Issue 146 Spring 2021 £2.50
ceufadKAYAK CYLCHGRAWN CANŴ CYMRU JOURNAL OF CANOE WALES
Q&A BETHAN LITTLEWOOD
BRIDGEND CANOE CLUB
SOURCE TO SEA ON SUPS – WYE NOT? FROM DAWN TILL DUSK
DESTINATION WALES: ANGLESEY
RAMSEY ISLAND VICKY BARLOW
editorial
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don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see the first signs of spring. The lengthening days, warming sun and buzzing wildlife are very, very welcome, even though we are still in lockdown. It’s a breath of fresh air after a suffocating winter. I’m daring to think about paddling trips, probably local to start with, however, I’d be happy paddling in Llandudno lido at the moment. Which got me thinking about some of my favourite trips, one of which is Ramsey Island. I’ve only paddled there once but it was spectacular; perfect conditions, stunning coastline, and so much wildlife, including one of my favourites – puffins. Hopefully this year we’ll be able to get out and about on the waters of Wales and enjoy some boat and board-based adventures. Which is one of the reasons why CW have launched their annual photo competition. It’s running from March till October and is a celebration of paddlesport in Wales. And there are some great prizes – check out the back cover for details. See you on the water soon … ? Vicky Barlow Editor ceufad@canoewales.com
Ceufad Ed Ceufad
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@Ceufad
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Ceufad is the official magazine of Canoe Wales. It is produced by members & the views expressed are not necessarily those of Canoe Wales or the magazine’s editor. Ceufad is free to members of Canoe Wales. SUBSCRIPTIONS are available to non-members for £10 for 4 issues from Canoe Wales. ADVERTISING For advertising rates contact Vicky on: ceufad@canoewales.com SUBMISSIONS Articles are always welcomed & should be submitted as Word files, however, typed articles are also accepted. Images can be prints or tiff/jpeg/RAW files (preferably 300ppi). These will be returned. CONTACT ceufad@canoewales.com – 01678 521199 Ceufad, National White Water Centre, Bala LL23 7NU Ceufad is produced quarterly in Spring (March), Summer (June), Autumn (Sept) and Winter (Dec). NEXT ISSUE: SUMMER DEADLINE: 1ST MAY Ceufad welcomes all contributions but reserves the right to edit & condense to fill the space available. Design & layout: Vicky Barlow www.victoriabarlow.co.uk
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Canoe Wales News
Info and updates from Canoe Wales
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In the Flow
Paddlesport news and reviews
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Q&A Bethan Littlewood
Chatting with the CW Paddler of the Year
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The Passing of a Legend
A tribute to Dave Ayres
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Source to Sea on SUPs - Wye Not?
Paddling the length of the Wye ...
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Paddleboarding Training & Awards
Take your paddleboarding to the next level
CONTENTS
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Paddlesport Stories
The positive impact of paddlesport
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Destination Wales: Anglesey
Two classic coastal trips
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Club Profile
Bridgend Canoe Club
30 Club News
Updates and guides for CW clubs
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From Dawn till Dusk
Circumnavigation of Holy Island
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Sam Bryant
Profile of a Welsh Slalom paddler
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George Abbott
Profile of a Welsh Slalom paddler
COVER
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RICHARD RENDALL
RIVER WYE
JOHN BREEN
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CANOE WALES – OUR TEAM Alistair Dickson CEO MEMBER SERVICES TEAM Paul Marshall Coaching Manager (Consultant) Gayle Penn Development Officer Rhys Green Development Officer Val Ephraim Administrative Officer Jen Rigby Membership and Communications Officer Ellen Roberts Finance Officer Phil Stone Places to Paddle Manager PERFORMANCE TEAM Dan Golder Performance Manager Jonathan Davies Talent Pathway Officer (North) Serena Williams Talent Pathway Officer (South) Lydia Wilford Talent Pathway Officer (South) Gareth Bryant Talent Pathway Officer (West) Tom Power Head Coach (Slalom) Dan Goddard Performance Coach (Slalom) DIRECTORS Kerry Chown Andy Booth David Wakeling Elsa Davies Lowri Davies Ian Hughes Jet Moore Eryl Richards Mary Taylor Ieuan Watkins
Chair Finance Director
CONTACT CANOE WALES www.canoewales.com admin@canoewales.com 01678 521 199 National White Water Centre, Frongoch, Bala, Gwynedd, LL23 7NU
@canoewales
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ALISTAIR DICKSON APPOINTED AS CEO Canoe Wales is excited to announce the appointment of Alistair Dickson to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Alistair will start his new role in March. Growing up in Llandudno, North Wales, Alistair worked as a senior instructor at the National Outdoor Centre, Plas Menai, before pursuing a career as an officer in the British Army. More latterly, he has spent 8 years at the RYA as High Performance Manager & Interim CEO for RYA Cymru Wales, and Director of Sport Development at RYA HQ. During his time as Director of Sport Development, Alistair was credited with supporting the development and modernisation of the large network of clubs and training centres in line with the findings of the British Marine Futures Project – a joint initiative looking at the future customer of the UK leisure boating and watersports industry. He also led on national volunteer development projects and pioneering research which highlighted the power of outdoor activities like sailing in developing essential character attributes in young people. Alistair's impact at the RYA meant he was put forward on the UK Sport Future Leaders’ Programme amongst some of the best leaders within sport in Great Britain. After a brief time in post as Performance Manager at Canoe Wales, the opportunity arose to apply for the role of CEO, and after a demanding interview process he was successful in his application. Alistair has this to say about his new appointment: “I’m really delighted to be appointed CEO of Canoe Wales. I’ve been involved in watersports my whole life and I am passionate about the positive impact they have on people’s lives. My focus as CEO is to build on the great work the team here has done over the past few years and to further develop the communication and engagement Canoe Wales has with its stakeholders and the paddlesports community. Having been responsible for analysing watersports participation statistics at the RYA, I am acutely aware of the opportunities and the growing nature of paddlesports. I’ll be leading the organisation’s transition out of COVID-19 whilst ensuring we capitalise on the many opportunities that paddlesports offer at a time like this when people are desperate to get outdoors and enjoy the amazing opportunities we have for outdoor sports here in Wales. From a personal perspective, I’ll be looking to get involved in as much paddling as possible once conditions allow. I’ll also be ensuring I use every opportunity to engage and meet with as many of you as possible and hear how you think paddlesports should be developed here in Wales.” Kerry Chown, Chair of the Board of Directors, commented: "I am delighted that Canoe Wales has been able to secure such a high calibre person to be its new Chief Executive. The Board undertook a very rigorous recruitment process, which has delivered a great result. We look forward to working with Alistair over the coming weeks and months, and delivering great success for paddlesport in Wales, as we start to come out of the COVID-19 period." While Canoe Wales’ event programme for 2021 is still being finalised, Alistair will be at our Annual General Meeting in the Autumn so our members will have a chance to meet him there - though we hope that many of you will have the opportunity to meet or talk with Alistair well before then. If you would like to make contact in the meantime, you can reach him on alistair.dickson@canoewales.com
NEW AWARDS NOW AVAILABLE BRITISH CANOEING LEADERSHIP AND RAFT GUIDE AWARDS The new awards aim to create more opportunities for people to paddle by increasing the number of qualified leaders. The awards suite aligns to the British Canoeing Educational Philosophy and supports leaders and raft guides to run safe, quality, enjoyable trips, based on their group’s needs and aspirations. The awards are ideal for clubs, centres and activity providers looking to lead groups on single or mixed craft journeys, from sheltered water to advanced water. SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES There are a range of NEW resources available to support you in your development as a Leader or Raft Guide, as well as resources to support your trips and journeys: » The NEW Leader and Raft Guide Self-Analysis tool aids you in identifying specific areas of development, so you can plan your own unique learning and development journey based on your responses. » Whether you’re driving 20 miles down the road to a new location or planning an overseas expedition, the NEW Leading in Unfamiliar Environments eLearning will provide top tips and considerations. » The guidance for leading mixed craft is ideal if you’re looking to become a Paddlesport Leader or Paddlesport Touring Leader. » A selection of resources to support your leadership decision making when considering using weirs. » A revised and revamped digital logbook is available to download so you can record your experience, forming a diary to capture and reflect. This will support you in your progress towards assessment. This can also be used as a development record for qualified leaders. » The Raft Guide video playlist is ideal for anyone on their journey to become a Stadium Raft Guide, Raft Guide or River Trip Leader. Read more about the NEW awards:www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/new-leadership-awards/
PRIDE SPORTS FESTIVE 5K CW PADDLERS COMPLETE PRIDE SPORTS 5K On Sunday 13th December 2020, teams of Canoe Wales paddlers set out in Christmas fancy dress for a very soggy paddle as part of the first ever Pride Sports Festive 5K that took place all over the UK. Pride Sports is a UK LGBTIQ+ sports development and inclusion organisation whose aims are to challenge homophobia in sport and improve access to support for LGBTQ+ people and work with National Governing Bodies, County Sports Partnerships, Local Authorities and grass roots clubs to achieve this. Each paddler registered online and paid a £10 entry fee which provided Pride Sports’ nominated charity; ‘Gendered Intelligence’ with much needed funds to help towards improving the lives of trans people in the UK and who specialise in supporting young trans, including non-binary people and provided each participant with an event completion medal. The Canoe Wales teams were: Team Teifi 1 – Clare Rutter (SUP), Mer Taylor, (canoe) Tracey Huggins (kayak) and Liz Howell (kayak). This team paddled the River Teifi from Llechryd to the Teifi Marshes. Team Teifi 1 also set up an online fundraiser and in addition to their entry fees, raised a further £227.77. Team Teifi 2 – Michelle Lee, Sarah Davies and Leanne Bird (all on SUPs). This team also paddled the river Teifi from Llechryd to the Teifi Marshes. Team Taff – David Pugh (CW Equality Steering Group) and Isabela Breton (both on SUP) This team paddled on the River Taff. Team Padarn – Cat James, Jane Gallop, Claire Turner and Jo Morgan. Unfortunately, the weather was too bad for paddling at Llyn Padarn so they walked their 5K there instead. Despite the typically British wet and windy day, the teams are looking forward to the next one! More information on the work of Pride Sports can be found at www.pridesports.co.uk and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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WATERWAYS & ENVIRONMENT UPDATE GETTING BACK ON THE WATER 12 months ago I certainly didn’t anticipate putting this message out for the second time. After such a strange year I’m beginning to forget what normality is. Hopefully, by the time you get to read this, lockdown will have eased and you’ve found ways of getting back on the water. Our rivers have not been so quiet as they have over the last 12 months for many years, if ever in living memory. Things will not look that different as we get back on the water. Access and egress points may have become a bit overgrown, parking places may not be so easy to spot, but on the water, things will be pretty much the same, to us. However, things will be quite different for the wildlife. For rivers that are regularly paddled, the wildlife becomes habituated to some extent and co-exists perfectly with us. Following this extended break from the water, there is going to be a whole generation of wildlife that has had very little human interaction and is coming into the main breeding season. We need to be extra mindful of the environment we’re in this year. Let’s be discreet and efficient in our access and egress. Like the wildlife, residents and small communities have got used to not seeing people on the river. Keep the groups on the water small and manageable; keep the noise and visual intrusion to minimum. If you see any wildlife, try not to startle it; give it time and space to see you and move away. Be aware of other river users; they too have been without their chosen recreation for much of the last year. Give them a chance to see you, ask them which side of the river they would like you to pass them on, avoid any confrontation. Let’s get back to enjoying our rivers - have fun and stay safe. Phil Stone Places to Paddle Manager
CLEAR ACCESS CLEAR WATERS - PETITION WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING WITH THE ACCESS CAMPAIGN? In Wales it is the Welsh Government that we need to influence to get a change in access legislation. To do this Canoe Wales and British Canoeing developed the Clear Access Clear Waters petition page, which so far has received over 10,000 signatures. And we need more - only 570 are from Wales at present. It's not just about the petition; when you add your signature you can also send an email to your constituent Member of the Senedd (MS) with a letter that you can personalise. Let’s make our MS’s aware of the Clear Access Clear Waters campaign and let them know that we want fair, shared sustainable access to our waterways. Log on and sign up, it’ll only take a couple of minutes. It’s important that we get our names behind this. https://clearaccessclearwaters.org.uk/petition/
DŴR CYMRU RESERVOIR DEVELOPMENTS PLANS TO ALLOW PADDLESPORT! The developments at the Swiss Valley reservoir in Carmarthenshire and Lower Lliw reservoir in Swansea have been given a boost with an ‘Access to Water’ grant from Welsh Government. Dŵr Cymru, Natural Resources Wales, Llanelli Rural Council, Swansea Council & Canoe Wales secured the ‘Access to Water’ grant.The funding will realise plans to bring a range of paddlesports to the reservoirs, including stand-up paddle boarding, canoeing and kayaking. It will also enable bank angling through the creation of recreational zones. A range of improvements to the surrounding infrastructure are also planned, including wash down facilities for biosecurity and pontoons that allows easy access to water for people of all abilities. Paths are being upgraded and extended at Lliw reservoirs; and toilet facilities refurbished at Swiss Valley. The ‘Access to Water’ funding is an important milestone in achieving shared ambitions for the sites. To support the funding application for Swiss Valley, Llanelli Rural Council conducted a survey of local canoe clubs, outdoor activity providers and anglers. The survey found a strong demand for access to the water for their activities. The feedback was that this is likely to generate a huge amount of interest from clubs and providers given the ideal geographical location. Check out www.canoewales.com for further updates.
