Tidal paddle weekend Oban

Last weekend we went to Oban for our first trip with NESKY, the North East Sea Kayak club we just joined. After we pitched our tent, we went to the pub to meet fellow members and chat about what was ahead of us.
Jaap and I hardly slept because it was freezing cold (-2 C). The grass was all white! Even with my new 4-season sleeping bag and thermals I wasn't cosy. But it was soon forgotten when we started our day at 6.30 am and saw the beautiful weather. On our first day we had an introduction into how to paddle in and out of tidal streams and use ferrygliding to cross a stretch. We started at Arduaine and went to Cuan point via Torsa. We were really lucky with the weather because there was hardly any wind, no swell and sunshine!

Tidal paddle weekend Oban

The second day we started at Cuan Point and visited the small islets along the coast of Luing (like Belnahua with its famous slate quarry). Our guide/trip organiser had planned the crossing at almost the highest point of the tide, so we had to put our skills we learned yesterday into good use! We've seen huge dolphins (completely different than the ones we normally see along the North East coast) jumping out of the water and having fun in the tidal streams. Hopefully I can capture these special moments next time!

It was a great weekend, like a mini holiday and even while driving back home for about 4 hours we were still buzzing. Can't wait for our next trip!