Sea Kayaking Holiday - Isle of Skye, May 2014

6 days, with 5 days sea kayaking and one day off and based from a high quality self catering accommodation.  

Cost:  £700      

Places:  One double and one single room currently available  

Client/Leader Ratio 1:3  with Sonja and Roger

10-17th May 2014

InterMediate to InterMediate plus.

Neist Point above

This is your chance to experience a five day guided sea kayaking holiday, with the fabulous scenery of Scotland's West Coast, a real classic of the Inner Hebrides and Scotland's 3rd tourist destination.   And its not surprising as Skye's sea scape and coastline is truly stunning with arches caves, majestic cliffs, head lands, islands and tide races.  Paddle to Loch Coruisk and stand below the Cullins, or Neist Point and see McLeod's Maidens and many arches and caves, or paddle round Rubha Hunish, the most northerly point on Skye.  To name just a few locations, while keeping your eyes open for Golden Eagles, Otters, Porpoises and Dolphins ...

McLeod's Maidens in the descending light ..

Loch Bracadale and Dolphins in the evening light .. magic!

Previous sea kayaking experience is required with all of our Holidays, Journeys and Expeditions, this means that you get the most from this experience. You will be paddle fit and have done a minimum of 12 days sea kayaking in the last year (from May 2013 to April 2014).  You also need to be able to paddle in larger swell, able to cover a minimum distance of 25k and paddle in winds of Beaufort f4/16 knots ... this means you get more from your time on the water. 

As with all of our courses if the conditions are not suitable, then we will look for an alternative venue, shorten the distance, work on specific skills or not paddle. having the day off allows us to be flexible and use this on a windy day if required.

A total of six days with five days sea kayaking, one day off and based from a comfortable luxury self catering accommodation, which is available form Saturday to Saturday. We will eat out twice during the week, and in on 4 nights. A meal rota will be arranged before hand so that in teams of two, people cook for just one night for the group. For the last night a jointly prepared buffet style meal will bring the week to a close. 

If you are able to use your car and assist with shuttles during this week you get a £20 reduction from the overall cost of the course - this can only be claimed once, per couple or car. 

Looking into The Cullins, on the last day ...

The location of our accommodation is fairly perfect and allows good access to the faster roads, sheltered paddles if needed and Kyle Rhea, Skye's main tide race. At the end of each day you can enjoy a good meal in a comfortable setting and a hot shower (see photos below).  Before snuggling down in your duvet and comfortable bed.  If you enjoy a roof over your head and sea kayaking in equal measure, this sea kayaking holiday is for you.

To view some photos and my Blog from a similar sea kayaking holiday to the Isle of Mull in 2013, click on this link and for later on in the week, from this link

For more information or to book your place email me on info@coastalspirit.com

Thanks, Roger

Sea kayaking holiday Isle of Skye

Advanced Winter Sea kayaking - Another Wild Weekend ...

Tracy, Andy, Tavi and Pat were on for this weekends Advanced sea kayaking course and my job was to find the best, workable conditions.  Two of the team also have the 4 star leader sea assessment coming up, so I was also keen to get them into 'out of remit' conditions, stretch comfort zone's so that when it came to their assessments all felt much more comfortable!

In away the forecast was pretty kind to us.  With an increasing  wind and sea state on Saturday and then the wild one on Sunday!!  After coffees, a discussion and loading of vans we set off for Trearddur Bay (TB), for some work in wind and surfing ... 

It was a super bright day but the wind was already up and with the tide on the make, i felt some wind work and then some surf would be best.  As it the tide moves towards high water and with a much steeper top section, surf size increases.  So we will leave that to latter!! 

 

We did a number of circuits, getting a feel for the kayaks and settling in to the mood of the day ...

The surf was great, and mainly 1-2ft with an occasional 3ft one making an appearance!  lunch part one and then back further out for a few more circuits and contact tows, facing each other and the same way, bow, stern, down wind and up wind and really grooving this in.

As the wind picks up, the swell begins to get really chunky ...

Sunday was fairly obvious for us.  Inland to Llyn Padarn and more wind work!!  There was a few stiff gusts, firing off from a different angle, but all worked really well with the conditions.

Tracy and Pat bracing on a contact tow as a very strong gust hits them ... and a rafted tow which Andy managed, very well with sterling paddling from Tracy and Tavi as another strong gust hit the team ...

and then a mellow explore of a couple of the lagoons ...

