Grade: A•Suitable for 2 star equivalent or above•Easy landing, numerous escape routes available
MEETING POINT / PARKINGMeadfoot Beach pay & display car park, where there is also some free roadside verge parking.
Start / Finish TimesStart 1000Lunch 1245 (1 hour)Finish 1645
TYPE:A to A i.e. circumnavigation
TRIP PREREQUISITES•Wind speed: no more than F2 for trip duration•Visibility: good/moderate•Sea state: calm•Minimum three competent paddlers•Ratio competent paddlers to novices: 1 to 3•Maximum novices: 9
DESCRIPTIONThis is a scenic trip following the contours of the cliffs and tumbling rock promontories of the Torquay peninsula. There is a variety of marine life along the way, including porpoises, seals (common and grey) and sometimes Bottlenose Dolphin. It is also possible to catch mackerel using a surface line. There are various rocks/stacks/islands on the route.
Oddicombe beach has a funicular railway and odd claim to fame. In 1884, local girl Emma Keys was murdered in a beach hut. Joan 'Babbacombe' Lee, her murderer, is remembered as 'the man the couldn't hang' after three attempts inexplicably failed.
Along the way there are a number of coves and caves to explore
DURATION & DISTANCE: 10:00 to 16:00•11km•6 hours easy paddling
RISK ASSESSMENTWater temperature – 1 point for each degree below 72FWind speed - 1 point per mphWave height – 2 points per vertical wave heightSwim distance – 1 point per 100 metresSurf zone – 30 points if waves breakRock gardens – 20 points if rocks presentSea cave – 20 points if entering cavesVisibility – 10 points
MAX RATE SP: •Around Hope's Nose tides reach 2 knots. •Streams between Dawlish Warren and Torquay reach less than 1 knot. •Tidal streams within Tor Bay are very weak, less than 1 knot
HW/LW: Standard Port: PlymouthSecondary Port: Torquay
TIDE TIMES (Near Teignmouth)SSW going (ebb) stream begins +0510 after HW PlymouthNNE going (flood) stream begins -0135 before HW Plymouth
WEATHER (example)2009-01-09 0000 - 0559Pressure - 1027 mB FTemp max/min - 6/-2 degrees CWind speed - F2-4Wind direction - EMax gust in knots - 17 becoming 18Sea state - SlightVisibility - Moderate becoming PoorSig weather - cloudy
Hope Nose (max rate SP=2kn)
hours before/ after slack
% of max rate
NNEtime
SSWtime
speed (kn)
0 0% 0606 1251 0.0
1 50% 0706 1351 1.0
2 90% 0806 1451 1.8
3 100% 0906 1551 2.0
4 90% 1006 1651 1.8
5 50% 1106 1751 1.0
6 0% 1206 1851 0.0
WIND DIRECTION•SE - worst, creates some swell in Torbay Harbour•SW most likely, cause some difficulty out to Hope Nose•SW - most likely, can make trip to Hope Nose a bit uncomfortable but leaves everything to the north quite calm•N - almost any wind from N leaves the whole area flat calm
WEATHER - BBC Inshore waters forecast(http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/coastalforecast/)
HW/LW: HW Torbay = HWP0741 + 0045 = 0826
Coast guard: Brixham tel: 01803 882704
DATE: Saturday 11 April 2009
NAVIGATION: Head out of harbour and turn left to follow coast East direction towards Babbacombe, which is approx 7.5k, making 15k round trip.
