Wet behind the ears

Emma was super keen to give her visitors a taste of sea kayaking, so attempting to ignore the wind (SW4/5/6) and wet (face stinging), we paddled a small part of the Malltraeth estuary on Saturday.

Even in poor conditions, this venue is normally safe for beginners (provided you keep away from Lumley Bank), and at half tide the sandbanks give some respite from the full force of the wind.

Kimberley was doing well in the front of the double with Rich as the power unit, and Stuart was soon making progress once we had cured the wobbles.

Cue visit from William Wales's Big Yellow Taxi - guess they wanted to see who was daft enough to be paddling in the prevailing weather ....

Meanwhile the Wobblers are multiplying.

Wobbler at Plas Y Brenin

Well, time to announce the Anglesey Wobbler as a product.

A Kayak/Greenland balance stool that helps improve core muscle strength and of course balance - seriously good fun.

Full details at The Anglesey Wobbler

Rich managed to get a few people using a wobbler at the North Wales Outdoor Partnership do at Plas Y Brenin.

This is us having a great time at the event.

Whether Window

The forecast was SE4/5 becoming SE5-7 which was not all that encouraging. Tim phoned mid morning to see if I was still intending to paddle as it was truly horrible up at his place. Suggested we took a look late afternoon, and went for a walk if discretion seemed the better part.

Launching from Foel, it was only blowing 3/4 on the nose as we set off for the Caernarfon shore, and without much fetch the waves were small enough, so it was a quick blast across to some quiet water - being enjoyed by this fellow.

Easy paddling down (Northeast) to the Plas Menai slip.

Tea and pasties, then over to the Anglesey shore via some rather more testing water, and a near perfect surf on a glassy standing wave - just like in kayaking videos - well alright, about a quarter the size.

Then eddy hopping back to Foel with the wind increasing all the time. Waves on the beam beginning to threaten (big slaps on the boat, and a wet port hand oxter), but the greatest risk was the wind snatching at your paddle - unless you were using a stick, of course.

Big gust of wind pushed us onto the beach, and signalled the start of much worse conditions for anyone staying on the water.

About 8k paddled.

Not such a swell time

The thing about paddling on the sea is - it is never quite what you were expecting. The plan (yes we still have them) was to paddle Cemlyn to Holyhead, taking advantage of the calm conditions, but we had heard that there was a kayaker missing after the bad weather on Sunday.

Phoned the coastguard to offer our services, expecting to be told that the last thing they needed was some bungling amateurs, but they were very grateful, so Rich and I set off part way down the Malltraeth estuary intending to go up the coast as far as Rhosneigr.

Conditions were calm, warm and sunny, but we knew there was still some swell out there somewhere, as you could see the white flashes on 'Lumley Bank' (see far left of picture)

and spray leaping over the end of Llanddwyn.

Despite the potential seriousness of the task, the paddling was idyllic apart from the strain on your neck of looking back into all the small bays and inlets that you pass.

The swell was beginning to make its presence known as we rounded the headland and headed for Pen Y Parc, and added piquancy to our beach landing in front of the inshore lifeboat (on its way South).

Fortified by pasties and tea we launched into the now dumping surf - slightly early (after a big set) in my case ..... must have looked exciting from the beach, but I only got wet.

Quick blast across to Llanddwyn (still enough swell to hide other vessels - that is why you can't see any)

then round the corner to the peace and quiet of Pilot's cove....

and time to phone for a pick up from Traeth Niwbwrch. About 15k paddled, but no sign of Elizabeth Ashbee or her kayak.

Not so dire straits

Catherine has been wanting to paddle the bit of the Menai Strait from Beaumaris to Menai Bridge for a long time - so, as she was about to go into YG for total knee replacement, we thought Sunday was the ideal opportunity.

Weather was pretty dull at first, but began to brighten as we passed Bangor Pier.

and was very warm and sunny by the time we got to Porth Daniel.

Butties and tea (I know, this is a regular theme), and then a relaxed paddle through the swellies (it is all in the timing) and up the strait to Moel Y Don.

Couple of interesting moments with various powered craft who did not seem to have much of a grasp of the IRPCS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea).

About 12k paddled.

Later, time to sit round the recycled hot water cylinder.

Rich pickings

Only Rich was available for a paddle last Saturday, and he opted for Trearddur Bay to Rhoscolyn - a pleasant evening bimble down the coast with following wind and mostly favourable tide (even though its general trend was in the opposite direction, on flood).

Surprisingly lumpy in some spots (hence no photos en route), but fun nonetheless - though we chickened out of some of the rock hopping (no helmets being our excuse).

Fine and calm at Rhoscolyn:

Balancing work and play

A combination of strong winds, availability of kayaking partners, and other commitments seems to have meant that I have spent far too much time off the water over the last few weeks.

Much of that time has been spent in the workshop making paddles (can't really complain at this), but it did occur to me that if I was just sitting around sometime, I could maybe sit on a Greenland Balance Stool.

This is the prototype made from Japanese oak - which was a windowsill in its last incarnation (and an expensive packing case before that).

Seems to work pretty well for me, but Catherine and Emma think it is too easy to balance - but then, they tend to find most seakayaks relatively stable.

Is it a commercial product, and if so, at what price?