Earlier this summer we spent the weekend at Alton Towers with Konfidence where we witnessed a huge turning point. Five year old POD had gained so much water confidence we got to see her hunt for dive sticks, jump in and even be thrown across the pool! It was a stark contrast to the child that wouldn’t get her face wet a few months earlier.
We’ve just returned from a holiday to the Liébana region of Northern Spain which is renowned for the Picos de Europa. We had the most beautiful old cottage in a quiet village with much of our time spent exploring what the mountains had to offer. We were returning to the UK by ferry and with a few hours to kill prior to sailing, we opted to explore the coast en route to Santander. Situated not far from a lengthy stretch of beach in Suances, we found a gorgeous cove.
Playa de Tagle is off the beaten track and certainly favoured by the locals. We heard the tide was coming in but the Spanish kept arriving so we figured we were good for a little while at least. With valuables to look after, including all my camera gear, POD took to the water with her Daddy. While I got to capture the action and paddle while simultaneously attempting not to fall over! POD had adored playing in the river with the locals while we were away but with such a lot to see, we’d not made it to an actual beach.
We’ve been fans of Konfidence for some time now. Their Original Konfidence Jacket has been an essential confidence boost for POD with her current one from their snazzy new range (for girls and boys). Her Konfidence floatsuit keeps her safe in the water without restricting her movement as well as protecting her from the sun. While the temperatures in Northern Spain had mostly been high, they did drop quite considerably if the sun went in. The coast was certainly much cooler than the micro climate we’d been used to in the Picos that’s for sure. For that reason, POD wore her Konfidence shortie wetsuit at the beach. These wetsuits provides 100% UV protection too and as I had already discovered, you can get easily burnt when it’s cloudy. There was an interesting hat and footwear combination going on but bear in mind the car was completely packed and we were en route back to the UK!
POD was so excited to be at the beach, I’ve never seen her get changed so quickly! Although a little apprehensive at first, she was soon in the water jumping the waves with gusto. We thought the sea would come in fairly swiftly but it turned out not to be the case. The size of the waves did vary however from the small lap over your toes kind to the larger ones that stirred up the sand. POD built up her confidence to such a degree it wasn’t long before she was not just jumping the waves and running away from them but actually waiting for them. She’s not had the opportunity to try body surfing before but with help from her Daddy she got to do exactly that. Her timing was perfect for the most part too and you’d see her airborne before landing on the sand giggling!
The POD Father got to test out his body surfing skills too and once POD was safely playing in the sand he could go out a little further. He did brilliantly each time until he lost his favourite sunglasses to the water – they do need replacing though so it’s a good excuse to get some more. POD meanwhile was doing crab impressions, digging holes and patiently waiting for the incoming waves to touch her feet. The tide was coming in fairly slowly although every now and again a larger wave would result in me trying to run with the bags and camera while simultaneously trying to hold the bottom of my maxi dress. I’m sure people at the beach thought I was completely crackers wading through the water in my sandals!
As it turns out, there was so much fun to be had at the beach we didn’t leave for hours. Thankfully POD’s shortie kept her warm and protected from the sun the entire time. We were less than an hour away from Santander at that point anyway and POD was having the best time body surfing! She was exhausted by the end of it but with showers and a cafe nearby, she was (mostly!) free of sand and suitably refreshed. Our journey to the port was relatively swift and we found the most glorious cafe where we had banana crepes covered in chocolate before boarding. You’ll be able to read more about this trip over on our travel blog.
It really is amazing how far POD has come with her Konfidence wear – quite the little water sprite now!