Soaring the dunes at Aberavon

In retrospect this weekend was clearly the last of summer. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. We turned up uncertain on whether we would be kiting or paragliding. It can be a fine line between the two sometimes. As I stood on the beach it felt perfect for flying. Too light and the lift band is too small meaning it is a constant battle to stay in the air and not end up back on the beach. Too strong and ground handling becomes a handful and you are one bad move away from being blown over the back of the sand dunes.

We have flown here before of course, but this time the wind felt perfect. As soon as I got the wing above me I could tell it was spot on! We spent hours flying up and down the dunes and working on our turns. Getting braver as time went on – making bigger, more committed turns and flying closer to the sand.

After a quick break we took it in turns to take some quick shots before getting back in the air. It was too much fun to be taking photos and its not often the dunes work so perfectly. After a few hours it was becoming clear we were getting tired and it was best to stop. The wind had started to pick up a little too. After a stop for refreshments I decided a kite foiling session was the best way to end the day, so had an hour in the water to finish.

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