CLUB VASS: GET AHEAD FOR SUMMER 2025CLUB VASS: GET AHEAD FOR SUMMER 2025Club Vass are already looking forward to 2025 season! Read below for more details on how to book early as well as where you can find some bargain priced used equipment!Club Vass tell us: Summer 2024 was an absolute blast and were already looking forward to next season. Its time to think ahead as were filling up fast for 25, so get in touch soon to save your space, especially for peak season. And remember our UK Pack often offers better value for money than DIY alternatives, using so-called budget airlines. Our brand new 2025 kit is already on order from Goya, Duotone & Severne and a lot of our 2023/4 gear is still for sale at a fraction of retail prices & in great condition via Boardwise.Dates for your 2025 diary include: Womens Windsurf Clinics 1st June & 14th September, Speed Week 22nd June and Wing Clinics for beginners and intermediates throughout the summer (full details on website). We cant wait to see you out thereTel: 01992 874566.www.clubvass.comThe post CLUB VASS: GET AHEAD FOR SUMMER 2025 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

As October rolls in, so does the much-loved season of autumn. The different weather and water conditions make for an entirely new paddling experience. Plus, the landscape is starting to change colour, which gives us incredible scenery. So, heres a guide to our top places to SUP in the UK.River SoarEmbark on a tranquil paddle along the picturesque Nottingham/Leicester border. Pass through the historic city of Leicester, or enjoy an idyllic paddle in the countryside, passing market towns whose heritage is deeply intertwined with the River Soar. Barrow-upon-Soar, Stanford, Normanton, Kingston, and Ratcliffe-on-Soar all carry the Soar in their identity.Discover charming pub gardens that extend to the waters edge, offering convenient pit stops for your adventure.A waterways licence is required for the River Soar. This can be purchased from Paddle UK: https://paddleuk.org.uk/membership/Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling.info/rivers/river-soar/Coniston Water Lake DistrictIn the shadows of the mountain Old Man of Coniston sits the beautiful Coniston Water. You wont be short of incredible fell views. From the Western shore lies Coniston village, which hosts a range of cafes, shops and pubs. At half a mile wide and close to five miles long, its the third-largest lake in the Lake District.No waterways licence is required to paddle on Coniston Water.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling. info/blog/lakes/coniston-water/Remember, lakes can be quite exposed. Make sure youve planned your route and are well prepared for a day on the water. If youre new to paddling, its worth starting by sticking close to the shoreline. This will keep you sheltered from the weather and ensure you can get back to land easily if needed.Llangollen CanalThe Llangollen Canal is an impressive stretch of canal that has something for every paddler. At 46 miles long, you can enjoy a day trip or plan a multi-day trip.What sets the Llangollen Canal apart is its stunning scenery and the engineering feats used to construct it. The scenery is very varied, from farmland and sheep pastures to ancient peat mosses, tree-lined lakes around Ellesmere, and the foothills of Snowdonia at Llangollen. The journey also includes picturesque stops in charming towns like Ellesmere, Chirk, and Whitehouse.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling. info/blog/canals/llangollen-canal/A waterways licence is required to paddle on the Llangollen Canal. This can be purchased from Paddle UK: https://paddleuk.org.uk/membership/River CamEnjoy 43 miles of paddling adventures along the beautiful River Cam, where history and nature meet. As you navigate its gentle waters, your journey will take you to the very heart of the university city of Cambridge. Here, youll be welcomed by historic colleges, picturesque bridges, and lush green landscapes.The River Cam is an integral part of local culture and art. The Reeves Tale from Chaucers Canterbury Tales and the famous section known as Byrons Pool both weave tales of the rivers significance. Its said that Lord Byron himself occasionally took a dip in this very water, adding a touch of literary and historical mystique to your journey.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling.info/rivers/river-cam/Loch AweAt 25 miles in length, Loch Awe is the longest freshwater loch in Scotland. Youre guaranteed an awe-inspiring paddle in a rugged, remote west coast landscape.The loch has several small islands; one in particular to look out for is Innis Chonnell, where the ruins of Ardchonnel Castle stand. The castle dates back to the 11th Century and belonged to the chief of Clan Campbell.No waterways licence is required to paddle on Loch Awe.