Reported river levels are currently relatively good for any Gorge Walking and Canyoning activities, however there is heavy rain forecast throughout Friday across South Wales, including the Brecons, and this will have a noticeable impact on the river levels of both the River Sychryd and River Mellte come the weekend.
You must ensure you are fully aware of the previous 12 - 18 hours rainfall and the expected river levels before starting any activity. The levels can and do change quickly so you need to be prepared for conditions to change during any activity you are running. Safety equipment, as always is absolutely vital; helmets, buoyancy aids, wetsuits and good sturdy footwear are all required.
With the saturated ground, the waterfalls will be flowing strongly and constant so you will need to fully asses any jumps throughout the activity. The water flow force will be strong too, so be aware of floating debris making it's way down the river too.
Friday and Saturday are definitely out for any Coasteering activities with both the swell and wind above where it would be advisable to run the activity. We may see conditions on Sunday in the sheltered bays along the South Wales coast, such as Caswell Bay in Swansea and Ogmore, that are acceptable for running the activity, so long as you are with experienced guides.
Although the wind is due to drop right down on Sunday, it is a Southerly so will be hitting the coast square on. The swell is also on the upper end of what we would be looking for so you really do need the protection of the bays and experienced guides who know how to handle the conditions.
We've got some good swell on Friday and Saturday but the wind will also be blowing strongly, so you'll want to be heading to some of our more protected beaches along the South Wales coast for any surfing this weekend. Places like Rest Bay in Portcawl, Caswell Bay in Swansea or Oxwich will afford you some protection for the various elements.
It's the summer holidays so we're extremely busy with scout troops and youth groups throughout the week. The Stag Dos and Hen Parties from Cardiff & Swansea are also out and about over the weekend so we'll be busy no matter the weather.
We've also got some RLSS courses running over the week which teaches attendees some basic lifesaving techniques for water based activities but even more importantly starts to teach them how to asses the various risks of the activity and put plans in place to reduce or mitigate them.
