Solent Sea Kayaking

After last nights aborted paddle and the recce/photo session that followed I was determined to try a new route with a difference. Instead of heading out into the quieter stretches of the Solent I would head up into the docks and take in the sights and sounds of one of the UK’s busiest ports by [...]

Last night was incredibly still, Bramble Bank weather station indicated max F2. The sky was cloudy and their was a constant drizzle. With it being a very high tide I decided to do a short paddle and explore the networks of channels that make up Ashlett Creek.
A quick blast across Calshot Bay enjoying the clam [...]

The South Coast has been hit by very strong winds over the past 24 hours. The BBC reported gusts of 100mph off The Needles and Southampton (my home town) was hit by 60mph winds. I had pretty much written off paddling this weekend however this evening it looked as if there was to be a [...]

The Needles are one of the iconic landmarks of the Solent. Projecting out from the western tip of the Isle of White, the three chalk stacks rise majestically out of the sea. They are capped at the Western tip by the distinctive red and white stripes of a light house. For confident paddlers, the Needles [...]

The nice weather and good tides brought out the paddlers this weekend with Lepe Beach being the favoured launch point. Having previously only met a couple other paddlers at the beach I was really suprised to pull in to the car park and find a whole row of cars with padded roof bars, j-bars and [...]

Arriving at Lepe Beach for 9am I found the winds light, sea state good and very little traffic in the Solent. My planned paddle up Beaulieu River was abandoned in favour of a paddle over to the Isle of Wight, specifically Cowes.
As the main shipping channel runs between Calshot and Cowes this is a difficult [...]

Lepe Beach is a popular, Hampshire County Council run, country park which offers a superb launch point for Sea Kayakers providing the start to four possible routes. Facilities include a slipway, car parking, toilet facilities, a cafe/kiosk for food & drinks, children’s playground as well a tourist information centre. Lepe Beach is also home to [...]