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling.info/blog/lakes/loch-awe/The wind and weather can change quickly in this area. Please check the weather forecast before setting off.Grand Union CanalEmbark on an unforgettable paddle along the Grand Union Canal, the longest canal in the UK! This magnificent waterway meanders through the countryside and bustling cities, setting the stage for an epic multi-day adventure. As you glide along, youll pass through the enchanting towns of Solihull, Royal Leamington Spa, Milton Keynes, and Leighton Buzzard, where youll discover several canal arms branching off from the main route, each offering mini-adventures.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling. info/blog/canals/grand-union-canal/A waterways licence is required to paddle on the Grand Union Canal. This can be purchased at Paddle UK: https://paddleuk.org.uk/membership/

Sam Rutt recalls the success of the weekendPhotos: Antony Thornely (@supjunkie.uk)On the last weekend of September, Torbay hosted the SUPER Championships, bringing together paddlers from across the country for a range of SUP activities. Paddle UK is proud to have supported this thrilling festival of SUP racing and competitions.Fun, inclusive, well organised, exciting and bringing the SUP vibe alive were all statements that were used to describe the inaugural SUPER Championships in Torbay (27-29 September). The SUPER stands for SUP English Riviera, and the event was designed to be a fun, inclusive way to introduce racing. From absolute beginners up to watching international racers speed along the coast, it had something for everyone.On Friday, the fun kicked off with sprints and one design racing, where everyone competes on the same board. Racing was held in the sheltered inner harbour, providing everyone with calm, flat water to test their speeds. At the event HQ, stalls were set up with all manner of SUP products, from clothing to cleaning, so even if you werent taking part, you could enjoy wandering around the stalls.Saturday morning, we were greeted with the most stunning sunrise over the bay at Abbey Sands, where the sprints, technical, and distance races were taking place. There was some great competition in the sprints, with a 53-year-old fighting off the younger competitors, showing that SUP really is a sport for every age.The afternoon saw the fun move back to the inner harbour with SUP Polo. If youve never had the chance to watch this sport, it is highly entertaining. Teams of four go head-to-head in a battle of skill, speed, and who can fall most stylishly. It was great to see the people of Torbay surrounding the harbour walls, watching the action, and cheering everyone on.Participants then headed to event HQ, where Paddle UK, one of the main sponsors, shared with the audience its 18-month SUP Plan (https://paddleuk.org.uk/paddle-uk-to-support-inaugural-superchamps/) with Q&A afterwards. Then it was time to put on some dancing shoes and enjoy the music, and those who had energy left some dancing.Please find out more about the event on their official website here: https://superchampionships.com/

We dont know about you, but were always looking for new places to paddle and people to paddle with. Well, look no further than AquaPaddle.AquaPaddle events are similar to Parkrun. They are a free-timed 5km challenge on the water. They provide the opportunity for kayakers, canoeists, and stand up paddle boarders to get together on the water to have fun, enjoy nature, and improve skills, fitness, and wellbeing.These social paddles take place on weekends across the UK and are suitable for all crafts and abilities. There are 40 (and growing!) locations across the UK.Were really excited to share that affiliated club Stratford-upon-Avon Kayaks has joined the AquaPaddle family.In support of AquaPaddle, Paddle UK is committed to providing essential safety equipment and crew kits. Gregory van Heerden, Paddle UKs Recreational Programmes Lead, recently delivered waterproof radios and AquaPaddle flags to Ed Smart, Captain of AquaPaddle Stratford-upon-Avon, at Paddle UKs head office in Nottingham, ahead of their inaugural event on Sunday, 25th August 2024.The first Stratford-upon-Avon event was a resounding success, with a strong turnout. Ed Smart expressed his enthusiasm, stating, This has been a wonderful opportunity to bring together the paddlesport community in Stratford-upon-Avon while supporting the charitable work of AquaPaddle.He added, I encourage everyone who can, to get involved. A massive thank you to our crew from Stratford On Avon Kayaks (SOAK) and SUP Stratford for making this possible.Join the next Stratford-upon-Avon event: https://www.aquapaddle.org/locations/stratford-upon-avon or find an AquaPaddle near you: https://www.aquapaddle.org/locations

