Sea Kayaking - Wales in May -Strumble Head.

Wherever I go for a chosen trip, there will be a 'Prime Target' to try and do. If I go to Anglesey, it will be either The Stacks or The Skerries. Cornwall, it would be Land's End, or Cape Cornwall, North Scotland it would be Duncansby Head, or Cape Wrath, etc. On any trip to Mid-Wales, it would most definitely be Strumble Head. Is it the wildness, the towering cliffs, the strong tides, the exposure, the sheer challenge?......All of the above. The sheer inaccessibility is the first hurdle. The easiest launch is actually from Goodwick/Fishguard, that is easy, free parking and an approx 6 mile trip to the lighthouse, going direct and not exploring any bays, features. But a much more interesting way is from Abercastle. A direct paddle to the lighthouse would be approx. 5.5 miles, but parking at Abecastle is VERY limited, and there is a £1 charge to launch a kayak, but there is a (usually) very excellent working toilet, well stocked with shit ticket in that price! It would be possible to launch at Aber Mawr, but there is a stile to negotiate, and the beach is steep shingle that often has very awkward dumping surf on it, plus it has very limited parking also. By far the best option is from Abercastle. The toilet is very handy of course, the place is lovely, but more than all that, the scenery en-route is as good as it gets. I have actually done this trip twice before, once about halfway to the lighthouse 2009, and in Sept 2014 I managed to get right up to the Lighthouse, but it was terrible day, and I didn't think the footage good enough to upload. This trip is most definitely one the best in Wales, probably in the top 5, it is a fantastic paddle, with so much, in fact too much too see in one day. I haven't done the trip from the Lighthouse to Fishguard, but I'm pretty sure it's not a patch on this trip, I don't think you can get the full effect from this video due to the fog. There are tantalising glimpses though, especially at Pwll Deri. Paddle no. 2 of 2018 and it was a classic, and there is much, much more to come.

[@scumminguk]

Simply awesome. You said. Your camera work didn't show the spectical, I disagree. Simply awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheKayakCrew]

Great video, I live in SW Wales and the sea kayaking on the west coast is superb. What cameras did you use for you kayaking videos? Cheers

[@GBPaddling]

Hi Gareth, I use a Panasonic SD90 and a Gopro 3. Considered a 4k camera, but it really is a great example of the law of diminishing returns. And the file sizes are humongous. The SD90 will take some beating, I have 3, as they are now deleted, and will get harder to obtain as time passes.

[@TheKayakCrew]

@@GBPaddling Thanks, you got some great footage. I guess you mounted your Gopro on the kayak for much of the footage? It looks quite steady. The SD90 looks like a good camera. I'm just about to get a gopro myself and hope to get some kayaking footage done this summer.

[@2live4]

Your videos always inspire me! Last year I went kayaking in The bay of Fundy, in Nova Scotia in search similar surroundings. My dream is to kayak some of those FANATASTIC locations in the UK. I enjoyed the symphonic musical touches while in the fog. Don't stop making these! Greetings from Canada.

[@tonymac5473]

Hi just wondering are you still getting out, we haven't seen you

[@hikinguphigh]

Really enjoying your videos at the moment. Will you be doing anymore?

[@iviewthetube]

Nice video. It must be a fun challenge navigating in the fog. Also, @7:00 did the pfd come with any warnings which said that too much jerking may lead to blindness?

[@GBPaddling]

Beef jerky leads to blindness eh? ha ha. It's really eerie out there, all your senses get altered, can hear sinister muffled sounds and start to see things in the mist. Glad I wasn't too far away from safety, it was a really memorable experience.

[@jimih8539]

Hi mate , you ok? Hope your coming back to Anglesey at some point ?

[@jacobtaylor4258]

i take it from the accents your from my neck of the woods bolton, so could you recommend a club nearby where i can learn to kayak, also i am 60 yrs old and slightly overweight, would you recommend me starting at my age, and also what make of kayak to look for. thanks for a great film i really enjoyed the watch.

[@GBPaddling]

Hi Jacob............Don't associate me with that shithole Bolton..............ha ha. Only kiddin', I'm just t'other side of Leigh, home of Lobbygobblers, or a bit further on than Cowyed City if you like. I have never done the Club thing, did it whilst I was Scuba diving, many moons ago, and it's just not for me. Freedom is paramount to me, being in a Club is very restrictive. It does have benefits, absolutely no doubt about it, but I much prefer small groups or being solo. I don't really know any Clubs in our locality, so I guess a Google search is required, or you could get 1 on 1 lessons? That would speed up the process considerably, try James Stevenson on Anglesey, he is very good, taught Matt in his early tentative days.

[@GBPaddling]

www.adventureelements.com/ That's James' outfit, no idea about any prices, but Matt rated him very highly.

[@lynnB3159]

You did a top job of capturing the coast from Abercastle to Strumble beautifully .

[@pawelkayaking4278]

Great work :) Nice film :) Wales is pretty

[@0777cnut]

Because of your vids , i did Lands end last September , absolutely loved it , wanted to get out to longships , but was on my own so bottled it , few locals put me off , but round lands end was a joy , hope to do it again but live Blackpool it a bit of a treck , wales looks good great vid :)

[@GBPaddling]

Good stuff, if the winds are light and the tide is a neap, Land's End and the Longships is a lot easier than you think. I did it with Mark, and he lives in Mousehole, and has listened to Fishermen's tales of doom at the Longships, 9 tides meet there and all that. We went out there and I could sense he was very apprehensive, but I eased his worries by saying that we'll give it a go, and if it looks at all dodgy we'll head back. That is about all we can do in the UK with the way things are. The day turned out fabulous, and Mark was overjoyed that he finally got out to The Longships. There off Land's End, there are tides, wind and swell to consider, each time I've done it it has been a doddle for the most part, except the very last paddle when I misjudged the strength of the tide near Gwennap Head. Some days I just KNOW it's going to be fine, others not, but whatever happens, caution is uppermost, these great places will still be there next time you visit, and a lot of the times we just have to accept that on a particular day it will simply not be possible to execute our plans. This are of Wales is actually a dead ringer for North Cornwall, and these are 2 of my favourite areas to paddle.

