A week on the North coast of Scotland

We've just returned from a fantastic week on the North Coast of Scotland. We rented a cottage overlooking Armadale bay, in the centre of the North Coast, and literally a short stroll from the beach. We had a week of perfect weather, blazing sunshine and warm days and not a single Midge to be seen!
We enjoyed a range of great activities that the North of Scotland has to offer. We surfed at Armadale and Farr Bay, Mountain biked at Carbisdale and Balblair on the Kyle of Sutherland, fished from the rocks in front of our cottage, and visited a whiskey distillery of course!

Here is just a quick selection of the pictures we took during our week.

Me on the Black trail at Balblair

Candy mountain on the black route at Balblair

Riding a rock slab on the red route at Carbisdale


Louise on a rock slab on the Blue graded route at Carbisdale

Enjoying good surf, but howling off-shore wind at Farr Bay

Mini Head Dip at Farr Bay

Awesome ride!

Clean on calm waves at Armadale

Fishing from the rocks, in crystal clear water

Lots of small pollack!

The sun sinking into the sea, Sunset at 10.30!

Strolling down the beach at Armadale

Another wave rolls casually into Armadale bay

The view just outside our cottage

Not another footprint to be seen, perfection

Another weekly round-up

Well another busy week means that I've not managed to Blog things as they've happened, so here's a quick pictoral run-down of the last 10 days action.

from top to bottom:

Squirtboating at the Mighty Pots

Mountain bike fun at the Mafia Trails

Sunny Surfing at Saunton

Tom 'Maverick' taking a break from sinking at the Pots

Yak paddling Gear, Southern sales Manager Pete Ford gets down to work at The Mafia Trails!

Yak Advert, featuring Me!

Some time last year Team AS Watersports was involved in a photo shoot for Yak Paddling gear. We spent a pleasant and sunny day paddling around at Exmouth, and at the Might Pots. It was a great day out, a great chance to try lots of shiny new Yak gear.
And Yak then went and used a picture of me, walking up the beach with a sea kayak on my shoulder, for an advert that went out in a number of Magazines. You can now find the advert online HERE.
Click for a good laugh at me!

St. Ives Bay Kayak surf competition

This weekend saw the St. Ives Bay Surf Kayak competition. Surf kayak competitions always have a fairly laid back vibe to them, and crowd is always fun loving and mellow, it was just a shame that the weather really played havoc with the whole thing.
We all rolled up at a car park at Gwithian, at the far end of the bay, very early on Saturday morning, to be greeted by a howling gale, and horizontal wind. The competition site was relocated to 'The Bluff', closer to St. Ives, in an attempt find some more shelter. However shelter wasn't really that forthcoming, and the wind was still howling across the beach at 25mph+.

The pictures don't do it justice, it was horrid out there!

The Competition pushed on Regardless, and the first heats headed out into the maelstrom. I was in heat 2. I totally failed to get out back, never quite able to get past the point where the 6ft-ish waves were dumping, every time I got close another big set would dump on me, throwing me around, and leaving me back inside again, struggling to get out once again. I caught one small, and incredibly bad wave, and ended up about half a mile down the beach, courtesy of the wind. The wind, blowing totally cross shore, was so strong and I was so exhausted after my 15mins of wave battling, that I didn't have the strength to carry my boat back up the beach!
After 4 heats the organisers realised that the conditions were just too bad to carry on, and so the whole thing was put on hold for about three and a half hours.

The only indication of the wind speed is the spray whipping off of the wave, and the number of windsurfers!

After the break the conditions were better, the wind was just as strong, but the swell size had halved, and was no longer dumping heavily. So things kicked off again. Having been knocked out of my first round heat, I got the chance to try again in the repercharge. Only the first placed paddler would go through and get a chance to compete in the second round. I finished second, behind a paddler who wasn't listed as being in my rep, but never mind. That was my competition over.
But with the wind still blowing paddlers all over the beach, and the rain lashing down I was almost relived to be out of the competition, and able to get changed, dry, warm and be able to head off home!
The windsurfers however were loving the conditions, tearing all over the bay, hitting massive aerials off of the waves, boosting straight over close-outs and pulling some totally sick flips!

All Quiet on the 3rider front?

