Venue: Shoebury Common Beach (SS3 9QR / https://w3w.co/scared.acting.earth)
Arrive: c.6.30pm
Launch: after 6.55pm briefing
Finish: c.8.40pm
Level: confident, competent coastal paddlers

It’s another warm one, so with what’s looking like just a light westerly breeze on most forecasts, we’re going to hit Shoebury Common Beach (SS3 9QR / https://w3w.co/scared.acting.earth) beyond Thorpe Bay for SUP Club tonight… And all being well we’re planning to cover a c.8km route up and down the seafront, to (or at least towards) the pier and back. All confident coastal paddlers welcome (ie; able to stand up and paddle strong for 90+ minutes in coastal conditions, and not in need of a lesson to do so – which of course we offer via www.supsect.com/learn-to-sup).

We’ll be launching straight after a 6.55pm briefing at Shoebury Common Beach (SS3 9QR / https://w3w.co/scared.acting.earth where charges cease at 6pm) meeting / parking from c.6.30pm. No late launching. There’s just a light westerly breeze on most forecasts, although gusts are predicted into double figures and there are pockets of wind / direction variability within this high-pressure system, so we can’t be totally sure of conditions – but are expecting things to be relatively easy in coastal terms. We are out at high tide though (albeit a very neapy 4.59m at 20.01) and there’s going to be some traffic about so the water’s very unlikely to be dead-flat. Therefore if you’re not yet happy stand-up paddling on the estuary – and/or aren’t confident of covering a c.8km route at a reasonable SUP Club pace – please bear in mind that deciding to “give it a go anyway” risks slowing everyone down and curtailing the paddle for us all… (The vast majority of our regular SUP Clubbers should be good: if in any doubt, please do email duncan@supsect.com to ask.)

All capable coastal paddlers with their own kit (including leash!) who can stand-up paddle confidently in estuary conditions are very welcome. But please, if you’re not yet paddling strong, competently steering, and covering c.8km routes, a busy group at SUP Club isn’t the place to learn these skills – we offer lessons for that, and then inland meets are the place to build skills, power and confidence.

After, we’ll hit our favourite ’spoons up in Shoebury for affordable beer and fodder…