SUP River Severn – Ziba Adventures

River Severn paddle boarding

John Horsfall — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 14:12:13 +0000

The Benefits of River Severn Paddle Boarding

Paddle boarding is one of the fastest-growing water sports in the world. With more and more people taking up the sport in recent years, there is no better time to try it out. You’ll have no idea how wonderful life is until you experience the joy of paddling through a river, the exhilaration of doing something new and the peace of being in nature.

Paddle boarding is a great way to explore your local waterways and discover new sights. You can take your boardings to the next level by exploring the riverside and exploring the hidden corners of every waterway. There are also several benefits that you can get from paddle boarding. It helps you stay fit and active, helps relieve stress and helps clear your mind. If you are looking to incorporate the sport into your fitness routine and get the most out of it, read on for suggestions and advice on getting started at the right place.

Paddle Boarding is a Great Way to Get Fit

People often associate paddle boarding with having a lazy summer – but this couldn’t be further from the truth. You can paddle board for as little as 30 minutes a day and reap the benefits of increased flexibility, improved muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance. The sport is a great way to get fit, especially for busy people who don’t have time to participate in a regular workout regime.

It Offers Physical Benefits

Paddle boarding is a great way to improve strength, flexibility and coordination. You’ll spend most of your day balancing on a small board, so you must be in good physical shape. The increased flexibility you’ll gain from paddle boarding will help you avoid back pain and improve your balance.

Is Paddle Boarding Good for the Environment?

While paddle boarding may not seem like an excellent way to save the environment, the truth is that it has a low carbon impact. It takes around 10 litres of fuel to get aboard and a paddle boarder to a water’s edge. While it may appear that you’ll be burning a lot of energy by going to the river each time, it’s important to remember that you’ll be paddling back from the river after your paddle boarding session. This saves on unnecessary car trips, which means that the environment will benefit from fewer carbon emissions.

10 DRY BAGS PERFECT FOR PADDLE BOARDING

https://www.zibaadventures.com/paddle-board-bag-what-is-the-best-paddle-board-dry-bag/

Can Help You Find Inner Peace

If you’re feeling a bit stressed or trying to de-stress before a big event, paddle boarding is a great way to relax and unwind. It gives you time to think and clear your mind, which can be really helpful if you’re feeling anxious. The river’s calm can help you relax and take your mind off any worries you’re experiencing.

Paddle Boarding Good Idea for Beginners?

Beginners should always start off with a sport that is safe and suited to their capabilities. There are plenty of paddle boarders out there who are beginners, so don’t be afraid to ask around or find a local group to join.

Summary

With summer around the corner, there will be many opportunities to try out this fresh new sport. Paddle boarding is one of the fastest-growing water sports in the world. Now is the perfect time if you’ve been on the fence about trying it out.

Paddle boarding is a great way to stay active, improve your fitness and enjoy nature. Here are some of the main benefits that you can get from this sport. A great way to get fit while spending less time in the gym – Increases your flexibility and flexibility – Good for the environment – Offers excellent cardiovascular and strength benefits – Relaxing and stress relieving – Fun and easy to learn – Wide range of riverside locations – Can help you clear your mind – Great for solo or group activities.

Who Is This Guide For?

– People who are looking for an easy way to get into paddle boarding on the River Severn

– Those who want to make the most of the summer season and paddle board more often

– Anyone who wants to try something new and exciting

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Day 08 – Sharpness (SUP River Severn Source to Sea Done)

John Horsfall — Mon, 24 May 2021 13:37:49 +0000

DAY 08

sup river severn source to sea completed

If I can pick just one piece of rubbish up by the river, then I can make a difference

Morning

We had pushed hard the previous day and waking up with the sound of rain smashing against the tent, the motivation to get up was low, but we got back on and headed south towards the sea, we knew we were close, but with the rain pouring down on us and wind picking up the closer we got, the harder it felt.

Finishing at Sharpness

We were tucking under bridges to save time towards Sharpness, and when we arrived, it was very underwhelming; the rain and soaked clothes had at the time made it a happy end, but in the rush of finishing and the waiting taxi to take us back up to Gloucester. We didn’t have time to really look around and take in what we had achieved.

As I was driving home, I thought back on our journey and remembered that expeditions are never without their challenges. While the destination was the sea, it was never the point of our trip.

It was just about being out here, on an adventure, picking up river rubbish along the way so people of tomorrow can enjoy the river as much as we did. I had a sense of achievement that we had completed what we set out to do had a great time along the way.

