CONTENTS
- Date, Distance & Route Map
- Tide Times & Weather
- The Dinas Head kayak
- Logistics
- Dangers & Issues
- Kayaks used
- Summary
1. DATE, DISTANCE & MAP OF THE ROUTE
31 August 2020.
3.5 miles route (would be about 7 miles if done as a circular route instead).
Launched from Pwlgwaelod at 13:30. Landed at Cwmy-Yr-Egwlys at 16:30. 30 minutes lunch stop and 2.5 hours paddling
2. TIDE TIMES & WEATHER
It was a warm, sunny day with a high of about 19 Celsius and light winds of about 7mph from the South.
3. THE DINAS HEAD KAYAK
We launched from Pwllgwaelod beach on the South side of Dinas Head at about 13:30.
To the South, we could see the ferry port of Fishguard flanked by Strumble Head.
We started paddling Northwards around the headland which comprises Dinas Head on a fairly flat and calm sea.
We enjoyed exploring the inlets and caves which are all around the circumference of Dinas Head.
Exploring the inlets and ravines around Dinas Head certainly slowed down the pace at which we paddled the route but we were not in a rush.
You can spend hours exploring Dinas Head by kayak due to the number of inlets and coves.
We were accompanied by a harsh corus of of screeches and chattering of countless seabirds including gulls, razorbills, guillemots and fulmars.
We had already seen a couple of seals but not been quick enough to get them on camera when we finally got a chance to snap another seal which popped up near us and then circled around us for a while.
As we rounded the headland, it opened up wide, sweeping views Northwards up Cardigan Bay.
We stopped at the point of the headland for about 25-30 minutes for an on the water lunch break and ‘cider stop’.
The view up the coast was stunning since we could see all the way up towards Cemaes Head, the headland which forms the Southern end of the Teifi estuary at Cardigan.
The Preseli Mountains were a dramatic backdrop to the coastline.
We turned back towards land and started paddling along the Northen side of Dinas Head towards Cwm-Yr-Egwlys.
Mynydd Carningli dominated the coastline above Newport. The summit features a large and prominent archeological site, one of the largest hillforts in West Wales.
The sheltered beach at Cwm-Yr-Egwlys loomed into view. We landed on the beach at about 16:30.
We carried our kayaks up onto the area next to the remains of the ancient church of St Brynach where we delated them.
What a great paddle past some amazing scenery on what is one of favourite sections of the entire Wales Coast.
4. LOGISTICS
This was a rather unusual kayak from a logistics point of view due to Dinas Head being a peninsular which means that it was almost a circular route even though we only paddled one way.
We walked about 2/3 of a mile back from Cwm-Yr-Egwlys to the car at Pwllgwaelod.
The path was tarmac and flat almost all the way so it’s not a hard walk even if you have heavier inflatable kayaks.
At Pwllgwaelod, there is a quite large free car park only 50 meters or so from the beach which has toilets. It can get very busy during peak periods.
If you wanted to leave a car at either end of the route then at Cwm-Yr-Egwlys there is also quite a large free car park near the beach.
5. DANGERS & ISSUES
This is generally a safe relatively safe paddle and we came upon no noticeable tidal races or other issues when paddling around Dinas Head. We would though point out the following.
Tides
While Cardigan Bay is of course tidal, the tide is nowhere near as much of an issue as it is with other section of coast we have paddled, such as the South East Wales Coast. The tide runs South to North in Cardigan Bay when it’s coming in. When it’s going out, it runs North to South.
On Dinas Head, the tidal flow can be fairly strong off the point of the headland when it’s flowing the fastest on a big tide, so if possible it’s best to paddle the headland around the tide times.
Sea Conditions & Wind
Like any sea kayak, you need to check the weather and sea swell forecast before going.
We usually use www.surf-forecast.com. The forecast for Newport is the most relevant to this route.
6. KAYAKS USED
I did this paddle in August 2020 when all of the Kayak Crew were still using Pro Aqua inflatable kayaks.
The Pro Aqua kayaks were sold by Clas Ohlson but they have been discontinued for a while we believe.
They are made from traditional construction techniques for inflatable kayaks using PVC tubular sides.
We have since moved on to drop stitch inflatable kayaks. Check out my Guide to Buying an Inflatable Kayak blog post.
7. SUMMARY
Dinas Head is an amazing peninsular to kayak around. While 3.5 miles is much shorter than our usual routes, the headland is littered with caves, gulleys and inlets to explore. You could of course instead paddle it as a circular trip of about 7 miles either from Cwm-yr-Egwlys or Pwlggwaelod.
Dinas Head is often called ‘Dinas Island’ and it does in many ways feel like you are paddling around an island.
The link to our Youtube video of our paddle around Dinas Head is below.