Welcome to my Sea Kayaking (b)log
When I started Sea Kayaking and taking courses, I soon realised that I was going to need to resurrect my old BCU log, to log all my trips etc. So I started this (B)log instead. Not only does it work as a log, but gives me somewhere to post all my photographs taken whilst kayaking. Also, I get to share with my kayaking and non kayaking friends my sea kayaking adventures. I guess it is what it is and if you like any of it then great if not, then too bad!
2022 was a bit of a weird year for me. It started off fairly normally, but from July I was increasingly busy with some family bereavements. Apart from my IOW circumnavigation and the Oban Sea Kayak Race which had been previously pencilled in on the calendar, if I did get any time to go...
Having spent much of Saturday cycling around Kerrera and Oban on my trusty Brompton bicycle, in what can only be described as superb weather, I was feeling well rested and relaxed the night before the race. The contrast from gloomy Friday to sunny Saturday was incredible! One annoyance though; I realised I'd left my...
Due to lots of non kayaking family related issues (its been a bit of a year!), this was going to be my first trip on the sea since the Isle of Wight circumnavigation in July! Despite hitting my local stretch of canal hard, you really cannot beat a good sea trip for upping the...
I'd been planning on doing the IOW circumnavigation for quite some time, studying paddlers blogs and GPS tracks from the others who had completed this challenge and constantly adding and updating data to my IOW spreadsheet. It was probably around March I felt like I had got things into a reasonable order. It was...
I hate cold and wet, especially when you feel like you have just woken up and feel all warm. In fact, I had overslept and was still trying to wake up! The last thing you want (or need) is to get cold and wet. But we had decided to do a skills session at...
Today High Water would be at 10:28 Liverpool (British Summer Time). Hmmm.... Mid Morning HW's always makes for awkward trip planning for adventure seekers like Si and myself, due to the fact that the tide will be ebbing for much of day. For instance, the Stacks flood 4 hours and 50 minutes after HW,...
Easter weekend and Me and Mrs T decided on going away to the Llŷn Peninsula in the van for a few days. We had decided on a campsite at Llanbedrog with a plan of not doing a great deal, just walking and chilling, with maybe a bit of paddle boarding. I had a two...
Unfortunately, some silly twit deleted the photos from today's paddle and the stupid GoPro wouldn't work either so I have for once no pictures from the day! The picture of me and the Etain above is courtesy of Kris. Thanks Kris! Paddled with Si, Kris, Ashley , Diane , Helen and Amanda. Conditions in...
Meeting up at the paddlers for Breakfast nice and early at <ahem!> 07:30! Sorry Ashley! Ashley made some comment about still being a student and what and earth was she doing up at this time... Not my fault Ashley, blame Si! We fuelled up before deciding to set off from Porth Dafarch. Oddly enough...
Another cracking day weather wise, albeit with a little bit more wind than Saturdays paddle. We set off from Borthwen, at Rhoscolyn, and paddled via the beacon up to Trearddur Bay, rock hopping as we went. After a short stop we headed back the way we came. Si was on form today and was really...
I think it is fair to say that Si, Keith and myself have a great fondness for paddling on the north coast of Anglesey. The rugged remote coastline, the islands - skerries, west mouse, Middle Mouse and East Mouse (I was going to say mice) along with the excellent wildlife, with plenty of birds,...
Another cold very grey day, saw Si, Keith and myself heading to Borthwen. We paddled out to Rhoscolyn Beacon, through the various tidal races, until we ended up looking at a rather sizeable race, just off the Beacon. Although it looked almost inviting, we all acquiesced to decline having a go. Firstly it was...
It's 2022 and suddenly there is a weather a window where its not blowing a hooley. What a better way to start 2022 with a little potter around The Stacks. Eight of us met at Porth Dafarch, it wasn't blowing at all, but it was a very grey dull day. We did the usual,...
As you may, or may not have noticed, having bought the "Carrot" (An Orange Tiderace Pace 17 Tour) at the end of August, I did not take her to Anglesey for my paddles with Si, Wenders and Tom. I guess I wanted to check her out first, without rushing. Besides paddling in the Pace...
Another beautiful day... Tom Carlisle joined us today and once again we decided to head for Cemlyn Bay for the tide assisted push across the top of Anglesey. I also needed to get off home at Lunchtime, so we decided to paddle to Porth Wen (The Brickworks) , where I'd then paddle solo, back...
After our longish paddle yesterday, we were so stoked up and the conditions were once again perfect, Si and I decided to do the same trip again. But this time we planned on passing Point Lynas and heading around towards Ynys Dulas. Due to having other commitments Wenders was unable to join us. Once...
Paddled with Wenders and Si. We decided to paddle across the top of Anglesey with the flood tide, lunch, then paddle back on the ebb tide. Managed to get as far as Porth Eilian, near Point Lynas, despite stopping for a leg stretch at Bull Bay. Saw some Porpoises around East Mouse. Some fairly...
I've been looking at buying a Fast Sea Kayak (FSK) for some time and very nearly bought a second hand Rockpool Taran back in 2016. But at the time, I was really looking for something to do my Sea kayak leadership awards with and couldn't justify spending out on a boat I wouldn't get...
I'd been thinking about doing the Holy Island trip for some time, but what with Covid, a knee replacement, a bicycle accident - which caused my bad knee to swell to the point I started getting DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombosis) in the calf muscle of my bad knee/leg, followed by a pulmonary embolism (from the...
Paddled with Ashley, Brian, Kris and Si on what turned out to be a super day weather wise. Everyone was keen to get some miles in so we headed down the coast with a following wind to Silver Bay. Stopped for lunch and paddled back into the wind, via a quick surf at Rhoscolyn...
