Absolutely Superb

Toady I find myself back at Oxwich, only this time with Taran and Stuart. The plan for today's adventure is to turn right and head on down to Llangennith.  The sun being very welcome at Oxwich after the cold early start that we all had to make to get here. We weren't the only ones though, as we were loading the boats Stu noticed a seal basking in the water, absolutely superb.

St Illtyd's, a 13th century church that overlooks Oxwich Bay.

After passing Oxwich point we start heading west with the tide.

Our next land mark, Port Eynon in the distance. We begin exploring every nook and cranny on the way,  there is simply so much to see. 

The coastline along this whole section is very impressive and just encourages you to keep on exploring. Its perspective is just lost on camera though, you really do need to paddle this section to appreciate it. 

A dove croft or a place to stash smugglers ill gotten gains? Probably initially built for the former and then used by the later, who knows. Culver Hole is just west of Port Eynon and featured in one of the BBC's Coast episodes.   

Probably the most famous part of the Gower Coast, Paviland Cave secured it's place in history when the oldest human bones to be discovered were found here. Initially thought to belong to a female they are now confirmed as belonging to a male. If you want to find out more you could always use the Internet, but better still pay a visit to Cardiff museum, certainly the last time I visited, there was a whole display devoted to the 'Red Lady of Paviland'. (I believe the actual cave is the one on the right of my bows)

Taran and Stu discover this gap between rocks which periodically fills with a maelstrom of water. Can you spot Taran, you just know where he is.......

Yep right in the middle of it.

Stu has a go as well.

Our next target, Worms Head in the distance. There appears to be some large waves forming to the left of the head, but it's difficult to work out actually how close in they are.

Me taking in the view..

And at the headland, the height of this is just amazing, you can just make out Taran on the left. You simply don't get this perspective from walking on paths at the top of these cliffs, it's simply on a jaw dropping scale. 

Heading down towards Llangennith again just absolutely superb scenery.

This was my last shot before my camera battery went flat. You might not believe this but there is a seal keeping a eye on us in the above photo. Zoom in if you can, its to the right of the breaking wave, on the line between the water and cliff.   

Heading back in the direction of the car, tired but with two obstacles still to negotiate.

One a surf beach........

It was rude not to have a play, although small they certainly packed a punch. The other obstacle, well with the tide out that was just an horrendous walk back to the car. I think we were all impressed by this one, I know I was. For me the title of this post says it all.......thanks guys.

C.S.I Gower

On paper the weather conditions today looked perfect for a paddle, but where was I going to go. I know I'll have a stab at a paddle I aborted a few months ago 'Stupid o'clock'. Today however was going to be different.

Setting off from a deserted Oxwich beach on a lovely winters day.

As planned the conditions were perfect, the only fly in the ointment being that the tide will be against me all the way.

After a short while I make it over to Great Tor. I have read that this is the highest point on Gower, but I'm a little sceptical about that claim, more research I think. Despite that it is an impressive formation which towers over you, a perspective which is lost in the above photo, my camera does not (or more likely I do not know how to) take a shot with the same perspective as the human eye.  

Conditions are completely different to last time as I approach Shire Combe.

Passing Shire Combe the shoreline continues with jagged looking rocks, with nowhere easy to land, I'm glad I aborted last time. The solitude of this section was intoxicating, with the exception of the odd wave breaking there was silence, just pure bliss. I picked up a friend to, a Cormorant kept within about 30ft of me, diving as I approached and swimming in front of me surfacing either in front or to my right. I tried to take a photo but the quality wasn't up to much.
  

As I approach Pwlldu Head, the first signs of the industrialised south coast comes into view. The steel works at Port Talbot bellowing its cloud of horribleness into the atmosphere.

My target in the distance...

Approaching Caswell, time to stretch the legs and have a coffee.

Out with my new flask and at last a warm cup of coffee (Thanks Kate, the Turkey coffee is way better than the ham variety) I then noticed the house on the left and thought I was seeing things....

My other car is, well, a helicopter. How the other half live. By this time with the added coffee I was busting for a pee, there were a few people out and about here so to save any embarrassment I decided to pop behind a nearby rock outcrop. I was mid flow when.....

I noticed this, a severed hand and boot with a foot inside, ooops was I peeing over a possible crime scene, bet you don't see that happening on CSI Miami.

