Kayaking and Packrafting 2025

January - 2025 starts well.

Some spells of nice settled weather enabled me to get on the water twice this month.

First trip was on Sat. Jan. 4th. when I took my Neris Smart 1 kayak to the Negratin reservoir.  I don't often use the Smart One on the reservoir but on this occasion I wanted to visit the 'badlands' side, on the opposite shore to where I launch at Playa de Freila.   I hadn't been to that side of the reservoir for a long time and the Smart One is a much better kayak for a lengthy open-water crossing.  If an unexpected wind comes whistling up the reservoir the water can get quite rough, as I've found out a couple of times. Got on the water soon after 11:00 am and was back on shore 3½ hours later, after paddling 11.5 kilometres.  Not surprisingly for January it was quite a cool morning, but there weren't any unexpected winds.  It was a good start to my paddling year.

Second trip was on Sat. Jan. 25th. at Mojacar, with my packraft.  Hadn't paddled this bit of the coast since I parted with my little Gumotex Twist kayak.  Getting much larger (and heavier) kayaks to the water, across a wide expanse of soft sand, was off-putting.  But it was dead easy with the packraft – carry everything across the sand in a largish hold-all, inflate the packraft at the edge of the water – and go.  I'm really warming to the simplicity and capabilities of packrafts.  Was on the water for 1¾ hrs. and paddled 5.0 kilometres of quite choppy water.

February - Sidetracked.

A stack of metal roofing sheets arrived - the final stage of re-roofing our shed/workshop. While the weather was looking good this task took priority over playing with kayaks.

March - No go.

Wet and unsettled weather for most of the month – a good test for the new roof on the shed/workshop. Weather definitely not conducive to the type of quiet kayaking I like.

April - Iffy.

Another month of very unsettled weather.  Too unpredictable for my sort of kayaking at the places I like.

May - Back on the water.

Weather finally starting to settle down.

Took a chance on Saturday 3rd. and took my packraft to Punta Parda,  Sea conditions were nice in the horseshoe-shaped bay, but there was too much swell for comfort, in a packraft, outside in open water. Spent the morning paddling circuits of the bay, more for exercise than anything else.  Time on the water 1¾ hrs. and total distance paddled was 4.0 kilometres.

Saturday 24th. finally looked good for a trip to the Embalse de Negratin with my Gumotex Halibut kayak.  A long time since I had seen such light winds forecast for that area.  Got on the water soon after 10:00 am and spent a very pleasant 4 hours paddling around edges of the reservoir.  Capacity is currently at 32% and the water level is the highest it has been for a couple of years – thanks to the wet and unsettled weather this spring.  Total distance paddled was 10.0 kilometres.

A leg-stretch stop here.  Even an inflatable seat starts to feel uncomfortable after two hours.  My Gumotex Halibut kayak is perfect for my quiet paddling on sheltered waters.  It's called a kayak but it is really more boat than kayak – and a very comfortable one.

June - Hot, hot,hot.

Temperatures now reaching uncomfortable levels by mid-morning, on most days – but the simplicity of my packraft enables me to get on the water very quickly.  So, when sea conditions are favourable at the nearest beaches, I thought if I left home at dawn I could be on the sea by 8:00 am, enjoy a couple of hours of paddling, and be home again soon after mid-morning.  It worked a treat three times this month:

Wed. June 18th. 2025. Two hours on the water at Playazo de Villaricos, Villaricos.  First hour was extra pleasant as heavy clouds still remained from a thunderstorm during the night – there was even some light rain at times.  However, after the sun broke through, it was getting uncomfortably warm when I returned to the beach at 10:00 am.  Distance of 5.0 kilometres paddled.

Sat. June 21st. 2025 [Summer Solstice]. This time I went to Cala la Dolores, Villaricos – a pebbly beach a kilometre or so north of where I was on the Wednesday.  Again on the water by 8:00 am and back home mid-morning.  Two hours of pleasant paddling and distance covered was 4.9 kilometres.

