much lighter at F4/5 and some good swell left over from the previous days strong winds.

Day 1

After a break various scenarios were given, some individual others as a group.

Day 2

The bitches above running on the last couple of the hours...

A super run down wind, around the headland and into the bay

A break before approaching Whitesands and some bigger more powerful surf!

I would like to express my thanks to both Nige Robinson of sea kayak guides for the opportunity and the hospitality and Howard Jeffs who headed up the course. look out in 2012 for 5 star sea leader training and assessment courses and open water navigation courses we will be running jointly with Olly Sanders from Rock & Sea Adventures.

sea kayaking north wales

courses throughout the year www.coastalspirit.com

Improve sea kayaking - sea kayaking course north wales

With a mixed week of weather forecast, for our intro-mediate sea kayak course, conditions were due to be exciting. For some it was refreshing skills, for others it was an introduction, enjoy.

The first day was really rough out at sea, so we went inland to a large lake, with more shelter.

Kath working on stern rudders, in the shelter of one of the bays, mainly used to control the sea kayak in a following sea.

Keith on Llyn Padarn, with the mountains and the clouds .... a super moody day as we avoid the main anger of the wind! f7 gusting f8/9 on the West coast ; (

A seal taking a snooooze .... on the straits, day 2.

Guy bringing his kayak around ...

Keith on the menai straits with some wind against tide ...

The team at Treadour bay ... day 3

Some work in the swell and moving into the bigger stuff ... Keith and Kath

Guy about to make a turn ...

Birgit and Henning, from Germany, enjoying the sunshine.

Passing middle mouse with blue skies and seas ... day 4

Hells mouth and some super light ...

Keith enjoying the North coast and close quartering ...

Guy taking some lunch, putting some fuel in ...

The girls showing how its done ...

North coast and a bigger, super cave ...

The team upfront, moving out into the gentle back eddy, flowing out of bull bay.

Paddling back into Bullbay, after a super day on the North coast, with Douglas pushing on.

Looking at east mouse, with super light, colour ... and the wind picking up : (

Day 5 - During the evening both Keith and Douglas created 2 plans to paddle, and due to increasing winds, a modification was made to their 1st plan, which included a tide race. This brings the course into xplore, our intermediate level, so an out and back from Point Lynas, was the plan, working on the last 2 hours of the flood.

Douglas under power

Keith with the light house in the back ground ...

and then the rain arrived .... and it really poured down ... as we came back around, at slack water. a couple of pods of porpoises and a super display from a dozen gannets feeding and diving into the sea, although to far away for my camera.

At the end some messing about in boats and Douglas pulls off a full roll with a paddle float on his hand, & it looked so ease. Some good support and coaching from Sonja.

Well like every course and over 150 photos to consider, ive aimed to select those that, highlight and focus on elements of the weeks sea kayaking and adventure. Be safe and have fun out there.

sea kayaking courses north wales

www.coastalspirit.com

roger & sonja

xplore. dream. discover

Bespoke sea kayaking- North Wales, Anglesey

Keith was back and keen despite the weather! After a coffee we had a plan, Moel y don - Menai Bridge, working with a following sea and then tidal flow, eddy turns & ferry glides with considering angle, commitment to edge and positive strokes.

We covered the ground so quickly that at 1330, as the current turned we decided to paddle back into a slowly declining wind and with the assistance of an increasing current.

With it just after high water we took a break and shelter in this boat shed, fantastic and then back into it!
Fair play to Keith, some good paddling and increasing wind against tide saw us soon back at the start and then on to the newly refurbished Anglesey Arms for refreshments.

Day 2: North coast Anglesey and putting down some mileage. Aim was to go from Porth Eilean to the brick works and back, around 16k. Forecast was due to increase later in the day, but it was great to paddle in our thermal tops, enjoying the sunshine!

As we approached Porth Eilean, we came across, 3 small pods of porpoises and I managed to just catch a fin on camera!

Despite the weather two super days on the sea were had, with varied conditions, some super wild life and great mugs of coffee!

north wales sea kayaking courses

www.coastalspirit.com

Bespoke sea kayaking- North Wales, Anglesey

Sue was with Neil for his first couple of days sea kayaking, and what a day... super sunny, low winds, caves, arches ... every thing that you want from sea kayaking. Treadour Bay at its best, with ice creams to finish : -)

Day 2 - due to Neil picking it up really well, was focused on current, so from Moel y Don to Menai Bridge, with eddy turns and ferry glides and another super day.

11 Herons, just down from Moly y don, it was like some artist had just placed statues there ...they didn't look to happy about the weather!

A break just before entering more current, and work with eddy turns, ferry glides and positioning

Britania Bridge the entrance to the Swellies and more tidal flow ...

We finished off the day with some fun, balance, capsize and deep water rescues.

This was a Bespoke 2 day course, which was created around what Sue and Neil wanted/needed to assist them on the journey towards independence and having their own adventures ... i love my job ...most of the time!

roger chandler

l5 coach - sea

www.coastalspirit.com