Given the recent weather and predicted heavy snow falls, I’d rather expected to be spending the day skiing in the Carneddau above The Cottage. However, most of what fell was wet, sleety and melted by this morning, so alternative plans had to be made. Friends had notified my to the fact that there was some surf due, but to be honest, despite quite a good forecast, the low temperatures were not making me relish the idea of getting in the sea. The lure of light winds and blue skies was enough to get me over to the island to ‘have a look’…

Leaving the patchy snow on the mountains, it didn’t take long to get to the beach, where I was greeted by Spring like weather. All was calm and warm as I got changed and chatted leisurely with friends who’d also turned up with the same ideas. To be fair, I did have a winter wetsuit on along with fleece vest, gloves, balaclava and boots, but I can honestly say that I wasn’t at all cold in the water. The sun was warm on my face as I paddled out, but a few waves that crashed over my head did give me a shiver now and then.

The waves were nowhere near as good as predicted, but the ambience was worth it all. Blue skies above, mountains on the horizon, plenty of waves and flocks of birds darting across the horizon. I was very happy to be out there. The waves were a bit all over the place and with some strong currents moving me around. My last wave was a beauty – I rode all the way to shore from a long way out and decided to call it a day at that! Back at the van, changing was easy in the warm sunshine. I stuck around to enjoy a little snack, sat on the back of the van as it was so nice there, then called over to Si’s house for a delicious coffee (he’s a connoisseur!), in his sun soaked picturesque garden.

I’d not seen Si and his family for ages, so it was lovely to have a day with no fixed timings or agenda. We nattered our way through the afternoon before I left to meet Clare. The warmth of the day didn’t look to be repeated tomorrow, so we went together in the hopes of a sunset drink at a different beach (Dinas Dinlle) to make the most of conditions. We got the brew and the view we were hoping for, but had to settle for a cloudy sunset.

After being snuggled in the van, watching the waves, I drawn into thinking that I should have a second surf before darkness fell. The only problem was that my wetsuit was in the yellow tub, still soaking wet from the morning. With the absence of any wind, the air was actually feeling quite warm (well, it was 12 degrees), so I held my breath and wriggled back into the cold wet gear. Ugh! I had final slurp of hot coffee and was off!

In my rush, I decided to not bother putting my gloves on and boy, did that make a difference! As the light faded, I paddled out and caught a couple of little rides, grinning like an idiot.

It was a stunning evening, with the sun setting in one direction and the mountain skyline in the other – and only us there!

I got changed in the dark as Clare got another cuppa on the stove! Van bliss!