Wed. June 25th. 2025. Cala la Dolores, Villaricos again.  A bit more swell on the water than the previous visit – which made getting on and off the water a bit tricky.  But, once clear of the beach, paddling along for two hours in the early morning haze was very pleasant.  Distance covered was 4.6 kilometres.  I like the pebbly beach at Cala la Dolores – bits of kit don't get coated with sand, however careful you are, needing a thorough rinsing later!

My little packraft might not be ideal for the sea, but it, and my early starts, has enabled me to beat-the-heat this month.

July - Seriously hot!

Leaving home at dawn, for a bit of a paddle on the sea, was no longer early enough to beat-the-heat. Getting on the water at sunrise worked a little better.

Thurs. July 17th. 2025. At 7:00 am me and my packraft watched the sun rise above the horizon at Playazo de Villaricos, Villaricos.  Sea was flat calm and a 4.2 kilometres paddle along the coast was a lovely way to start the day – but 1¾ hrs. later it was already getting rather hot to still be out there.

Sunrise at Villaricos on July 17th.

Thurs. July 23rd. 2025. Another sunrise start with my packraft at Playazo de Villaricos.  A bank of cloud on the horizon delayed the appearance of the sun for a while, then scattered clouds obscured the sun at times, making the early morning a little cooler.  Managed 2 hrs. on the water and covered 4.8 kilometres.

August - Just too hot!

An exceptionally hot month, which included a 16 day heat wave, sapped any energy or enthusiasm for sitting on the water for long in a packraft or kayak.

September - Enthusiasm restored.

Tues. Sept. 2nd. 2025.  Weather forecast for Embalse de Negratin was for a light winds, a very cool night and a much lower daytime temperature than usual for this early in September.  It looked a good day for another outing with my packraft.  Was on the water by 9:15 am at Playa de Freila and mooched around edges of the reservoir for 3½ hours.  Total distance paddled was 6.5 kilometres.

Stopped here for a leg-stretch at about 11:15 am.  It was also the point where I decided to head back to Playa de Freila, as the day was starting to get a bit hotter than I had hoped. 
 

 

 

 

Last trips of 2024

My packraft and my two kayaks have each had an end of year outing. None of them had been out of their bags for months. Last time I used one was back in July (re. blog post 25/07/24) and after that it had been far too hot to spend time on the water, and then, come Autumn, a project to renew the roof on my shed/workshop took priority. As the end of the year loomed I felt it was time to give them an airing:

On Sat. Nov. 30th. I took my Gumotex Halibut kayak to Playa de Freila for bit of quiet paddling on the Negratin Reservoir. It was a very typical morning on Negratin; starting with a gentle breeze from the top of the reservoir, creating a bit of a chop on the water, then, as the sun rose higher in the sky, the breeze died away leaving the water mirror-like. By 2:00 p.m., when I was back on shore at Playa de Freila, the reflections on the water of the badlands on the opposite side were magnificent. Time on the water was 3½ hrs. and distance paddled 9.0 kilometres.

On Sun. Dec. 8th. I took my packraft to the coast. Conditions in open water were a bit uncomfortable for a packraft, so I stayed within the confines of the sheltered bay at Punta Parda. It was only the fourth time I had used my packraft and I'm still finding out its limitations. Was on the water for 1½ hrs. and covered 3.5 kilometres, in circuits of the bay.

On Sat. Dec. 21st. (the Winter Solstice) I was back at Punta Parda with my Neris Smart 1 kayak. Despite a bit of a swell on the sea, with added chop from a light wind, I was able to spend 2 hrs. paddling around the headland, outside of the bay, including passing around the little island  'Isla Cama de los Noviost' (see blog posts 28/11/22 and 29/4/23). Wouldn't have liked to have been out there in my packraft, but I have confidence in the The Smart One in such conditions. Distance paddled was 7.0 kilometres. 

And Now Packrafting

 In my blog post of Sunday July 26th. 2020, I extolled the virtues of my Gumotex Twist kayak and compared it to a packraft. I showed a picture of a typical packraft and ended up by saying the following: “Even if I wanted one, which I don't, I'm not sure if I would like to be seen in something which looks as if it was bought in a beach shop”. Now, four years on, my curiosity about packrafts has got the better of me and I have bought one …... thinking that if I didn't try one now I might regret it when the time comes for me to give up kayaking.