I haven't posted anything in a while, but that doesn't mean I've not been busy! while I haven't managed to get in the surf in about a month I have been Mountain biking several times, canoeing once and trying out my new squirt boat lots! But the big problem is I haven't really taken any pictures to blog. I've either been too busy riding my bike to be snapping pics, or forgetting my camera, or, unfortunately squirt boating isn't exactly photogenic! But here is a few pics that I have managed to get.

Louise ripping the trails at Nant-y-airan in mid Wales. go there it rocks!

Cath, trying out her new Mad River Reflection 15

Paddling on Exeter canal.

Me Squirting at the Pots.

This weeks surf

I managed to get upto Saunton this week for some surf action. This week has been amazing, weather wise, and so I enjoyed a day of great 2-3ft surf with perfect off shores, and blazing sunshine! What a treat.

Clean lines, off shore wind and sunshine, pure bliss!

When the tide goes out you can't help but enjoy the wide views on the flat beach!

Another great set

My latest new toy

For years I've wanted a squirt boat, after trying one out in the warm waters of the south of France. For those that don't know about squirt boats, here's a quick run down. Squirt boats are generally made to measure, with just enough volume to be neutrally buoyant when on the water. This means that they are fairly easy to do flat water tricks like cartwheels and pirouettes, but they can also be used to tap into all the energy in eddy lines to make what are known as mystery moves, where the entire kayak disappears underwater. About 8 years ago I had an enigma plastic squirt boat, but it wasn't the real thing, and I didn't use it much, so I sold it. A few chances to get a real squirt boat have passed me by, but I never took them. I first came across this boat about five years ago, when it had been lent to a friend, and I found it fitted me perfectly. But the owner wanted it back and off it went.

My new Bigfoot squirt boat

Then I got a message from my friend Small Robin telling me that there might be a squirt boat available, and when he told me where it was I realised that it was the boat I had tried 5 years before! When I contacted the owner he said he was happy to give it away if it meant that it was being used! So my Squirt Karma is off to a good start. Now I just need the clocks to change and the river Exe to drop so I can start some after work squirt paddling!

Me, five years ago Squirting at RDCP

Harlyn Surf action

I managed to score some more Cornish surf gold this week. With a stiff looking southerly wind I headed to Harlyn to find some clean waves. Once again my efforts were rewarded. I arrived right around low tide, when the waves at Harlyn never look quite as good as they can. So I unpacked the Big Camera and Long lens and tried my best to take some good photos. I got some half decent results.

A small wave throws a lip



As I watched the surf started to get bigger, and the wind stronger, so I headed back to the van, got geared up and hit the water. The waves were classic Harlyn, jacking up fast, going hollow, and then racing away lightning fast, sectioning, or just closing out, all in water about three feet deep!

Another grinding hollow Harlyn wave


The waves kept me on my toes, and while I got my Arse handed to me a couple of times, I also got a couple of really good rides. It was also good to test out my new fins. For years I have just been using cheap plastic fins, that break regularly and flex all over the place. So I finally splashed out and got some good Glass fins. I really noticed the difference, they gave me loads more drive, and grip, which was good when I needed to gun along a wave to out run the section!

The mighty Rush 7'2", and my new fins

First and Last Loop paddle

Last weekend I managed to get a first and last Dart loop paddle in. It wasn't my first Loop run this season, but it was Bens first Loop run ever. Ben is only Nine years old, and has been badgering his dad Rog to go and do the Loop for most of the winter. So after lots of practise on the lower Dart, and with water levels low but paddle able we set off.

Ben running a rapid before Triple Drop

So with me taking point, Ben following and Rog sweeping up the pieces we set off into the great unknown! Ben paddled really well, following my line perfectly down the rapids. Ben managed to give Rog and I one little heart stopping moment when he went straight for the only hole on Lovers Leap, but he bounced over the hole and carried on regardless!

Me, having some fun at Lovers Leap

The first problem for Ben came in the shape of the first drop of Triple Drop. Unfortunately a slight miss understanding about the line lead Ben to drop straight into the middle of the hole. A quick spot of un-intended rodeo action lead to a quick swim. But after emptying the boat Ben ran the rest of Triple drop without a hitch.

Rog and Ben below Triple Drop

Bens second and final hitch was provided courtesy of The Spin Dryer. Ben took a great diagonal line across the river and was about to punch into the river left eddy, when the spin dryer wave caught him and flipped him in. Another quick swim and Ben was back in his boat to finish off his run.

