First Week Snow Kiting

I’ve been in Switzerland for a week now and all is well. The journey was long and tiring and for once I had enough music to not hear the same track twice.

There is not as much snow as last year which, was a very special season but there is certainly a good base. The pistes are a bit tired at the moment and hopefully we will get some fresh snow soon.

That said the kiting has been amazing. Lots of sunny days with steady northerlies. The well used areas still have soft snow and if you can kite a bit further a field there is still some good powder to be found.

As usual the toboganning is a big hit, especially at night after a fondue and some beers to numb the courage.

All in all a great start to the snow kiting trips.

End of year big boat sailing...

Over the past nine months Challenge Wales has undertaken over 300 young people sailing days with most experiencing sailing for the first time let alone a 72-foot round-the-world yacht that sailed twice in the BT Global Challenge Races a few years ago.

To help raise funds for the Challenge Wales charity, and to enable more young people to experience sail training in Wales a couple of fundraising sailing experience trips were organised in between Christmas and New Year... the Sail and Spice trips (aptly named because not only do you enjoy a big boat sailing experience along the Welsh coast but a curry onboard as well).

Yesterday Challenge Wales left Penarth Marina, with 18 onboard, and after locking out of the barrage headed along the Welsh coast. As some guests on board had not sailed before and the wind was reaching up to 32 knots, the first couple of hours were spent feeling the exhilaration of the boat slicing through the water. The mainsail was reefed in and the smallest headsail (the no.3 Yankee) were set. Challenge Wales' speed reached over 10 knots through the water and everyone onboard felt excited as the bow of the boat caught the waves and water crashed onboard. Oohhs and aahhs, smiles and grins and a few photo opportunities distracted many from the cold weather.

Half way through the day, we tacked and headed towards Newport. With the tide behind us we were soon in the lee of the land, and calmer waters, and with a deeply reefed mainsail the guests onboard were able to experience the helm of an ocean racing yacht as we made our way home. A great day was had by all.

Challenge Wales will not only undertake more sail training around Wales for Welsh young people during 2010 but is also available for corporate & team building trips plus day and weekend trips if you just fancy trying something new or gaining more experience in sailing. Wishing you all a happy new year!

Big Days at Newgale

Here is a video of the Big Blue team enjoying big autumn swells at Newgale.

Warm Water Envy

Oh yeah and I had a cheeky surf holiday in Sri Lanka!

End of Season Update

Its been a busy season at Big Blue this summer. The weather has nt been great for sunbathing but for us the wind has been un-precedented. Varying strengths as expected but cross on or onshore for 6 weeks! Perfect for teaching. On top of that we have done a roaring trade in Stag parties, Stand Up Paddleboarding and Zap catting. The new boat proved a winner, faster, shinier and Blue! The Yurts have been up and down and have proved a hit with honeymooning couples.

The Pembrokeshire season is slowing but work is now focussed on the Snow kiting for Jan-Feb 10. The chalet is booked and interest is growing we have a couple of full weeks already booked but dates are still available. Check the link below for more info.

http://www.thebigblueexperience.com/snowkite.htm

Vouchers for all courses and activities are available for Christmas pressies just e-mail or ring to purchase.

Work is in progress for next summer so keep an eye out for the latest info on here or the website.

www.bigbluekitesurfing.com

Summer is here

Its been a while since I posted on the blog. Things in the shire have been quite hectic as we have been gearing up for the summer season. The weather has been fantastic lots and lots of sunshine but very little wind. Kitesurfing courses have been few and far between but the lighter wind landboarding has been going strong. The conditions have been perfect for cruising the coastline on the Stand Up Paddleboards. The lack of surf for the last 4 weeks or so has meant the water is crystal clear. Check out the following video to see what I mean.

The coastline near Newgale has many caves, gullies and secluded beaches to explore and frequently seals and porpoises can be spotted along with nesting gulls and cormorants.

Other than the paddleboarding Big Blue has recently acquired a brand new Zapcat. The Zapcat is used as a safety boat for the kite school but also for wakeboarding, powerboat courses, Zapcat experiences and coasteering. If you have nt come across a Zapcat before they are very fast and very manouverable surf rescue craft, capable of bashing out through surf, jumping and turning on a six pence. Keep checking the blog and website as a new video will soon been posted.

The weather is set to be hot and sunny for another week and hopefully come Sunday a pulse of swell will kick in and last all week. Should be 2-3 ft with light offshores, check the webcam to see how it turns out.

Shear luxury on the Pembrokshire coast!

If you're in the market to charter a classic yacht, just take a look at this video to see what the Pembrokeshire coast can really offer!!

Halcyon is a classic, 95ft long, 1929 built Bermudan Ketch, which is now available for yacht charter and sailing holidays. The interior has been fully refurbished to the highest standards allowing you to sail a yacht that combines the opulence of the 1920's with today's more modern comforts and navigation systems. The sails are still handled by their original blocks and tackles so the sailing experience is completely authentic.


She's available for crewed charters and holidays and can take either 8 guests in 4 superbly appointed cabins, or up to 11 passengers on a 'day-sail' basis for corporate entertaining.


Hope you enjoy the video