I am now the proud owner of an Anfibio Delta MX packraft. A basic, very lightweight , multi-functional and modestly priced craft, which rolls up into a conveniently small bundle when deflated. I have added full details and photos to the 'My Kayaks' page of this blog and a link to the Anfibio website in the 'WEBSITES OF INTEREST' list.

Having never seen a packraft, other than on websites and YouTube videos, I wasn't prepared for how delicate the fabric looked and felt when I first unpacked it. It is going to take a while to accept that a fabric, not unlike good quality Christmas wrapping paper with a foil outer surface (it even crackles when folded!) is incredibly strong and abrasion resistant – as it needs to be for the range of uses (i.e. bouncing down rapids) that packrafts are used for. Not that I'm likely to do anything more than quiet paddling. It's the light weight and simplicity of packrafts that appeals to me.

Since the packraft arrived, just over a week ago, I've been out with it twice – for two hours on the Negratin reservoir and for one hour on the sea. Just trial runs to get used to an unfamiliar craft. On the reservoir I covered 3.6 kms. and 2.2 kms. on the sea and, despite it's tubby appearance, it paddled easier than I expected. A lot of time was spent faffing around with the best seat position and where & how to stow bits of kit – which will resolve themselves over time, no doubt.

View of Negratin from my first trip in a packraft.

 I've had to order the optional inflatable footrest from Anfibio – my feet (I've got short legs, for my height) need something to push against for comfortable paddling. Even a bit of kit behind the seat, to move it forward, isn't enough.

Back on the shore at Negratin.

 I need to experiment with the best ways of getting in and out of this craft, gracefully! As it's a low pressure, single air chamber craft it's all squidgy when concentrated weight goes on the side tubes – and the surface of the fabric is slippery. So far my entries and exits have been a tad ungainly! Good job I went for trial paddles early mornings, when no one was around.

First impressions are all good. This craft should get me on the water at places where there's no access for a kayak on a trolley. Everything needed (and it's all lightweight stuff) for a few hours on the water will pack easily into a single rucksack for back-packing to the water edge. I've ordered a waterproof rucksack along with the footrest.

So, I'm on a learning curve with this craft - but I still think packrafts look a bit like something from a beach shop, just much bigger.

A Late Blog Post.

I was back at Embalse de Negratin on Saturday May 25th. - but I've only just got around to including it on this blog. 

Days are getting a bit warm here now, so I left home at 05:30 am in order to get on the water early – and off again before it got uncomfortably hot. Launched as usual at Playa de Freila and was on the water by 08:00 am. Ate a pack-up breakfast on the water soon after.

Water level in the reservoir was even higher than the last time I was there, on April 24th. Unlike the reservoirs in the drought stricken areas of southern Spain, where levels have been dropping alarmingly, the level in Negratin has been rising steadily. These two pictures, taken at the same place, but different days, show the difference that seven weeks made :-

Water level on Wednesday April 3rd. When Negratin was at 26% of full capacity.

Water level on Saturday May 25th. when Negratin was at 30% of full capacity. As usual the shape of the shoreline was totally different to that last trip a month ago. No shortage of water in Negratin for kayaking!

Leg-stretch stop here. No doubt an experienced photographer would have refered to this as an 'atmospheric shot' – in my case it was purely accidental!

3½ hours of quiet kayaking later, and 7.6 kilometres paddled, I was back at Playa de Freila. Ought to have made it in 3 hrs., as by 11:30 am it was a bit warm to be contemplating pushing a kayak back up that ramp! I may not be visiting Negratin again until the Autumn, or in the unlikely event of some much cooler days. The coast beckons now – and there is a new plan, coming soon, to take advantage of it during the heat of summer.

April Kayaking on Negratin

This month was a record one for me – four outings in one month, all on Embalse de Negratin, launching at Playa de Freila each time. For some mysterious reason it was always on a Wednesday that the weather forecasts looked the most favourable for a bit of kayaking with my Gumotex Halibut:

Wed. April 3rd. - time on water 4 hrs. and 8.5 kilometres paddled. Start time 10:45h.