High water Low water
0100 0600 0100 0600
1300 1800 1300 1800
+0025 +0045 +0010 0000
Lunar Phase: SPRING TIDE
ESCAPE POINTS (&grid ref for OS110):1. Hopes Nose (947633)2. Brandy Cove (944637)3. Anstey’s Cove (936646)4. Babbacombe Beach (930654)5. Oddiscombe Beach (926655)
DATE SPECIFIC DATA:
1000
1100
1200
1245
NNE-0135 HWP
1251 BSTHWP
0741 BST0606 BST
SSE+0510 HWP
Hope Nose (max rate SP=2kn)
0.0185112060%6
1.01751110650%5
1.81651100690%4
2.015510906100%3
1.81451080690%2
1.01351070650%1
0.0125106060%0
speed (kn)
SSWtime
NNEtime
% of max rate
hours before/
after slack
Hope Nose (max rate SP=2kn)
0.0185112060%6
1.01751110650%5
1.81651100690%4
2.015510906100%3
1.81451080690%2
1.01351070650%1
0.0125106060%0
speed (kn)
SSWtime
NNEtime
% of max rate
hours before/
after slack
HWT 0826LWT 1310
Coast guard: Brixham 01803 882704Weather: 09068 9696 + 4581 (Exmouth)
ESCAPEESCAPEESCAPEESCAPE
UNDER 18 PARTICIPANTS •All persons under the age of 18 years will require parental/guardian consent before being allowed to participate on a trip. •We will not accept responsibility for under 18’s until the trip start time and they must be picked up promptly at the course finish time
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY READINESS – QUESTIONNAIRE (PAR-Q)•Before the trip, participants should disclose any medical conditions, including allergies, injuries, anything that may impair paddling performance. •If they carry treatments eg Epi—pens, inhalers, etc, ensure the group and their buddies know where they are kept and how they are used.
ChecklistAre logistics arrangements made?
BEFORE TRIP STARTSEnvironment•Is weather and sea conditions known for trip duration?•Is it within parameters for trip•Will weather be monitored for trip and how•Are access permissions known eg launch fees, licencesEquipment•Do participants all have correct kit•Do leader and assistants have maps and compass Group•Are strengths & ability of group for trip known?•Any injuries or medical needs disclosed and acceptable? Control & incident management•Have leader & assistant roles been assigned•Have group been paired into buddies and know responsibilities•Do the group understand group control and incident routinesExternal aid•Has coastguard been notified?•Are escape points known by group•Is emergency plan know by group
GROUP CONTROL •1 leader, has map and compass•1-2 assistants, paddle front and rear•Group divided into pairs of buddies. Each buddy has a responsibility to whole group and to buddy so if buddy stop the other buddy notifies the group
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT•Continuous short whistle blasts = I’m in trouble•One long blast, repeated after short pause = group on me (leader and backups only)
•If an incident occurs, such as a capsize:•Ideally the assistants will deal with the incident leaving the leader to maintain control and monitor incident resolution•Paddlers should turn and face oncoming waves, holding position close to the ‘action’ but avoid knocking into each other or impeding those dealing with the incident•Paddlers should not paddle off and should remain together•Rafting up is not desirable practice. A raft will drift more quickly than an individual canoeist or someone in the water holding on the their capsized boat. It will be difficult to maintain a raft in waves and danger of capsize on splitting up. If a raft must be formed, keep it heading into wind by means of an anchor-man on a tow line• If an incident deteriorates so individual paddlers may capsize then raft in pairs facing one another until help arrives. •In breezy conditions, paddlers will be blown in the wind direction whereas swimmers and waterlogged kayaks will be carried in the tidal direction.
All paddlers should aim to gain knowledge and experience to be responsible for their own safety at sea i.e. self-sufficient
BASIC EQUIPMENTCag Buoyancy aidSpray deckPaddleSponge (for emptying water from cockpit) Helmet (for cave exploring or rock hopping)Sun/warm hat (depending on conditions)Water Hot drink (in cold conditions)WhistleFirst aid kitSun cream (depending on conditions)Lunch
NAV / RESCUE EQUIPMENT Map & compassSpare paddlesPumpTow lineExposure bagRepair kitMobile phone
OptionalVHF radioFlares
100013003hrs1hr2hr3kn2kn5.5kOddicombe
BeachMeadsfoot
Beach
start timelunch time
outbound duration
emergency/ explore
time
min. paddle
time
average assistedpaddlespeed
unassisted paddlespeeddistance
mid/finish point
startpoint
100013003hrs1hr2hr3kn2kn5.5kOddicombe
BeachMeadsfoot
Beach
start timelunch time
outbound duration
emergency/ explore
time
min. paddle
time
average assistedpaddlespeed
unassisted paddlespeeddistance
mid/finish point
startpoint
Grade: A•Easy landing, numerous escape routes available•Suitable for 2 star equivalent
Grade B•Awkward landings•Longish sections of coast with no escape•Exposed to weather and conditions•Tidal movements, swells and surf