PHOTOS:
Rachel in action x 2
Rachel as part of the Welsh team

 

 
2015 will see Rachel Wall competing for Wales in the World Surf Kayaking Championships in Spain after she had previously taken part in Australia as an individual entrant in 2013 because Wales didn’t have a team.
 
Surf kayaking is an exciting sport of riding along a wave and doing moves and turns on the unbroken section of the wave to score points. A panel of judges scores each ride as competitors compete in heats, with up to five per heat.
 
Each contestant wears a different-colour vest so the judges can score that heat, which can be up to 20 minutes, with a maximum of ten waves each. The highest score wins and the heats progress through to finals, where the judging follows a similar course.
 

Skills honed around our coastline

 
At the moment it is a fallow time for surf kayaking because the competitions in the UK are held during the spring, summer and early autumn seasons but Rachel keeps her skills honed as sharp as possible by using her spare time from her work as a police officer to kayak at excellent local venues like Newgale, Whitesands Bay, Marloes and Pendine.
 
She also enjoys a quiet paddle around various parts of the Pembrokeshire coast.
 
“Sometimes there are up to 20 participants in their kayaks and canoes,” Rachel told us, “with the former having a double-bladed paddle whilst the latter use just one blade, and there is always a social side like a beach barbecue to enjoy afterwards.
 
“If the weather is right then we often see interesting wild life, especially sea birds and the odd seal which just pops up nearby to see what is going on.”
 

Hooked at a developmental weekend

 
Rachel started kayaking more than 25 years ago by enjoying river and coastal trips in her plastic river boat, but four years ago she went along to a Surf Kayak Development Weekend in Cornwall and was hooked.
 
She bought a specific surf kayak made of fibreglass-type construction with fins and started going to competitions. The discipline of surf kayaking is the less-known part of the sport but she soon learned that as she had great support from the canoe clubs that she was a member of, like the Narberth Canoe Club and Gwendraeth Valley Paddlers, in Carmarthen. 
 
She is quick to sing the praises of both clubs and adds that there are others in Pembroke and Haverfordwest who also provide a warm welcome to newcomers.
 

Warm welcome guaranteed

 
“All you have to do is log on to ‘Canoe Wales’ web site and they will direct you to the nearest club,” said Rachel, “and you will be guaranteed a warm welcome.
 
“Complete beginners will start off in the pool and learn about basic skills of paddling in a straight line, turning and stopping.
 
“One of the first things that worry newcomers is how to get out when their boat capsizes and this is dealt with very early on so that they can see that it is far easier to roll back upright than it might appear.”
 

Low cost start is a real help

 
Rachel also told us that there is plenty of kit loaned to new members before they incur any costs when they decide to stay, like a kayak, paddle, headgear, buoyancy aid, a spray deck which ensures no water seeps into the kayak, and even a lightweight cagoule!
 
Rachel started out in kayaking with a fairly cheap plastic boat but has now progressed to a more sophisticated ‘Ride Eclipse’ kayak that is specific for her participation in her sport and she couldn’t use on a gentle river trek because it has specially adapted fins attached underneath which are designed to catch the waves.
 

Competition explained

 
And that is exactly what surf kayakers do because they must aim to catch the top of the waves before they break so that they can show off their range of tricks and manoeuvres, which can be spectacular if the surf is right.
 
Competitions are decided in a similar way to surfing since they have four judges on the beach to assess the competitors, who are divided into groups of four, each having a differently-coloured sash vest. Each quartet has 20 minutes to catch up to a maximum of ten waves before the marks are announced, with the highest scorers moving on to the next round.
 

Good season for Rachel

 
The 2014 season saw Rachel compete in Devon and Cornwall, on the Gower Coast, plus several other events which included local competitions. She won one competition on the Gower, had two second and one fourth place so she was pleased with the way things went.
 
“There is always plenty of cheering from family and friends on the beaches,” said Rachel, “and it is a thrill trying to balance your own skills with a feel for the raw power of Nature, which can still spring surprises on the most experienced surf kayakers and dump them into the sea!”
 

Australian Gold Coast a real treat – and so is Welsh selection

 
That was certainly the case in Australia as Rachel joined 150 or so other competitors in a range of classes on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane.
“It was a very different sort of wave,” Rachel told us, “more heavy and consistently powerful, and making the waves at Newgale seem almost gentle in comparison!”
 
“It was very competitive but had a great social side as well and I’ve kept in touch with loads of them on the internet, many of whom I’m looking forward to meeting up with again in Spain.”
 
“The Welsh Team has invited me to compete with them, and I am privileged to be asked as someone who originally hails from Kilkenny in Southern Ireland. But I have lived in Pembrokeshire since 1997 so perhaps I am nearly a local now?
 
“It will be amazing to compete as a team, especially since fellow Pembrokeshire team mates Tom Iggledon (team coach) and Paul Bramble will also be competing.”
 

And finally . . .

 
So what of future aims for Rachel?
“I really do love being involved in surf kayaking and I would recommend it to anyone who loves being out in the fresh air, likes a challenge and a bit of fun.
“All you have to do is contact a club and get started – you won’t regret it for a moment.”
 
Chat to Rachel Wall for a short time and she paints an enthusiastic picture of surf kayaking so if you are looking for a new outdoor sport – why not give it a go?