Wed. April 10th. - time on water 3¼ hrs. and 8.5 kilometres paddled. Start time 10:45h.

Wed. April 17th. - time on water 3¼ hrs. and 7.5 kilometres paddled. Start time 11:00h.

Wed. April 24th. - time on water 2½ hrs. and 5.4 kilometres paddled. Start time 10:00h.

The weather wasn't entirely in my favour on my last trip. What little wind there was at the start freshened after two hours, creating quite a chop on open water. Headed back to Playa de Freila a bit earlier than usual. Now know to avoid days where there's likely to be a westerly wind like that.

Visiting the reservoir regularly throughout April has been interesting. Week by week the water level rose, unlike the reservoirs in the drought stricken areas of the Costa del Sol. The river which feeds Negratin must have been collecting much rainwater run-off from the mountains further North. I paddled the same stretch of shoreline three times, and every time it looked different. Paddling in open water on Negratin is all well and good, but it's close to the shoreline where there's a chance of seeing something different. Even if it's only terrapin 'plopping' back into the water as you approach, or electric-blue damselflies darting around in the vegetation, as I saw this month.

A reminder to be aware that tops or branches can break off these dead trees at any time, especially on windy days. Whole trees could even fall unexpectedly.

 

Looks as if these trees are well on the way to collapsing. It's inevitable that all these dead trees will eventually collapse into the water – and the scenery around the edge of the reservoir will be the worse for it.

Early in the month I couldn't have got this far into this inlet. The water level had risen by at least a metre by the day of my last trip. Somewhere further into the inlet I could hear running water, but couldn't penetrate far enough to actually find the source.

Sun, wind and water has made natural sculptures from tree stumps and roots around the shoreline of the reservoir. On my April 3rd. trip there wasn't a suitable landing place, to go ashore and get near to this one – but, thanks to the rising water, I could land and take a photo of it three weeks later. This is one of the best I've seen.

This bit of sculpture was just drifting around. Bits and bobs of timber, previously high and dry, are now taking to the water.

A leg-stretch stop early in the month. That green, wispy/feathery looking vegetation in the water is growing in profusion along a lot of the shoreline. In some places it is growing 2 to 3 metres high. Took a piece home with me to try and identify it – initially without any success.

Invasive or what! That green vegetation doesn't seem to be bothered by the rising water level. Doesn't even mind being totally submerged. With the water quite clear, when the plants are only just covered it is like paddling above waving tree tops. Being very flexible with feathery foliage it is easily paddled through – other than where it's very dense.

Success! On my final trip that vegetation was in flower and much easier to identify, with the help of Google. It is a member of the Tamarisk family (also known as Saltcedar) and can even grow into fully fledged trees. Apparently in some parts of the world, especially in the U.S.A.. it's classed as an invasive species. Certainly proving very invasive here.

Another pull-out. I generally go ashore to stretch my legs at least once on every trip. Actually my bottom benefits from these stops more than my legs! Despite being an inflatable one, the seat pad of a Gumtex Halibut starts feeling a tad too hard after an hour or so. Seems to be a shared problem among us oldies – not long ago I came across quite a lengthy discussion, on a canoe & kayak forum, about how to make seats more comfortable for old butts!

When I was here in January this ramp didn't even reach the water. Now at least 30 metres of it is covered. That's 30 metres less of hauling back up to the car park!

The reflections on the water were magnificent that day.

Despite the considerable rise in water level, it's still a long way back up to that car park!

A month of quiet kayaking at it's best - with a bit of education, about Tamarisk, as a bonus.  As you can see, Tamarisk appears somewhere in most of the photographs.

First of 2024

 A run of nice warm days, and a forecast of very light winds, encouraged me to take my Gumotex Halibut kayak to the Embalse de Negratin last Thursday.

Got on the water at 10:30am, at Playa de Freila. With the water in the reservoir so low (currently at 21.19%) Playa de Freila is the only place with easy access to the water. It no longer reaches the other two places, in the upper part of reservoir, which I've used for access in the past.