Lee Pooley, Director of Recreation & Development at Paddle UK, explains more about the organisations SUP plan, in its role as a national governing body. It follows the inaugural SUPERCHAMPS, a new stand up paddleboard (SUP) event in Torquay, in September.What is Paddle UKs SUP plan?The SUP plan has been devised with community engagement. We listened to stakeholders, and Paddle UK developed an 18-month plan. The plan includes everything we are aiming to deliver in that period of time. Its to cover a whole diverse audience, from people new to SUP through to international athletes. Its an ambitious plan but very much achievable.Whats in the plan?One set of information is around safety, ensuring we have appropriate evidence-based research to inform us with our safety messaging to stand up paddleboarders. How we work with manufacturers and retailers in terms of the point-of-sale messaging we want when people buy a SUP the safety information they should be receiving. Its all around that collaborative work with stakeholders and partners to have a more extensive reach and engagement to that wider community to ensure how great SUP is, but also the safety implications, simple things to follow, and simple safety rules.What opportunities are coming up?There are lots of things in the pipeline. Were working with the membership department to look at appropriate benefits and services specifically for stand up paddleboarders. I think thats an exciting time over the next 12 months. Also, it highlights the physical and mental wellbeing benefits of getting out to SUP and how accessible it is to engage with nature and the environment all of those aspects. So I think theres some great opportunities there.What about SUP athletes and events?We want to support SUP athletes in having clear competition pathways. Being able to support them and understand which competition events are available to them. Were doing that through our SUP race page on the Paddle UK website. A whole host of events are listed there. Were also incorporating a newsletter that theyll be able to engage with.Were exploring the possibility of hosting an ICF SUP, which I think is really exciting. Several locations are interested in the possibility of running an ICF (event), and what were looking at now is a feasibility study the costs and the appropriate venue thatll be able to host and stage a great World Cup event. They can be anywhere. There are great locations within the UK, inland and coastal. Recently, we hosted the SUP superchamps (in Torquay). We had SUP polo and sprints in the inner harbour because it enabled them to do that. We also had the open ocean where we did technical sprints and the 14km distance.Its a really exciting time, and we want to work with the community to fulfil this plan.Paddle UK SUP PlanPaddle UK, a national governing body for stand up paddleboard aims to:Raise the profile and awareness of associated benefits when SUP including relaxation, wellbeing, and natureContinue to work with the established SUP forums to ensure strong links with the wider audienceWork with identified influencers to reach and engage with the wider audienceSupport and have presence at identified SUP eventsProvide SUP paddlers with specific membership benefits and serviceExplore the opportunities to host an ICF SUP World CupDevelop and promote SUP safety advice, informed by research and insightEstablish criteria for SUP Events and Competitions offering high quality provision and clear competition pathwaysEstablish a SUP Race webpage to inform participants and competitors of up-and-coming SUP events, selection information and training opportunitiesWork in collaboration with manufacturers and retailers to produce point-of-sale safety messagingWork collaboratively to share SUP safety messaging advice through a network of stakeholdersDevelop our existing incident reporting system to help in developing shared understanding of incident trends.Continue to develop high quality SUP Qualifications and AwardsFor further information please contact SUP@con.paddleuk.co.uk

