Sunday Saunton Surf

After what seems like ages without being in the surf, I got to Saunton on Sunday afternoon. I managed to get the afternoon pushing tide, after the worst of the crowds had gone home, and I managed to get some reasonably clean solid 4ft swell.
I also tried out my new Circle One Noir 3mm zipless summer wetsuit. My old summer 'suit was truly on it's last legs, with multiple repairs it was really starting to look it's age. My new suit is super comfy as well as super stretchy. The zipless entry is really easy to get in and out of, and despite getting a couple of good beat downs, it remained really dry, I didn't get any 'flushing' at all.

Hacking into a decent sized wave

Driving through a turn

Another good wave

Getting some air on the way out back

South Coast Fish Fest

I've been out on the water along the South Coast a couple of times this week doing a spot of Kayak Fishing. On Friday night Ewart and I went down to Seaton on the Jurassic Coast. I didn't manage to get any pictures that time, we were too busy fishing, and it got too dark too quickly! However we headed home with enough Mackerel for a fish supper.

And then today Ewart and I went out again at Teignmouth. We flogged away for hours and hours, but only managed to get a meager trio of Mackerel. However Ewart caught the biggest Mackerel I've ever seen! But on the up side the sun was shining and the weather was great!

Launching from the beach at Teignmouth

Ewart and his monster mackerel

Sunshine and paddling, it's not all bad!

Ewart and our massive Mackerel haul!

Another weekly round up

Another hectic week here, results in another weekly round up from the ongoing shenanigans of 3Rider.

Last weekend a nice day out at the beach, fun snorkeling, lumpy surf and a relaxing afternoon!

Lots of rain on Wednesday led to a fun quick trip down the Dart Loop with Andy and Ewart. Ewarts first time on moving water since his shoulder Op.

And Thursday night saw the 'Tour event' road cycling race in Exeter. 50 Pro road riders tearing round a 1.5km road circuit in the middle of Exeter for an hour.

Large and lumpy surf at my favourite Cornish spot

Getting on the dart loop on Wednesday

Andy having fun at Triple play wave

me, in a Liquid Logic Biscuit at Triple

Riders flying through the first corner out of the high street

And tearing down the hill at almost 40mph

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