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IN THE FLOW PEMBROKESHIRE MARINE CODE – SEABIRDS IN SPRING Now we’re heading towards spring and a potential easing of lockdown restrictions, there is optimism for clear sunny days to head out on the water. It is also an important time of year for our wildlife, including seabirds, who flock to our coasts to nest from March onwards. Cormorants, gannets, guillemots and the comical puffin, Wales has a diverse array of seabirds. It is important that we look after these special animals, especially during their important breeding season. The Marine Code aims to protect Pembrokeshire’s amazing wildlife by promoting voluntary codes of conduct and seasonal agreed access restrictions. Helping preserve the safety of Pembrokeshire’s stunning wildlife for the enjoyment of everyone. The Pembrokeshire coastline and offshore islands have nationally and internationally important populations of seabirds. Follow the Marine Code advice when out on the water, to help minimise disturbance to our wildlife. There are separate codes of conduct for seabirds, seals and cetaceans along with agreed access restriction maps for specific areas to check before you head out on the water. The Code and maps are available online at www.pembrokeshiremarinecode.org.uk or put them all at your fingertips via the ‘Pembrokeshire Marine Code App’
SEABIRDS CODE OF CONDUCT 1st March to 31st July is a particularly sensitive time as birds come ashore to nest. Sensitive sites include steep cliffs and inlets. The Pembrokeshire coastline and offshore islands have nationally and internationally important populations of seabirds. 1. Plan trips carefully and with respect to agreed site specific access restrictions. They are in place to protect wildlife for future generations. 2. Observe birds’ reactions from a distance. 3. The following bird behaviour indicates preparedness to fly; head craning, head turning, head bobbing, and wing flapping in situ. Do not proceed if you observe this as you will make them fly. 4. Auks (guillemots, razorbills) incubate eggs on their feet. If they fly off ledges in a panic their eggs are dislodged and destroyed. 5. On open water you may encounter rafts of seabirds. Avoid causing disturbance to rafting birds as they may regurgitate food meant for their young/take flight during valuable resting time.
www.pembrokeshiremarinecode.org.uk
REVIEW COACHING ADVENTURE SPORTS THE NEW GO-TO BOOK FOR ADVENTURE SPORTS COACHES
Inside these pages is a clear, user-friendly and detailed guide to Coaching Adventure Sports, whatever your sport or activity is. Written by two highly experienced and qualified coach educators, this book takes a look at the specific challenges faced by coaches and instructors who work in the evolving field of Adventure Sports Coaching.
Coaching Adventure Sports
Coaching Adventure Sports by Dan Wilkinson and Paul Smith has just arrived, and it really does Coaching Adventure Sports deliver on its objective: “to bring together thinking from all the adventure sports disciplines”.
It is full of all the theories you would expect from a book about coaching but they are presented in a way that makes them really easy to understand without being dumbed down and overchapter contains real-lifeso examples of what theory actually like simplified. And it has great practical examples to bringEach things to life, coaches canlooks start to in practice when placed in the dynamic environments adventure sports happen in. Whether you wish to read from start to finish or dip into specific implement the ideas without having to decipher an academic code. chapters to refresh your knowledge and practice, you will find this guide packed with information and insights on such key topics as:
Coaching Adventure Sports Paul Smith & Dan Wilkinson
With chapters ranging from ‘Understanding the Learning Process’ through to ‘Reflective • Coaching for independence • How we learn Practice’ plus everything in-between this is the new go-to book for coaches. And it’s not just Dan • Questioning • Dealing with fear • Creating great coaching relationships and Paul’s thinking and ideas, the book is full of chapters and anecdotes from a whole host of • Reviewing and Action Planning • Developing as a coach other active adventure sports coaches from across a vast range of sports.
Paul Smith & Dan Wilkinson
The book is beautifully laid out with a blend of text, graphics and stunning imagery that make Coaching Adventure Sports is a full colour guide which balances a deep interest this a fantastic resource for all coaches, from the new to the seasoned, who want to refresh in the method and practice of coaching, with a clear format, illustrative diagrams and accessible language. It also includes tasks to help you explore their knowledge. new techniques and ideas. This book is aimed at Coaches at all levels of experience, from those just starting out, to highly experienced practitioners. REVIEW: PETE CATTERALL ISBN: 9781838189204 RRP: £30 ISBN: 978-1-8381892-0-4 Paul Smith & Dan Wilkinson Available direct from: http://bit.ly/coachingadventuresports Ceufad readers get a 10% discount! Use code: canoewales Cover 338 x 234 + 26 spine v2.indd 1
09/11/2020 10:06
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Q&A
Bethan Littlewood
Paddler of the Year 2020
Beth is the CW Paddler of the Year, and at 24yrs she has achieved and overcome a tremendous amount. In 2019 she won gold at the Canoe Polo European Championships, scoring the golden goal in overtime, having already competed in 2 Euro Champs and 3 World Champs. But it all started when she was 7; as a fitness fanatic she joined pretty much every sports club she could, from trampolining to taekwondo. When she was 12 she decided to focus on canoe polo. At 14 she was selected for GB under 21; winning a bronze medal at the Euro Championships in 2011. Her future was looking bright and she was on course for the World Champs when an unexpected diagnosis resulted in emergency hospitalisation, chemotherapy and surgery. Two years later, following months of intensive treatment, she was back competing for Bridgend Sharks and Great Britain, rebuilding her strength and stamina and focusing on the World Championships that had eluded her back in 2012. Ceufad caught up with her between training sessions to find out more …
“I ALWAYS GOT THE MOST ENJOYMENT OUT OF CANOE POLO. THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE SPORT IS INCREDIBLE; TEAMMATES AND OPPONENTS – WE ARE ALL ONE BIG POLO FAMILY.”
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You’ve clearly loved sport from a very young age. What is it that sport gives you? Playing sport and competing gives me a huge sense of enjoyment and belonging. It’s an addiction, I could never get enough of exercise, sport and competition. With all the sports you tried why did you choose to focus on canoe polo? I always got the most enjoyment out of canoe polo. The atmosphere within the sport is incredible; teammates and opponents - we are all one big polo family.
How did it feel being selected for the U21s and competing at the 2011 European Championships? It feels like a lifetime ago now! I remember being super excited. It was in Madrid, the water was crystal blue, the weather was great and the whole experience was just fantastic. Coming home with a bronze medal, I did have my heart set on a gold, like all the other competitors. It just added fuel to my fire of wanting a gold medal even more. In 2012, as well as training for the World Champs, you volunteered at the London Games, working as a Platinum Ambassador. Why did you do this and what did it involve? In the run up to the Olympics I instantly connected with Sport Wales’ vision: “to get every child hooked on sport for life.” I always really appreciated everything sport had to offer. I had already learnt a load of life skills and met the most amazing people at a young age through sport. The opportunity to share that with others was irresistible. I was heavily involved during the lead up to the Olympics; my role was to increase awareness and interest about the forthcoming games. Which included giving presentations to up to 300 pupils at a time, to inspire a generation in sport. I was also inspiring and coaching others to become Ambassadors for Sports Wales.
In the run up to the World Champs you received a life-changing diagnosis, what happened? Two months prior to the World Champs I was diagnosed with stage 3c cancer. As I was only 15 years old I didn’t know what it entailed at the time, so I just asked the doctor kindly if he could remove it in time for my training the next day … 16 months later of treatment and surgeries, followed by regular scans and testing it ended up being 2 years out. A little bit longer than just an overnight stay in hospital I was expecting. The change from training and competing to chemotherapy and surgery must have been monumental (physically and mentally!). How did you manage this? My whole routine completely changed. It was only when the nurse was giving me a tour of the teenage cancer trust ward and explained that on Tuesdays (I didn’t actually catch what happened on Tuesdays, I stopped listening when I realised Tuesday was Tuesdays). This was when I realised that maybe I won’t be flying out to Poland with my team to play in the World Champs. My new routine was: Week 1 – chemotherapy. 5 days of 9-12 hours stuck on a drip, which was only allowed to be pumped through at a certain rate.
Week 2 – tests. A whole range of scans and tests to check the progress of my treatment. From blood tests to organ functions to MRI scans. Week 3 – rest week. This was what made it all bearable. During this week often I would find the energy to do something I enjoyed. Most of the time that something was a nice little drift in my canoe in Bridgend Canoe Clubs beginners’ pool session. Did you have a paddling goal that you focused on throughout your treatment? My long-term goal was always a gold medal. My short-term goal was every three weeks to get in my canoe, that kept me really focused throughout. How was it returning to your club and competing again? I returned to playing polo a lot earlier than the surgeons would have liked. There was a risk of my scars re-opening, so I had to adapt the way I played for a little while, while I regained confidence and felt safe that I wouldn’t hurt myself. Some of the things I adapted were: Using my paddle to control the ball instead of my hands to avoid twisting too much. Played as a goalie in defence and out the back in attack to avoid getting tackled and risk of contact.
