TIMO
On arrival at the beach it didn’t look great, but for sure the surf was perfect. The 50 surfers in the water knew that too. But the wind was still mega light, but I reckoned it was worth a shot! Armed with my trusty Starboard 92 quad and my mega light 5.2 Severne Swat, I knew I had every chance of scoring a few waves. Sure enough there was just enough wind and a big enough gap in the sets to let me sneak out the back. Broadhaven is shaped like a Roman Amphitheatre for wavesailing, surrounded by steep cliffs in a small horseshoe-shaped bay. JC was getting pretty excited. We may have actually pulled something out of the bag!
I had an absolute ball in these conditions, the light winds actually worked in our favour as the waves were so glassy and they were actually a pretty good size with all the set waves around logo-high. It was a bit of a mission avoiding the surfers but the bigger sets generally caught them all out of position so I was able to pick the best ones without causing too much havoc! On returning to the van JC gave me the bad news that the wind had kicked in further up the coast and the Welsh boys had scored the point break. Sure enough the wind switched more southerly and the conditions turned on. The crew were claiming clean waves with five or six turns and were all frothing after filling their boots in perfect riding conditions. Now, normally I’d be inconsolable at such news but this time I think we might have won just where we were. Sometimes trips like this can take you in different directions. We would never really have looked at Broadhaven. In the past we’ve sailed here and it has been nothing special, but this day all the elements were in place – wind, sun, tide and waves. Jamie unfortunately made the rookie call of waiting to see how I got on as, with time against us, he really should have bitten the bullet and hit the water with me – a lesson learned me thinks! Broadhaven was probably the highlight of the trip. I really enjoyed the session here, the backdrop was stunning and the quality and set up of the wave for a sheltered beachbreak was exceptional. For sure I’d go back. As for the point break, well, maybe we were just not meant to experience it, perhaps it should be left as the jewel in the crown for a select Welsh crew? From what I could work out the conditions needed will only happen a few times each year, so hopefully one day the Motleys will be there to sample this Welsh magical spot!
DAFFODILS SHOULD DO IT
When it comes to windsurfing around the UK, having the knowledge from your own personal experience is key to scoring many of the best breaks. Tides, wind direction and swell angles all play a part in how a stretch of shoreline works and next time we head up to Wales we know exactly when and where to go. It really is an incredible coast with plenty of brilliant set-ups and peeling waves. It is somewhere that goes off on a forecast typically suiting Cornwall, which is why it is often overlooked, but West Wales is firmly on the radar for future sessions.
As for the wives, yes, if you go by the principle of promise less and deliver more at least you can get in the good books if you make it home early. You’ll return home from your sojourns a saint not a sinner and the next time you ask for their permission to follow your passion you’ll be granted their blessings and not have to plead for mercy. On this trip home we all took flowers. I’ve to admit it was actually Timo’s idea. In fact, he didn’t even ask us, he just went to pay for fuel and came back with them.
As you can imagine, this looked an all-too-familiar a gesture for him… JC