Earlier in the week I had a super day out with Keith who was keen to overcome working through mixed and confused eddy lines, in the Swellies and with lighter winds, eddy lines would be easy to see. The Swellies is a magic sea kayaking venue we have on Anglesey and a super venue to build the skills needed for paddling tideraces as they tend to display similar features. The big advantage with the Swellies is the area tends to have no swell and sheltered from the wind. Plus its not so open, or exposed - so it can feel like a river, with a bank on either side.
We warmed up with a few gentle low brace turns, working on bringing the body forward, paddle shaft into the belly button and waiting for the turn 6-8 seconds ... fantastic ...
It was a bright sunny day and with a good push of flow now, I suggested swimming through one of the bridge arches, so he new what it was like .... I mentioned to two female paddlers what we were about to do, so there was no drama's and one said could she join us ...ah, let me swim with Keith first and then I'll do it again ... put me to shame as I was wrapped up in my drysuit and she slipped into the water wearing a swimming costume and not even a murmur about the cold!!
It was a top day, with Keith finishing off doing a successful self rescue in the last of the ebb ...
Mike had contacted me a few months back about running a 3 star assessment, and then just last week, Bobby who had done a day with me 3 years ago was back for a top up and rough water was what he wanted ... so moderate conditions was what were looking for. With winds backing to NW and increasing to F4, the North coast was perfect....
Mike setting up a contact tow ....
Bobby working on generating speed and stern rudders ... just on the Eastern edge of the bay, with the occasional chunky bit of swell pushing through.
Congratulations to Mike on a successful assessment, well done. Although don't mention his van keys ... and to Bobby for applying himself over the day and coming to the decision that the kayak he has is not suitable for what he wants to do ...
Today I was out with Dave and he was focused on a skills update and a look at being efficient, prior going to Sardinia. It was a N wind and due to get very windy, so we headed out form Menai Bridge on to the Menai Straits. The elements of effective Forward paddling I moved in and out of during the day, and out side edged turns was our main initial focus.
Dave was progressing well and after a first break was now looking for more challenge. We headed back towards Menai Bridge with the flow behind, a gentle breeze on our backs, while working with stern rudders and the skeg.
The Swellies was now in the last two hours of the ebb and with some brief work on eddy turns we headed under the first bridge .. it was great to see Dave's face as every thing moved around him. We took a couple of eddies and then kept in the main flow ... a short break and some ferry glide work, using transits then time to eddy hop our way back ...
The A55 bridge and looking back into the Swellies ....
Roger
bespoke sea kayaking
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north wales sea kayaking
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