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.

Mon. Sept. 22nd. 2025 [Autumn Equinox].  If the weather is favorable I like to celebrate solstices and equinoxes with a kayak trip. On this occasion I took my Gumotex Halibut kayak to Embalse de Negratin.  Got on the water at 10:00 am and spent a very pleasant 4 hours cruising around either side of Playa de Freila.  Less of the usual 'kerb crawling' the shoreline of bays and inlets this trip – spent more time in open water enjoying the big vistas.  Distance covered was 10.7 kilometres.  A blue-sky day with very light breezes, a fine start to my Autumn kayaking.

  

October - Only got out once.

Thought it time my Neris Smart -1 kayak had an outing – as it hadn't been out of its bag since January.  Sat. Oct. 25th. was the first day this month where the weather forecast for the coast looked so favourable for a good long paddle,  Launched at Pl;ayazo de Villaricos at 9:45 am.  Sea conditions weren't quite as good as expected but, with steady paddling, I was still able to cover 12 kilometres of coastline in my 3½ hours on the water.  The Smart One is good for long distances and handles choppy water very well.

November and December - Nothing.

Inclement weather, periods of olive picking and lots of other stuff got in the way of paddling.

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. 

So Far, So Good.

In spite of the very hot weather I took my packraft to the coast, at Punta Parda, last Friday (July 19th.) morning.   I was eager to try the packraft with the inflatable foot rest, which had just arrived from Germany.  Got on the water just as the sun was rising above a hazy horizon, hoping to get a couple of hours before heat and humidity became uncomfortable – although the coast is a bit cooler, the humidity is much higher than we are used to inland.

The foot rest was a huge improvement.  Not only did it make paddling more comfortable, it also provided a convenient raised platform in the bow, for a bag of those bits of kit which might be needed on the water. I made a couple of leisurely circuits of the bay before heading out into open water.  I soon got over that bit of apprehension, about being sat in a single air chamber inflatable craft no bigger than the usual household bath, and felt quite at home rising and falling in a gentle swell.  A tubby packraft is not really suited to long distance paddling, unless going downstream on a river.  So, particularly on the sea, I'll generally only use it for pottering around.  Anfibio give a top speed of 4km./hr. for my model of packraft, but I found it took hard paddling to achieve that – and, because of its shape, forward momentum is quickly lost as soon as you stop paddling – there's no 'glide' like a longer, sleeker craft.  I found that 3km./hr. was a comfortable speed.

I still need a bit more practice, but I didn't embarrass myself getting in and out this time.  However, the beach in the bay was starting to fill up with sun worshippers when I got back at around 9:30 a.m., so I played safe and landed well away from an audience.  I did get wet, but through choice – I went for swim after landing.

I did get the hoped for two hours on the water.  Distance paddled this time was 5.7 kilometres.  I am now waiting for some much cooler days for further outings with this craft. 

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.

Embalse de Negratin Again.

   I took The Twist to Embalse de Negratin early yesterday morning.  With new outbreaks of COVID-19 occurring with disturbing regularity in many regions of Spain, and with fresh lock-downs imposed upon the worst hit areas, I thought I'd better squeeze in another quiet paddle before we got 'confined to barracks' ourselves.  I wouldn't normally have travelled to the reservoir in mid-summer, just for a couple of hours on the water, but the sea was very rough when we were at Mojácar on Tuesday and I could see no reason why it would have been any better yesterday.

   Reached Playa de Freila at 7:00 am and was on the water soon after 7:30 am.  This week I re-discovered a waterproof thermometer from my diving days, so I can tell you that air temperature was a pleasant 21°C  at that time of the morning and water temperature was 27°C, even at a depth of  a metre or so.

There's a new sign at the top of the concrete ramp at Playa de Freila.  Apparently, because of COVID-19, swimming from here is prohibited.  No mention of kayaking so I guessed it was O.K. for me to go on the water, as long as I didn't tip over and have to swim!  Obviously the absurdity of the ban is a contentious issue, as someone had tried to obliterate the notice by scratching  lines across the perspex with something sharp.  Can't say I really understand the reasoning behind this ban myself.


     I meandered along the shoreline, in and out of all the inlets, towards the dam for about an hour and then returned by a more direct route.  A gentle headwind was ruffling the surface of the water as I paddled back.  As I turned a headland into one inlet a grey heron took off and flapped lazily into the safety of woodland.   Very small wading birds were busily feeding along the edges, but they took little notice of me, just maintained a safe distance.  Once, without spotting it myself, I got unusually close to a duck, of some sort, which, startled, perhaps from slumber, leapt noisily into the air and disappeared.

At the head of one of the larger inlets was a narrow channel, more like a muddy ditch.  It led to a dry river bed that would feed the reservoir when/if there was rain in the winter.  This was as far as it went.

Turned around and looking back to open water.  This photo is deceptive.  The channel/ditch was much narrower than it looks here.  Where it necks, at centre picture, I could only just pass between the right hand side bank and a submerged tree.

Sticking out of the mud on one side of the channel was this boot sole.  I hoped there wasn't a toe bone behind the sole -  connected to a foot bone, connected to heel bone, connected to an ankle bone, connected to a leg bone ...... etc. etc. (as in the 'Dry Bones' lyrics).  I didn't check!








    It was a nice quiet paddle, which gave me the opportunity to try new ideas about stowing 'stuff' in my tiny kayak.  I've become quite fond of The Twist, which was originally purchased just for fun and grabbed opportunities for a quick paddle.  Now I see it as something really versatile - a step above what are known as 'packrafts', which are becoming increasingly popular, and a step below a fully fledged inflatable kayak.  I think The Twist gives me the best of both worlds for simplicity and shortish paddles in good conditions.

This is a typical packraft.  They pack into a very small bundle, they are very lightweight and the fabric is amazingly tough - you can bounce down rapids in them, should you wish.  They are also quite  expensive.  You are unlikely to get one like this for under £1,000 - well over double the price of my faithful Gumotex Twist.  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.  Nor would I like carrying my 'stuff' so precariously.

Time on the water was just over 2 hours.  My GPS thingy recorded 3.5 kilometres paddled but the batteries ran out without my noticing, before I had reached shore, so I might have travelled a bit further than that.  Air temperature had increased to 27°C by the time I got off the water and was approaching 30°C by the time I left for home at 11:00 am.  Too much data?  I won't take the thermometer with me again!