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Story: Kirstie Edwards
We have been blessed these last weeks, with luscious weather in our tiny corner of the world. Cornwall
and Falmouth specifically have bloomed and blossomed, coming alive as we finally shake off the woes
of winter. The sea has been shimmering in an azure haze, luring us in at every opportunity whilst the
beaches buzz with activity; the smell of sun cream and barbecued meat fill our nostrils, the sounds of
squealing and splashing echo around.
We have been living the dream.
I have been out on, or in the water several times a day, enjoying every spare second of this
glorious weather, with various friends and family. I am part of an awesome local club in
Falmouth- the Wesup paddleboard centre, as well as owning my own kit, so I have had the
absolute privilege of introducing some new folk to the wonders of SUP, swimming and the
sea in our lovely town this last week. In honesty I would say I'm only a fair swimmer, but
am a strong paddleboarder, despite the limitations I have with my joints. I have been
trained to be strong and safe, by the expert team at WeSup over the last few years.
As part of our club training we learn, and repeatedly practice, all elements of
our beloved water sport, including reading weather conditions, complex
charts and sea states by eye. This seems strange I guess, as we pay to rent
boards, not get meteorology lessons, but Sean, our leader, is constantly
impressing upon us the importance of safety at sea and our ability to assess
the water ourselves and at worst, self recover. We've had entire lessons when all we do is listen,
then demonstrate in semi horrifying sea states that we can safely enter and exit the water.
Of course, we also spend hours discussing and learning the capabilities and flexibilities of
various board types as well as paddle strokes and techniques to use in differing conditions or
circumstances. How to avoid a crash, stop or turn quickly – they are all essential skills. You
have to put the time in practising: you need to listen and take on board the years of experience
we are privileged to have shared with us whether it's from clubs, peers or magazines. Some
people just want to grab a board and go, they are so desperate to get onto the water, (yeah I
know we make it look easy) but the tale I am about to tell should be a warning to you all.
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