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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3073 |
19th September 2020 Stand Up Paddle Boarding: River Deben at Waldringfield Wind Direction: ENE Wind Stength: 15/25 Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny and warm Max Speed: Distance Covered: Saturday 19th - SUP ***** - River Deben at Waldringfield – sunny, warm and breezy. With our son Rob with Hannah and the Grandson Arlo down for a few days the plan today was for them to take Mag to Notcutts, a garden centre in nearby Woodbridge before going for a picnic and paddle board at Waldringfield, then hopefully having a session on the water at The Dip end as Rob very rarely now gets out on his kite gear! Mag and I are up around 7.30 wit the lovely Arlo, then after breakfast I make a large number of sandwiches and we set off about ten on yet another clear blue, warm day with the ENE wind continuing to blow to 25 knots! At the garden centre we all don our masks with Arlo not batting an eye (what strange times we live in with no sign of this terrible virus disappearing anytime soon)! Mag and Hannah have fun choosing a trolley of plants and Mag is treated to vouchers to pay for them, lucky girl but you are not 60 every day:) Arlo and I find a big wooden chair to sit in and have a great time choosing rhyming words:) It is then only a few miles to Waldringfield and being a Saturday the car park is getting full mainly with people going for a meal in the MayBush. Also the Sailing Club was making the most of the high tide and good breeze and was a hive of activity too! We get a ticket for the car park, a bargain at only £1 for three hours. Then its down through the Sailing Club boat park, down the steps to the beach which is limited due to the high water so we walk to where Mag and I sit when we go on our bikes - right at the end. We have our picnic sitting in the old boat watching the sailing dinghies launch, mainly kids having a great time in the challenging wind! Rob soon has his fairly new Stand up Paddle Board inflated and is the first to brace the River Deben. There is a small island just offshore which is todays challenge! He heads out of our very own small beach and is soon standing up like a pro heading along the beach towards the pub. Arlo and I walk along watching all the river action as Rob heads to the island. He hits some strong wind and kneels down and I think what a wuss, stand up, how hard can paddle boarding be, I am made to eat my words later!! Rob is back on his feet on the far side of the island with a tail wind and soon completes the one-mile circuit, now it’s my turn! In hind sight it might have been better to have my first ever SUP on a calmer day, 25 knots of wind and a choppy river make it hard as I was soon to discover! I kneel on the board and comfortingly paddle away but things soon go wrong much to the amusement of those watching from our picnic spot! As soon as I stand up, I discover there is more to it than I first thought and quickly run off the back for my first soaking! With Arlo still laughing I try again and realise just now tippy the board is and there must be a technique I haven’t worked out yet? So, I bite my pride and set off paddling on my knees like the complete beginner that I am! I get to the pub before heading away from the shore and hit the windiest part but make it to the island OK. Down the back there is a good little running swell which would have been great to ride if only I was brave enough to stand up! I stop for my usual selfie shot (which my family, watching from the bank think in absolutely hilarious!!) on reaching the end of the island I find some calmer water and actually manage to stand up for the last 250 m back and discover you have to lean forward for better balance, perhaps we will pass on getting a couple of paddle boards especially with Mag not being keen! Its Hannah’s turn now and with Arlo wanting to stay with Granny she goes out with Rob and they have great fun out on the lumpy river and up a nearby creek but they are soon in the warm river swimming and giggling like a couple of kids:) Mag and Arlo are now sitting in the old boat moored with a few other tenders with the tide getting higher and higher so I manage to push the boat off the bottom and they are off floating too:) It was such fun, this is a great spot for having fun on the river, there were loads of paddle boards and canoes out. The racing dinghies were disappearing towards Woodbridge, then a windsurfer launched too:) He turned out to be Tom Alexander a windsurfer we have known for several years and although the wind was gusty he was having some nice long runs down towards The Rocks - all very entertaining. It was time to call it a day here so packed up and headed back to the car, while I went to take some pics of Tom, Mag and Hannah went to check out the famous Waldringfield plant man. Then back to Felixstowe in time for Rob and I to take our kit to the beach:) 60 pics for 60 years Photo Gallery Here |
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