We scored a bit of magic for SUP Club last night, as the weather gods smiled on us to allow one of our favourite routes from Hullbridge into Battlesbridge and back in near-perfect conditions. A great paddle and a lovely vibe on the water, before dinner from the kebabbie with drinks at the Smugg…

Venue: Hullbridge (SS5 6ND)
Meeting: by 6.30pm
Launch: after 6.55pm briefing
Finish: c.9pm
Level: strong (CHA licensed) estuary paddlers

Warning! Although we are optimistic that the rain and possible thunderstorms will have passed and the forecast breeze (with some predictions towards the top of our viable range for SUP Club) won’t fully materialise this evening, if they do tonight could present a serious challenge to some on the way back to Hullbridge. While we’ll have a neapy tide helping us into Battlesbridge and back, we’re heading home against a potentially stiff breeze that could feel like very hard going indeed for inexperienced estuary paddlers and throw up some wind-against-tide chop by the end if we’re unlucky. Not dangerous – but, as ever, we just don’t want anyone struggling and losing their self-confidence: so we need to know that everyone’s perfectly happy and completely capable paddling against what might be a moderate headwind (maybe into a bit of chop). Regular SUP Clubbers on longer boards should be absolutely fine, but again this week’s not one for newbies, estuary first-timers or those of a nervous disposition…

Anyway, all that said, we are of course hoping for a decent paddle – if we’re lucky and it pans out how we think it might, conditions could turn out totally benign. So we’re going to hit the tidal Crouch from Hullbridge, we’ll confirm at the briefing but are anticipating the full c.7.5k loop into Battlesbridge and back. To suit the tide we’ll be meeting a little later at c.6.30pm to be comfortably set up at Hullbridge (w3w.co/nurtures.clockwork.outsmart / SS5 6ND) ahead of a 6.55pm briefing. Please be ready to launch immediately after the briefing: strictly no late-comers.

Note: there’s now a solid 2.1m height restriction into the free car-park. And of course, all paddlers should be registered with the Crouch Harbour Authority to paddle.

We’re expecting that the afternoon’s rainshowers should have long passed by early evening, we’re happy to see that the BBC seem to have dropped their thunderbolts although there’s still technically a 10% thunderstorm risk advisory out until 7pm, but we’ll be checking the live apps and are hoping we should be OK (if not of course we reserve the right to cancel and go straight to the pub!) Meanwhile the winds are light all day, then predicted to fill in north-easterly / easterly into the evening. So although it’s an imperfect forecast, we’re not convinced it’s going to pan out that way so are still keen to get back to Hullbridge for the Battlesbridge loop – which would therefore have to be experienced estuary paddlers only, as we might feasibly be heading back against a bit of breeze and therefore potentially chop too.

After, we’ll definitely go for at least a drink at the Smugg – although food might be a bit tricky. (So those of a hangry disposition should definitely eat beforehand!) We’ll check before we launch whether they still have an arrangement with the kebabbie, in fact we might even be able to order in advance to save a long wait later? So dinner’s not out of the question, but definitely not to be counted on…