Mentro 9, the Keeper of the Bulldog, meets the Keeper of the Dunes. Sker Beach, June 2015.

This is a quick update on the #Mentro21 project to surf 21 times this year. It has been very much Rhossili dominated recently, so I wanted to mix it up a bit. Occasionally working in Kenfig National Nature Reserve puts me a mere half hour walk (barefoot in a wetsuit) from Sker Beach, the most eastern corner of Kenfig Sands, Bridgend, Wales.

It is just around from Rest Bay, isolated by Sker Point and Pink Bay, but receiving the same surf as Rest Bay. The long walk through the Dunes ensuring only a handful of surfers surfng the Beach.

It was a good swell, at least 2 foot, but blown about by the onshore wind, heavy but rideable. There are what I can only call pits of boulders in the sand which makes for tricky walking out but apart from that it is a pretty much a sandy beach.

I have no photos of Sker, because I wasn’t going to leave my camera on the Beach when I surfed. But I did get some photos with the keeper of the Dunes, apparently modelled on Gemma McLean, former Bridgend Sustainably Officer. Even if you don’t get to the beach, Kenfig is well worth a visit, one of Bridgend’s finest green spaces, and certainly at the top of #MyGreenSpace favourites. Another day, another Beach, nine down, twelve to go, I better get on it, DimExcuses.

Mentro 8. A Misty Midsummer Night’s Surf, Rhossili.

It seemed like the perfect plan, the second longest day, Gower’s furthest west beach, a 9:40pm sunset and high tide six minutes later. But Welsh weather isn’t a fan of perfect plans and this June continues to disappoint, as we headed back to Rhossili Bay for Mentro 8 in the #Mentro21 project. Molly and Sharon were the ready to rock, if you want to roll, surf patrol.

But we arrived to this, with those who had access to weather reports making alternative plans.

The second longest day was set in heavy cloud, which was then hidden by a thick sea mist. Remember when Rhossili Down used to be there?

Undeterred I was joined by Luke and Hannah as we made our way into mist to venture down into the sea below. Sharon, Molly, Dennis and Susan stayed on the cliff with now almost zero visibility. Dane from Finn Surfing (up and coming Swansea surfwear brand) popped over for a chat and wished us well before we set off.

We got two hours in with Luke and Hannah getting a lot of bodyboard wave time. As we walked up the mist rose a bit with us, and for a while we could see Wormshead.

But it started to decend again and our hope of seeming the legendary Wormshead sunset were lost, along with our Midsummer Night’s Dreams.

The nights maybe shortening but I have now added catching a Wormshead Sunset to the #Mentro21 goals. We will catch one, DimExcuses.

Mentro 7, Windy with Extra Jellyfish. Rhossili, Gower 7th June 2015.

There is a seasonal tipping point when the seawater shifts to a steady increase in temperature. The sea has a high thermal inertia, it reacts to changes in temperature slowly. The winter surfers, and us spring surfers try to hurry it along, discarding gloves and longing for summer suits and no boots. Finally that day has come. The sun came out for great June day but the air is still unseasonably cool. I headed for a small and windy Rhossili Bay hoping the headland might shield me from this cheaky wind that was making conditions messy. It was much better than it looked with the messy conditions making some interesting peaky waves. But the great thing was that I was comfortable in my summer suit and no boots. This strange June had another trick up its selve. Literally swarms of large barrel jellyfish have been washing up on the beach, I saw five just walking in, and much to the worry of my now bare feet they are still floating in the shallows. They apparently (hopefully) don’t have much sting dead. They are more of a psychological worry than an actual risk, so embrace this tipping point into warm waters and get in, DimExcuses.

StormWatch, Caswell Bay, Dusk 6th March 2015.

With almost spring like conditions, I rushed from the commute train to catch the last of the light at Caswell Bay. Sharon (& Molly) grabbed me at the station and we raced down to see the dusk surf as we were quickly running out of beach and light.

There was a rapidly rising high tide and a considerable swell. The sunny clear skies of the day, now gave no insulation, so it was real Welsh winter cold.

There were some mad ‘ have a go heroes’ rapidly chasing every wave like the tide would never go out again and the sun would never rise once set. They looked proper stoked.

Then, not concerned for the cold conditions, someone got their chopper out.

In the face of cold, heavy swell, rising tide and failing light in was inspiring to these guys ‘Mentro Allan’ venture out, DimExcuses.

Walk & Surf Newgale Bay Pembrokeshire. May Bank Holidays 2013

My blog has been very Wales, but not wild enough or west enough.  I hope to make up for that with one of the wildest West Wales beaches you can visit, Newgale Bay in Pembrokeshire.  Driving from Haverfordwest you soon seen the spectacular cliffs surrounding the bay and then the massive pebble storm beach that acts as a wall between the beach and the land.  The bay then moves into a flat valley when there is Newgale Campsite, Newsurf shop, Sands Cafe and the Duke of Edinburgh Pub.  Click on the names to go to their websites.

It is a beautiful beach.  You can walk along the pebbles of the storm beach or along the wide beach itself.  Watch out though the sea can come right up to the pebbles.

It can be quite windy too, as I said Wild West Wales!  But if that wind is offshore it can create some really spectacular waves.  Newgale is also a great base to explore Pembrokeshire.  St. Davids, UK’s smallest city because it has a cathedral, is just a few miles drive (or ride on the Puffin Bus) away.  Here are the Puffin Shuttle timetables.  There are loads of other bays to discover like Caerfai Bay below, but that is a different blog.  Go visit and explore, DimExcuses.

Newgale is very exposed to the sea and this means there is always some surf.  It is an ideal place for the learning surfer (Newsurf offers a range of lessons) and the experienced wave rider.  This surf was a bit small on the end of May Bank Holiday but on the first Bank Holiday it was a real fun size and the sun came out.  We took a load of photos and I have edited them into this short film.  The music is by Welsh musician Gavin Butler from the acoustic album ‘Ghosts and Echoes’ with Neil Starr.