As October rolls in, so does the much-loved season of autumn. The different weather and water conditions make for an entirely new paddling experience. Plus, the landscape is starting to change colour, which gives us incredible scenery. So, heres a guide to our top places to SUP in the UK.River SoarEmbark on a tranquil paddle along the picturesque Nottingham/Leicester border. Pass through the historic city of Leicester, or enjoy an idyllic paddle in the countryside, passing market towns whose heritage is deeply intertwined with the River Soar. Barrow-upon-Soar, Stanford, Normanton, Kingston, and Ratcliffe-on-Soar all carry the Soar in their identity.Discover charming pub gardens that extend to the waters edge, offering convenient pit stops for your adventure.A waterways licence is required for the River Soar. This can be purchased from Paddle UK: https://paddleuk.org.uk/membership/Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling.info/rivers/river-soar/Coniston Water Lake DistrictIn the shadows of the mountain Old Man of Coniston sits the beautiful Coniston Water. You wont be short of incredible fell views. From the Western shore lies Coniston village, which hosts a range of cafes, shops and pubs. At half a mile wide and close to five miles long, its the third-largest lake in the Lake District.No waterways licence is required to paddle on Coniston Water.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling. info/blog/lakes/coniston-water/Remember, lakes can be quite exposed. Make sure youve planned your route and are well prepared for a day on the water. If youre new to paddling, its worth starting by sticking close to the shoreline. This will keep you sheltered from the weather and ensure you can get back to land easily if needed.Llangollen CanalThe Llangollen Canal is an impressive stretch of canal that has something for every paddler. At 46 miles long, you can enjoy a day trip or plan a multi-day trip.What sets the Llangollen Canal apart is its stunning scenery and the engineering feats used to construct it. The scenery is very varied, from farmland and sheep pastures to ancient peat mosses, tree-lined lakes around Ellesmere, and the foothills of Snowdonia at Llangollen. The journey also includes picturesque stops in charming towns like Ellesmere, Chirk, and Whitehouse.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling. info/blog/canals/llangollen-canal/A waterways licence is required to paddle on the Llangollen Canal. This can be purchased from Paddle UK: https://paddleuk.org.uk/membership/River CamEnjoy 43 miles of paddling adventures along the beautiful River Cam, where history and nature meet. As you navigate its gentle waters, your journey will take you to the very heart of the university city of Cambridge. Here, youll be welcomed by historic colleges, picturesque bridges, and lush green landscapes.The River Cam is an integral part of local culture and art. The Reeves Tale from Chaucers Canterbury Tales and the famous section known as Byrons Pool both weave tales of the rivers significance. Its said that Lord Byron himself occasionally took a dip in this very water, adding a touch of literary and historical mystique to your journey.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling.info/rivers/river-cam/Loch AweAt 25 miles in length, Loch Awe is the longest freshwater loch in Scotland. Youre guaranteed an awe-inspiring paddle in a rugged, remote west coast landscape.The loch has several small islands; one in particular to look out for is Innis Chonnell, where the ruins of Ardchonnel Castle stand. The castle dates back to the 11th Century and belonged to the chief of Clan Campbell.No waterways licence is required to paddle on Loch Awe.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling.info/blog/lakes/loch-awe/The wind and weather can change quickly in this area. Please check the weather forecast before setting off.Grand Union CanalEmbark on an unforgettable paddle along the Grand Union Canal, the longest canal in the UK! This magnificent waterway meanders through the countryside and bustling cities, setting the stage for an epic multi-day adventure. As you glide along, youll pass through the enchanting towns of Solihull, Royal Leamington Spa, Milton Keynes, and Leighton Buzzard, where youll discover several canal arms branching off from the main route, each offering mini-adventures.Find trails and launch points: https://gopaddling. info/blog/canals/grand-union-canal/A waterways licence is required to paddle on the Grand Union Canal. This can be purchased at Paddle UK: https://paddleuk.org.uk/membership/

The post Rick Weeks Styling / 12ft Sunova Point Break model appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

The highly anticipated 2025 Product of the Year Awards Ceremony made its exciting return to this years Paddle Sports Show in Strasbourg on September 25, 2024. Featuring a wide array of innovative boats, gear, accessories, and [&hellip... Read More