“ 2014 WAS BY FAR THE HARDEST CHAMPIONSHIPS I HAVE EVER COMPETED IN. I HAD ONLY RETURNED TO MY FULL TRAINING 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CHAMPS.”
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“IT WAS ONLY WHEN I SCORED AND TURNED AROUND AND MY TEAM WAS GOING CRAZY I REALISED WHAT THAT GOAL REALLY MEANT.”
In 2014 you competed at your first major international; the U21 World Championships in France. How was it? 2014 was by far the hardest championships I have ever competed in. I had only returned to my full training 3 months prior to the champs. The whole week my team and coaches had high expectations for me, I was playing the full time on all games and boy it was hard work! I certainly did not have the preparation I would have liked for the level that was needed and expected. I do not regret going at all, no matter how hard the champs were. I was honoured to be Britain’s flag bearer and the crowd at that competition was one of the best we’ve had, the whole town was transformed for the champs. The experience and lessons learnt from that championships were pivotal in my future as an athlete. You were closing in on a Championship title (2015 Euros – 5th, 2016 Worlds – 6th, 2017 Euros – 4th, 2018 Worlds – 2nd), and were favourites for the 2019 Euros. How was it being the favourites and did you meet expectations? Yes, there was an extreme amount of pressure. I have never been the favourite to win a competition before, I’ve always been the underdog! It always made me chuckle that we were the favourites as out of the top 4 teams, I feel you could have put the names in a hat and any order you pulled out I would have believed possible. Italy, France and
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Germany all had incredible athletes, and all worked great as a team. The Saturday night of that competition was such a strange one; we had just lost to Germany and France that morning (very lucky we had already guaranteed our spot into a semi-final). Sunday, the last day, was heading into a semifinal against France and (assuming a win) a final against Germany. It was a complete mix of nerves and excitement going to bed knowing that when I woke up, we were going to have to play the two teams we just lost against that day. But ultimately I was super-excited as it was JUST two final games between us and my dream of a gold medal. The final against Germany (who beat you in the final at the Worlds …) went to overtime and golden goal. You were awarded a penalty – how was it taking that shot? Honestly, I didn’t feel any pressure whatsoever at that exact moment in time, only because I was so caught up in the moment of the game. All that was in my mind was I just really want the ball to nail the back of the net. I feel the same every time I have the ball in my hand and the goal in front of me. I could have been back at home with our club’s goalie in front of me and I would have felt the same. It was only when I scored and turned around and my team was going crazy I realised what that goal really meant!
Any advice for other athletes? While we are still in the thick of the pandemic, I am super-grateful for my health and fitness. I hope that with everything going on in the world, all athletes should take this experience in their stride. If we can get through the training now when opportunities to train and compete are bleak, the future will always be richer. This experience could be monumental for the future of some athletes. How did it feel being named the Canoe Wales Paddler of the Year?! I am so grateful; I feel this is great exposure for canoe polo. I really would like to encourage paddlers out there to put ‘play a game of canoe polo’ on their post-pandemic bucket list! You’re a personal trainer and run Bionic Fitness – what was the motivation behind this? Fitness has saved my life; I want to help others have their best chance of life by sharing the wonders that fitness has to offer. Being in my best physical and mental state is vital for me. I actually made fridge magnets for my clients with a photo of me and my medal with the caption “I want you to eat healthy and exercise regularly”.
How has lockdown affected your training and business? With fitness being so vital it has affected both my training and business; I would actually say for the better! I am very fortunate that I have the knowledge to do great home workouts without the real need of external factors. Training is in my blood; I believe we are all just one workout away from a good mood. What are your plans/hope for the future (postpandemic!)? My sporting career, long-term goal is a gold medal at worlds and short-term goal is to find a second sport I can compete locally in. My personal plans and hopes are to go on a nice holiday with my family and I hope one day to open my own fitness studio.
FIND OUT MORE
“ FITNESS HAS SAVED MY LIFE; I WANT TO HELP OTHERS HAVE THEIR BEST CHANCE OF LIFE BY SHARING THE WONDERS THAT FITNESS HAS TO OFFER.”
Beth runs Bionic Fitness and offers personal training, nutrition coaching and personalised workout plans. www.bionicfitness.co.uk Instagram: bionic.fitness.beth Facebook: bionic.bethan YouTube: Bionic Beth
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The Passing of a Legend
A tribute to Dave Ayres
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t was a sad day for the paddlesport community when we heard of the loss of Dave Ayres in October. Dave was a friend of all and a true ambassador of paddlesport worldwide. I first met Dave back at the beginning of the 1990’s. I was working in an Outdoor Centre near Hay-on-Wye and was told, “you’re gonna bump into this guy called Ayresy and when you do, go boating with him”. This tall, gangly guy with an expressive face turned up and introduced himself, “hi I’m Dave Ayres”; “ah I’ve been expecting you” I replied. Before I knew it we were boating on every day off which continued for years to come. Dave’s enthusiasm for life was infectious and it rubbed off on everyone around him. He was the first to say yes to an idea and always found a way to bring it to fruition. Dave worked as a calibration engineer, developing many products and was regarded a world leader in his field. He travelled globally with his work and trained many people, usually starting conferences with a motivational shouting competition; those that knew Dave can probably well imagine the scene! Dave established two successful companies and continued to work when most people would have retired and put their feet up, such was his motivation. On the water Dave was an absolute legend. Back in the day he was an E3 examiner and ran many assessments and
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courses. His knowledge and experience were second to none and if Dave gave guidance or advice you certainly took it. If you ever found yourself in difficulties, Dave would be the first to help; he was a safe pair of hands. I made many trips with Dave, North Wales being a favourite - travelling in the heavy rain, getting quieter and quieter the closer we got, looking at the water levels. The boating would always be outstanding and with Dave every river was a unique adventure. The drive back would always be full of chatter and excitement (mainly relief that we had survived). Laughing at all the near misses and successes. In the mid 90’s Dave got involved with the rodeo scene (freestyle nowadays). I received a call from Dave who, in his usual fashion, said, “I’ve agreed to us running a rodeo on the Tryweryn. It will be great, I’m calling it Wetfest.” Within three months Dave had organised the first Wetfest on the Tryweryn. It was a great event and, with Dave at the helm, there was plenty to do; from purist freestyle events, inflatable donkey riding, paddle twirling competitions to river running and more. You name it, it happened and everybody was celebrated. Due to the success of Wetfest, Dave organised the Sunday league freestyle event on the Tryweryn; it was just brilliant and gave a platform for local boaters to get a step up to the national scene.
But there was always more; Dave supported local clubs, organised canoeing sessions for kids during school holidays, ran swimming pool sessions, competed in events such as the Liffey Descent and let’s not forget the “paddle.to” days selling paddles at the ICE (that was some riot). I could go on, however, those that knew Dave will appreciate the extent of Dave’s involvement in paddlesport throughout the years. His contribution to the sport cannot be under estimated and is legacy for future generations. Later in life Dave re-kindled his passion for motorbikes and this consumed any spare time he had. He completed many trips throughout Europe, focusing on adventure bikes with his partner Ro. The last time I visited Dave near Dollgellau we spent the weekend messing around on trial bikes on his land and it was, as you can imagine, great fun and full of silly dares, competitions and the usual shenanigans. Dave leaves behind two fantastic daughters Alison and Lana, their mother Dawn and his long-term partner Ro; our thoughts are with them. Dave was a friend and supporter of everyone he knew and met, he had a personality that filled any space projecting positive energy. He will be sorely missed. Wherever you are Dave, be lucky my friend. Dave (Hippy) Newport
Dave, aka “long-thing”, passed away on 16th October 2020, from natural causes. Fittingly he was enjoying the outdoors – on his trials motorbike. I met Dave in 2002 when I moved to Bala. We regularly paddled the Tryweryn and went on many kayaking trips, including Pembrokeshire, Scotland (Ulva, Outer Hebrides), Jersey and Malta. He was a whitewater kayaker, playboater and sea kayaker, not to mention a motor biker, walker, climber, skier and more. As a founder and enthusiastic member of the “cock-up canoe club” Dave liked regular paddles, usually with a theme such as: “pushing your limits”. On a trip with the “cock-ups” to New Zealand, Dave was the best man at a Māori wedding for two members. He was an agent for Werner paddles, ran the Wetfest and the Sunday playboating league on the Tryweryn and was an enthusiastic helper with youth members of Bala Canoe Club. He chose to live in iconic locations for kayaking - on the Tryweryn
near the centre and then near the Coed y Brenin mountain biking centre with land bordering the River Wen, a tributary of the River Mawddach. He ran his own business, specialising in temperature and humidity products and training, and he managed to mix business with pleasure by kayaking in Israel and Malta (Gozo). As an enthusiastic member and President of Bala Rotary Club, he helped to raise funds for good causes, in particular helping youngsters. Dave lived life to the full, as only he could. Paddlers that knew Dave have stories to tell – we never had a dull moment. Dave’s eldest daughter Allanah set-up a fund-raising initiative, in memory of Dave, and over £2,000 has been collected. This will be managed by Bala Rotary Club to benefit causes which Dave supported such as youth programmes. Ray Hind
Some memories ... On the Tryweryn Dave rescued a sheep, which was up to its neck in the river. Having pulled it out of the river, Dave pushed the exhausted sheep up the steep bank from behind – the photo made Ceufad. Ray Hind
A memory that pops up for me all the time is Dave and I taking a maiden voyage from Werntanglas to the Tryweryn in his Ford Granada. He bought it from the garage in Clun for the sum of £150 with 12 months mot!! During the journey we were laughing about going boating in such a cool car, anyway it started raining on the mountain pass. We had to stop as Dave had put on the windscreen wipers for the first time. As soon as he did this one of the wipers detached and flew off down a ravine. We were so weak with laughter that it was about ten minutes before either of us had the strength to go and get it. Dave (Hippy) Newport
We always had such a good time at the Wetfest on the Tryweryn and there are lots of very good memories of dad running around organising, the people who pitched in to help run it and the weird and wonderful competitions which took place. One great memory is when my dad actually took part in the ‘Paddle Juggling’ competition trying to wow the judges by spinning around his paddles and then trying to stand on the upright blade of his DoctorD’s by jumping on them! Of course the blade snapped right off, the crowd laughed and cheered … and the judges declared him the winner! Alison Ayres
Dave didn’t fully embrace sea kayaking, stating that the problem was you were either paddling into wind, into tide or both! Nevertheless, he always chose the most exciting trip available. On an off-shore trip he announced he needed a pee and requested that we raft-up so he could stand up – it didn’t work! Ray Hind
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WORDS: JOHN BREEN P H OTO S : R I C H R E NDA L L JOHN BREEN & KEN JOHNSON
SOURCE TO THE SEA ON SUP’S – WYE NOT? THIS WAS THE
BEGINNING OF OUR ADVENTURE. A CHECK OF THE MAP AND A FEW SNAPS AND AWAY WE WENT, DOWNHILL FROM HERE ALL THE WAY TO THE SEA.
