SUP Club – Fun in the Sun…

The wind might have blown a fair bit stronger than advertised – and although the sun was out, that easterly took the edge off the temperatures too – but it didn’t stop 24 paddlers from turning out to last night’s SUP Club. Launching from Two Tree Island nearly an hour after low tide, we were always going to have to dig in off the slipway, and that sea breeze made for quite a work-out as we headed down towards the Ray. Kudos to Jo who showed great technique and determination to charge into the headwind and tide on just her second time on a paddleboard, having only graduated from our Learn to SUP course on Sunday! Looking even stronger were Julia and Tanzi, fresh back from the 16-mile Bray Lake Ultra on Saturday where Tanzi took the iSUP title – another top result for Team Wet’n’Dry SUP.

Once we were round the corner we grouped up at the first buoys before striking a little further down the Ray. At the second group of buoys we set up ‘base camp’, where we chatted, swapped boards, practised our turns and sparred in a few impromptu sprints out towards Seal Point. Great fun was had by all under a strikingly beautiful sky – the wispy cloud formations looked almost unreal, producing spectrums as the sun began to set…

Of course, approaching mid-tide with a strong tailwind the paddle back was much easier and faster! Soon enough we were packed up and driving in convoy past the cockle-sheds into Old Leigh and the Crooked Billet in for our traditional post-paddle pint. Thanks again to everyone for another great SUP Club.

If you want to join a Wednesday night SUP Club, all we ask is that you have some paddling experience (if not, check out our SUP Lessons) – we call Wednesday SUP Club on the day on our Facebook page and Wet’n’Dry SUP calendar, location depending on weather and tide conditions. If you have your own kit, just turn up and you’ll be very welcome. If not, we do offer limited SUP hire for £25. For more information just give us a call on 01268 569988 or email jamie@wetndrysup.com

SUP Club – 28th May 2014

Although the weather hasn’t been the prettiest this week, last night’s SUP Club saw some of the best conditions we’ve had on a Wednesday evening all year. Sure, it was overcast, but the forecast drizzle held off … and more importantly there was absolutely no wind, which made for totally glassy water and some joy paddling. A 7.30pm low tide (of 0.58m) meant Two Tree Island was on, and we launched around 7pm to head east down the Ray towards Seal Point. Thirteen paddlers covering a wide range of experience (kudos to Steve and Mika who had only just completed our learn to SUP course last weekend!) cruised c. 5km out to the dogleg where we were greeted by Southend’s resident seal colony…

A revered silence fell across the group as we knelt or laid prone on our boards and kept our distance from the seals at first. With a couple of pups on the sand, it was especially important to have some respect for their territory. Maintaining the hush, we drifted closer on the glassy waters, allowing the seals to check us out from the shore and play around our boards in the water. We’ve had worse evenings!

Commune with nature done, we headed back home aided by a building flood tide and the lightest of south-easterly breezes. Cutting through the mirror-flat water, we were back to the slipway in no time and packing up for a well-earnt post paddle pint in the Smack after some 10km of paddling. Thanks again to everyone for a magic SUP Club – see you again next week…

If you fancy joining SUP Club, all we ask is that you have some paddling experience (if not, check out our SUP Lessons) – we call Wednesday SUP Club on the day on our Facebook page and Wet’n’Dry SUP calendar, location depending on weather and tide conditions. If you have your own kit, just turn up and you’ll be very welcome. If not, we do offer limited SUP hire for £25.

SUP Club – 14th May 2014

Looks like summer’s on its way? A healthy turnout of 18 stand-up paddlers plus one prone surfboard is a sure sign the warmer weather has arrived… Last night’s SUP Club convened at Two Tree Island for an hour’s paddle down the Ray into a moderate sea breeze – enough to notice, but nothing that a bit of digging in couldn’t overcome. A handful of our crew were treating this as a training paddle for this Saturday’s Battle of the Thames: Claire, Julia and Dan put in a solid steady state paddle over the 7km loop … while Tanzi and Chris charged off for the horizon at full-on race pace, not turning until beyond Seal Point! (Good luck to them all in Surbiton this weekend.) It was great to see some new faces amongst the familiar smiles too; as always, all comers with a little experience are very welcome to join in on a Wednesday night…

Most of us stopped at the orange buoy to chat and admire the setting sun before turning for home, aided by the flooding tide and an ever decreasing tailwind. Then back up the slipway and into the car-park to pack up as a stunning full moon rose over the pier – before the obligatory post paddle pint, this time at the Smack in Old Leigh so canine companions Ruby and Bongo could join us! Thanks again to everyone for another great SUP Club evening…

If you fancy joining SUP Club, all we ask is that you have some paddling experience (if not, check out our SUP Lessons) – we call Wednesday SUP Club on the day on our Facebook page and Wet’n’Dry SUP calendar, location depending on weather and tide conditions. If you have your own kit, just turn up and you’ll be very welcome. If not, we do offer limited SUP hire for £25.

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