CSCC Reports 2011: Sea Kayaking Skills Trip to Lepe, Solent - June 2011

 The weather was just about perfect for this skills weekend on the south coast.  Saturday was blustery (F4-5) which made our practice rescues a bit more challenging than if they had been on flat calm water and the Sunday was hot enough to swim in the sea and get propely sunburnt.

We stayed at Ashurst Campsite on the edge of the New Forest.  This is an attractive campsite set in trees.  The facilities are good and it has the added attraction of wild New Forest horses wandering through it, especially in early the morning.  It is also very conveniently located for the station (the railway line runs right past the campsite) and there are pubs and an indian restaurant within easy walking distance.  

On Saturday we parked at Calshot Activity Centre (£5 parking plus £1 launch fee for kayaks) and practised some turning, support strokes rolling and rescues in an area of water just behind Calshot Spit which offered some shelter from the wind.  Everyone practised deep water rescues (Marc being the most enthusiastic swimmer due to being too hot in his wetsuit) and I had a go using a paddle float.  Karen tried out her new dry suit, and despite descrbing it as the "terryfying dry suit of suffocation" beforehand declared herself pleased with her new purchase.

We had some lunch at the Spinaker cafe (part of the leisure centre, which does bacon sandwiches and burgers etc. before going back on the water for some more rescue practice during which David, who had stayed dry in the morning, proved that his roll worked just as well in the sea as in the swimming pool.

On Sunday we met Gordon at Lepe country park.  The weather was warm but foggy and the Isle of Wight was difficult to make out so we ruled out a Solent crossing and decided to use the tide to head West towards Lymington.  At about 1.30 we decided that making Lymington was a bit too ambitious for the day and spent a very pleasant hour in the sun on the beach while the tide turned and then we made good speed getting back to Lepe.