2026 05 09 Progression to Sea

2026 05 09 Progression to Sea by Anthony C

We had a cracking introduction to Sea Kayaking at Anglesea this weekend. 

The day started with a meeting at the cafe in the morning. We introduced ourselves, then split into our respective groups to plan our day. One group headed for Rhosneigr to then paddle down to the “Church in the Sea”, while the other headed for Porth Dafarch and paddled to Trearddur Bay to explore the coast and to “rock hop”.

My wife, Anthony Jolly and Keith made for a tight-knit little group, marshalled of course by Keith, without whose knowledge and experience none of this was possible. Our first brief was the beginning of an important learning experience. We discussed tides and wind strength, and I learned the importance of planning for strong offshore winds and how both might change during the course of the day. 

After a coffee and a brief drive, we found our way to Porth Dafarch, where we set our kayaks down for a second final brief before the off. The sea was calm, and the sun began to break through the clouds. In the shallows, the sea was a clear emerald; the rocks and underwater fauna threw shadows across the bottom. Keith talked us through the odd manoeuvre, meandering through the rocky outcrops, timing the swell, darting in and out of the narrow gorges. The sun dappled the water, dancing madly on the surface, then all changed with the bobbing of a wave. Anne was queasy. We stopped for lunch at Trearddur Bay, where we had time for a bite to eat and a coffee before setting off on the return. 

Our journey back was different. The offshore wind picked up, and it was a bit of a struggle when not protected by the immediate shoreline, an important first lesson to factor into future trips. The tide had risen, and when bobbing close to shore, the rocky seascape had changed utterly from what it had earlier been. When we arrived back at our starting point, I was surprised at how quickly the day had gone.  Once we had loaded our kayaks into the car, we set off to join the second group and compare notes over coffee and cake.

I was surprised by the quality of the beaches and the relative quiet in this early part of the season. I think that so long as you catch a good day, as we were lucky to do, this time of year is likely one of the best to visit. Beautiful, calm days. Not too hot and not too many people, making the beginning and ending of our journey that much more relaxed. What a wonderful day all round. A great introduction to sea Kayaking. I thought I would enjoy it. I was wrong. I loved it. Thanks to Keith, who clearly knows this coast like the back of his hand and kindly chose to spend his time showing us novices the ropes when he might have been off on wind and wave in a way his monitoring of the newbies was never going to let him.