Exploring Isle Martin with the Ullapool Women’s SUP Club
Exploring Isle Martin with the Ullapool Women’s SUP Club
One of the aims with our Women’s SUP Club in Ullapool was to empower more women to feel confident on and around the water and to create a sense of community. After a summer of paddleboarding sessions, all of this culminated in a special day at Isle Martin.
Cal and Mandy, who were the instructors for the day, took four women, along with volunteer Dianne and masters student Abbie, over to Isle Martin for paddleboarding, Seaful moments and a unique art workshop.
After consideration of the weather conditions, Cal and Mandy decided it was safest to take the ferry to Isle Martin, carrying all the boards and other gear for the day, rather than paddle from the mainland. That in itself was part of the adventure – and offered a useful insight into what kind of organisation is required for even short SUP expeditions for those on the trip.
Seaful moments
To help ease any nerves about the day, Cal and Mandy got everyone in a circle in the sunshine and talked through the plan: spend time paddleboarding and developing existing skills, learn about this new ocean environment, have lunch and create some beautiful natural artworks guided by Dianne.
It’s always important to help everyone on our sessions to be present, so Cal and Mandy rafted all the paddleboards together in a sheltered spot near the shore for a Seaful moment. Everyone was invited to put their fingertips in the water, experiencing the seaweed, the sounds of the birds and the movement of the water. It was a very calm moment, and seemed to help reduce any nerves that people were feeling. Then everyone was free to explore by paddleboard within the small area Cal and Mandy had designated to be safe.
They all enjoyed exploring the area in their own time, some standing, some sitting, some kneeling. Everyone went at their own pace and when asked at the end of the day, everyone who’d taken part scored their overall confidence on and around the water at five out of five.
Ocean education and learnings
Being in a new ocean environment presented an excellent opportunity for some informal ocean education. While out on the boards, everyone came together to identify the birds they could see, as well as the seaweeds. The group also discussed what snorkelling in this location could be like and explored the environmental impacts of the fish farm which sits just off the island.
Abbie noted: “We spoke about whelks, snail trails, and the salmon farm which we could see in the bay. It was a very effective, subtle way of sparking conversation about the surroundings.”
Art and mindfulness
Dianne ran a brilliant art workshop with the group, creating cyanotypes from things they found on the beach. It was lovely looking down to the beach and watching everyone mindfully beachcombing for objects to create with. Many people said how wonderful it was to have a day to play and explore, and that creating an artwork felt like being a child again. Everyone went home clutching their own piece of artwork!
The art sparked more conversations about the ocean environment and what creatures live here. It was another great opportunity to bring everyone together and to introduce ocean education in a way that feels relevant and impactful.
Continued learning and confidence
Many of the women in the group built up their confidence around paddleboarding and some even mastered skills they have been working on all summer.
One of the most important components of the paddleboarding excursion was the opportunity to educate about different water and weather conditions. Cal and Mandy took some time to explain why they were restricting paddleboarding to the sheltered bay and in doing so empowered the SUP club members to make more informed decisions about where and when they paddle in the future.
One participant enjoyed her time on Isle Martin so much that she returned with her family just a few days later.
When asked how they had found the trip, we received comments like:
“Everything was amazing.”
“It felt perfect for me.”
“A wholesome and special day”
All of our participants said that spending a day on Isle Martin and engaging with the ocean environment in a mindful way had a positive impact on their wellbeing and mental health, which highlights how powerful our Vitamin Sea sessions can be.