After making the effort to go all the way to Negratin, I like to try and get at least four hours on the water, to make the journey worthwhile. So, becoming curious about how far up the reservoir I could go, without running out of water, I decided on a two hour non-stop paddle from Freila towards the upper end. A four hour round trip, as long as I resisted the urge to explore any side inlets.

I did reach a section of the reservoir I hadn't paddled for a long time. However, my four hour plan actually stretched a bit. When I turned back after two hours, with open water still ahead of me, I gulped a bit when I realised how far I had come! The return journey took a bit longer than the outward leg. Fortunately I had taken my pack-up lunch with me – and munched my way back. A tail wind would have been helpful, but the water was glassy calm. Reflections on the water were magnificent, but I didn't break paddling rhythm to take any photos.

Curiosity now part satisfied. If I repeat this trip in my new kayak, the Neris Smart 1, which is a far better long distance craft, I could get much further in the same time. It was a bit ambitious with the wider and heavier, but comfortable, Halibut.

Time on the water was approaching 4½ hours. Distance paddled was 15 kilometres. I admit to being a bit achy the next day!

End of Summer Time

 Sunday October 29th. and I reached Playa del Freila, at Embalse de Negratin, at 8:30 am. It would have been 9:30 am if Summer Time hadn't come to an end much earlier that morning. The water level in the reservoir is still going steadily down, so Playa del Freila is the only place where access to the water is still reasonably easy. Now the water doesn't reach the other two places towards the top end of the reservoir, where the Castril and Guardal rivers flow in (when they aren't dry). On 25/10/23 it was recorded that the reservoir was down to 19.26% of capacity. Fortunately, even at that capacity, there is still a more than adequate area of water for a good morning of quiet paddling.

This time I thought I'd meander down the Freila side of the reservoir to the dam. Hadn't been as far as that since May 2017. Hardly a breath of wind when I got on the water but a fresh wind, from the direction of the dam, was forecast for later in the morning: a wind which would be behind me on my return journey.

Approaching the dam.

Near enough for me. Getting too close to a dam makes me nervous!

A few facts about the Embalse del Negratin. The dam was constructed in 1984 and opened by the previous king of Spain (King Juan Carlos) in 1985. The max. surface area of the reservoir behind the dam is 2170 hectares and the maximum capacity is 567 cubic hectometres (which, if converted to litres or gallons gives a mind boggling figure). It is the fourth largest reservoir in Andalucia and the largest in the province of Granada. According to tourist information the length of the reservoir is 22 km, but on our maps it scales 16 km. Maybe the 22 km. includes the length of a very long, large inlet at the upper end of the reservoir. Since late 2016 I've paddled the entire perimeter of Negratin – some stretches of shoreline several times.

And about turn – my starting point is several kilometres past that headland on the right hand side.

Nearly back to Playa del Freila. Autumn colours are starting to appear among the vegetation. That's the Jabalcón mountain in the background – and reflected in the water. The fresher wind that was forecast never did amount to anything, so it was a good morning for reflections, and a nice morning for another quiet paddle.

Time on the water was 2¼ hours and distance paddled was 9.0 kilometres. Mornings are much cooler now. In fact it was quite chilly when I first got on the water – after such a long hot summer, and a warm start to autumn, I'd nearly forgotten what 'chilly' felt like!

Another Equinox Paddle

I couldn't let the Autumn Equinox pass without doing a bit of kayaking somewhere. The weather forecasts for any coastal kayaking looked a bit iffy, so I opted for the Embalse de Negratin, which I still haven't tired of. Even for there the forecast wasn't perfect – light easterly breeze in the early part of the morning but getting much stronger towards mid-day. So I took The Smart One, a better kayak for windy conditions, and planned to start early from Playa del Freila, follow the east shore into any wind at that time, then return with the wind behind me if it did get a bit strong.

New for today was this piece of wood decking I've made. Somewhere to keep a map case within easy reach, with a small waterproof bag on the back edge to keep snacks and bits & bobs in. It will also keep the sun off my ankles. One of the drawbacks of kayaking in a hot climate is getting sunburnt legs if you don't keep them covered. So I've taken to wearing very lightweight trousers, but I've sometimes ended the day with sunburn on exposed ankles. I've been looking forward to trying this deck out.