While there is so much more plastic up there in and around the river, it can be overwhelming; I am not here to say don’t use plastic, we use it every day, and while I hope one day it will be a thing of the past, it is helpful in everyday life. But I felt by the end if I can pick just one piece of rubbish up by the river, then I can make a difference, and that is what I hope you might take from this.

A Special thank you to Emily Scott for coming on the trip

Emily’s Website – https://www.adventurescottie.com/

To Becky Dickinson for all her SUP tips and advice

Becks website – https://supbecks.com/

And to Sealion Paddle Boards for creating an incredible touring board for any occasion

Website – https://www.sealionboards.com/

Distance Covered: 24 km

Previous Day

Day 07

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-07-paddle-boarding-through-gloucester/

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Day 07 – Paddle Boarding through Gloucester

John Horsfall — Mon, 24 May 2021 11:26:25 +0000

DAY 07

paddle boarding Gloucester & the wildlife

Wild camping is a lot harder, and with a pathway along the whole Canal, this was going to be difficult.

Morning

The morning sunrise had disappeared, but after packing up everything and paddling down towards Gloucester, we saw some fantastic wildlife, from Herring to Duckling, Kingfishers to Otters. The river was overflowing with wildlife, and in the countryside, the sound of the birds was deafening at times.

We had to make up time, so we decided to make lunch on our boards, we put our boards together, and one would steer while the other cooked up their lunch. We gained a few miles while doing this, and it proved vital as when we arrived at Gloucester dock, it was 20 minutes before it was closing.

We had to move into the Canal to avoid the weir. It was evening, and after a long day, more than 11 hours without getting off the boards, we picked up some water and food for the night just off the Canal.

Into Gloucester

In urban areas, wild camping is a lot harder, and with a pathway along the whole Canal, this was going to be difficult.

We stopped off in the Sainsbury on the Canal for a sit-down and some food. It was the first time we had stepped off the board all day. We then went in search of a wild camping spot off the canal, by some miracle, the path was closed off for a section, so once we were away from eyes, we hopped off the boards and found an enclosure hidden away. It was perfect.

We headed over for the late-night bore to finally watch these phenomena happen; although dark, we got a sense of the power of this tidal wave.

Wild Camping Location: /// factories.lifted.tight

Previous Day

Day 06

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-06-sup-down-to-worcester/

_________________

Next Day

Day 08

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-02-sup-the-river-severn/

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Day 06 – SUP down to Worcester

John Horsfall — Mon, 24 May 2021 10:15:11 +0000

DAY 06

SUP worcester and on towards Bristol

The excitement of going through a lock on the paddleboard, we gave over our number and began descending, although only a few metres. It was a welcome change from the previous day’s rapids

Morning

After the marathon yesterday and 10 hours paddling, we were slow to get away; the morning frost had kept us tucked away in our sleeping bags till the sun had risen. The previous evening we had come to our first lock and had to take everything off and walk to the other side; we repeated the process in the morning only to find Paddleboards are allowed through.

We signed up for the Canal and rivers authority to ensure we didn’t have the time-consuming hassle of taking everything off our boards again.

Towards Worcester

Once again, we had another glorious day to paddle down the river. We picked at the plastic and rubbish on the trees, but there was only so much we could collect with the vast amount.

We stopped just before Worchester for lunch in a beautiful spot. Although the sun was shining, there was still a spring chill in the air.

Now we had the excitement of going through a lock on the paddleboard, we gave over our number and began descending, although only a few metres. It was a welcome change from the previous day’s rapids, and with the continuous locks, we knew the rapids were now behind us.

Worcester was awash with life, from swans, seagulls and ducks to the rowers outside the cathedral. We ducked between rowers and avoided the chaos of the animal feeding before continuing to the end of the city and onto another lock.

Evening

The continuous locks had slowed progress, but we knew we were close to Gloucester and the tidal part of the Severn.

We settled in for the night, watching the sun go down over a delicious supper. We knew tomorrow was going to be a long day, but as we retreated into our tents, would we make the sea by Wednesday and be able to see the Severn bore for the full moon?

Distance Covered: ….km

Wild Camping Location: /// threading.fairly.frown

Previous Day

Day 05

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-05-a-marathon-on-the-paddle-board/

_________________

Next Day

Day 07

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-07-paddle-boarding-through-gloucester/

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Day 05 – A Marathon on the Paddle Board

John Horsfall — Thu, 20 May 2021 08:32:35 +0000

DAY 05

A MARATHON ON THE PADDLE BOARD

Water was everywhere but getting enough drinking water had proved problematic for both Emily and I.

