Update on the wind in False Bay

A picture is worth a thousand words eh.

Read it and weep (and don't paddle here).   

:(

How's the wind been where you are?

Here's a screen shot of the wind meter where we normally paddle. It's been a little windy lately.
It's blown between 16 and 22 metres per second for 4 days solid. 20mps is 72kph and gusts have been well over 100kph.  It's enough already!!!

Race cancelled

Apologies for late notice  but due to Derek's illness we have to cancel the race. In its stead we will still have our usual Sunday Paddle, leaving this time from Long Beach. Forecast is for a fresh wind so most paddlers will be comfortable. Please do still come. The surfski race is taking place in the same area and it should be fun to see so many boats on the water.
The kayak demo for new paddlers will also still take place at 11am until 1pm.

Cape Point trip video

The video of the eventful Cape Point trip is here:  http://youtu.be/DgB2qDmxBu4
Select the HD setting if you have a quickish connection.

 

Cape Point Trip - Sunday October 7th

SATURDAY 12am UPDATE
The forecast is for a moderate/ fresh south easter which is on the edge of cancelling. It's very do-able for competent paddlers but the call will be made in the morning. Should we think it's too strong for a Cape Point paddle it's likely good for a downwind Millers Run to Glencairn Beach so we will still meet at the shop at 8.15 to make the call. There WILL be a paddle if the forecast is correct.

The forecast for this Sunday is reasonable but not perfect so it's too early to call it off or on today.
Please check this blog or twitter as always on Friday and/or Saturday and before you leave home for an update.
We plan to leave from the Buffels Bay slip by 9.00am. Bring a snack, camera, water and plenty of sunblock. And your wild card. We will meet at 8.15am outside the shop to car pool and for a pre paddle briefing and weather check. And from there to the usual launch spot at Buffels Bay in the reserve.

Paddlers Sea Kayak Annual Race - Cancelled

Sadly we are not able to have our annual kayak race this year as our small event has been asked by Disaster Management, under provisions in the new event regulations, to provide quite onerous safety measures. They are particularly concerned about water activities taking place during the season when sharks are known to come close to shore, and the effect of any bad publicity that would occur if a shark attack took place. 

It is no longer enough to provide an indemnity form, and in the interests of safety we are now required to ensure Sea Rescue and medical personal on the water, a medical doctor on shore, shark spotter, lifeguard, and have an emergency removal plan to include the provision for a helicopter landing site for medical evacuation, plus  R5 million public liability insurance.

As our "fun" event is not a money making scheme, and the preparation of the documents alone is a daunting task,  I have decided to cancel the event.

Comments welcomed.

RACE IS POSTPONED

It's very disappointing  - and very late notice  - but our annual kayak race has hit a technical snag with the city who yesterday afternoon, refused our permit.  I have a meeting with officials next week to iron out the problem and get permission for a future date.

Given the wind and rain forecast for tomorrow it does give us the chance to try for a better day. If you are coming to Simon's Town tomorrow then we will have muffins, coffee and kayak videos  at the shop from 9.30 until 11.30am.

Full Moon Paddle pictures

It was a very windy evening for this month's full moon paddle, unlike the last few, but five intrepid paddlers went out anyway. I have just bought myself a used GoPro and was trying it out so here is the video as well. Because paddling videos (well, mine anyway) tend to be a bit slow and boring I now often speed them up.

Not a day for wimps

Still looks good - except for the dark skies ahead 

Looks nice and calm

A tad wet now but no wind yet

The day started out nice and calm. The forecast said the wind would be westerly at 15kph with 1mm rain for the day and as we set off it certainly seemed that way. Westerly also meant we were protected by the mountains and as the four of us were all strong, competent paddlers off we went.

After 15 minutes it began raining and then the wind picked up northeasterly to probably 30kph. Waves were only 2 or 3 foot so we carried on upwind. It was a slog but excellent fun and a good workout but the rain was so incessant that by the time we got to the Smits area we were soaked.

And by the time we got to Millers we were so chilly that we agreed to put in there and call for the vehicle instead of paddling the last 8kms to Simon's Town. Gotta love cellphones.

Then it was off to the yacht club for some coffee and Whale Tale Ales.

Buffells to Simon's Town - Yes, again

Sunday 15th July

Sunday 7.30am: Status - looks wet, let's do it anyway.

Meet at the shop at 8.30am to car pool down to the reserve. As usual we will update here on the blog with new forecasts as they change. The go ahead will be given here and also on this Twitter account which is easier to update and more reliable. You don't need to join or follow if you don't want to. 