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I
t all started as a jokey conversation between Rich, Ken and I - that we should paddle the River Wye from source to sea on stand-up paddleboards. We then set a date and it was starting to become a bit more real. Three weeks before Rich asked, “are we still going to do it?” and I said, “WYE NOT!” So, we made a rough plan. Unfortunately Ken could not make it because of work, but said he could help on the first few days. THE PLAN We decided if we were to do it, we should do it from the actual source to the sea. We would carry all of our kit and some food, then stock up on supplies as we passed through villages with a shop. I did not want to plan too much else as I have a history of overthinking things. So, I said to Rich for the rest we will try to go with the flow. Rich was happy with this. The only other rough plan was if there was no water, we would go mountain biking instead. The week before and it started playing on my mind; I was continually checking river levels and the weather forecast … I was getting excited
that it was going to happen, then I would get anxious that we would have too much water as it hadn’t stopped raining for days. I could not help myself and I was looking at maps and guidebooks, making a rough five-day plan (our slightly optimistic target!). The day before we sent a photo to each other of the kit we planned to take. We decided to take a tent instead of bivi and a tarp, as we thought it to be important to be warm and dry at least at night-time. D AY 1 – M O N D AY 1 8 T H M A R C H The day started for me at 4am near Stratfordupon-Avon. I drove to Ken’s in Penybont for 6am, left my car, and then we drove to Llangurig for 7am and met Rich who had come from Newtown. We loaded all the kit into Ken’s Discovery, which we needed to reach Llyn Llygad Rheidol reservoir, the closest point to where you can get to the source with a vehicle. A place we have all camped many times before for work, (the three of us are employed by Keys Group, working with young people in care doing outdoor activities).
We got out ready to go and we were welcomed by strong wind and sleet. With boards pumped and kit bags attached we headed for the source. At 8.30am we set off, starting with a short paddle across the reservoir, which was a great way to test the board fully loaded. It felt OK. The hike to the source was just over a kilometre with 200m height gain. This shouldn’t take too long we thought ... but we were wrong. It was hard going with boards dragged behind us and wind and snow battering us on our way. An hour and a half later we were at the source of the Wye. 10:00am on a Monday morning! This was the beginning of our adventure. A check of the map and a few snaps and away we went, downhill from here all the way to the sea. We were happy making our way down the steep slopes following the gully (that at this point was a tiny stream). The next 2 hours were hard going; through long boggy grass, still having to drag our boards. We had a lunch stop and said our farewell to Ken who now had to make his way back to his truck. We slogged on. Rich tried lining his board down the stream, but it was too shallow. An hour later we made it to the Rally complex at Sweet Lamb. We had a quick chat to some motocross bikers who were surprised to see two paddleboarders. At this point, we were able to float and paddle the narrow mountain stream. We tried standing, but it was better to kneel for control. On the water our progress felt quicker as it was a read and run grade 2-3 with 4 or so portages over some nasty rock sections, too hard for paddleboards. On one of the last drops I decided to run it, as it had enough water and looked fine. As I got to the last bit I fell off my board and saw a high-pressure puff of air come out of the nose. At this point my emotions ran high. I thought ‘you idiot you’ve popped your board on the first day and ruined the trip’. I gathered myself and headed for the bank, got my repair kit and did the best I could but it still leaked. Rich and I looked at each other and said we may as well carry on as far as possible. We were about 8 km from Rich’s car. We set off and were treated to continuous grade 2 and slightly more open water; it was lovely. Rich enjoyed it more as I was on a bit of a low due to my board, but the river changed this, it was great fun. We made it to Rich’s car at Llangurig at 5pm. I’d managed two hours with a leaky board. We thought if we could get my pump and other dry bag off Ken, we could carry on with our adventure. We packed up and got warm, as Rich was feeling the effect of the cold, and we drove to meet Ken in Rhayader, where we got my pump and dry bag. We had pub food and headed back to the car park where we spent the night. The first day we covered 20km from the source to Llangurig. At this point Rich and I felt our end goal would not be possible at all.
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IT’S UNBELIEVABLE HOW MUCH MORE YOU SEE ON A SUP COMPARED TO A KAYAK OR CANOE. YOU CAN SEE EVERY ROCK ON THE RIVERBED IN THE CLEAR WATER AND IT AMAZED ME HOW YOU COULD SEE THE GRADIENT CHANGE AS THE RIVER DROPPED AWAY DOWN THE VALLEY.
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D AY 2 – T U E S D AY 1 9 T H M A R C H Well, after the first night’s camping, we woke up tired and feeling sore from all the bumps and carrying from the day before. We did our best to get motivated, had our breakfast and got on the water at 9.30am. The first 10km were OK but hard going, with a few portages because of trees in drops or too much risk on a paddleboard of getting injuries, losing kit or damaging my board further. The previous day had been a steep learning curve and we realised the goal was the expedition. Sometimes you need to make the right/safe choice to achieve the end goal and think about the what if’s, (not ‘that looks great, I can run it’ gung-ho approach). The rapids now had a lot more flow, they became technical we had quite a few dunks in the water and were getting cold and fatigued. We made it to the Marteg confluence at 1pm and to our joy the truck stop burger van was open. A bacon bap and a cup of tea was well needed. Then we began the journey down to Rhayader. It was good but a bit slow going, with inspection of rapids and a few more dips in the water. Once in Rhayader, we refuelled and were feeling a lot better. I pumped my board up for the third time, due to my slow puncture, (I roughly had 3 hours
paddling before I had to re-pump the board). We had 2 hours of daylight left; the river really changed from here, a lot more open and more enjoyable read and run rapids. We did 15km in 2 hours which really lifted our spirits. At 5.40pm we reached Newbridge-on-Wye and found a good wild camp spot on a meandering bend, hid our kit and went and found a pub for dinner. 35km done today; total 55km. D AY 3 – W E D N E S D AY 2 0 T H M A R C H We woke up feeling fresher and a lot more positive. Our morning routine of cooking and packing up was a lot slicker: we were on the river at 9.15am. The river was a lot more open with lovely grade 2-3 rapids that were all read and run, meaning we were making great progress. It’s unbelievable how much more you see on a SUP compared to a kayak or canoe. You can see every rock on the riverbed in the clear water and it amazed me how you could see the gradient change as the river dropped away down the valley when standing up. I’ve never seen that so defined on a UK river. We made Builth Wells by 11.30am, where we had a lunch break and bought some supplies. Rich and I were excited about the next section, as we have
both driven past it many times and have always wanted to paddle it. It did not disappoint. Lots of great rapids. We then fast approached Hell Hole, which we were apprehensive about due to the water levels (it was a river wide hole/wave). We got through it and it was great fun. From Builth to Glasbury there were plenty more great rapids. At 4.30pm we reached Glasbury, had our second lunch, and pushed on for The Boat Inn and the campsite. We did finish in the dark at 7.30pm, but we were treated to a great sunset and a moon lit river. We were exhausted but chuffed at the distance we covered today; 57km - the furthest we have both ever paddled in a day. So, we set up camp and rushed to the pub for a well-earned dinner and pint. Total distance covered 112.7km our end goal was starting to feel achievable D AY 4 – T H U R S D AY 2 1 S T M A R C H The day started with a full English breakfast at the Pound campsite to celebrate crossing the border last night. We then got on the river in good time, but slightly later than the day before – 9.45am. Again, the river changed in style; it became a lot wider and deep-channelled. We soon realised if we tried to power on we would be exhausted, so we went with the flow, which was a good pace.
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Over lunch we floated and had a picnic sat on our boards while still moving. We worked out that we travelled 1km in 10 mins while we ate our lunch! We pushed on and got to Hereford to top up supplies. As we were leaving, we got heckled by some people from work who were coincidently driving over the bridge ... what are the chances we passed at the same time?! To try and make it as far as possible before dark we carried on. Unfortunately, Rich fell in the water and his thermals were soaked. He dried off as best he could and we paddled on. We made Mordiford just after dark at 7.30pm and luckily made the campsite just in time. Rich had told me that this was a well-equipped campsite and it delivered ... it had a tumble dryer, so we could get everything dry for the morning, which was a relief. We covered another 55 km today, 167km total. D AY 5 – F R I D AY 2 2 N D M A R C H Well, this was supposed to be our last day and with roughly 100 km to go we decided that we needed an extra day. So, we cancelled our lift (thanks James Howse for offering and making plans to help out). We had a tricky get on, due to the recent high water damaging the steps to the campsite. Once on at 9.15am, we were positive on making good progress. This was soon squashed and ruined by the nature of the river and a gruelling head wind. There were breaks from this, due to the now big sweeping meanders, but the 30km to Ross-on-Wye was not fun; it took 6hrs! We had some new lows, but we battled on. Our highlight was when an otter popped up to say hello whilst dining on his lunch. He soon disappeared when he saw us. After lunch we slogged on and the sight of Ross-on-Wye was a good one. Once there we celebrated our 200km with a pint and our second lunch. We then got supplies for the next day and set off once again. To our surprise, as we were paddling under the bridge, our Adventurous Activity Manager Dave Mc.Eneaney popped his head up over the parapet of the bridge and said hello! We had a short chat and Dave kindly said he would help us with our lift back the following day (our only other plan was a taxi or train which would have been a mission!). Thanks Dave. It was 22km to the campsite at Symonds Yat. We had expected a head wind for the first 10km but to our surprise there wasn’t one and we made much faster progress. The steep-sided banks closed in as we approached the edge of the Forest of Dean and Symonds Yat. This was a lovely part to the paddle, finishing in the dark again, listening to the owls and pheasants and watching the bats fly past. We arrived at the campsite at 7.45pm, which was great … except for the massive carry of all our kit to our pitch. Once set up we cooked food
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and were able to have a shower, which was truly needed due to wearing the same thermals for five days! 224.5km now done, only 45km more to Chepstow, where the Wye meets the sea. D AY 6 – S AT U R D AY 2 3 R D M A R C H We woke up earlier today, to try and make sure we caught the tides at the right time. We packed up and began the trek through the caravan park. Once on the river at 8.15am it was a lovely peaceful paddle down to the mighty Yat, where I first learned to whitewater kayak. As I took a photo, before running the rapid, a mink popped his head up metres from Rich and I ... it just strolled past as if we didn’t exist. Rich and I had never fully done the paddle below the rapids and we were not disappointed. The steep sides were covered in woodland, it was a delight to paddle through. We got to Monmouth for our first lunch and watched the rowers, then carried on down to Tintern where I was excited to see the abbey. When we got there I was a little disappointed; it looked a lot better from the roadside. From now on we were paddling with the tide and the silt banks grew higher as the tide went out (today was the biggest tide of the year 11.39m), and the cliffs started to rise above us. The scenery was quite spectacular. We were nearing Chepstow now, so we decided to have our second lunch as we floated on our way. After this the castle welcomed us to Chepstow with
its dramatic aspect. We were now nearing the end of our trip. As we approached the Severn Estuary the two bridges in the distance were a clear sign that we were nearly there. We pressed on to Beachley Point and the end of the River Wye. I was aware from an article I had read when I was younger, that the mud banks could be a nightmare. We had two options, the slipway under the Severn Bridge, but this meant paddling against the tide on the Severn, or Chapel Rock. Due to the strong tide, we decided on Chapel Rock. Finally, we had done it ... something six days before we didn’t think was possible, but it was. Rich and I congratulated each other, then we had to slog across Chapel Rock to the path where we met Dave and our lift back. We finished at 4.05pm. It had been an amazing adventure; we had perfect river levels (a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity) and near perfect weather. We had no access issues. We did our best to be mindful and left nothing behind. We have had lots of highs and a few lows, but that’s all part of the adventure. It felt like an incredible achievement to paddle the whole river and I have to say the River Wye is an amazing river; a must to visit. I will definitely be returning.
