Cow comes knocking & sets the Oranguvan Rocking 

Summer road trip 2015

Well having finished our winter season at Holbox Kiteboarding School, Cathy and I were looking for new adventures. We checked the travel sections in Kiteworld and IKsurfmag  but couldn’t decide which turquoise windswept paradise to visit. Whilst doing this the Oranguvan my trusty mystery machine that took us across Europe last summer was being put back on the road once more. With a legal van and an amazing forecast we decided where better to go than our own back yard.  Wales it would be! No excess baggage, no immigration and we could bring all the toys a true holiday!

We’ve kiteboarded extensively in North Wales and Angelsey before so we decided to start at the Llynn Peninsula and work our way down the west coast exploring to us new spots.

First day of the trip we got perfect foiling conditions at Abrerech Sands, Pwllheli.  7- 10 knots and the 13m velocity saw me foiling away for most of the morning. It was the first time I remember seeing such clear water in the UK. Foiling above giant barrel jellyfish in gin Clearwater was stunning.

For more information on Foilboarding

Later we headed further along the south of the peninsula to find a sand bar and lagoon that was tucked away and had good steady winds blowing in over the bar. Cathy rigged her shiny new 11m Switchblade and went out blasting the lagoon for an hour or two.  Beautiful flat water.

The forecast held true for Hell’s mouth and we were greeted with 25 knots and big waves, a little onshore but still when the waves are big you just have to…

Hell’s mouth is an impressive wind and surf swept beach. Why haven’t I kited there before?

After a couple of days there  we were supposed to head south to Aberdyfi but got side tracked by Black Rock Sands. Wind against tide, flat water lagoons and small waves. How could we resist. Even tried a bit of kite unicycling when the water receded to far.

The second day at black rock saw me overpowered on the 10 edge and paragliding then swapping it for the 10 venom to give chase to Cathy, she’d nearly reached Harlech by the time I caught up.

Next up was Aberdovey somewhere I’ve always wanted to get to.  My foil addiction saw me in the estuary on a 6m whilst Cathy was boosting on the 7m . The spot is awesome and constantly changing. The current in the estuary brought new meaning to wind against tide…. The flat lagoons on the otherside at Ynslas look like they would be epic in a North Easterly. The only downside was the cost of parking here… We were told afterwards where to park for free and a short walk across the golf course would be the solution for future trips. Be careful not to feed the Seaguls or face a fixed penalty or worse a greedy gul that won’t leave you alone. Fat Neck Gul wolfed down two Pork sausages and grounded itself.

The following spot was a happy hydorfoiling accident. The forecast was for nothing but just North of Aberaeron we found a rocky beach called LLanon. 10mph onshore how could I not. Cathy left me to it exploring the coastal path. I followed along below on the foil. The wind picked up to about 15 mph leaving me super powered on the 13m. The waves have an interesting effect on the foil. Although you don’t feel them in the same way as a normal board. The foil automatically rises and falls with the wave. Awesome.

The coastline driving down the west of Wales is stunning and with the weather we were having there’s nowhere I’d rather have been.

Whitesands and sea cave exploration was our next stop before Newgale.

Newgale looked like a cracking spot for kiteboarding but instead the winds dictated that it was landboarding or nothing. For all you landboarders out there this beach shouldn’t be missed. Just check the signs or Big Blue Experience for guidance on where and when.

We took a drive down to Freshwater West which is a beautiful spot and the surfers were enjoying side off winds with a good Atlantic swell. Here was the first place since Hell’s mouth where parking wasn’t regulated 😉

Pembrey was our following target for a bit of cycling, unicycling, foilboarding and kiting. I had a frustrating hour with the winds teasing me, only just keeping the kite in the sky then with one gust I was off, attempting my first foiling  roll tacks. Small achievements but impressive bails. As the wind increased Cathy set off on her switchblade and headed for the Gower. Only 5 miles to Rhosili by kite but by car about an hour!! Cathy found a blue lagoon of flat water and blue jellyfish.

The Gower was where our journey had been leading us and our luck continued to hold. Greeted by an Atlantic storm we took a stroll down the worm’s head and then settled in for a couple of pints in the worms head to watch the crazy waves rolling in. Excitement was building for the following day.

Forecast 30-40mph 🙂 reality didn’t disappoint. Huge waves and strong winds saw us battling the conditions at Rhossili, boosting on a borrowed 7m from Cathy was epic followed by some strapless action in the surf. Battling out through the surging white water to the breaking waves was worth the  wipeouts. Never been on waves so big and powerful before!

The following day saw sunny skies Cathy riding strapless and me having a nostalgic landboard session at Rhossilli. I’d forgotten just how much fun that can be.

Our last morning on the Gower tucked away in a little spot where we possibly shouldn’t have been, I was awoken to a rocking van.. “Cathy is that you?” I asked… “No!” came the reply. With fear that I might find an angry landowner clamping the van we opened the curtains to find a very big black cow using the Oraguvan as a personal scratching post. Cathy’s farm experience quickly sent them packing and us too.

What a trip. We love our foreign jaunts but you can’t beat a good old road trip in your own back yard when the sun shines and the wind blows.  The best thing about UK kiteboarding is the sheer variety of conditions that you can get in one day. Flat water to waves. Foilboarding to boosting on a 7m.

Many thanks to the people we met along the way and especially the ones that gave us a jump start. Off to buy a new battery tomorrow.

2 weeks of solid UK Kiting – Love it!

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