Buffells to Simon's Town - again

Sunday 8th July
As you have presumably already surmised, the trip is postponed until next Sunday. Or the Sunday after or the one after that, until we get a good day. (Today, Saturday, would have been perfect - naturally!)


The plan if we go ahead is to meet at the shop at 8.30am to car pool down to the reserve. As usual we will update here on the blog with new forecasts as they change. The go ahead will be given here and also on this Twitter account which is easier to update and more reliable. You don't need to join or follow if you don't want to. 

Interesting difference in forecast in one day isn't it.

CELLPHONES AND WATER

The above two don't really live well together but for the fact that they are, for safety's sake, compelled to.

After destroying a few phones with saltwater  I eventually settled last year on a Sonim Phone. The phone is very basic but tough and, above all, waterproof. The simplicity is,  after a while, a bit overwhelming and you begin to miss the nice - to - haves which we take for granted.

A few days ago I found the attached flyer at Builders Warehouse. The Specs of these phones are superior to my Sonim. The "Pro Talk" has a camera and gives GPS Co - Ordinates. You can get more info at their website.

The other option is to have 2 x phones. One tough/cheap  for outdoor activities and one for Business.

best regards

June Full Moon Paddle

Here's a thousand word essay on the Full Moon paddle.

Buffells to Simon's Town

SUN 8am. And that's how quickly it changes. No rain now but a shower in the northerly distance. Let's meet at the shop and make the call there.


SUN tam. Conditions are wet and chilly with a light north easter. Not great but do-able however rain is still forecast for most of the day. Trips meeting time delayed until 9am to make a later call.


Forecast conditions for this Sunday the 20th look good although possible rain showers.  There may be a small wave to get through at the launch as well.

The plan if we go ahead is to meet at the shop at 8.30am to car pool down to the reserve.
As usual we will update here on the blog with new forecasts as they change. The go ahead will be given here and also on this Twitter account which is easier to update and more reliable. You don't need to join or follow if you don't want, just go to this web page.

Kayak Capetown

Sunset paddle pics

Awesome is a somewhat overused and thus devalued word but it does capture the paddle from last night. As pleasing as these pictures are, they don't come close to catching the wonder of the evening on the water. Only thing that could improve it would be the full moon rising - hopefully we will have an equally good evening for the next Full Moon Paddle on June 4th.

The white dot in the sky on the next three pictures is Venus

Peninsula Paddle Sunday 3 June 2012

Last year a group of sea kayakers from Paddlers in Simon's Town accompanied the full route from the start of the 2011 Peninsula Paddle at Zandvlei to Marina da Gama.  This created a great spectacle as an ‘armada’ of paddlers headed out together. 

If you would like to show your support for   ‘Take back the City’s waterways’ then join in by first going to their web site for more info.

Buffels to Simon's Town Paddle

UPDATE SATURDAY: Impossible to call this now. Phone 082 501 8930 Sunday 7 to 7.30am to hear if we are going.

This Sunday the 22nd April is scheduled for a Buffels to Simon's Town Paddle - weather permitting as usual. The forecast currently is for quite a bit of wind and as it's to be windy for two days either side of Sunday it's unlikely to change. But we live in hope. (In fact it's a strongish South Easter for over 10 solid days on the actual and forecast - not something I can remember in autumn)

The plan if we go ahead is to meet at the shop at 8.30am to car pool down to the reserve.

Here is a video of one of our previous trips to Buffels if you can't make it.

Robben Island Paddle Pictures

This was a really excellent paddle. Weather for the outward leg was perfect as you can tell from the pics. We saw much wildlife - although as we were widely spaced not everyone saw everything. Apart from the usual bird life of gulls, cormorants, terns and penguins we also spotted a petrel. In the water were seals, dolphins, 2 sunfish and some lucky paddlers swear they saw a whale shark.
The wind picked up for the return journey and we had a stiff headwind of 10 to 15 knots the whole way back. Especially those who chose the longer journey by going round the island before heading home.
Click on the pictures for a larger version.

A reef rears up a couple of kms off the island

Robben Island paddle Wed 21st March

UPDATE Tuesday 4pm: The trip is going ahead.

As it's Human Rights day it's appropriate we think to paddle to Robben Island and back. We will launch from 3 Anchor Bay at 9am,.

Minimum requirements to join this paddle are:

Ability to perform a T rescue,

A sea kayak of minimum 4 metres length

Experience of paddling at least 15 kms non stop

Penguin rescuers

On our regular Sunday paddle the kayakers came across this struggling baby African Penguin. Pictured is David Parry-Davies rescuing it and taking it back to the Boulders Beach penguin colony for rehabilitation. Literally "p..p..pick up a penguin" (for those familiar with the British sweet advert).