WELSH MAGIC: THE GOWERWELSH MAGICTHE GOWERBack in April 2023, JC headed it alone to the Gower for family holiday where they were duly hit by the savage Storm Noa where 50 knot winds blew in 4m waves and some epic conditions. Having managed to score a few shot of the locals braving the storm, JC vowed to head back the next time Wales delivered the goods. Six months later another storm was brewing and this time the Motley Crew were on hand for a strike mission back to South Wales. This article never quite made it into the magazine so we thought it was time to share it with our readersWords ansd Photos: John Carter.GOWER BOUND (APRIL MISSION)When my wife Suzanne, told me that we were going on a short break with our dog in the UK during easter, the pin came down on the Gower in South Wales. I have been on plenty of windsurfing missions to this stunning part of Wales over the years and knew there were plenty beautiful beaches and walks on this scenic peninsula for us to explore. Obviously, I had innocently promised we were not going for anything related to windsurfing, at least that was the plan.AND THEN THERE WERE SIX!We booked the ferry and a nice cosy caravan for the three of us, a few months in advance and the Gower was pencilled into the diary for a nice quiet and relaxed walking holiday. A month or so before, Suzanne just happened to mention to one of our sons, James, that we were going caravanning and surprisingly he was really keen to join us along with his girlfriend, which was fine. Now we were four, plus the dog! Suzanne then decided, it would not be fair to invite one son without the other and lo and behold our other son, Daniel, also wanted to experience a Welsh caravanning holiday. Maybe the fact that I had already paid for everything might have been the decider! Daniel of course, decided that he would be bringing his girlfriend along too. So, what started as a comfortable two, was now a busy six, all crammed into a two-bedroom caravan, along with our slightly mad dog Rosie, thrown in for good measure. Our trip to Wales was suddenly sounding like a potential nightmare.WEATHERThe week before our family sojourn, Storm Noa, named by Meto France, started showing up on the forecasts. This was no faint blip on the radar, this was a tightly wound set of isobars which was brewing up storm force winds and torrential rain spanning over two days right in the middle of our holiday. Maybe we would need an arc to save us from Noa in soggy Wales?I was half expecting the Motley Crew red phone to start bleeping as Storm Noa gathered momentum, but it turned out Timo Mullen was headed to Fuerteventura on a family trip of his own. Regardless of no crew, I decided to ram my camera bag into our heavily overloaded car just in case any windsurfing photography opportunities might arise. Obviously, I would have to tread carefully, as any mention of me working on our holiday would probably go down like a lead balloon but I thought that maybe I could sneak out for a few hours, if it was firing!GOWER POWERI have photographed windsurfing action on the Gower way back in 2009 and then in 2013 and I remember shooting at some of its stunning beaches where dramatic cliffs provided an insane backdrop to the action.As for calling the conditions at one particular spot, that could be whole other story. At high tide, the wave is just a small shore break, and then if it turns on, the waves start breaking on the dropping tide before disappearing again at low tide. Its the sort of beach you could rock up to while its flat and wonder what all the hype is about and easily miss the magic window.Local Sailor, Ian Pearce had a formula that the spot requires, at least a 4m swell with a decent period otherwise it may not even break. So, any strike mission all the way to Wales for a possible small window of conditions, is always taking a chance. The first time we risked it was 2009. We had driven all night to get there for first light and arrived at high tide. The locals were rigging up optimistically despite the fact there were no waves at all. Looking out at the windswept flat calm water, it was hard to believe conditions could turn on. Jamie Hancock, who was with us, just sat in the van in disbelief that we had driven all that way for seemingly nothing. Thirty minutes later, it was logo high and firing and Jamie was scrambling around to rig and missed the prime of the session. The second time, I returned was with Ross Williams and he sailed with the same local crew for a short but magical window off cross offshore wave sailing.As luck would have it this time round, I was literally in a caravan fifteen minutes away from the spot, for one of the biggest storms of the winter, if my wife would give me the green light to shoot it!STORM NOAI had sent Ian Pearce an email, the day before Noa (the first email since ten years!) to check if he was in the country and was still sailing. Come the morning of the storm, I received a reply that he was busy with work (and gutted) but informed me there should be guys at the beach from 10.30 onwards. Time for negotiations with the wife. As luck would have it, with the awful weather, the boys