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Improvers Sea Kayaking

Mark and Steve had a days improvers course on the Menai Straits. The morning was spent looking at boat handling skills in strong winds, edging and efficient fowards paddling. The group then paddled up the straits towards beaumaris. As the wind was starting to pick up the team stopped for lunch before turning to head back into wind back to menai bridge, this gave the group a good opportunity to practice there efficient fowards paddling.

We finished the day by looking at some moving water skills on the Swellies. The group tried their hand at ferry gliding and breaking in and out.

Instructor Training on Anglesey

This week I have been working with a group form stubbers outdoor centre in Essex. A group of volunteer trainee instructors with mixed kayaking abilities. The first day we went to four mile bridge on Anglesey and looked at boat handling skills before going on a bit of a trip along the Cmyran Straits. The group finished of playing in the flow at the bridge and we looked at breaking in and out and ferry gliding. Nice weather meant that people didn't mind taking the odd swim.

The following day was on the sea at porthdafach. A nice little swell meant that rockhopping (kayaking in and out of rocks below cliffs) was quite exciting for the group and perfect for practicing alot of the strokes they had been taught. After rockhopping left out of porthdafach the group went back to the beach for lunch before going on a trip from Portdafach to Treardaur Bay. Nice weather and a good sea state made for an enjoyable day on the water.

Intro to Moving Water on the Dee

This Monday we took the Bartlam family on a days white water paddling on the dee. A chilly start saw clive and sue take an early swim. After some coaching the pair started to look a bit more confident and in control of there open boat. The rest of the group were in kayaks and completed the river from Carrog to Eddy Lines in Llangollen. Considering the group had done little in kayaks they did incredibly well and managed to stay the right way up all the way down. The group got of the water exhausted but having had a good days kayaking

Skerries Trip

Another great forcast made a trip out to the Skerries on the North Coast of Anglesey a good option for the Day. James and Phil Clegg left from Cemlyn on the Ebb tide. After a quick play in the tidal race at Harry Furloughs Rocks we dropped down onto the skerries for lunch.

Big tides meant there was some fun to be had playing in the races and overfalls around the island. A tight ferry glide took us back to Carmel head before paddling back up to Cemlyn. Blue skies all day made for a really enjoyable day on the water.

Introduction to Sea kayaking

A fantastic weekends sea kayaking for Yvonne, Steve and John. With some of the best weather of the year and a fantastic sea state the group enjoyed two days of beautiful sea paddling on Anglesey.

Day one involved a paddle out to Ynys Dulas. Although a healthy distance for the begineers group the crossing to the island was rewarded with loads of seals coming up to the boats. A great time of year for seal spotting as many of the young pups are very inquisative and come up very close to the kayaks. The team enjoyed a relaxing lunch on the island, soaking up the sun before paddling back to moelfre to practice some capsizes and rescues.

Day two and the sky was bright and the sea flat. The group headed to Rhoscolyn to try there hand at some rock hopping (weaving in and out of the rocks close to the cliffs) on the way to Silver bay. After a few collisions with rocks the group started to get the hang of the different strokes required to manouvre the sea kayaks. On route back to the beach the group headed out to Rhoscolyn Beacon to see the seals. On the crossing back Steve and John had a go at rescuing each other after a capsize. Both did well at getting each other back in there boats.

All in all a great weekend with unseasonably good weather.