More Estuarine Adventures
With the temperatures about to tumble by the second half of the week it would have been rude not to make the most of the summer weather today. After a couple of days windsurfing in the crazy winds of the estuary it was back into much calmer estuarine waters.
To Aberdyfi and Beyond
There was no wind at all when I set off from the seafront and headed north towards the estuary. Here there was just a slight headwind as I picked up the fast flowing current of a Spring Tide. It took me flying past Aberdyfi and then into the estuary proper.
On I went past familiar promontories and the beaches I often stop at. Past the Smugglers Cove Boat Yard and on past Ynyshir RSPB and into the more river-like waters at Glandyfi. As I passed under the railway bridge the tide was still rushing in and aiding my progress.
The waterway starts to meander here taking me past the Dyfi Osprey Centre. I continued on through a patchwork of fields where cows, sheep and horses grazed. Geese, swans and herons scattered as I approached. They would then settle on the water a little further ahead ready for an action replay. On I went, weaving my way through the river meanders until I decided it was time to stop for some lunch.
I hauled my surf-ski out onto the grassy bank and sat in the sunshine where I ate some snacks. The water was still flooding so I lay back and chilled for a while. There was no point starting my journey back until the tide had turned – why make life difficult for myself.
Eventually, the water stopped flowing and went slack. I couldn’t sit there waiting much longer so jumped back aboard and started to head home. The tide wasn’t any help yet but at least it wasn’t a hindrance. I would aid my progress more and more as I retraced my paddle strokes back down the River Dyfi.
There was quite a headwind by now though. The wind seemed to have swung 180ยบ along with the tide and it was soon blowing quite strongly and rippling the water even within the confines of the river channel. Once out into more open estuarine waters things were quite lively. There were white-caps breaking over the bow of my boat all the time and the wind was trying to blow my hat off..
My pace was picking up thanks to the now ebbing tide but the headwind made the act of paddling a lttle more taxing. On I went though, just stopping once at my favourite little beach at Aber Tafol for a quick stretch. My speed picked up further as I flew past the boats and moorings at Aberdyfi and out past quite a big whirlpool off the end of the Ynyslas Point. I finally made it back to the seafront and then back to the beach where I had started. Total distance was just a little over 22 miles which is a pretty big paddle in my books.
