My first introduction to Sea Kayaking
Written by Adrian Svensson
It was a sunny June morning and the Sea Kayak Academy, based at New Holmus Farm just outside of Letterston in Pembrokeshire, was the chosen venue for my first venture into sea kayaking. Whilst I have been kayaking a sit-on-top for a couple of years on local rivers and occasional short sea trips, I had never been in a closed cockpit/sea kayak. I wanted to start with no preconceptions of my ability so the course I had booked was the “Sea Kayaking Beginners Course”.
I arrived early and having made my way down the winding track to their headquarters I was greeted with a warm and friendly welcome from Amy, who would be our instructor for the day. The other participant on the course arrived shortly afterwards and we assembled in the dedicated classroom area. After introductions and a brief overview of our previous paddling experience and expectations for the day, Amy talked us through the various elements of trip planning engagingly and interactively. Being based near the St. David’s peninsula, with North, South and West facing coast, there is always a variety of venues available to choose from within a reasonable distance to suit the prevailing weather conditions. Using various resources available for tide and weather conditions, we soon determined a safe venue to launch from and had a plan for our day’s trip.
All the equipment required for a safe comfortable day on the water is included in the day’s package, including top-quality clothing, PFD, helmet, kayak and paddle, but they also allow individuals to use their own gear if preferred. I chose to use my own clothing so only needed to borrow a spraydeck, kayak and paddle.
A selection of P&H Kayaks make up the majority of their fleet, and the variety of models available cover a wide range of paddler sizes. Being 6ft 3in tall and 100kg I was given a Leo HV model, which after a few minor adjustments fitted me well, the paddle was a top quality adjustable carbon fibre Segla Taikiu. With the kayaks safely loaded onto the vehicle and all the other equipment packed in the boot, we were soon on our way to the chosen launch venue at the pretty little harbour of Porthclais, which was approximately 30-minute drive away.
On arriving at Porthclais, we stopped at the slipway to unload the kayaks, before parking up and getting changed into our paddling gear. A short safety briefing from Amy was followed by a demonstration of how to use the spray deck and how to get out of the kayak should we need to make a wet exit. After a couple of dummy runs to show we were comfortable with the process, we were ready to get into the kayaks for real. With a few initial wobbles along the way, we were soon settled down with spraydecks in place, ready to begin our day’s adventure on the water.
Conditions were calm as we exited the harbour wall, and the glorious Pembrokeshire coastline offered protection from the light northerly wind. First up was a short session on basic paddling strokes and how to move the kayak forward and backward, as well as how to efficiently turn the kayak using sweep strokes. We practised what we had been shown before heading East in the direction of Solva, where we were soon enjoying the rugged coastline and following Amy safely negotiating rocks protruding from the water. The coastline around Pembrokeshire is stunning and is renowned for offering some of the best sea kayaking opportunities in the world, and it’s easy to see why. Once on the water, you see many aspects of the coast that cannot be viewed from land, and some of the rock formations are truly amazing. You can see how the massive geological forces shaped the rock millions of years ago.
Stopping at a bay near St Non’s, we were given a few more paddling strokes to try and we had the concept of “edging” explained to us. Edging is where you offset your weight in the kayak to change how the hull sits in the water to help turn the kayak more effectively. A very useful skill in manoeuvring the kayak, but not the easiest to master without fear of falling in.
Using the skills and techniques we had been shown, and with confidence building, as the day went on, we continued to explore the rocks and made our way along the coast, spotting lots of local birdlife. There are many caves along the way, some of which we were able to explore safely, but others are only accessible at certain stages of the tide. One particular cave enabled us to enter from one direction and exit through a narrow passage further down. A few minutes later with the tide dropping and there wouldn’t have been enough water in it for us to negotiate.
Continuing along the coast, we headed towards the small secluded rocky bay at Nine Wells, where we landed and stopped for lunch and a much-needed stretch.
Once lunch had been digested, we donned our spraydecks climbed back into the kayaks and launched ready for the paddle back to Porthclais. With the tide still dropping there were many different rock formations being exposed to explore and negotiate. The water was crystal clear, and with the sun shining down the kelp growing on and around the rock was clearly visible and a joy to see. Several different types of jellyfish were also spotted along the way.
Arriving back at Porthclais, pretty much at low tide, we had to get out of the kayaks just outside the harbour wall due to lack of water and walk a short distance pulling the kayaks with us, to a point where the car could be driven down to load up. Once changed out of our kayaking gear and with the car loaded up, we were on our way back to Sea Kayak Academy base.
A thoroughly enjoyable day, and a great first step into sea kayaking. Amy was a fantastic instructor and tailored the day to suit our abilities and confidence improved during the day. I will definitely be back and I’m looking forward to booking a multi-day beginners course to further my sea kayaking journey.
