Whoa, that was windy… SUP Club overlapped with a local windsurfing legend last night as we set off from Chalkwell on a ‘spicy’ little downwinder to Thorpe Bay. We ran a quick self-selection splashtest first, waited as late in the tide as we could, before 15 of us flew down with the westerly wind gusting well over 20 knots. Thanks to everyone – those that made it, and those that sagely sat this one out. (Will be a quiet one on the river next week for sure!) Thanks too to The Elms ‘spoons for key recovery nutrition afterwards.

Venue: Chalkwell (SS0 8JH) to Thorpe Bay (SS1 3HL / https://w3w.co/entire.supporter.wizard) – one-way
Arrive: c.6.45pm (at Chalkwell) 
Launch: after 7.10pm briefing
Finish: c.8.40pm?
Level: Strong, experienced, chop-capable coastal paddlers only

As ever with downwinders, we are reserving the right to take one look at the water and head straight to the pub for SUP Club tonight! And we’re going to need to be prepared to bail if, as, when and where necessary en route. But without pushing our luck, we’re hoping to score doable conditions. (If we’re unlucky and the wind ends up stronger and/or more south-westerly than we want, there’s a pretty strong risk of some nasty chop and tricky conditions – so we need to know everyone’s up to that. ie; genuinely capable of standing-up and paddling strong in properly breezy high tide estuary conditions…) Because this week the tides – 17.35 high tide (@5.44m) and 20.39 sunset – and wind have lured us into the down-tide / downwinder from Chalkwell to Thorpe Bay.

In short, we’re going to ride the ebb tide down the estuary for a downwinder from Chalkwell (SS0 8JH) to Thorpe Bay (SS1 3HL / https://w3w.co/entire.supporter.wizard) – this is a one-way route, so be ready (and suitably patient) for the inherent logistical complications!

And yes, standard repeated warning: it’s broadly forecast a pretty solid due westerly wind – which will inevitably get at least a little choppy near the casino and under the pier. Maybe a lot. Maybe uncomfortably even crazily so if we’re unlucky and that breeze backs south-westerly and strengthens, we’re potentially looking at very challenging conditions (rolling cross-chop with bounceback) that really wouldn’t be viable for everyone. So please, unless you’re totally confident in your abilities to stand-up and paddle strong on the estuary in those conditions, tonight’s not the night to ‘give it a go’. Speed is of the essence too, as we will only go as fast as our slowest paddler – yet going too slowly isn’t easy on longer, narrower boards. (That said, we do want to be as inclusive as possible – so if you think you’re probably OK, do at least come and have a look – but if you don’t like what you see or you’re advised against, be prepared to sit tonight out and maybe run ground cover for us instead? If we’re really lucky and somehow the wind veers true north-west it could of course be dead-flat joy … but we’d be incredibly surprised at that!)

We all need to be ready to launch straight after a 7.10pm briefing from Chalkwell (SS0 8JH). So we’d like everyone arriving from c.6.45pm. And so as not to push our luck we’re getting out c.6km downwind at the Thorpe Bay zebra crossing at the western (bowling club) end of the green (SS1 3HL / https://w3w.co/entire.supporter.wizard … ie; nearer town, the opposite end from the yacht club!) so anyone early enough to shuffle vehicles might leave boards etc at Chalkwell (assuming there’s someone there to look after them – check on our messenger group), drop vehicles and hopefully get a lift back from Thorpe Bay (there should be free parking up St Augustine’s Ave and west up Thorpe Bay Gardens). Or an equally viable plan is to simply get yourself straight to the launch on time (ie; arriving c.6.45pm), leave your vehicle there and grab a lift back at the end with someone (just be ready to pay big money to park at Chalkwell). This really shouldn’t be a problem (cabs being the fallback option at c.£5 a head if necessary) and we will make sure everyone’s happily sorted and packed at Thorpe Bay before heading back to pick up vehicles from Chalkwell, then off for dinner and drinks (probably up at the Elms?) But remember: no stress, just do whatever works for you.