Long way round –
an unexpected adventure to The Needles, Isle of Wight
Words: Jason Swain
Pics: Jason Swain and
Ian Pacey
The day three mates paddled around the Needles, from Freshwater Bay
to Totland Bay, on one of the hottest days on record, unexpectedly. What
could go wrong? Jason Swain tells the story.
Paddle round The Needles… just four little words. As a photographer and water-sports
enthusiast it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do since moving to the island 23+ years
ago. Before SUP had been invented (in the modern sense at least) I’d dreamed of paddling my
longboard out there and maybe at a push taking one of those waterproof disposables along for
the ride.
However, since the advent of stand up, and meeting Charlie from Freshwater Bay Paddleboard
Co, it had become a more realistic goal. It was now just a matter of waiting for the conditions
to come together on the right day, and armed with a (very basic) waterproof case I could
bring along a decent camera too,
So now all I needed was a day with no wind, favourable tides, and zero
photography jobs booked in. But even with the means and the desire
and that simple sounding checklist it’s still been a
year of waiting for everything to come
together.
Date:
Tuesday 20th June
Location:
Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight
Time:
1100 hrs
Temperature: 31C
Team:
Charlie Cripwell, Ian Pacey, Jason Swain
Boards:
Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co Inflatable Touring SUP (11’5 x 32 x 6) - Jason
Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co Classic SUP (9’11 x 31.5) - Charlie
Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co All-Round inflatable SUP (10’6 x 33 x 6)- Ian
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