Spring and Winter kayaking – a ‘real’ experience.

The trouble with a summer holiday is that you don't often get the chance to really wind down and let your thoughts wander. Everyone loves the Swedish summer, but perhaps it's time to also embrace the rest of the year when we plan our holidays.

As a canoeist, I personally think that every month outside the high season is the best. It's amazing to slowly glide through the water in my little boat, enjoying a break from paperwork and mobile phones. To paddle a sea-kayak in low season gives you precisely that naked, raw, and absolutely wonderful feeling of being at one with nature. Wind, waves, and weather become noticeable, refreshing to body and soul. The later or earlier in the year you paddle, the greater the contrast. Cold and dangerous? Not if you know how to handle different weather conditions and how to address for them. Once you've got those areas covered, winter canoeing will always be a more 'real' experience compared to summer-paddling.

Canoeists aren't the only ones who enjoy the 'outer' seasons. Winter paddling offers amazing opportunities to observe the animals of the archipelago and their everyday lives. Common seals now swim closer to shore. Birds like Little Auk, Common Murre and Black Guillemot fly in to enjoy the open water before spring arrives in the arctic. When the large lakes in the county of Dalsland freeze, flocks of Common Goldeneye and Common Merganser arrive, making the most of this last area of open water before the dark winter descends over the coastal areas.

Winter kayaking can be hard, rough, and extremely bleak. Or you can turn this genuine experience into a joy for all the senses. Imagine, after a silent and still day in the unique light of the winter-clad archipelago, lowering your body into a wood-fired hot tub. Here, you can let the events of the day slowly melt away from your body, through the warm water. Follow this with a scrumptious meal, incorporating locally sourced seafood, and you couldn't get a more perfect day.
  
Winter paddling gives you more!
  
/Torbjörn Söderholm
Nautopp Seakayaking Sweden

       
March – The ice is getting thinner, still frozen in shallow bays, the light is back, easterly winds can close off the line of retreat, so always have a Plan B, very cold in the water (+2 to +5 degrees), exciting month for paddling.
  
April – Almost no ice, stable weather conditions, with warmer days and cold nights, the first pleasure boats, varied animal life in the archipelago, the first plants are emerging, still very cold in the water (+5 to + 8 degrees), good month for paddling.
 
May – No ice, stable weather conditions with warm days and cool nights, Nature is in bloom and the birds have laid their eggs, so move around with caution, pleasure boats are out at weekends, cold in the water (+ 10 to + 14 degrees), fantastic month for paddling.
  
June – Stable weather conditions, a gentle sea breeze from late morning (around 6 m/s), warm days and pleasant nights, more pleasure boats at weekends, cool in the water (+ 15 to +18 degrees), lovely month for paddling.
  
July – Less stable weather conditions, strong sea breeze (up to 12 m/s) regularly from 10.00 to around 14.00, turning from west to north through the day, huge numbers of pleasure boats, lukewarm water (+ 18 to + 21 degrees).
  
August – Weather conditions more stable, still some sea breeze, fewer pleasure boats towards the end of the month, lukewarm water (around +21 degrees), fantastic month for paddling.
  
September – Stable weather conditions, hardly any pleasure boats in the archipelago, pleasant days and cool nights, plenty of colour on the trees, colder in the water (+ 15 to + 17 degrees), fantastic month for paddling.
  
October – Unstable weather conditions, low pressure areas with high winds, the lobster fishing causes lots of boat traffic, shorter days (hours of sun, about 6), cold in the water (+ 10 to + 14 degrees).
   
November – Slightly more stable weather conditions, possible snowfall, the islands are turning white, hardly any boats, short days (hours of sun, about 5), changing animal life, cold in the water (+8 to +12 degrees), eventful month for paddling.
  
December – Fine white winter days mixed with windy snowstorms, this month includes the shortest days of the year (hours of sun, around 4), beautiful light, few animals, silence, very cold in the water (+3 to +6 degrees), fine month for paddling.