The heatwave came, and the heatwave left. Normal weather conditions have resumed here in South Wales, and that is good news for the river levels and all those wanting to participate in Gorge Walking and Canyoning. River levels are back to a good level and the water levels in the ground has also been restored meaning the river and waterfalls should be flowing more consistently. The dry weather may have caused some environmental changes, so it's critical you reassess any route you may previously have taken.
Both the River Mellte and River Sychryd are running well but you still need to be aware of recent rainfall, particularly in the mountain regions of the Brecon Beacons as heavy rainfall can have a quick and dramatic effect on river levels. Flashing can lead to a sudden increase in both water levels but importantly water flow force too. This is why it is vital you only ever enter the water with an experienced, knowledgeable, professional guide who will be able to help keep you safe whilst making the most of your Gorge Walking or Canyoning activity.
Once again, the South Wales coast seems to be teasing those wanting to go Coasteering this weekend. We may see low enough swell and wind early on Saturday, however it's likely this won't fit with the tide to create the right conditions for Coasteering. As the tide changes to create the right conditions, the swell and wind also change, to make the conditions potentially unsafe.
The wind will start as Northerlies and North Westerlies, however there is a good chance it will swing around to become Westerlies which can very quickly become dangerous. There is every chance of this happening during an activity, so despite conditions possibly appearing safe at the start, things can, and very often do, change very quickly.
We'll be heading into the Brecon Beacons this weekend for some Canyoning as costal conditions are just too variable this weekend for us.
If conditions turn out to be good for Coasteering, then they're likely to be less than ideal for Surfing. Chances are however, then swell will be too high for Coasteering and you surfers will be in luck. They'll be some wind, with potentially strong gusts in a North, North West direction (onshore) however, you may find some of our favourite spots, such as Oxwich Bay in Swansea or Coney Beach in Porthcawl will provide enough protection to allow a safe and enjoyable surf.
Looking at the swell forecast, Saturday is probably the best day for surfing as Friday is likely to see strong winds and swell is expected to die down to 1ft or 2ft on Sunday.
As we said above, we'll be down at Dinas Rock in the Brecons this weekend, taking a mix of Stag Do's from Cardiff, Swansea and across South Wales, Hen Parties from Cardiff and some groups celebrating birthdays on both Gorge Walking and Canyoning activities.
We'll also be running a couple of Beach Days down in Porthcawl, which will see the groups building rafts and taking on a number of water based challenges over a full day. Lot's of fun and something else a little different for any Stag Do's, or Hen Parties from Cardiff, Swansea or Porthcawl.