THANKS to Ken and Dave
for getting us to and from the river. To our wives for letting us disappear for the week and for all the support on social media from friends and family.
STATS We paddled the Wye
in 2018, starting at the source at 10.00am on Monday 18th of March. It took us 6 days; finishing on Saturday 23rd of March at 4.05pm, (126 hours 4 minutes altogether, moving time 38 hours 40 minutes). We covered 272km with an average speed of 7kph, roughly 69,129 paddle strokes! (Data courtesy of Strava).
One question to ponder ... is this a first complete source to the sea trip completed on a SUP down the River Wye?
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Want to take your paddleb
If you’re new to SUP or are looking to expand yo British Canoeing courses and awards that might in learn new skills, improve confidence and take you are certified, they are a ‘currency’ that trip guides might be the ticket you need to join a paddling tr
WHAT DO YOU DEVELOP YOUR PADDLEBOARDING SKILLS If you’ve started paddleboarding and want to develop your skills then the Personal Performance courses might be just what you need. There are no requirements (other than basic paddling experience), and there is no formal assessment. They are usually run as 1-day courses and are designed to develop existing skills and introduce new ones. By the end of the course you should have covered all the required skills and have earned your Personal Performance Award! SUP COURSES
TOURING COURSES
SUP Sheltered Water Award Gives you the skills to organise and carry out an enjoyable and safe trip on the water, up to 200m from shore, in up to force 3 winds. Perfect if you want to explore lakes, canals and sheltered coastal waters.
If you like the idea of packing your board and heading out on a river, estuary or coastal trip then the Touring Awards might be perfect for you.
SUP White Water Award Gives you the skills to enjoy a successful day on rivers of up to grade 2. A great course to take if you want to tackle more adventurous rivers. SUP Paddle Surf Award Gives you the skills to enjoy your first wave riding experiences, including an understanding of swell, wave height, tides and the weather. Perfect if you want to hit the beach and catch some waves. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/personal-performanceawards/ N A V I G AT I O N C O U R S E S Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning If you want to gain the understanding and confidence to plan coastal journeys then this is the course is for you. It is classroom based or online and covers tides, charts, weather and planning. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/tidal-planning-navigation/
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Touring Award Gives you the skills to enjoy a safe day out touring on a river or estuary journey. Open Water Touring Award Gives you the skills to enjoy a safe day out touring on an open water journey (bay, harbour etc.) in up to force 3 wind. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/personal-performanceawards/ SAFETY COURSES Foundation Safety and Rescue Gives you the skills and confidence to look after yourself and others on the water, and the rescue skills to get yourself or others out of difficulty in a sheltered water environment. Covers a full range of paddlesport craft. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/foundation-safety-rescue/
boarding to the next level?
our paddleboarding skillset then there are some nterest you. These are a great way to develop and ur paddleboarding to the next level. Also, as they s, providers, clubs and centres recognise, so they rip, hire equipment or work as a leader or coach.
WANT TO DO? LEAD PEOPLE ON PADDLESPORT JOURNEYS
INSTRUCT/COACH PEOPLE IN PADDLEBOARDING
If you’d like to lead people on paddlesport journeys then the Leadership Awards are for you.
If you’d like to run taster sessions and coach people in paddlesport then the Instructor and Coach Awards are for you.
M I X E D C R A F T L E A D E R S H I P A WA R D S
Paddlesport Instructor For paddlers who want to introduce people to paddlesport through taster and starter sessions in any paddle craft. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/level-1-paddlesportinstructor/
Paddlesport Leader For paddlers who want to lead journeys, on sheltered water, for a range of mixed craft. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/paddlesport-leadersheltered-water/ Paddlesport Touring Leader For paddlers who want to lead journeys, on moderate inland open water, rivers up to and not including grade two rapids or weirs and slow moving estuaries for a range of mixed craft. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/paddlesport-touringleader/
Stand Up Paddleboard Coach Awards For paddlers who want to coach SUP, include coaching beginners new to the sport, or paddlers looking to develop their skills. This is a discipline specific award available as: SUP Open Water Coach, SUP Race Coach, SUP Sheltered Water Coach and SUP White Water Coach. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/level-2-coach-award/
S U P L E A D E R S H I P A WA R D S Stand Up Paddleboard Inland Open Water Leader For paddleboarders who want to lead SUP groups on inland open water journeys. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/stand-up-paddleboardinland-open-water-leader/ Stand Up Paddleboard Coastal Leader For paddleboarders who want to lead SUP groups on journeys in moderate coastal waters. www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/stand-up-paddleboardcoastal-leader/
For more information on British Canoeing courses visit: www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk To find a training provider delivering courses near you visit: www.canoewales.com/find-a-training-provider
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PA D D L E S P O R T STO R I E S
Sea Kayaking ROGER PYVES When Jonathan first asked me to write this article, I wasn’t sure how much sea kayaking had changed my life (I was already an “outdoors” person who, as a young boy of 14 from Birmingham, was sent to Ogwen Cottage OPC which definitely was a life changing experience for me). Since then, I have enjoyed all aspects of the outdoors, not only in North Wales but further afield as well. It was in my early 30’s that I was first introduced to the world of sea kayaking by a friend, and I loved the expeditions and trips we went on. It was easy for me, I just tagged along as she was the one who worried about the tides, weather and sea conditions, I just paddled and looked at the scenery! But as sometimes happens, life moved on for us and we went our separate ways. It wasn’t until 2009 that I bought my first sea kayak from a friend and my sea kayaking journey began again. I took to this sport as the proverbial duck, enjoying not only the rekindled experience of being on the sea again, with its wildness, exposure and sea life, but also the friendship and camaraderie of shared experiences with good friends, most of whom I have met and made during my time on the water. In 2011, after a couple of years paddling with these amazing friends, I decided that I should set myself a challenge, or as my wife calls it, “Mid Life Crisis”: a kayaking circumnavigation of Wales. I had never intended for it to be a solo trip, but it soon became obvious that my friends were unable to get the time off work, so it was either give it up or go it alone. This was a completely different scenario for me, I am a gregarious person and love good company, so to push myself into a solo trip of this duration was definitely well out of my comfort zone, and this is where I now realise that sea kayaking has made a change in me. In the past I would rarely seek to learn how to do things from the professionals, rather I would go out with a couple of mates and have a go, usually relying on my strength and good luck to get me through. However, the sea is different, very different, and I realised that if I was to be safe and successful then I would need help. The circumnavigation took me a total of 26 days paddling and 9 days of planned/bad weather stops, but if you ask my wife, she will tell you that it actually took me the best part of a year, and she is correct. » As well as learning as much as I could from my experienced 5* leader friends, who took me into ever more, but controlled, white water environments, I enrolled and passed a 3* sea kayak assessment with Roger Chandler, who gave me lots of helpful advice and tips for my trip, as he had just recently finished leading a group around Wales. » I did a weekend rolling course with Cherri Perry and Turner Wilson who also helped me to understand more of the finer points/ techniques of long distance paddling with a Greenland stick. » Before I started the trip in August 2012, I notched up over 90 paddling days in all sorts of weather and conditions, and was lucky enough to go on several mentoring days with Trys Burke, being a guinea pig for James Stevenson and Phil Clegg as they
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were improving their coaching skills. » I enrolled on a Coastal Navigation and 4* leader training course with Nigel Dennis, Eila Wilkinson and Mattias Altin, to help fine tune my sea, chart and tidal knowledge. » I acquired more suitable equipment for the trip, (as mine was definitely past its best) and, along with my friends, practised how to use it all, including VHF radio, GPS tracking, personnel safety and rescue skills, rocky landings, beach landings through large surf, flares, first aid, camp craft and expedition hygiene. » Pete Baars from “Summit to Sea” procured for me the loan of a Cetus HV from P&H in Nottingham, which was an unexpected, but most welcome addition to my kit, especially as they agreed to fit the Kari-Tek sail I had just bought. After I completed the circumnavigation, and to continue on with this new life that I was now enjoying, I decided to further develop my sea kayaking education, to this end: » I enrolled onto and passed my 4* assessment with Matias Altin and Pete Jones. » Following on from their feedback I booked myself onto a 5* training course with Nick Cunliffe and then had the opportunity to take and pass my 5* assessment in December 2013 with Fiona Whitehead and Mark Tozer, of which I am very proud. » I have also become a BCU level 1 coach, and assist with training sessions for Llanrwst Canoe Club and North Wales Slalom Club. So yes, sea kayaking has changed my life and my approach to how I acquire skills and knowledge. I consider myself to be very privileged to be able to lead trips into beautiful locations here in North Wales as well as Pembrokeshire and Scotland, and I am looking forward to going further afield when lockdown permits. I do not make a living out of sea kayaking, but it is the life I like to live.