A few more down wind runs, with an awareness of how much skeg was actually need, and how the skeg can also assist with turning more into wind as its lifted ...

We finished probably with one of the strongest gusts of the day and retreated to Pete's Eats for big brews and a reflection on the weekend.  Well done all and all the very best to Andy and Tavi with their forthcoming assessments ...

Roger

advanced sea kayaking

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4 star leader development training

Comprehensive Greenlandic Paddling Skills Workshops

Comprehensive Greenlandic Paddling Skills Workshops

Cheri and Turner of 'This is the Roll' fame are back In July for 3 days.  A super couple who really know there stuff, are highly talented and nice as well!

Cheri and Turner are sole partners in Kayak Ways LLC, a venture based on the notion that the traditional kayaking skills of the Inuit seal catchers offer valuable lessons for the modern day recreational kayaker. For the last six years we have been going far and wide, teaching these uniquely consistent and practical kayaking skills.

Explore the elegance and ease of Greenland strokes: canted, sliding, vertical, bow & stern sweeps, Bow & stern rudders, sculling draws. Learn the Balance Brace, sculling Brace, and chest scull, as well as low, High, and deep Pry brace recoveries. Engage the Extensive Greenland rolling repertoire: layback forward, and sculling rolls with the pad- dle, norsaq, Hand, and more!

Cheri and Turner have mentored skinny stick skills all over the world. Cheri competed in the Greenland National Kayaking Championships in both 2004 & 2005. She is widely regarded as one of the best Greenland- style kayak rollers in the world. Turner is one of those rare paddlers outside of Greenland who began paddling with a traditional blade. He competed in the 2005 Greenland National Kayaking Championships in Paamiut, winning several Gold Medals

Cheri & Turner will be giving all Day Group sessions, Locations to fol- low, depending on weather. Maximum number of students is 8 - July 18,19,20.  Places tend to go quickly, so to avoid any disappointment, for more information, or to sign up, e-mail: cheri@kayakways.net

InterMediate Plus - Winter Sea Kayaking Course's

This last weekends forecast was looking fairly similar to the previous ones.  Wet, windy and wild ... I sent an early email round with a number of options on and Rich was first back with a "its my birthday weekend and i'd rather celebrate it away, than in Stoke!" ok so lets see what we can do then ...  Jon and Douglas were just as keen ... Im not sure I was!!

Llyn Padarn it was and knowing all of the guys, really helped.  The centre of the lake was sporting so we worked on the edges, to begin with and eased into down wind runs, with high angled stern rudders and moving towards on side edged ones.

Jon below getting a feel for the kayak ...   

Birthday boy getting stuck in ....  It really was that wet!!

A moment of clarity and great light, looking up the lake before the next front arrived ...

Between down winds runs, the main emphasis was trimming the kayak, to maximise the effect of the environment.  Into wind, trim forward and use only forward strokes to keep on track, while if needing to turn, either use reverse strokes (to lock the stern, so the bow gets blown around) or accelerate across the wind and go for an inside turn, pausing for the bow again to be blown down wind.

Once down wind and wanting to turn up wind - accelerate, go to outside edge, body forward to sink the bow/lock it, and enable the stern to be free to follow.  It was great having good conditions that we could move in and out of, and people could really feel when they were trimming effectively.

Some contact tows, with the person down wind up wind and on the bow and stern were also played with and some tow line work.  Emphasis was if somethings not working, smoothly, then adjust/change and being quick with the line/rope.

After a super evening meal at Dylan's the forecast for Sunday was much better and a down wind run from the Mermaids Inn to Menai Bridge looked perfect ..  Jon below and looking back to were we've been blown from ...

As we progressed along the Straits the conditions settled ...

We briefly gathered at the end and reflected back on the weekend.  Feedback really says it all ...

Thanks for another cracking weekend despite the weather - lots to ponder and digest  and from another person ...

Just wanted to say thanks to Roger for organising a weekend in challenging conditions that delivered so much and thanks to Judith for the top tips ...

Happy days ... thanks to Rich for being so positive at the start and having a birthday, for helping with the shuttle and for a great Sat evening.  Thanks also to Judith for her support.

Lets hope this bonkers weather or as I heard some one else say 'wonky weather' clears on out soon ...

Roger

PS: have you got the BCU 3 star sea and want to progress further?  The next Intermediate Plus is on the 8/9th March and currently 3 places are available .. email me at info@coastalspirit.com for further details


sea kayaking north wales
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winter sea kayaking courses