Morning

In the morning, we were away early, our usual breakfast in our tents and then packed everything away and headed down to start the day.

Our aim was to get to Stourport-on-Severn or just beyond it, but it would take a marathon on the Paddle Board.

The weather was glorious again; the gentle flow of the Severn and chorus of the birds made paddling a joyful experience. However, the sound of the steam train provided us with a moment of rest bite as it roared past us. We took a moment to enjoy the billowing smoke as it moved past us.

Into Shrewsbury

We made good progress while picking up any plastic we could; as the river widened, the plastic became harder to pick at, but we were filling our bags and removing what we could.

Water was everywhere but getting enough drinking water had proved problematic for both Emily and me. In the town of Bewdley, we stocked up on water and noodles, making sure we wouldn’t run out for the remainder of the expedition.

It was 8.30 by the time we found a camping spot, and we managed with the last flicker of light to set up before the night descended on us. The sheep certainly looked entertained by us.

Distance Covered: 45 km

Wild Camping Location: /// outs.woes.dips

Previous Day

Day 04

https://www.zibaadventures.com/paddle-boarding-into-ironbridge-rapids/

_________________

Next Day

Day 06

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-06-sup-down-to-worcester/

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Day 04 – Paddle Boarding into Ironbridge Rapids

John Horsfall — Thu, 13 May 2021 10:50:35 +0000

DAY 04

ironbridge rapids takes me out

I was slightly shaken but more annoyed with myself, and I had paid the price for my naivety.

Morning

The following day we were up early with last nights frost still laying bare on the grass, the morning sun shone through the trees on the bank, and we set off to try and make up ground from the past few days. We put in the miles before lunch through the stunning Shropshire countryside.

Again with the low water level, we were getting stuck, and our pace was again slow.

It is incredible that the second you underestimate the water, it has a habitat of teaching you a lesson. In Ironbridge, just after passing under the bridge, we came across some rapids.

Past experience in Shrewsbury said this was nothing, so I didn’t bother attaching a few items to the board as I felt we would sail through but going through the boards bounced left to right and just when I thought I was done, checking that everything was still in the order I hit a rock head-on and was thrown from my board.

The board wedged itself began to tip, fearful of some of the contents coming away from my board; while I lost a few items just before it tipped over, I managed to release the board and drift downriver with it before making my way to the bank.

Out of Ironbridge

I was slightly shaken but more annoyed with myself, and I had paid the price for my naivety.

We carried on before stopping for the night on the edge of a ploughed field, the evening sun was still high, and we managed to hang our clothes out to dry.

We prepared dinner and chatted about tomorrow. There was a feeling that time was not on our side, and we weren’t going to be making the sea at the rate we were going. We were really going to have to put in the miles now.

Distance Covered: ….km

Wild Camping Location: /// n/a

Previous Day

Day 03

https://www.zibaadventures.com/sup-shrewsbury-day-03/

_________________

Next Day

Day 05

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-05-a-marathon-on-the-paddle-board/

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Day 03 – Paddle Boarding through Shrewsbury

John Horsfall — Thu, 13 May 2021 09:54:43 +0000

DAY 03

INTO SHREWSBURY RAPIDS AND BEYOND

We meandered our way down the river, our sense of anticipation grew. With every white mini torrents we saw, we were thinking, is this it.

Morning

The morning frost woke us early the following day, I sat in my tent watching the river stream pass by me and the sunrise. Our plan was to get to Shrewsbury by lunchtime, where we would have to negotiate the weir, and the Shrewsbury rapids, which we were told it can prove difficult on the paddleboard.

We waited for the sun to come up before packing away our things and getting ready for another big day. The calmness to the river was matched by the loud chorus of birdsong as we paddled down the river and onto Shrewsbury.

Into Shrewsbury

The hum of the nature that had been with us since the start was replaced by the city’s hustle.

A quick lunch in the town, we paddled the last few miles down to the weir. We spent a few moments contemplating paddling over the weir, but the fins on our paddles were too large, and we thought it would cause problems.

We had no choice but to take everything off and drag our boards out and carry them 50 metres downstream and back on the water.

