After waving goodbye to the others, our small trio returned to the slipway from the night before to inflate our boards and re-rig once more. It was now a very different scene, it was a hive of activity with vibrant boats sailing up and down the river, paddle boarders exploring the riverbanks and the river was a striking shade of royal blue against the unbroken sky.
We pushed off once more, this time into an out-going tide which ejected us almost directly upwind of Burgh Island. The swell had now increased and we found ourselves hooked in and punching through sparkling white-capped waves as we headed further out to sea. The boards had come into their own and despite their size were incredibly agile allowing us to easily navigate out of the channel and reset our course as we chased rolling swell lines downwind towards our original launching place.
Little did we know that the best bit was yet to come. When we rounded the headland to sail back into the River Erme, the scene before us was comparable to what can only be described as a heavily ‘photoshopped’ version of reality. The grey waters from the night before had been replaced by incredible turquoise azures and golden-fringed sandy beaches that lined the banks of the river. It was spectacular and the perfect end to the trip and left us hungry for more, just maybe we’ll leave the Port at home next time! Right – time for a wedding!”
For more information on the boards the guys used, visit www.redpaddleco.com