Cardiff International White Water Centre
And
Symonds Yat Rapids
The plan was to to have some fun and improve our moving water skills and we definitely did both!
We set off for Symonds Yat straight after work on Saturday and drove through many forms of weather from torrential rain to burning sunshine. After a minor detour to check out the goodies at Performance Kayaks in Weston Super Mare and frightened to death by the large group of ugly bikers in Morrisons car park we arrived at about 3.15.
The river level looked good and the sun was again trying to show itself. We walked through the car parks passed the pubs and down to the riverside path where we could get a good look at the rapids. We spent a little while looking at the technical aspects of the river, where rocks were hidden just below the surface of the water, how the water flow was affected by the eddy lines and where we were going to attempt breaking out. This made us both excited and just wanted to get on the water. We walked back to the car and started unloading the boats and getting changed.
We launched onto the river via one of the ten foot seal launch slides and did some warm ups while paddling towards the rapids. We rode the rapids to about half way down and broke out into one of the eddys. From there we practiced “ferry gliding” and “brake outs” and “S turns” for about the next 2 and a half hours with both of us making marked improvements to our techniques and skills. At most there was only three or four other people on the rapids providing us with much entertainment by means of capsize and rescues and “paddle snapping”. We finished on a high by carrying our kayaks to the top of the rapids and riding them again although this time we broke out at the bottom of the first drop and proceeded to ferry glide across the top wave. Very tired but still on a high we paddled against the flow back to car park and finished the day by rolling our kayaks.
The time was about 6.30 now so we decided to head straight for Cardiff so we would have plenty of time for a meal out before an early night.
After an uneventful journey to Cardiff rightly or wrongly,i still cant decide which, we stopped in at the White Water Centre on our way past. A Slalom competition had just finished with the water running at 8 Cumerecs, 8 cubic metres of water per second. We looked at the water then looked at each other with the same thought going through our minds “ OH MY GOD THAT WATER IS HUGE”. I had started to believe the lady i had spoken to on the phone was lying when she said “4 Cumerecs is only a high grade 1”. We decided to leave before we psyched ourselves right out of the next days plans. We left the centre and went to the hotel which was only half a mile away and after a nightmare trying to park the car we checked in and refreshed ourselves ready for dinner.
We walked across the road from the hotel to the Red Dragon Complex that was absolutely heaving with people out for a fun Saturday night. We spotted a nice Italian restaurant and settled down to a delicious meal. Both of us exhausted after our paddling we returned to the hotel and went to bed. The night wasn’t uneventful as at 02.10 we were awaken by somebody trying to open our door. This coupled with the drone from the air conditioning units of the building opposite led to a very disturbed nights sleep.
Sunday morning eventually came and nervously we got up and headed for the White Water Centre.
The course looked eerily strange with no water in it, quite a contrast from the night before. We decided to go and pay quickly so we had no chance to chicken out. We handed in our forms and paid, returned to the car and got changed into our cold, wet and very unpleasant paddling gear.
To prove we had paid we had to wear these very flattering green bibs over our paddling gear.
Now don’t we look SPECIAL!!!
Geared up to go but both very nervous we joined the groups of other paddlers eagerly waiting for the water to start being pumped onto the course. The conversations of people going home with no skin on their elbows and the extreme power of the water didn’t really help us.
Then somebody shouted the pumps are on and sure enough the water started to trickle around the course, then it started to flow and then it started to gush. We decided to wait and watch the first few paddlers to see how they faired against this liquid monster. With paddlers going passed us and not many capsizes in the first few minutes we decided it was our turn.
Launching at the lake beneath the course we were quiet, nervous, excited and terrified all at the same time. The escalator ride to the top of the course was fun but overshadowed by the nervousness of the journey to come.
At the top of the escalator you’re launched on the water and have to paddle around to a more open space at the top of the course. This is where you get the first look down the start of the circuit. The first thing i noticed was the horizon line of the initial drop and the speed of the water going over it. I decided to run a line straight down the middle and remembering all those coaches at Symonds Yat and the Barle i just paddled, paddled and paddled.
The top drop is fun and your soon woken up by the resultant wave smashing you in the face no time worry about the water its straight to work to set yourself up for the next drop. The force of the water constantly trying to push you where you don’t want to go. The eddy walls looming at you fast and the thoughts “i mustn't get pinned, I mustn't get pinned” screaming through your head you use all your might and put in some powerful forward strokes to get back on your line and only just in time as you fly over the second drop. The second wave hits you hard from the right and in goes your first high support stroke. Still upright paddling hard you only just make the next drop scraping the side of the eddy wall as you go. The intensity continues with the added difficulty of corners and other paddlers to contend with until before you know it you emerge onto the lake at the bottom, adrenalin pumping, out of breath and grinning from ear to ear. The rush, the excitement, the relief and the exhilaration washing over you as you paddle 100 percent on purpose towards the escalator again.
We had a fantastic time at Cardiff International White Water Centre and Symonds Yat. We learnt loads, laughed a lot, swam a little and definitely planned to do it again.