Water in the reservoir has got quite low during this unusually hot summer. It's currently at about quite 20%. At this level, particularly close to the shore, the tops of many small trees and woody shrubs are exposed, and sometimes extending quite a way out from the edge. Sometimes it is possible to pick a way through them.

And sometimes you can't!

The exposed bits are pretty harmless, generally quite soft (waterlogged) and bendy. Thinnest bits break off easily. It's the thicker bits hidden below the surface you have to watch out for.

The next hazard, a couple of hours into the trip, was mud! I'd reached a little bay, with what looked (from a distance) like a gently shelving sandy beach. A good place to stop and get out for a leg stretch, I thought. When I reached shallow enough water, I swung my legs over the side of the kayak, and started to stand up – only to discover I was about to step out into deep, sticky, soft mud! Retracted feet very quickly before my Crocs could get left behind in this gooey stuff. Didn't want feet, very heavy with mud, in the kayak so I backed away with both legs dangling over the side. It took a lot of rubbing and rinsing before feet and Crocs were clean enough to come aboard again.

But there was a good side to this mishap. I discovered that sitting sideways in this kayak, with both legs dangling in the water, doesn't make it  heel much nor feel unstable, even when reaching over to wash feet. Wouldn't like to try it in choppy water, but in calm water it is just fine – and surprisingly comfortable. And the new bit of deck was an ideal place to dry those Crocs.

My turning back point was this pylon, which was also my turning back point when I came this way on the Autumn Equinox last year. More of it was sticking out of the water that time, so this must have been a slightly better year for the capacity of this reservoir.

The reservoir might only be at about 20% of capacity – but there's still plenty of water for kayaking! My starting point, at 9:30 am yesterday morning, was way, way down there on the left hand side.

Rocks can be quite sculptural.

1:30 pm and I'm back at Playa del Freila. That easterly wind never did get anywhere near as strong as the weather forecast suggested, so my return to here, with just a gentle easterly breeze behind me, was a lot quicker and easier than the outward leg. Here I had another little mishap – a dip into the water as I landed! Swung my legs out when reaching very shallow water, was very unsteady on my feet after 4 hours sat down, tripped on a rock and fell over. Floundered around in the water until I could stand up! Fortunately I fell backwards into deeper water, the water was quite warm – and the only two people on the shore were too far away to see a very wet kayaker dragging his craft up the shore.

Kayak back on the trolley ready for the last lap.

Pushing it, still very wet, back up that slipway! Some people do bring vehicles down to the shore (as you can see), despite prohibited notices, but I wouldn't like to risk getting bogged down on it myself!

It turned out to be a very nice day, apart from the involuntary swim, for a paddle. Got a bit hot just after mid-day but was pleasantly cool to start with. Time on the water was 4 hours and distance paddled was 11.0 kilometres. Another Equinox suitably celebrated – and the deck worked perfectly. No more very red feet or ankles.

Welcoming the Summer Solstice

It was the summer solstice yesterday, I marked the occasion with an excursion to the Embalse de Negratin with my Gumotex Halibut kayak.  The plan for the day was to re-trace the route of a paddle on the 'badlands' side of the reservoir, which I did with my Neris Valkure folding kayak in June 2017, blog post June 6th. 2017.  I affectionately refer to the side of the reservoir, opposite to Playa de Freila, as the 'badlands', because it's a remote, wilderness-like area with scenery reminding me of old western films.  Got into a nice steady paddling rhythm and covered 11 kilometres in 3¼ hours.  It's getting pretty hot here now, but the weather was on my side yesterday - overcast, threatening rain (which never came) and very light winds to start with.  Sun kept trying to break through the clouds - and I kept willing it not to!  Didn't feel like a Summer Solstice day, but it suited me just fine.

Didn't take any photos this time but I've attached a couple from the 2017 trip – the sort of scenery where, with a little imagination, you might expect to see eagles soaring, coyotes skulking around, smoke signals in the sky, Apaches on horseback silhouetted on the skyline and Clint Eastwood (or John Wayne) riding through the canyons – but, of course, I didn't see any of that!  In fact I didn't see or hear any movement, wildlife or otherwise, at all.