and their girlfriends wanted to head into Swansea around 1.30pm, so I had a short window to go check out the action. I had the green light just as long as I was not back late as we were all sharing one car and the rest of the family would be stranded in the caravan!It had been a wild night in the Gower and apparently the Severn Bridge and parts of the M4 were closed to traffic due to the 75mph winds. Eventually, after dodging several fallen trees across the narrow roads, I made it to the beach and found Ian Clingan and Dave Webster both optimistically rigging up in the cold. Actually, cold was an understatement, it was bloody freezing, probably only five degrees, with some icy hail showers thrown in for good measure. Funnily enough the guys remembered me from the previous trips and were slightly bemused as to why I was there without Timo Mullen and a crew from the south coast.As expected, with the high tide it was flat, aside from a small beach break, but plenty of surfers were getting ready in the car park and Ian and Dave were both in their wetsuits. They reckoned it could get quite big, perhaps mast high! Even though I have witnessed this crazy set up twice before, I still had my doubts. The clock was ticking as we waited for the tide to drop back. In my calculations I was going to get thirty or forty minutes to photograph the session, unless I pushed for an extra thirty minutes on my promised return time. But then I would most likely have to face the wrath of my wife, having broken an agreement. I can tell you, that wrath is not worth the risk!ACTION STATIONSDave was out first and was barely able to hang on to his 4.2m. The wind was howling but on and off with some crazy gusts that were causing that gnarly smoke on the water effect. He was struggling to sail in a straight line at times, but for a sixty-five-year-old, it was impressive he was out on the water at all! As soon Dave was out the back, the tide started dropping fast and just as they had predicted we had waves breaking out in the bay! In a mere space of fifteen minutes, the bay had gone from flat to logo high, with bigger sets. He turned and came in on a huge set, showing no fear or signs of backing off for a smaller wave.The next hour whizzed by with a mixture of sun, rain, hail and violent gusts of wind plus plenty of carnage on the water. The conditions were firing with thirty to forty knot cross offshore winds and logo high to mast high hollow waves. Both Ian and Dave caught some chunky waves but also spent plenty of time battling the shore break which was now quite solid and no easy task to navigate through. By now, I was against the clock, running in and out of shelter between the rain and hail. Finally, by 1pm, I knew I had pushed my own time scale to the maximum and decided to call it a day rather than face an angry wife. I made it back to the caravan bang on 1.30pm and Suzanne gave me a scary scowl, while the boys and their girlfriends were not looking, but I think I just about got away with it.We dropped the rest of the family in Swansea so they could explore the shops, and I suggested we head back to the beach so Suzanne could see the wild waves caused by storm. We arrived at 4pm and I could not believe that the swell was all but gone, with just a few knee-high sets rolling in at low tide. That place really has me baffled. Later in the afternoon we drove up to Rhossili, the westernmost tip of the Gower Peninsula for a view of the storm battering Worms Head and this time we were not disappointed. Wave were breaking all the way out to the horizon although by this time the sunshine was gone for the day, and it was back to driving rain and fifty knot winds.Fortunately, for the last day of our holiday, it was calm beautiful and sunny, so we all got to see the awesome beaches of the Gower at their best. Even with six of us in the caravan we had a great time with the family chilling out, chatting, braving the weather and exploring this amazing area of outstanding natural beauty!THE RETURN (NOVEMBER 2023)Six months later, literally the day I had made it home from the Japan PWA slalom finals, a message pinged up on my phone from Timo Mullen who had pasted a conversation from Ian Pearce (our Wales weather guru) saying the same spot was going to be firing. All the ingredients were in the right place. High tide at 10am, a pumping four metre swell and thirty five knot west south west winds. I knew I had some unfinished business at this break so a plan was hatched for another hit and run mission.To be in Wales for 10am meant I had to be awake at 2am and catch a 4am ferry, luckily I was still jet lagged from the Japan trip. We were on the road by 5am and made it to the Gower by 9.30 on a dreary overcast day but hopefully the conditions would