My boat was eager to get back in the water and so was I, Neptune was calling.

A little bit of messing around with the rocks on the way back.

The conditions on they way back were flat calm, almost like a millpond.

Passing Three cliffs Bay.

 Last push against the tide, heading back across Oxwich Bay with the sun starting to get low in the sky.

A final look back at where I had come from, made all the better with the glorious weather. Oh and by the way, the hand was a rubber glove with bits of seaweed inside which gave it bulk, no crime scene after all, phew.

Stupid o'clock

That's the time I had to get up to get this one under the belt, but as usual the best laid plans of mice and men.

The plan today was to complete what I had attempted a few weeks ago, basically leave Oxwich and get over to Three Cliffs Bay and maybe Caswell or Langland as well

I arrived at the planned time to catch the last few hours of the flood, but the car park was closed and the man with the yellow can of paint had been very busy around here. I eventually managed to park the car and got stealthily kitted up without too much noise. It was beginning to get light, I was already late.  I then had to carry my boat (no trolley) to the beach, it was a long walk but worth it when I got there.

  The sun was inching over Pwlldu Head and the water was like a mill pond, very very inviting, I quickly put my cag and bouyancy aid on and made my last checks making sure everything was clipped on, it was getting light very quickly now.

Don't look behind you....ooops, what is it with me and this place. More dark clouds building behind me.

I jump in the boat and get going, it was like paddling across a mirror, but I was getting blinded by the sun and the glare from the water (yep no sunglasses) yet more stuff to remember to bring.

I don't know if I was in some kind of back eddy but I seemed to be making very slow progress, I hadn't made it halfway across the bay and there was little under an hour left on the tide, at this rate I wasn't going to make it. Change of plan turn inland and have a cuppa at Three Cliffs,  then follow the coast closely and see if I can make it to Pwlldu Head against the tide.

Now, I thought I had planned this one well but I hadn't factored in swell, the further west I went I became increasingly aware that every few seconds I was rising over some bigger mounds of water travelling towards Three Cliffs which is where I wanted to go. Because of the sun I couldn't see what was happening at the shore but I had my suspicions, as soon as I made the turn the boat rocketed off, I had found a hidden turbo button.

As I neared the shore I could see that big plumes of spray were being sent up into the air as the swell broke on the cliffs of Great Tor. Suddenly the boat became wobbly,  my camera ability went down because both my hands were now super glued to the paddle, although I was comfortable I was aware my stress levels obviously had increased.

I paddle past Great Tor and had a look at Three Cliff Bay. Wind was being funneled down the valley towards the sea, causing the breaking waves to steepen and throw spray into the air, Three Cliffs was not on for me today, small windblown waves were coming from the direction of the shore as well.  

I had about half hour left before the tide turned, I didn't fancy being out here with with wind over tide freaky stuff going on so I decided to land in the lee of Great Tor and have that cuppa and watch what happens when the tide turns.

I make my way in through the surf. Surfing in was fast and dramatic but fun, no grace about my landing at all. I think the Royal marines would have been proud though, managed to get my boat further up the beach than some landing craft. Maybe I should have bought that plastic boat.

I have my cuppa and a sandwich on a completely deserted beach looking at the waves absolutely bliss. After the tide has turned I paddle back out through the surf, and back around Great Tor, unfortunately nothing has changed. In the distance it looks as if the same sort of thing is going on towards Pwlldu Head although the sea appeared relatively calm.

Being acutely aware that I was on my own and there wasn't anywhere to land safely after Three Cliffs until I got to Caswell, I decided to turn around and head back. As I paddled back I was feeling a bit wussy about this decision, I'll tackle this trip again but not just yet.

I completely mess up my surf landing at Oxwich, I fail to notice that the beach is a bit steeper at this level of tide, I try and practice stalling the boat on the wave but didn't press the brakes hard enough, all I managed to do was not to drop down into the trough and maintained my position at the top of the wave. Then I noticed the wave I was on had sucked all the water from the beach there was simply just gravelly sand in front of me as I was lurched forward, BANG! followed by some horrible fiberglass scrapping sounds before my boat came to a rest. Happily no damage caused (2nd time today I thought maybe I should have had bought a plastic one) Plastic 2, Composite 0      

I was out for a little over 4 hours and despite not reaching my goals again, it was worth it for that sunrise.

