British Summertime !!!! 02/04/2010

Ever since British Summertime officially started last Sunday the weather has gone downhill and today was no exception.

Paddling out of Porthsele and towards Whitesand's Bay I was luckily just on the edge of one of the frequent heavy showers so I didn't get too much of a soaking.
Reaching St David's Head the sea was pretty confused with the strong wind against the big Spring tide whipping up some interesting conditions.

I tried paddling Northward for a bit but I was making very slow progress against the tide even with the wind behind me, so turning round I let the tide do the work and take me Southward towards Ramsey Island.

Even with the wind against me I was averaging between 5.5 knots and 6.5 knots with little effort and was pretty surprised to see a couple of Porpoise going in the other direction with ease.

After speeding past Gwahan I stop and look out to sea at North Bishop and back at the St David's Peninsula with a large area of blue sky above which makes a pleasant change.

Reaching the North end of Ramsey I am finally sheltered, slightly, from the cold wind and with the tide still low it gives me a good chance to explore the caves in Bay Ogof Hen.

Entering the largest cave in the bay I have to dodge a deluge of water running off the cliffs above, a sure sign of the quantity of rain we have had over the last few days.

It was reasonably dry inside the cave but on the paddle back out I had to run the gauntlet of the dripping cold water.

On the cliffs above the caves I spot a couple of the first of Ramsey's newborn lambs trying to shelter from the rather inclement weather.

Rounding Trwyn Ogof Hen I was going to paddle down to the Bitches but the sky was darkening again and I felt the first drops of another approaching rainstorm so cutting my losses I started my ferry glide back across Ramsey Sound.

The rain passed over as quick as it came so I took a slight detour over to the rocky outcrop of Carreg Gafeilliog and have a paddle between the numerous jagged rocks.

It is only a short paddle back into Porthsele completing a circuit of just over 6 nautical miles (11.5kms), not too bad considering the changeable conditions and the big tides. I wonder what the rest of the Easter weekend has in store.