brighten up our mood. At the spot all the signs looked promising. Unlike in April, this was a weekend and the surfers were out in force, as well as a hardy local crew of windsurfers who were all slowly rigging in anticipation of the dropping tide. There was a solid shore break pounding the shoreline and from past experience I was confident that we would be on! Sure enough, when the tide started to ebb out that classic Welsh magic started to happen once again. From a two to three foot shore break we suddenly had logo high cross offshore epic windsurfing. There were around ten crew on the water and pretty much every rider was getting stuck into some meaty waves. Timo was on his new Duotone equipment and hungry to put the 93 Grip and 4.7m Super-Hero to the test. For the next three hours it was firing, with the best of the conditions early on but the swell kept pumping in as the tide dropped. Ian Clingan and Dave Webster were of course on hand at their local spot as well as Ian Pearce, Joe and plenty of other crew. The conditions were not quite as wild as the April mission but who is complaining when there are clean logo high wave and side offshore winds.IAN CLINGANStorm Noa was not on my radar. I had been away from home for over forty days working in Palma. I was firmly watching the weather for the Princess Sofia Regatta, where I was coaching Lasers (now ILCA 6/7).Myself and Dave, basically both rigged the smallest kit we had, I hesitated and changed to a 4.2m as the spot is under a headland and I needed to deal with the holes, as well as the gusts that were nearly bolt off in the carpark where we rigged.Fair play to Dave, who weeks after retiring, launched and got stuck in!I followed soon after to realise how hard it was to hold down a 4.2m, no surprise as it was gusting over sixty knots close by in the Mumbles! A few lulls allowed me to go frontside, gusts left me backside and unable to bear away, it was hectic to say the least!The amount of water movement standing on the inside was mad! My suit was full of sand and my mast extension stuck in the mast by the end of the session.On a normal day we might head on to the next beach as the massive tidal range opens up different wave sailing opportunities, but I was spent and on a timeline. I rushed back to civilisation to collect early from holiday club where I found my daughter on the indoor climbing wall and happy enough to lose the sense of guilt I felt driving there.Come November and we were back in action for an epic Autumn session. This time round we had a bigger crew as it was the weekend. We had all the normal locals, plus a surprise visit from JC and Timo Mullen, who must be slightly mad to keep making that journey up to the Gower at ridiculous times!DAVE THE WAVE WEBSTEROxwich April 23rd.I woke up with trepidation due to mad Gower forecast of 70-80mph gales and 65-year-old (65kg) body with re-surfaced hip to try and hold down 4.2m sail. I dont use a smaller sail as the Gower is always gusty and we tend to use larger boards and sails to get out there and ride. I was riding my 92 Flywave, it is a totally awesome board, especially with K4 scorcher fins. It sounds big but the Gower is always gusty.I had my hip done two years ago in Birmingham as they invented the materials and procedure. I was told locally that I could only have the full new hip but held out for the resurface. This is the best chance of being able to keep windsurfing with feet in the foot straps. It took six to eight months with intensive exercise to get myself back on the water.The wind was nuking and its always offshore at the car park and cross off when your further around the bay. Everything was telling me to go home but I was there and just rigged up. I went in during high tide as its relatively flattened out and when it falls about half hour later it would easily be over logo high. Leaving the beach, it was so windy, at one point I was lifted off the water in the harness and thrown down wind. The hail in the eyes coming in was also a low point, however, you feel so alive and wired in the ocean!I was stoked I went in, although, seeing John Carter with his camera, I hoped I could put on some form of a show in that gusty, nightmare of a day, ha ha! Six months later, the forecast was on again and lo and behold John Carter and Timo Mullen were in the car park at 10am having driven up form the south coastfair play!I grew up and started windsurfing in Brighton but have sailed the Gower now for thirty years. Im now fully retired so I can keep improving my wave riding with the band of brothers in Gower. I know we are all getting older but at heart this sport keeps us feeling like teenagers. Bring it on!The post WELSH MAGIC: THE GOWER appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.