Oh boy!

Got back from Anglesey after the long weekend campin' at Blackthorn Farm and doing the Intromediate course with Nigel Dennis  [SeaKayakingUK].

This year's just getting better and better; another top trip knocked off in excellent weather with just a hint of what the sea can do...

Day 1 was Trearddur Bay to Rhoscolyn and back, but with the emphasis on tightening up on the bad habits, and working on new strokes, with a 1:4 instructor ratio. Only 2 guys fell in so it was a touch harder on the day than the previous trip I blugged earlier.

Day 2... The Stacks.... a Grade C trip in JIm Krawiecki  and Andy Bigg's  excellent book 'Welsh Sea Kayaking; 50 Great Voyages'

Well I wasn't the only one who had a squeaky bum that day. Off we went from Porth Dafarch  on a beautiful summers day, meeting a few NWSK'ers on route. We hit Penryhn Mawr,  which to be honest wasn't a raging tiger like tide race, more of a pussy cat pillow, but one that could still scratch ..[only 2 swimmers!]

From then on to South and North Stack, visiting the caves, making friends with seals, and finishing at Soldiers Point on a quite simply fabulous sea day.

Many thanks to James and Gareth at NDK for leading the course so well, and for all the tips on the nav and theory stuff, and all the other lads on the course who made the weekend a whole lotta fun!

Main ambition for 2008 sorted.

I'm a bit late bluggin, but have been very busy recently.

On 21st July a few of us made our way to Gallows Point near Beaumaris to launch into the Menai Straits, to go and have a play in what many people regard as water with a bit of a reputation. Luckily for us it turned out to be a cracking day, the weather was fine, the wind was blowing the right way for a change, a neap tide and as the water moved us down the Straits, we arrived at Britannia Bridge just in time to catch the current to have a play.

Now I'm not going to make this out to be the easiest thing I've ever done in a sea kayak, but it helped having a Level 5 BCU Coach, Len Hartley with us, who taught us how to make the day so much fun showing us how to do ferry glides and quick turns in the eddies.

The arsenal of sea strokes and the confidence is building! We hit the Swellies, which was really just a fast paddle through, and made our way down to Moel-y-Mon to get out.

 Not the longest trip, but top fun!