Walk back to the car.............. Palstic 2, Composite 1

The Journey Begins

After saving up for what seemed an eternity and a bit of good luck I recently purchased my first seakayak and I've been really eager to get it out onto the water. Using bits of old river paddling kit I managed to pull together enough gear to get me going. I must stress that I'm not a member of any kind of kayak club, I  never have been. So with my river experience and a little knowledge from a few sea kayak books I decided it was time to get out there, out onto the water.      

The plan was a short paddle starting from Oxwich to Three Cliffs Bay carry on a little further and turn back nothing major just a bit of water time to see how things feel. The weather was warm and sunny, however  a quick check with the Met Office for the inshore forecast became the only fly in the ointment of my plan.  Force 3 to 4 rising to Force 6 later. I decide to travel to Oxwich and see how it looks, I was a lot later leaving than I had planned but with boat on the roof I was eventually off travelling west down the M4.

As I near Swansea the sky gets considerably overcast and I notice the trees swaying vigorously. I began thinking that obviously 'later' clearly meant 'when I get to the launch point'. But I was wrong, as I clear Swansea and head out onto Gower the sun comes out and the skies turn blue again so much for Force 3 to 4.

Perfect timing, conditions at Oxwich when I arrive, flat calm.

 

It's very hot with a slight breeze evident. Once I'm sorted I carry my boat to the water, by now I'm absolutely boiling, at this point I'm wearing paddling trousers and a wicking t-shirt. It's very tempting to get going just dressed like this however I decide against it and put my cag on, it starts getting even hotter. I haven't got the luxury of a waterproof camera so before I pack it away I take my last shot before I set off.

Check out the surf, just look at those monsters, only joking, I think even I could manage these on my maiden voyage. By the time the camera is packed I quite literally only paddle a few feet when I notice the colour of the sky has rapidly changed. Out with the camera again....

I carry on paddling towards Oxwich point. The wind is blowing form my left coming from my 10 o'clock. I keep an eye on the storm hoping that it is travelling down the channel and not in my direction. About halfway to the point I notice the sky has got even darker and appears to be heading in my direction. I decide to turn around and head back closer to shore and maybe see if I can make Three Cliffs Bay. My boat wants to trim to the wind and I have difficulty turning it through the wind. At  about this time there is a considerable drop in air temperature, the wind increases and starts being a bit pushy, things start to get uncomfortable. The sea changes colour and becomes noticeably bumpy, I am so grateful that I had put my cag on. I manage to turn the boat past the wind but through edging I've paddled an extended ark that's taken me further out into in the bay. I decide to start making my way closer to shore, the wind changes direction and is now coming from my left at about 7 o'clock. My boat starts to pick up the waves and rockets off racing them at the slightest opportunity. A bit scary at first but the Quest surfs, it surfs well, it's secondary stability is also good and provides a good bit of support, which clearly I needed otherwise it would have been swim time. White horse's appear on the surface beside me and it begins raining heavily,within a short time the shore is at hand. Out with camera.

The waves are small but sufficient to allow me to practice some surfing and broaching skills. I adopt a routine of paddling out and surfing back in, trying to make progress across the beach towards Three Cliffs Bay. Not long after I get interrupted with the sound of thunder rumbling close by, I don't chance it, Three Cliffs Bay will have to wait. I don't fancy being crispy fried if lightening starts to strike.

The weather looks as if its going to clear from the west....

I head back out and paddle straight across towards the shelter of the cliffs. The return journey was just brilliant fun, the boat was amazing riding over some waves nudging it's nose into others bringing a big smile on my face. It's a shame that in no time at all I find myself in the shelter of the cliffs.

As I get out on the beach the sun comes out and everything returns to how it was when I began..

Many lessons were learnt today on this short trip, one of which was that 'later' as in Force 6 later, really meant 'when I get to the most exposed point of the trip'  (I'm not sure if it was a 6, probably not, but that's not the point, the message was received loud and clear though)

Anyway off to the Dr's now to get the grin surgically removed. 

(Please note that I have since discovered that Oxwich Point is not the best place to go as a beginner, there lies a small tiderace at the headland. A sit on top fisherman I was speaking to in the car park told me of it, his advice, 'avoid'.