PA D D L E S P O R T STO R I E S
Colwyn Canoe ANDY JONES Club I was lucky enough to move with my family to North Wales from Manchester in 2002. After having a few activity holidays at PGL with his twin sister, my son Alex would always come back waxing lyrical about the canoeing, kayaking, raft building and all the other water-based activities they had been exposed to. To tap into his enthusiasm and my love of swimming and water sports we tracked down our local canoe club, Colwyn Canoe Club, and took up family membership as complete beginner around 2012. This started an instant love affair with paddlesport for us both. I did not realise at the time what an amazing club I had joined. The wide range of paddling activities the club participates in meant I was able to experience a few forms of the sport. I started off in kayaks and progressed from barely being able to stay upright or paddle in a straight line on flat water to regularly paddling G2–3 rivers. I was able to also experience open boats, again progressing from fighting with the canoe on flat water to understanding the art of the single blade and progressing to G2–3 river paddling. More recently I have taken up paddling SUPs (it seems smaller people have less problems staying on them so nature has made me the right size for paddling SUPs!). Through paddling I have made a large number of very close friends, paddlers from all backgrounds, all walks of life and every age group. The youngest paddler I have paddled with was 4 years old when she joined the club and started coming out with us and she still paddles with us. The love of the sport and the environment bonds all paddlers together and is a great leveller. The paddling community is a wonderful place to be a part of and there is always a sense of fun, enjoyment and togetherness. The sport has given me a release from the stresses of daily life and it is especially rewarding when coaching and leading beginners and children. It is such a reward to see the absolute joy on their faces when on the water and having fun, this in turn lifts my heart and spirit like very few other things can do. Being on the water allows me to press the reset button on my mental stresses and worries, I can be at one with nature, with my paddling friends without the phones, computers, emails etc which seem to govern our lives entirely these days. Any time I can spend on the water in (or on) any craft is special and I can always come away with a new found skill, bit of knowledge and get tremendous enjoyment no matter what the level. The last year of not having paddling as an outlet to relax and reset, after it has been forcibly removed as a choice, has been far tougher than I ever imagined it would be. I never realised what a big part it plays in my life until it was taken away. Once we are permitted to get back out paddling, socialising with friends on the water or running sessions for the club I will cherish every single moment more than ever and appreciate how lucky I am to be able to experience the wonderful paddling choices we have in North Wales and the surrounding areas. I can never thank those that have helped me get into the sport enough for passing on their knowledge and expertise, then
persuading me to follow the coaching and leadership path. Those special people have given me the opportunity to make it a large part of my life and gain the reward that it brings. The first day the lockdown restrictions are lifted I will be back out there relaxing and having fun!
SHARE YOUR STORY
We'd love to hear your paddlesport stories! If paddling has had a positive impact on your life and you'd like to share your story email: jonathan.davies@canoewales.com
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In this new Ceufad series Canoe Wales’ coaches and guides give you the insider info on their local coastal and inland waters. They pick sheltered/flatwater and moderate/moving water trips, and give you the low-down on access, highlights and top tips. This is the guide to some of the best coastal and inland paddling spots that Wales has to offer, and may just introduce you to a new paddling destination. In this article Anglesey-based Roger Chandler gives you the low-down on his favourite sea trips on the spectacular Anglesey coast. If you’re a Canoe Wales’ coach or guide and would like to share your favourite coastal or inland trips drop us a line at ceufad@canoewales.com
© freevectormaps.com
DESTINATION WALES
ANGLESEY Enter the word Anglesey into Google, and this is what you get: 'Anglesey is jam-packed with things to do. A place of unparalleled beauty and amazing adventures, Anglesey is a historic island full of character. A place that inspires and appeals to all the senses.' Anglesey has a coastal footpath of around 200km, making it the largest of the Welsh islands. For the paddler, Anglesey is a honey pot destination with good road access, stunning bird and marine life, hidden coves, offshore islands, and fast currents. For many, it’s the latter that attracts international appeal. Tide races and overfalls, created by strong tidal flow pushing through a narrow gap, off a headland or over a shallow sea bed can create waves and turbulent waters. These waters can be great for developing rough water skills, developing and progressing confidence and having fun! Yet, with the right weather, Anglesey also offers sheltered water.
USEFUL RESOURCES OS Landranger Map 114 Anglesey/Ynys Mon Welsh Sea Kayaking by Jim Krawiecki and Andy Biggs Geology of Anglesey: www.geomon.co.uk/geology-of-angleseya-journey-through-time/
TOP TIPS TO STAY SAFE AND PADDLE RESPONSIBLY Be prepared and take the right kit: » Wear a correctly sized buoyancy aid » Mobile phone in a waterproof case » Whistle – to attract attention in an emergency » Map and/or route description » Clothing for the weather conditions + spares in a dry bag » Food, drink & suncream Respect the natural environment and other users: » Respect other waterway users » Be environmentally aware, minimise your impact » Ensure you have the correct licence if required » Observe navigational rules – keep right and give other users space » Check, Clean, Dry after every trip!
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Rhoscolyn channel and archway
ROGER CHANDLER is the Coastal Spirit director, an
Anglesey based specialist sea kayaking company, created in 2007. He is a British Canoeing Level 5 Coach Sea and has over 30 years of working within the outdoors. A team paddler with P&H sea kayaks, a pro paddler with VE Paddles, Kokatat and Patagonia clothing. Roger runs a highly successful mentoring programme and a one-month long sea kayaking expedition. He is passionate, loves to see people learn and feels very privileged to have paddled throughout a large part of the world. However, he's always thrilled to return to the waters of Anglesey again! You can find out more and join the Coastal Spirit newsletter via www.coastalspirit.com You can follow Coastal Spirit on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/CoastalSpirit.Anglesey/
GRADE
ANGLESEY MARINE CODE
The following suggested trips have been defined as follows: Sheltered - little/no tidal influence, regular landing opportunities. Moderate - some exposure to tidal streams, longer periods without access/egress points.
In general keep a good look out for wildlife and keep your distance. Do not approach marine mammals, let them come to you. Dolphins, porpoises and seals If these creatures are encountered at sea please: » Do not paddle directly towards them or approach within 100m. » Do not attempt to touch, feed or swim with them. » Take extra care to avoid disturbing animals with young. » Do not approach seals resting on the shore, and do not enter sea caves during the pupping season (1st August to 31st October). » Do not discard litter or fishing tackle at sea. » Avoid making any unnecessary noise near the animals. Birds » Keep out from cliffs in the breeding season (1st March to 31st August). » Avoid making any unnecessary noise close to cliffs. » Keep clear of groups of birds resting or feeding on the sea.
Perfect conditions around Moelfre
SHELTERED / INTRO
Ynys Moelfre
Moelfre to Benllech Moelfre
02
5 Traeth Bychan
B5 110
Penrhyn
5
A5
02 A5
DESCRIPTION Moelfre is a previous fishing village on the north east coast of Anglesey, with a long maritime history. It is a pretty village with a relaxed feeling about it. It's easy enough to unload next to the beach and then either park in the front car park (pay and display) or in the public car park (free) behind the pub and the café (5-minute walk). On the front there is also a small shop selling coffees and ice cream, while up the road is a larger cafe, Ann's Pantry, and a little further on is a fish & chip shop and a post office. Our journey begins on a steep shingle bay, and we head south. Our prominent wind direction on Anglesey tends to be south/southwest, so the coastline is well protected from any groundswell. After 1.5km we pass our first headland and cut across the bay if the winds are light. If they're a little stronger, we may choose to head into Traeth Bychan and into the wind. Then we have a short but great section of tall limestone cliffs with low lying reefs below, and we leave the sound of jet skis behind. These cliffs, with fulmars nesting in the summer, provide a lovely feeling of isolation and in the right conditions landing on a low-lying reef for a break or lunch adds to the adventure. Head on to Benllech, avoiding the fishermen on the low-lying reefs, for ice-cream and a sandy beach or pause and turn to begin your journey back to Moelfre. If there is a gentle wind blowing from the south or southwest, now you have the luxury of the wind on your back, assisting. Back at Moelfre you also have the choice of heading around Ynys Moelfre. The small island close to the headland can add some gentle excitement (it’s the first real exposure to tidal current) along with sea birds and the occasional seal or porpoise.
A5 10
8
Start/finish: Moelfre beach – SH 512 862 Distance: 7km (round trip), 9km if Ynys Moelfre is added
08
B51
Benllech
Heading back to Moelfre
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Alternatively you land on the beach you started from, with a short walk for an ice-cream or coffee. Although this section of the coast has very little tidal flow, why not consider doing your first paddle on a neap tide, which is 50% less volume of water moving about than on a spring tide. If the weather is not suitable for the planned paddle then walking the coastline to see the possible impact conditions can have can be super useful.
ACCESSIBILITY Moelfre: Small shingle beach. Concrete slipway (driveable) next to front car park (no accessible bays). Public car park has accessible bays and toilets (seasonal) - 250m from slipway. Benllech:Large sandy beach with short concrete slipway (bollards). Toilets (accessible, seasonal), 100m from slipway.
Curious marine life
MODERATE / INTERMEDIATE
Rhoscolyn
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it
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DESCRIPTION After arriving via a narrow and twisting lane, we start at Borthwen, a small pay & display car park. Beyond the car park is a glorious sandy beach, which provides a good walk at low water! The significant aspect of Rhoscolyn as a venue are the various options available. Head left (east) to avoid the stronger current, or you can to return later when the current’s flow is slower. Or paddle out right (west) to engage with the stronger currents. The rock-hopping along this coastline is fantastic either way you paddle. Paddling left towards Silver Bay we avoid pretty much any tidal flow. At Silver Bay, which is south facing, if you’re lucky there may be some beach surf. Towards high water it can create a dumping beach surf. It's worth noting that a short distance further east is the Cymyran Strait entrance (the gap between Anglesey and Holy Island). In the right conditions this can provide a valuable
yran Cym
Start/finish: Borthwen/Rhoscolyn car park – SH 272 751 Distance: #1 Borthwen to Silver Bay and back – 6km #2 Borthwen to Rhoscolyn Head (via the Beacon) and back – 10km. #3 As above and further on to Porth y garan and back – 14km
Porth y garan
Rhoscolyn
Rhoscolyn Head
Maen-y-frân
Borthwen
Silver Bay Cymyran Bay
Rhoscolyn Beacon
opportunity to practise ferry glides and eddy turns. However, it's also worth remembering the strait can flow at 5 knots (on a spring tide), which is technically faster than at the beacon, and strong back eddies can form. With an ebbing flow out of the strait and a significant wave period from the south, southwest or even west, this can be an exciting location and the last I'd heard this was the coastguard’s number two hotspot!
Cave at Rhoscolyn Head
Wind against tide in Rhoscolyn Sound
Rhoscolyn Beacon outer race
Heading out right (west) you begin to pick up the flow. A useful small beach appears on the right, which is easy to land in at any stage of the tide. You're now soon into the sound between Rhoscolyn and Rhoscolyn Beacon. The sound starts to flood (incoming tide) earlier than at the beacon’s outer tide race and generally can be quite gentle. Unless the wind and swell are opposing the current, then it’s likely to be more significant. If you're in a good team and you want more playful conditions, then head out to the beacon. Keep your eyes open for the sleeping seals and try to avoid flushing them off the rocks. Let them choose to come to you. I've also been super lucky with at least two occasions of seeing Risso dolphins here. Before you get to the beacon, another channel provides an excellent opportunity to play in the tidal flow. This channel can be a perfect warm-up before paddling on to the outer race which, on the flood, runs off in a westerly direction. The outer tide race can also be approached, without paddling down it, by paddling on the beacon's northern side. If you've chosen to avoid the beacon, head on towards Rhoscolyn Head where a stunning cave sleeps until you’re almost upon it. Then paddle around the headland (if the current allows), keeping a lookout for a narrow entrance to a beautiful channel and arch.
