roddys-photos.com

some waterside scenery from this month…Harris, Aiginis, N Uist and Benbecula.

Thanks to a wonderful Flybe air hostess for letting me jump seats through the flight.

Misty N Uist sunrise

It has calmed down here since the last pics.

The big climb was on BBC2 Scotland yesterday. It was fantastic.

At last I know what it is like to enjoy a marathon slob Saturday TV sport watching session.

Not at Full Tilt tonight

Well ok it got windy again today … I went Windsurfing and bust the Mast foot and fin..nice.

Oh and I am now the proud new webmaster of Stornoway Sailing Club’s Website

Thank you for all the encouragement and sponsorship.

OK since having been a Ghillie there,

I was always keen to have a day fishing in Grimersta.

I facebooked Jason and it was all on.. Took Andrew Brightwell  (in Law) along.

click for the pics

yummy yummy sea trout

A world cup size competition, of your sport, on your local ground sounds amazing.

However for Fraser Miller, a local surf instructor steering away from a dangerous crowded surf zone is his top priority.

Fraser sees the danger

Then avoides collision

Surf manufacturer O-Neil have discussed hosting their Cold Water Classic Surf Competition on the Isle of Lewis.

Fraser has consulted with surfers from around Europe and is left cold and sceptical of the benefits such an event will bring.

A facebook group for surfers reveales that O-Neil competitions have not always delivered benefits. O-Neil had been accused of solely creating media oportunities to promote their brand. The legacy of less organised competitions has been a crowded dangerous surf zone and chewed up fields.

If organised properly the event combined with a Lewis backdrop could provide real magic.

Lewis surfers are famously welcoming, they have encouraged visitors from far and wide. Many of these visitors return and even stay. However at a recent meeting the overwhelming majority of  surfers expressed worry over the detrimental effects the event. The infrastructure does not yet exist to support surfers drawn to Lewis in the wake of the event.

1. There are no Surf Life Saving facilities on the Island.
2. There are no changing facilities at any of the breaks.
3. The surfers want to keep the fragile island beautiful.  Surfers have depended on good relationships with common grazings comitees for surf access for years.
4. The breaks have been getting steadily more crowded for years. With the recent increase in ferry sailings this trend is surely set to increase.

Fraser trains his pupils to spot dangers. The extra dangers in the surf line up and to machair lands is worrying many local surfers.

Crowds surf at Vatsiker