Most strenuous part of the trip was the crossing of open water back to Playa de Freila.  A wind, stronger than forecast, started gusting up from the dam end of the reservoir, creating uncomfortably choppy water.  My nice steady paddling rhythm increased in tempo!  Open water crossings of Negratin need to be treated with respect in fresh winds from either end of the reservoir.  The very same thing happened on that June 2017 trip, but on that occasion the wind was short lived and I sheltered in an inlet until it passed, before attempting the crossing.

Landing back at the beach was a bit ungainly.  With waves sweeping diagonally along the shore a nimble exit from the kayak, to pull it clear of the water, was needed – but my old legs, after being redundant for more than 3 hours, didn't feel like co-operating quickly enough!  Fortunately, it being such a grey morning, there were no witnesses – and I didn't actually fall over.

Negratin Again

 I was back at Embalse de Negratin again yesterday. Despite all the rain we've had these past couple of weeks, the water level hadn't changed much since I was here last month. Evidently water has been going out as fast as it was coming in.  A lot of water is now needed for agricultural irrigation after such a dry winter.

9:30 am at the bottom of the slipway at Playa de Freila, ready for a morning on the water. Only a gentle breeze to contend with this trip.

Nice new piece of kit for this outing: a heavy duty, tapered, zipped waterproof bag for all those bits and pieces normally in an assortment of bags. It's made by Grabner (Austria) to fit their own range of excellent, but expensive, inflatable kayaks – and it fits perfectly in the bow of my Gumotex Halibut and also just as well in the stern of my Neris Smart 1. Purchase was part assisted by the sale of a welding set, which I regret I never mastered using, to a neighbour with welding experience.

I followed the shore to the north-east. Within an hour the breeze had died away completely, leaving the water mirror-like near the edges. But it didn't last – when I turned back after 2 hours of quiet paddling, in and out of side inlets, I was surprised by a bit of a headwind to contend with when I was expecting (from the weather forecast) a gentle tailwind. However that didn't last long either, These gentle breezes were all over the place this morning.

On the way back I had to stop in this inlet for a leg-stretch. Even an inflatable seat pad feels pretty hard after a couple of hours of paddling, however gentle.

Time on the water was 3½ hrs. and total distance paddled was 9.5 kilometres.

Fresh Water Paddling, for a change.

Yesterday me and my Gumotex Halibut kayak went to the Negratin reservoir in Granada province. Hadn't been there since September 2022 (blog post 24/9/22), when the reservoir had got down to 19.75% of full capacity and the water no longer even reached the bottom of the slipway at Playa de Freila. According to the website of Spanish reservoirs, the capacity had crept back up during the winter to 25.22%. Hopefully launching and recovery was going to be easier than last time.

From a distance Negratin doesn't look much different at 25.22% to 19.75%. However, it was very different at the bottom of the slipway. Oh joy! - the water did now cover the bottom of the concrete slipway. The difficult bit this time was paddling into a stiff breeze, creating very choppy water, blowing up from the dam end of the reservoir. Had to paddle hard to make any headway until I could duck into the first of the many sheltered side inlets. Spent the morning dodging in and out of those inlets. Straight line return journey later, with wind and waves behind me, was a lot quicker.

Nice and calm in this first inlet. It was a lot different further out past that headland on the right. A low sun (it was about 10:00 am) accentuates the features of the 'badlands' side beautifully.

Even calmer in this inlet. The beauty of paddling Negratin is that nothing ever looks the same as the last time. Inlets appear, change size and shape, even disappear entirely with the change in water level. Even little islands come and go. Every trip here is a new little adventure.

The hazards of navigation on Negratin – you just never know what is lurking below the water! I've passed this way several times over the past few years and never seen the top of this tree exposed – and the water is quite deep here.

And there's worse in those side inlets. Like this:

Or like this beauty. Sometimes covered, sometimes fully exposed. But it's the ones lurking just below the surface you have to watch out for.