Now we had the rapids coming, every turn as we meandered our way down the river, our sense of anticipation grew. With every white mini torrent we saw, we were thinking, is this it. But after every mini rapid we encountered, there was a growing sense that maybe this wasn’t much to worry about.

Out of Shrewsbury and into the farmlands, we again found a great wild camping spot to set us up for tomorrow, where we would need to quicken the pace to complete this expedition on time.

Distance Covered: ….km

Wild Camping Location: /// threading.fairly.frown

Previous Day

Day 02

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-02-sup-the-river-severn/

_________________

Next Day

Day 04

https://www.zibaadventures.com/paddle-boarding-into-ironbridge-rapids/

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Day 02 – Crewe Green SUP the River Severn

John Horsfall — Tue, 11 May 2021 22:08:14 +0000

DAY 02

STARTING SUP THE RIVER SEVERN JOURNEY

Although the frosty morning air was still present, the sun shined brightly from above

Morning

Settling for a farm road in the dark the previous night outside Welshpool, a Spring frost greeted us the following day, and after a chilly night, we headed to start SUP the River Severn and this incredible journey.

Scouting out starting points in Welshpool, we had to concede that the water was too low for our paddleboards and had to move further downriver.

On the Welsh English Border Outside the town of Crewe Green, we found the perfect launch pad to set off. Although the frosty morning air was still present, the sun shined brightly from above, providing an ideal start to our paddleboarding adventure.

Start – Crewe Green, England

It took a while to get everything sorted, but after blowing up the boards and strapping at our kit for the week ahead, we were finally off.

With the water level so low, the pace of the river was dragging, and progress was slow.

We picked at the rubbish in the river and tried to avoid shallow waters, which were proving challenging to prevent. We kept getting our boards stuck in the shallow water and having to get off the boards and pick them out and walk them into the deeper water.

As evening dawned on us, we needed to find a secluded place to camp for the night and found an events field on the side of the river which wasn’t in use. We set up our tents to humming distance tractors and bird song before tucking into a well-deserved Chilli Con Carne dinner.

With the clear evening sky above, we knew we were in for another cold night.

It had been a long day but we had started and after the last six months of planning, we could quite believe we were off.

Distance Covered: ….km

Wild Camping Location: /// factories.lifted.tight

Previous Day

Day 01

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-01-hiking-to-the-source-of-the-river-severn/

_________________

Next Day

Day 03

https://www.zibaadventures.com/sup-shrewsbury-day-03/

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Day 01 – Hiking to the Source of the River Severn

John Horsfall — Tue, 11 May 2021 21:12:58 +0000

DAY 01

HIKING TO THE SOURCE OF THE RIVER SEVERN

We drank from the dark bog where the River Severn starts and then began our trip down the hills to start this incredible journey.

Introduction

The reason for the trip is to stand up paddleboard from source to Sea of the River Severn, picking up river plastic and document our adventure. The last year we had been restricted to our houses, and as the lockdown was being eased, we felt it was the right time to go.

During the lockdown. I studied the route and the trouble that plastic has on the rivers in the UK and I wanted to see this firsthand as well as another great adventure outdoors. I was setting off with Emily Scott, Emily and I had first spoken on the Modern Adventurer Podcast, and both had a burning desire to make this trip happen.

Getting there

Emily was coming from Edinburgh, and I was from Wiltshire; the plans were to meet in Shrewsbury and head to the Source of the River Severn.

So in the early hours of a cool April morning, I left to meet her. First stop Gloucester to catch the train and leave the car, one change at Birmingham then onto Shrewsbury.

We were both really excited to finally get going. This was my first adventure in a couple of years. The first stop was a quick stock up of supplies and then an hours drive towards the source.

The Climb

We arrived in Plynlimon to a gentle river stream. We had to hike 4 hours to the source, following the river up. It was a beautiful spring afternoon; although the air was crisp, the sun was shining as we climbed. We reached the source in the late afternoon. Just as the sun was beginning to go down over the welsh hills.

There was a sense of excitement and anticipation about what we were about to start. Emily and I had minimal Paddleboarding experience, so there was a sense of fear of what we were about to embark upon. We drank from the dark bog where the River Severn starts and then began our trip down the hills to start this incredible journey.

The late afternoon sun glistened through the pine forest, and after a four-hour hike, we were back in the van heading towards Welshpool, where we would start the paddleboarding.

Next Day

Day 02

https://www.zibaadventures.com/day-02-sup-the-river-severn/

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