North Wales Sea Kayaking - 1:1 Coaching

Our first days sea kayaking was on the Menai Straits, and although Simon had done a couple of days sea kayaking in the past he was also strong and active Open boater. This really helped him to pick up the skills and techniques, which meant by the end of the first day he was paddling in gentle current and managing ferry glides with mixed and more confused current.





Day 2 was now on to the open sea and the North coast of Anglesey, due to a high spring tide it was easy to move in and out of the rocks working on various turning skills and see the current creating eddies and back eddies. We were also close on a number of occasions to a couple of porpoises, who totally ignored our presence. We finished this day with deep water rescues and two self rescues, which both Simon managed first time, to his credit.





One of my favorite trips is, Point Lynas to Ynis Dulas and then back, due to its remote feel, the wild life, more complex currents along the coast, the race at the point and the wild little island itself. The tides and winds were in our favour which allowed us to paddle around the point in the last hour of the flood and then use the back eddies to paddle along the coast and then do a 1k ferry glide out. We kept high to avoid the rougher water flowing over the shallows and due to our arrival and a large spring tide, there was little space to land. the sea was pretty much at the base of the tower!

A short break and then back on, with many seals popping their heads up and following us, as we paddled away. It took us 4o minutes to paddle the 5k back to the point, as we approached 1.5 hours into the ebb, the race was flowing at around 3.5 knots. We took the eddy high had a brief chat and then ran the race through on the inside, fantastic. A paddle back into the bay, another short break and then more self rescues and to keep body temperatures up some stern rudder work between dips! A super few days, nice one Simon.