Passing under Holne Bridge, Ben completes his first Loop Descent

All in all not a bad run for a Nine year old on his first Loop trip. I was certainly impressed, and so was Rog, and Ben realised why Dad had been putting off the trip for so long! Ben can almost roll in a pool at the moment, so with the summer to practise he may well make a few more Loop trips next season!

Cross border surf raid

I headed out for a little cross border surf raid today. I made the drive to my favourite little Cornish surf break. There is something I always find exciting about heading to Cornwall for some surf. Is it that the waves are always better, the sea always blue, and at my favourite spot always empty? I don't know, but once again my effort was rewarded. I had the waves all to myself, the water was indeed blue, and the waves were clean, steep and fast.

The mighty Rush 7'2" at my favourite Cornish surf spot

The waves were generally around 3-4ft but there were regular rouge sets of about 6ft to keep me on my toes. I had an interesting time punching through a couple of sets, that do or die moment when you don't quite know if your going to make it over the wave, or if the lip is going to land on your head!

A mid sized set peeling its way across the beach

After about 2 1/2hrs of shredding it all on my own, the tide was getting to the point where the surf gets a bit 'weird'. So I said my thank yous to the gods of surfing, and headed home, happy but exhausted.

Possibly the smallest surf ever?

On Sunday I agreed to go for a surf at Sidmouth with Mitch, the boss at AS Watersports. The forecast looked favourable, but on arrival at the beach the waves that we found were tiny. But the weather was fantastic, blue skies, sunshine and warm. So after a stroll into town to get a quick bite to eat, I got geared up and got in the water. The waves may have only been a foot high, or less, but it was too nice a day not to get in and have a splash about. We also got to watch the local RLNI crew practising their boat to helicopter hand overs.

Mitch on a clean but tiny wave

The helicopter comes in low for another practise run

Me enjoying the sunshine

A Mafia afternoon

Ewart, Sam and myself had a quick session at the mighty Mafia trails the other week, and extended the start of the Dual track, but also found that a couple of trees had fallen and blocked a number of the other trails. Ewart and friends were up there yesterday and cleared all of the trails, and tidied up our new dual track extension.
So a few of us headed to the trails today to have some fun on the dual track. The new extension to the dual track adds a new start ramp, pump bump and berm and means that you can rack up some real speed into the middle of the course.
The weather was great and so was the riding. Here's a few pictures I managed to grab along the way.

Big Dave tests out the new berm

Tom K, and Dave flying into the second berm

Dave over the Tabletop

Sam gets some air

Some 'Lost' pictures

When I plugged the memory card from my cameras into the computer today I found some pictures that had been there for quite a while. But I thought I'd blog a couple of them anyway because they were nice looking pictures.

A snowy view over Exeter during our week of snow

Jemma and I getting on the Dart, when Mitch let us out of work for a quick paddle.

7'2" in the surf

I finally managed to get my hands on the Valley Rush 7'2" surf kayak and some surf today. When I got in the water the conditions were great, a couple of foot and clean, not a breath of wind and as if that wasn't enough there were only two other guys out back. Result!





My first impressions of the boat were good. It paddled well and was comfy, but when I got it on a wave it was awesome! Being shorter than other kayaks and ski's than I've paddled I noticed that it was a bit harder to get onto waves sometimes, I had to wait till they were steeper and a bit more critical, but once going it was something else. Being shorter and wider in the tail than it's Rush stable mates, it felt looser and slashier, far more like my waveski.







When making cutbacks it drove really well, but was loose enough that you could just feel it drifting through the turns. But when it got back into the pocket the acceleration was great, firing you back down the line ready to cutback again!






But good things never last, all of a sudden the wind picked up, starting off cross shore, but soon becoming on shore. What had been great peeling waves suddenly became a big frothy foaming mess. After spend too much time and far to much energy battling through the whitewater and not enough time on the waves I decided to call it quits. The surf may have turned a bit messy but my impression of the Rush 7'2" remains perfectly clear, a great comfortable boat, easy to paddle and on a wave awesome, it drove hard when I wanted it, but slid, slashed and carved with ease when asked.

It really is the first surf kayak that performs more like my ski, and the first surf kayak that makes me really want to own one! I love my ski, but at this time of year being out in the cold on the ski is horrid. I think I may well be ordering one very soon.