Product Description

From the Dee Estuary to the Bristol Channel, the Welsh coastline in all its varied guises provides a fantastic playground for the sea kayaker. The fifty journeys selected cover all of the interesting parts of the coast and provide easy sheltered paddles, testing offshore trips for the adventurous and everything in between. Illustrated with superb colour photographs and useful maps throughout, this book is a practical guide to help you select and plan trips. It will provide inspiration for future voyages and a souvenir of journeys undertaken. As well as providing essential information on where to start and finish, distances, times and tidal information, the book does much to stimulate and inform our interest in the environment we are passing through. It is full of facts and anecdotes about local history, geology, scenery, seabirds and sea mammals. It is a fascinating read and an inspirational book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52730 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

About the Author
Andy Biggs Andy has always had a strong affinity with the sea. From a very early age he enjoyed sailing under the watchful of his father and during later school years spent all his spare time sailing, representing Britain at World and European Championships. It has been said that it's easier to make a good sea-kayaker out of a sailor than a river kayaker. Andy has a deep understanding and love of the sea, which has inspired him to gain a great deal of technical knowledge about its movements and changeability. Those who have paddled with him comment on, and benefit from, his understanding and analysis of tidal movements and anomalies, often ensuring the most efficient and enjoyable trips with the tide and wind being allies rather than obstacles. Fascinated by the journeying nature of sea kayaking, Andy has completed many memorable trips around the UK including trips in Ireland, Scotland and extensively in Wales. He has circumnavigated the islands of Skye and Mull and recently paddled multi-day trips in Alaska and New Zealand. Andy loves remote places and has completed many challenging trips, either as a solo traveller or with his long-suffering college friend, Simon. These adventures have included trekking in the Himalayas, alpine climbing, cycling across Iceland and also crossing Eastern Europe soon after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. Andy has been a free-lance photographer and more recently, has enjoyed inspiring students in his position as a Further Education lecturer in Photography. Jim Krawiecki Jim's involvement in the outdoors and in particular the Welsh coastline started on family holidays spent at the unique Polish ex-servicemen's home near Pwllheli. Beachcombing, investigating the sea life in rock pools and walks along the dramatic headlands of the Lleyn developed an interest in the outdoors. An introduction to canoes and kayaks at school led Jim to join a local canoe club in the mid 90's, predominately a white water club, as members suggested that sea kayaking was both dangerous and boring! Undeterred and finding better-informed company through North West Sea Kayakers, a passion for the sea was rekindled and encouraged. In return Jim is now a prominent member of that group and regularly organises meets and sea trips. Sea Kayaking in Brittany, the Greek Isles, Scotland and numerous excursions to Wales have prompted him to share his enthusiasm for sea touring by putting pen to paper and hopefully opening up opportunities for others to enjoy the delights of this region. Jim is also a passionate mountaineer, which in turn has led to his current employment at the offices of the British Mountaineering Council.

Customer Reviews

Welsh Sea Kayaking: Fifty Great Sea Kayak Voyages
I'm not just reviewing this book because Andy recently joined our club (Ribble Canoe Club - have you paid your subs yet, Andy), but because this is one of the best informative sea paddling books I've read. But not only is it a fantastic reference book for organisers of sea paddling trips on the Welsh coast, it also inspires, enthuses and delights the reader. And there's more.... the photographs are excellent, the layout is beautifully logical, the advice confident and the range of trips varied - from 12 km trips around coastal features right up to an Irish Sea crossing. The tidal information and likeley hazards both geographical and re. paddling times is detailed. I like to think the coastguard/lifeboat fraternity will be pleased that such a a realistic and informative book has been produced. I could wax lyrical all day about this book. So whether you're after a good read, a reference book, a book of lovely piccies or a coffee table book, sally forth and get it - makes a smashing Chrissie present too.

A life on the ocean wave !

Jim Krawieki and Andy Biggs have dipped into their vast sea paddling experience,particularly in the Welsh coastal environs,to provide we mere mortals with a fine selection of trips graded according to difficulty and seriousness.
With three grades..A: suitable for beginners and the less experienced. B: More serious trips with potentially tricky conditions in certain periods and C: Serious outings for the competent and experienced only...Jim and Andy have provided something for everyone.
For myself as a 'advanced beginner' I have done a few of the north Wales trips - or at least versions of them - with more experinced paddlers and even managed one recommended trip yesterday with my son.
Beautifully illustrated and chock full of appertising photographs,maps,snippets of info and useful advice, WSK/FGSKV despite it's weighty price is certainly worth it for those less familiar with the Welsh coast.
Like a rock climbing guidebook. A nice book to trawl through over a coffee to pick out some future project.