When I could see the dam from around this headland I turned back. From here to the dam, on this side of the reservoir,  there's nowhere to shelter from the wind. Fortunately the wind had eased considerably by this time.

Back at the car at Playa de Freila. That water looks placid from here.

Despite the wind it was an enjoyable paddle and good to find that The Halibut can handle such choppy water with ease. It was nice to get back to Negratin again. Launched at 9:30 am. Time on the water was 4 hrs. and I paddled a total of 10.5 kilometres.

Not Done Much So Far This Year

My second paddle of 2022 was on Friday June 10th.   Just 1½ hours on the sea at Villaricos, in my Twist kayak.  Conditions were good for a longer paddle (I covered 4.5 kilometres) but despite getting on the water at 8:45 am it got too hot to stay there much longer.  The summer heat started early this year - and it's been relentlessly hot until now.

So, mainly due to the relentlessly hot days, and the lethargy induced by them, my kayaks haven't  seen water again - until now:

Yesterday was the Autumn Equinox and I thought it would make a fitting start to getting afloat again - and, if I made an early start, I might see the first sunrise of autumn.  So I took my Halibut kayak to Embalse de Negratin, hoping that there was still enough water in the reservoir to get a decent time on the water.  Like a lot of reservoirs in Spain, and most of Europe, reservoirs are very low.  Negratin is currently down to 19.75% of full capacity.  This time last year it was 27.2%.

Thanks to a recent birthday I also had a new bit of kit to try out:

The Eckla folding Beach-Rolly.  A fine bit of German engineering.

It's a cart.

It's a seat.

It's a kayak trolley.

And I can take it with me, if I want to.  Stows quite nicely, with the wheels on or off, on the back of my Halibut kayak.  The wheels can be detached very quickly.  Saves taking it back to the car - and provides a seat ashore if I have a lunch break.

Back to yesterday:

When I reached Playa de Freila, the only place with easy access to the water now that the level is so low, I was pleasantly surprised to see there was still a good area of water for kayaking - but not so pleased to find that the concrete ramp now stops short of the water!  Fortunately my new trolley coped with the last stretch of rough ground admirably.

  

 

Not far from Playa de Freila (that's the playa in the background) I came to a new island.  Just a little one.  Was I the first to circumnavigate (and I did do that) this island I wondered.  From here I paddled towards the head of the reservoir, into a fresh breeze creating a bit of a chop on the water.  If the breeze continued all day, or even freshened, at least I would have it behind me when I turned back.

Most of the side inlets, which I used to delve into, are dry now.  So, a couple of hours later, without those distractions, I was quite a way towards the head of the reservoir.  In June 2018, when the water was a lot higher, I  paddled a long way up this valley in my Neris Valkure kayak!

This photo was taken in June 2018, as I paddled out of that valley.  See blog post Fri. 8 June 2018.  I wrote then:  Coming out of that inlet again.  It was quite a large one and well worth a look.  It is going to take a lot of winter rain, maybe over several years, to get the water that high again.

Next I spotted this, standing 4 to 5 metres out of the water.  Never seen it before, so a good indicator of how much lower the water is now, compared to my previous visits.  You never know what is lurking beneath the water in this reservoir.  I guess it is an old electricity pylon, but I'm surprised it was left standing when the valley was flooded.

The wind had died away by now and it was getting warmer on the water than I would have liked, so it was time to turn around and pootle back to Playa de Freila.

Back at the playa.  Getting the kayak onto its trolley and all the way up that concrete ramp to the car park looked daunting - but it wasn't too bad.  Just needed a few catch-yer-breath stops on the way.  It's a good trolley.

It had been nice to get back on the water again and I did see the first sunrise of autumn.  Hopefully there will be more days like this now that autumn is here.  Time on water was near enough 4 hours and I paddled about 11 kilometres.  No lunch breaks ashore on this trip so I didn't get to use the seat of my Eckla Beach-Rolly until back in the car park - where it was much appreciated after all that exercise.

P.S.  My Neris Valkure kayak is still for sale (blog post June 14 th. 2022).  Any plans to replace it with anything different are currently on hold.