Although this can be very rocky, a short distance is another small bay, providing a thoughtful landing, unless you're close to high water. In the right conditions this bay (SH 259 759) can provide a super lunch spot. Further on is the black and white arch and I'll leave you to find these and other stunning rocky channels. If you want more rock-hopping or it was not possible to land at the previous small bay, then enjoy the journey on towards Porth y garan, which provides a super well-protected entrance and beach to have lunch on. Rhoscolyn tide races and overfalls work best on the flood (incoming tide) at Rhoscolyn Beacon. However, I've had a couple of situations on a neap tide when a significant groundswell (10-sec interval) has overpowered the outer tide race! The ebb (outgoing tide) creates some action closer to Rhoscolyn Head at a small selection of islands and low-lying rocks, around Maen-y-frân. Occasionally conditions appear on the ebb at the beacon or further offshore, although these are harder to predict. ACCESSIBILITY Borthwen: Large sandy beach. Car park above (pay and display, no accessible bays) with toilets. Access to beach by rough gravel track (50m). Can drive onto beach at lower tides.
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C L UB P R O F I L E
Bridgend Canoe Club Bridgend Canoe Club was established in 1982 and in 39 years have gone from strength to strength. They are one of the country’s most successful canoe polo clubs. Their team, the Bridgend Sharks, are in the top national league. They’ve won the National Champs and the National Youth League. Nine members are part of the GB squads and have won numerous medals at both the World and the European Championships. Not to mention three Canoe Wales Awards. Ceufad caught up with them to find out more … How many members do you have?
We have 39 members currently. It will be fun to see who will stick with us post lockdown. Restrictions will move the club to predominately outdoors, we all know a fair-weather paddler or two! We often run induction courses and these are great to filter into our member base as spaces open up. The good thing about restrictions moving us outdoors is the potential to grow and allow a bigger member base. At current we are capped at our swimming pool's capacity.
Youth Team at the National Champs
What disciplines do you offer?
Canoe polo is our most popular and successful discipline. We are very fortunate as a club to have British squad players who offer their knowledge and skills to help coach the remainder of the club and work alongside those who want to develop their polo playing, coaching and refereeing skills. When the demand is there we do run other sessions, such as river, slalom and surf sessions.
Bridgend Youth at the European Club Champs, Catania
Do you offer activities for all ages and levels?
We are a versatile club having all abilities and ages. Our age range is roughly between 10 and 60 years old. Our membership encompasses people who are paddling for the first time, right up to those winning medals for the country. As a club, we roughly enter 13 teams a year. From lowest level regional to highest level national, with something for all our members: youth, ladies and mens. In the last few years, the club has seen a fantastic surge in enthusiasm for taking part in summer competitions. As a result, we have entered teams at varying levels of ability in a range of weekend competitions in both the UK and Europe. This gives the club members great opportunities to socialise; giving them and their families a chance to get to know each other as well as play polo. The club currently has 11 members who are progressing through coaching qualifications for polo, river and sea. This will allow us to expand the variety of activities we offer to our members. The club has experienced many successes over the past few years, which is great fun in itself. We also like to focus on fun social activities for our members and their extended families and friends.
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Club social event – visit to Cardiff Bay water park Our Social Secretary has arranged events such as an annual family Bonfire Night celebration and a get together again at Christmas for a meal out and some fun and games. We also meet up for activities such as Laser tag, go-karting and trampolining. During lockdown, we have kept things fun with online quizzes, escape rooms, bingo and even online fitness classes.
Our club members representing GB in Coimbra, Portugal
Bridgend Youth at the European Club Champs, Catania
What are the club’s biggest achievements?
As a club, we are very proud of the successes of our members in recent years. Our Bridgend Sharks team have been in the top national league (National Division 1) for 2 years now (which has been a goal for the club for years). As a club, our Sharks Team won National Champs in 2018 and our Youth Team won the National Youth League, which led to them being invited to attend the European Club Championships in Catania (Italy) in 2019. We have our members that are international superstars, their most recent successes: » World & European Gold Medal at U21 Men’s level (2017 & 2018) » 2 x World Silver Medals at Senior Women’s level (2018) » 2 x European Gold Medals at Senior Women’s level (2019) » European Silver Medal at U21 Women’s level (2019) We have 9 members part of the GB squads and 8–10 younger club members involved in Welsh and GB Development squads. Club members have also had their dedication and accomplishments recognised by Canoe Wales. In the past three years we have had 2 paddlers awarded Paddler of the Year, Henry Clark and Bethan Littlewood, and in 2019 Danny Muller was awarded Young Volunteer of the Year. These awards have meant a lot to the paddlers involved, providing recognition for the dedication and hard work and in turn, promoting the sport of canoe polo within Wales. Why is polo so popular?
Canoe Polo is a team ball sport that manages to combine elements of sports such as water polo, canoeing and basketball into one fast moving, highly competitive team game. Players need canoeing skills alongside good ball handling, and the ability to read a game and work as part of a team. Many people have these skills, but it is the combination of the skills which produces accomplished canoe polo players. Unfortunately, only a small minority of people are aware of the sport which is a shame. Canoe polo is also an amazing sport to watch and whenever we have held or attended events, many passers-by have been fascinated with what they see and stopped to watch. The most common reply when you tell someone about canoe polo is, “never heard of that, sounds fascinating!” So, although it is super popular within our club it would be fantastic for it to be known within the general public. What sessions do you offer?
We have 3 main sessions that run all year round at the swimming pool in Pencoed, we are capped at a maximum of 14 per session.
2nd place at London International » Beginners’ paddling (technique and skills) » Intermediate polo (skills & games) » Advanced polo (skills & games) We have our seasonal outdoor training March to October at Barry Community Water Activity Centre. Here we have a purpose-built full size pitch ideal for our international athletes to get their much needed training in, and also great experience for our other members to experience polo in its elements. The committee is always searching for a venue better suited for our club. The club would see monumental improvements and benefits if we could get a suitable outdoor venue in Bridgend. Giving a huge opportunity to grow our membership and reduce costs to our members through reducing pool fees and travelling costs. The major benefit to this would be the increase in participation and quality training. More time training, less time travelling! If anyone can offer their services to help our club find a venue, resources and funding, please get in touch. Also we would love to take this opportunity to ask any sponsors that would like to support the club or any of our teams, please do get in touch we can display branding on kayaks and post to social media: chair.bridgendcc@gmail.com
GET INVOLVED Bridgend Canoe Club run year round
indoor sessions at the swimming pool in Pencoed and seasonal outdoor training at Barry Community Water Activity Centre. To find out more about the club or to get in touch: www.bridgendcanoeclub.org Facebook: Bridgend-Canoe-Club
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C L UB N E W S
Canoe Wales
Club News
This new section in Ceufad focuses on our clubs. It includes updates, info, guides and general club news. We'll also publish a club profile each issue; this time it's Bridgend Canoe Club. We're open to suggestions as to what to include. So, what club guides would you like to see in a future issue of Ceufad? What “how to” videos should we post on our YouTube channel (canoewales.com/youtube)? Let us know your thoughts and ideas about how we can best support your club and its volunteers – email admin@canoewales.com or message us on: Facebook.com/canoewales
IT’S ALL IN THE CLUB DETAILS Calling all you unsung Online Administrators of our affiliated clubs – thank you so much for the work you do to keep your club records up to date on GoMembership and beyond! It’s such an important role, helping ensure your club members have the correct Canoe Wales membership, are linked to your club and are insured while on the water. We’d like to help ease the burden by sharing some hints and tips on how to get GoMembership working for you! If club post has been turning up at the wrong address, here’s what to look out for …
local pool or the lake where you meet? Don’t worry! Go to Club Details, and click the Update Details button – then just tick the checkbox next to “No postal correspondence to default address:”
Where does Canoe Wales send club post? Each club gets posted two free copies of Ceufad each time it’s printed, as well as a reminder letter when your affiliation is due for renewal – plus a few other comms throughout the year. (During national lockdowns we’ve paused postal communications – but we hope to resume these soon!) Canoe Wales will send your post to the main address on your Club Profile page (Club Profile > Basic Details):
When this is ticked, Canoe Wales will send communications straight to the home address of your Club Secretary. (And if our Admin Team is in any doubt, we’ll send it to your Club Secretary just in case.) While you’re in the Additional Details section, why not check your club info is up to date? Have you bought some paddleboards for the club? Then just tick “Stand Up Paddleboarding” as a Discipline you offer. If your club volunteers have been on their Paddle-Ability training, you could change the dropdown to say that you are now trained to welcome disabled paddlers. If you click the Club Description box, this is your chance to summarise what your club offers – make sure you keep it below 300 characters or it won’t save. Canoe Wales uses this info to update your club description on the canoewales.com Club Finder and on the GoPaddling.info site (if you’ve given permission for your club details to be published on those websites). Updating your club details will help local paddlers find the best club for them – and also help Canoe Wales deal with enquiries from new paddlers about which club would be right for them.
This address is also used to pinpoint your club on the GoMembership Club Finder when people buying Club Associate membership link to your club. But what if this club address is your
FUNDING A big congratulations to Welshpool Canoe Club who have just been awarded a grant from the Be Active Wales Fund. The grant is for a storage container, trailer, boats, kit and training for new leaders, instructors and coaches. It should make a real difference to the club and enable them to offer even more paddlesport opportunities and encourage newcomers to the sport. Cardiff Canoe Club were also awarded a Be Active Wales Fund grant this year, to boost the opportunities they provide and also help them address inequalities, so that even more people can enjoy the sport. The club is investing the money into pool hire, new boats, a box van trailer and coach training. The funding awarded to both clubs comes from the Sport Wales Be Active Wales Fund, which provides grants of between
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£300 and £50,000. There are two types of grant: Protect, which is for clubs at immediate financial risk due to the pandemic and can be used to pay for rent, utilities etc. And Progress, which supports clubs' long-term sustainability by funding the purchase of equipment, training etc. The overall aim is to support sports clubs and organisations with their future plans so that they can offer even better opportunities for the nation to be active beyond the Covid-19 crisis. A number of clubs have already received grants from the Be Active Wales Fund and funding is still available. Check out https://www.sport.wales/beactivewalesfund/ for more details. For support and advice in sourcing and applying for funding contact the Canoe Wales Development Officer, Rhys Green: rhys.green@canoewales.com
Live for White Water?
Coaching at NWWC 2021 Courses BC WHITE WATER SAFETY & RESCUE 24-25 April 5-6 June 28-29 August 23-24 October
£170 pp £170 pp £170 pp £170 pp
BC ADVANCED WHITE WATER SAFETY & RESCUE
29-30 May
£170 pp
RESCUE 3 – WRT PRO TBC
£290 pp
RESCUE 3 – WRT ADVANCED TBC
£390 pp
RESCUE 3 – WRT INSTRUCTOR TBC
Please contact us for details
OUTDOOR-SPECIFIC FIRST AID AT WORK (24HR) TBC
£180 pp
IRF & BC RAFT GUIDE TRAINING COMBINED WITH RESCUE 3 WRT PRO 14-18 April
£390 pp
If you can’t see a suitable date then give us a call.
OTHER COURSES
We run other courses in both Kayak and Canoe, including Moderate and Advanced Water Leader Training and Assessment. We also offer White Water and Advanced White Water Coach Training and Assessment.
