Breaking In - Breaking Out- What?

Eddie, are you kidding?
I've seen you on my TV
Eddie, are you kidding? - Just Another Band From L.A.

Are you ready for a rough ride?

I like rough water (yes I thought I liked rough water), North Wales, Anglesey, has to be the classic races of the Stacks and Penrhyn Mawr.
Seen it on those TITS DVD's on the TV (hard core, kayaking porn as they are shockingly referred to).

Got to give it a shot.

Thought I'd better be enlightened on just what an eddy is, how to see one, and what to do in them. So first day of the symposium I signed up to be enlightened by Fiona as to just what was an eddy. We ventured out to play just west of Cemlyn.


Put into practice the breaking-in, breaking-out and ferry glides as well as throwing in a bit of rock hopping.


OK, done that.

Day 2: lets sign up for the overfalls and tide races then.
From Soldiers Point we dropped around through the fog to North Stack tide race and nipped through into a holding eddy.
Nice, calm, eddy. Nice eddy!
Here I sat and watched the tide race, and watched some more.
It was exactly how I felt just before jumping off the wing of an aeroplane, parachuting for the first time, I watched waiting for that moment of commitment when there is no going back. Then something in my head said go.
Off I went, I broke in and the ferry glide was fast and I moved across the conveyor belt. This was fine. Really? Yes.
OK that's enough for the minute. Lets get back to the eddy.
If my arse was puckering I don't know, as I was trying to remember to breath as I paddled like some mad thing going nowhere caught in the eddy line. All of Fiona's teachings fell into place and I broke out (I didn't know eddy lines could be a few feet wide).
I have to admit that I enjoyed that feeling of being off my comfort zone.
Big surf doesn't intimidate me at the break, but this was different somehow, smaller waves but an unknown quantity at this point. It was the uncertainty that was un-nerving. I wanted to do it again. And I did. A few more times, after each adrenalin rush had subsided. The biggest rush had to be when I was out in the race just as the wash from the Seacat came through.

Jim - wondering if or when to jump into the race at North Stack

This was the time and place to try this out, if it went tits up then there were great people about to catch you. As Jim found out.

Good on Jim for taking a swim, at least he was pushing his envelope


Hywel enjoying the moment

Finishing at North Stack we paddle west around for our lunch stop at Parliament Cave.

Lunch stop at Parliament Cave

After which we moved on to South Stack (which wasn't running - was there a small sense of relief or disapointment - I don't know), then through Penrhyn Mawr to finish at Porth Dafarach. Here we were greeted with a nice swell and some fun surfing took place before landing.

After a nice day paddle, what better way to finish the day than song and beer. So we did.


Day 3 we did the same trip again, this time fog was very thick to start and we only played at South Stack for about 5 minutes each, but there were lots of us.


The sun finally came out and we got to see the scenery we missed the previous day.

South Stack Lighthouse shrouded in mist

Returning to Porth Dafarch

Mince Pie Trip

Happy New Year!
A chance at last to get out and blow the cobwebs away.
Nice afternoon paddle with Hywel, Neal, Chris and Jim (in his shiny fast new boat).
Llantwit Major to Ogmore River mouth provided a great start to the year.
Bit of a swell, provided some nice surfing opportunities.
Starting as I hope to continue.


Chris and Neal passing Nash Point Lighthouse.


Jim flying past the Nash Sands East Cardinal Buoy.
Tide alone was moving at a sedate 4 knots.

Monkstone Rock & Flatholm

This is Monkstone Rock lighthouse. It is a few miles off Penarth and I never knew it was there.
After a look see we dropped down towards Flatholm for a spot of lunch on the beach. Landing fee here is £3.50 if you want to land and have a good look around, which I intend doing on another occasion.

Rounding the island past it's own lighthouse and various gun emplacements, we ferry glide back towards Lavernock Point which brings us back Penarth.


Trip length: 10.1Nm

I can't hear you

Paddling out of St Donat's Bay around to Nash, we pass in front of Nash Lighthouse. Here is also situated a foghorn. It is one thing to hear this going off at home, but to be directly in front of it when it sounds is entirely a different matter.
The last 2 trips I've passed the horn, it has gone off. It feels as if I have nearly been blown out of my seat as the sound booms out and reflects back off the English coast. I am beginning to wonder what I've done to deserve this treatment, as each time there has been no sight of fog.
The tide had just turned as we launched, and we were paddling against it. It was slow work. Just about maintaining 2 knots. Long 2hr slog to get to Southerndown beach.

These afternoons the light is noticeably lower. Bringing with it that lovely light that shows all the contours in the rock faces.
After arriving at Southerndown we turn tail and get a roller coaster 45 minute ride back with the tide.

Eddystone Lighthouse Challenge

Although feeling chuffed after the successful completion of the Bristol Channel project I must confess to being more than slightly disappointed at not paddling back the next day. Two of us had decided to make the return trip. Sadly my paddling partner felt a bit under the weather in the morning. The Eddystone Lighthouse Challenge seemed an appropriate penance.

I managed to complete the challenge just before my shoulders and arms parted from my torso!

The organisation of the event was top class as was the provided buffet.

40km 6hrs 17mins