[@faraway2686]

Fantastic filming as usual mate 👏👏👏👏👍

[@GBPaddling]

Thanks mate, I'm always trying to keep a steady hand, but excitement gets the better of me at times, ha ha.

[@tussk.]

Getting my new yak tomorrow. Im in a small flat, less than a mile from Lomond, so Ive opted for a Z-Pro Tango TA-300 inflatable due to space issues. maybe see you out on the water if youre up this way in the summer.

[@GBPaddling]

Good stuff, I had an Advanced Elements inflatable, and it was very good indeed, but you must be made aware that they are much more at the mercy of the wind, and you will need to exercise extreme caution, the wind can quite feasibly prevent you from getting back to safety. I most certainly do hope to be up there this summer, when the weather is good, there is absolutely nowhere to compare. Just missed this fantastic weather window due to MANFLU.......oh my God the headaches, just eased off today as the weather took a downturn...........typical, I will be fit as a fiddle, but the weather will be excrement again..........

[@tussk.]

@@GBPaddling yeah, I know the risks. Ive owned a few inflatables before, mainly sevylor, and have fallen foul of high winds more than once, although the one time I got caught on lomond was nearly the end of me. never seen the likes of it on a stillwater before or since. Im hoping to get out on saturday or sunday, so I will be sure to gloat as much as possible.

[@alexdobie7382]

Well done for keeping 'cool' on the way back because with the clock running down and not able to see land, I would have panicked and made the situation worse.

[@GBPaddling]

Thanks Alex, I was never that far away from shore, and it was a wonderful, eerie experience out there, I could hear the odd wave, cow and tractor in the distance indicating direction of the coast, it is a lot harder than you think out there though, would have been a lot more worrying without the GPS, and at the back of your mind there is always the worry that the GPS could fail for whatever reason!

[@stewartmcgrath1831]

Wow! I think this is my favourite of the Welsh coastline I have seen from you yet. I have to get there this summer weather gods permitting. I'm dying to see that cove at 12:40 Glad you managed to get your brew without having to duck and cover! Safe Paddles Frank 👍

[@GBPaddling]

Between Strumble Head, and Abereiddy, there are countless little coves like that Stew. It is a gem of a place. Beyond Strumble towards Fishguard, landing is a lot harder, I THINK there are one or two places, haven't done that stretch yet. I keep planning an overnighter from Fishguard Lower Town to Abercastle and back, or vise versa. Remember take great care near the brown crumbly rock, in fact ANY of the rocks, it can all be very dodgy at times. There was big rockfall behind me in the first of the Cornwall videos coming up at Ladram Bay. Absolutely put the fear of God right through me, one of those few seconds were you think you are about to die.

[@stewartmcgrath1831]

@@GBPaddling Thanks for the advice I will definitely be aware of that. Cheers

[@MsDeepblue2]

Another cracking video Frank! We had a paddle around Abercastle harbour last summer (short of time so didn't go far) and there are loads of caves to explore even there!

[@GBPaddling]

It really is special, head out and paddle either way and you are in the most fabulous scenery from the word go. Porthgain is wonderful also, and if it's calm and there are 2 of you, a launch at Trefin is also highly recommended.

[@MsDeepblue2]

@@GBPaddling we know Trefin well - stay there every year! 😁

[@spaacesinthewind]

holly shit that end shot !

[@bish1121]

What a day Frank what a day. & the day's end was just magic 👍.

[@GBPaddling]

These are the best kind of days for me, a bit of mist and fog adds to the atmosphere I think. What a pleasant change from wind and rain eh?

[@TheAncientBiker]

Fabulous video Frank, one of your best.

[@GBPaddling]

No higher praise than that Richard, I feel honoured.

[@billcotton1551]

Frank ,these get better and better! Thank you for posting!

[@GBPaddling]

Thanks Bill, it's all down to the conditions on the day, and the Summer of 2018 was exceptional. Got many more videos in some of the best conditions I've ever had in the UK.

[@andreasblohm9173]

Wonderful pictures the light in the fog.

[@GBPaddling]

I absolutely love days like this, the ever changing light, and the way the fog alters sound in very unpredictable ways. The only downside is, you don't get to see the full majesty of the towering cliffs.

[@russelldavis7108]

A...mazing Frank! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@GBPaddling]

Enough about me, what about the trip.........ha ha.

[@kayakkingsuk9950]

Nice video pal.

[@GBPaddling]

Thanks mate, you have great taste, ha ha. Got lot's more to come from the best Summer ever I reckon.

[@kayakkingsuk9950]

@@GBPaddling cool I'll look forward to watching them. 👍 I just started a KZbin channel. Take a look pal. The videos on mine wasn't made for youtube but my new ones will be.

[@eirianjones5993]

Another great video Frank. A wonderful moody and atmospheric trip I would say!! 😃

[@GBPaddling]

Thanks Eirian, it's not easy to do this trip at any time of the year, it felt, and indeed was, a very special treat.