PRIVATE COACHING COURSES
If you’ve got something in mind which you’d like to learn or you’d like a day’s guiding on the river, we can organise a day for you, whether on the Tryweryn or further afield. Please contact us to discuss your requirements. 1 to 1 coaching: 1 coach to 2 participants: 1 coach to 3 participants: 1 coach to 4 participants:
£180 per person, per day £90 per person, per day £70 per person, per day £60 per person, per day
Typhoon Multisport 4 Drysuits available for hire on all our courses only £25 per course.
Booking office: 01678 521083 Email: info@nationalwhitewatercentre.co.uk Website: www.nationalwhitewatercentre.co.uk/courses
From Dawn till Dusk The circumnavigation of Holy Island is a double-edged sword. It’s a trip that includes some stunning sections of coastline with amazing wildlife. However, the timings are tight, which means there’s not much opportunity to explore caves or watch seals. More clock-watching than wildlife-watching. However, it’s been on my ticklist for a while ... WORDS: VICKY BARLOW P H O TO S : P E T E C AT T E R A L L
Heading back to Trearddur Bay as dusk falls
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I
’d seen the trip in Welsh Sea Kayaking – Fifty Great Sea Kayaking Voyages by Jim Krawiecki and Andy Biggs. Their suggestion was for an anticlockwise trip starting and finishing in Porth Dafarch. The arrival of my new sea kayak added fuel to the fire and I checked the tides for likely weekends. The 28/29 November looked good for a 7am start. We watched the weather obsessively the week before. It was looking really good. Sunday was forecast for hazy skies, an air temp of 6C and a gentle southwest breeze, which meant limited wind chill. We dug out the pogies and charts and started to plan … It wasn’t the best start – a bit of 5am faff meant we were behind schedule, so we ditched Porth Dafarch and launched from Trearddur Bay
instead. It would mean we’d hit the right tide through the Cymyran Strait but would be paddling further against the tide at the end of the day. The conditions were perfect, a glassy sea and no wind. We paddled towards a misty sunrise over Rhoscolyn Beacon. The sea was eerily quiet – no boats or jet skis. Even RAF Valley was silent. Maybe they don’t fly on Sundays? The mist deadened any sound; including the usually sharp cry of the oystercatchers which were hopping along the rocks near the Cymyran Strait. The Cymyran Strait was a new section for both of us. Pete had taken groups to Four Mile Bridge and we’d both played at Stanley, but neither of us had paddled the full strait and we were both looking forward to it.
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Dawn over Rhoscolyn Beacon
Parliament House Cave at Gogarth
TO THIS POINT WE HAD BEEN PADDLING AGAINST A WEAKENING TIDE. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT FOUR MILE BRIDGE THE JET WAS RUNNING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. WITCHCRAFT.
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Sir David Attenborough research vessel
The entrance was tucked behind Silver Bay and completely overshadowed by RAF Valley; it was hard to believe this narrow inlet would lead to the strait and the inland sea. The scenery was a world apart from the ‘usual’ Anglesey coast. The banks rose gently away; dotted with gorse, boulders and sheep. Herons and egret hunched patiently at the water’s edge. Numerous inlets cut away from the strait, which could easily lead you astray. We floated over rippled sand bars, that rose closer and closer to the surface. We hadn’t realised how shallow this stretch would be and were forced to back track till we spotted a narrow ribbon of dark blue water that snaked its way to Four Mile Bridge. To this point we had been paddling against a weakening tide. When we arrived at Four Mile Bridge the jet was running in the opposite direction. Witchcraft. The way the tide runs at the top and bottom of the strait, combined with the constrictions of Four Mile Bridge and Stanley Embankment make this a black hole of tidal movements. I hoped that Stanley would be running in the right direction … It wasn’t. However, it was approaching the ebb so we managed to paddle up against it and out into the expanse of Beddmanarch Bay.
After the quiet of the strait the noise from the road was almost assaulting. We didn’t hang about and paddled round to Gorsedd-y-penrhyn for an early lunch. This was also a good opportunity to radio Holyhead Port and check if we were ok to cross the harbour. As we were slightly ahead of schedule there might even be enough time to see the Sir David Attenborough research vessel, aka Boaty McBoat Face, which was moored there. However, it would depend on the shipping movements in and out of the port; we could see two car ferries moored up with their funnels smoking. A call to the port control gave the answer; we were clear to cross – the harbour would be quiet for the next 90 minutes. The Sir David Attenborough was an impressive vessel but was dwarfed by the car ferries. It’s an ice breaker with a distinctive thick, upright bow. It wasn’t the only bow we could see; another vessel was coming into sight around the breakwater. Only this one had a forward gun mount, a conning tower and was battleship grey … and was doing an incredibly impressive 360 turn. Was this a new development in English-Welsh lockdown border control?? The radio crackled into life ‘Holyhead Harbour, Holyhead Harbour, this is HMS Lancaster.
Heading towards South Stack Two boats approaching for personnel exchange.’ Sorry Sir David, it was time to check out HMS Lancaster. We paddled out of the harbour, watching the frigate as it performed some impressive manoeuvres off the coast, hoping that it might come a bit closer. However, after completing its personnel exchange it disappeared into the haze. To get as much tidal assistance as possible we kept away from the shore, and paddled direct to North Stack. At North Stack we had two options; stay offshore for continued tidal assistance to South Stack, or cut closer to the shore, losing the assistance but gaining a bit of interest with some rock hopping and the cliffs of Gogarth Bay. We were trying to balance the offshore ‘slap’ with some shoreline interest, so opted for some rock hopping and cliff ogling at Gogarth. Although there was no tidal movement in the bay, with the cliffs and rocks to keep us entertained, we soon reached South Stack. We had the same option here, however, I love cutting between the rocks under the bridge, so we paddled inside South Stack before heading offshore to catch the last of the tide. There wasn’t much and the slack water combined with the distant headland at Penrhyn Mawr made this leg of the journey hard work.
Four Mile Bridge Paddling towards Penrhyn Mawr
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Sunset over Trearddur Bay
DUSK WAS APPROACHING AND WE WERE PADDLING ON GLASSY WATER BURNED PINK WITH THE SETTING SUN. WE’D SET OUT PADDLING TOWARDS A HAZY SUNRISE OVER RHOSCOLYN BEACON AND WERE NOW TREATED TO A SPECTACULAR SUNSET AT TREARDDUR BAY. 36 |
CEUFAD
With nothing to entertain me apart from a never-advancing headland my mind started to drift; my arms felt heavy, my hips were aching, how far was it from Penrhyn Mawr to Porth Dafarch, and from Porth Dafarch to Trearddur Bay? It wasn’t just the tide that was ebbing … Pete did his best to raise the mood, however, I was at that part of the trip where I just needed to get my head down and get on with it. Penrhyn Mawr provided some welcome rock hopping and my mood instantly lifted. It seems my happiness is directly related to the distance to rock. No open water crossings for me … The sea was surprisingly clear, and as we weaved between the rocks we could see the kelp beds dancing in the current below us. We had a quick leg stretch and snack break at Porth Ruffydd, waving at some walkers on the cliffs above us. The cliff tops had been surprisingly quiet throughout the trip – the path above South Stack had been deserted; this was only the third group of people we’d seen all trip. Maybe they had been scared away by HMS Lancaster. Once past Porth Dafarch we could see white houses of Trearddur Bay and Rhoscolyn Head in the far distance. The journey’s end was in sight. However, there was still plenty of entertainment to be had, starting with ‘Scooby Doo house’ and its
resident ghosts (it must have some!). Dusk was approaching and we were paddling on glassy water burned pink with the setting sun. Although we’d looked at the tides and had made our checklist of waypoints and ETAs it hadn’t occurred to me that we’d be paddling almost from dawn to dusk. We’d set out paddling towards a hazy sunrise over Rhoscolyn Beacon and were now treated to a spectacular sunset at Trearddur Bay. The beach was busy with people enjoying the sunset and one lady turned to me as I was sorting my boat and said, ‘You must have had a beautiful day on the water.’ How right she was.
MORE INFO The circumnavigation
does require tidal planning and navigation, however, all the hard work has been done by Jim and Andy in Welsh Sea Kayaking, which was an invaluable resource in planning this trip. It can been done in either direction, depending on tides and weather. Welsh Sea Kayaking – Fifty Great Sea Kayaking Voyages, Jim Krawiecki and Andy Biggs, Pesda Press
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PADDLER PROFILE
KIM JONES
Sam Bryant WELSH SL ALOM SAM IS 16, LIVES IN LLANDYSUL, STARTED KAYAKING WHEN HE WAS 2 AND IS CURRENTLY RANKED 51ST IN PREMIER K1 Hometown: Llandysul
Number hours training per week: 12-14
Nationality: Welsh
Standout moment: Doing C2 with my Dad at
School: Ysgol Bro Teifi Llandysul Club: Llandysul Paddlers Favourite food: Steak Favourite music: Welsh Folk Music Where did you start: Llandysul Paddlers Why canoeing: I have paddled since I can remember, and I love the outdoors and big water. First slalom: Llandysul River Festival Favourite UK site: Lee Valley Favourite European site: Dubai - I attended a training camp in Dubai when I was 12 and had an amazing time; the weather was amazing and the course was as big as Lee Valley. It also had a surf wave.
38 |
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Interclubs. Favourite pastime other than kayaking: Surfing Most influenced by: Tommy Power
“WHEN IN DOUBT, FLAT OUT” FAVOURITE SPORTING QUOTE
PADDLER PROFILE
George Abbott WELSH SL ALOM GEORGE IS 19, LIVES IN LIXWM , STARTED KAYAKING IN 2015 AND IS CURRENTLY RANKED 92ND IN PREMIER K1 Hometown: Lixwm
are part of something as well as giving you
Nationality: British
extreme motivation to get out training.
School: St Richard Gwyn, Flint
Due to the competitive nature of the sport,
Club: Mold Canoe Club
there's never a training session without
Favourite food: Pasta
competition, always fun, always making the
Favourite music: Pop
most of every opportunity on the water and
Where did you start? Mold Canoe Club
always working hard to improve your ability
Why canoeing? It's adventurous, exciting,
Favourite UK site: Tryweryn
Britain and gives you opportunities to
Favourite European site: Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf
strap the boat on and go kayaking with
Number hours training per week: 12
friends whenever you want to get out and
Standout moment: Finishing 26th in Premier
is your friend. First slalom: Bala Mill Div 4 June 2016 Why slalom? Slalom has a very strong community feel to it, where you feel you
FAVOURITE SPORTING QUOTE
as well as beating your training buddies.
takes you to the most amazing sites in
go. Also one of the only sports where rain
“NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT RUN”
at Tryweryn after only getting promoted into this division 3 months before. Favourite pastime other than kayaking: Exploring mountains and wild camping. Most influenced by: Sam Bryant
PROFILES: JONATHAN DAVIES, TALENT PATHWAY OFFICER
SPRING 2021
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