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CODE RED

STORM DARRAGH

Armed with cameras, a van full to the brim of windsurfing kit and a questionable amount of common sense, John Carter and Timo Mullen head to K-Bay to capture the madness of Storm Darragh! 

Words: John Carter, Timo Mullen, James Date and Izzy Adcock.

Photos: John Carter.

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EXPECTATIONS

The moment the forecasters mention a named storm, it usually sets any die-hard wave sailors on edge with anticipation and trepidation. There are usually two ways a windsurfer will weigh up the opportunities these exceptional days may provide. Firstly, they could be looking embrace the raw power of nature at its fiercest and simply go out and sail and survive in wild challenging conditions. Or secondly, the prime conditions might well come from the post-storm winds or further afield from the epicentre.

One way or another, big storms usually guarantee intense action if you are up for the challenge and are sensible by knowing your own limitations. Either way, when a storm like Darragh comes knocking, you know one thing for sure—there’s going to be action. The only question is: will it be epic, or will it be a total wipe out?

CODE RED

Back in early December 2024, the UK Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for parts of Wales, Somerset and Devon and an amber warning for many parts of the south coast. Storm Darragh was forecast to strike on Saturday, December 7th and promised to be nothing short of extreme. Unlike typical storms that batter the south coast, from the south or southwest, Darragh was promising raging winds from the west swinging northwest by noon. This unusual wind direction instantly sparked thoughts of a mission to photograph Kimmeridge Bay. Known locally as “K-Bay,” this stunning stretch of the Dorset coastline is famed as one of the UK’s premier wave sailing spots.

Timo Mullen was equally eager to take on Darragh at his home spot but had to be done and dusted by 2pm due to family commitments. Phone calls and messages flew around as we were trying rally a crew, but many sailors were out of the country, injured or had other plans. It looked like it would be just Timo and me, plus any die-hard locals who were up for this K Bay showdown!

Would it be too windy to sail or could turn into the day of all days with wild winds, massive waves, and jaw-dropping action? Either way, I was determined to embrace this storm, come what may.

THE BUILD UP

Darragh was such a strong weather pattern that the forecasts looked to be reliable two or three days before it hit. Looking at all the windsurfing forecasts winds were predicted anywhere between 40 and 65 knots. I knew I had to head over the night before from the Isle of Wight as it was almost certain that ferries would be cancelled, and travel disruption was imminent. So, on a wet Friday night, I caught the ferry to the mainland armed with my two-battle-worn Canon R5’s and a handful of lenses, determined not to miss this major storm. I made it to Timo’s in Poole by late evening just as the first gusts from Darragh started to stir the trees. I woke up early and checked the status of the Isle of Wight ferries and pretty much every route was majorly disrupted of cancelled. I had dodged a bullet by coming over early but getting home might be an issue later…

THE JOURNEY

We loaded the van to head out from Timo’s in Poole around 8am. As I opened the passenger door his trusty Panasonic camera slid off the chaotic pile of clutter on the front seat, toppled out of the van and smashed onto the concrete below… Oops! What a way to kick off the day! Timo was less than thrilled. I did suggest to him the week before that he needed to tidy out his van, but given the circumstances decided not to hold my tongue as we headed in silence to K-Bay! Despite the rocky start, there were some hints of blue sky up above but looking west, the sky was dark and ominous. As we made our way closer to the coast, the signs of the storm became more apparent with lots of branches, leaves and debris littering the roads. We finally made it to the top of the hills that overlook Kimmeridge Bay to the sight of dramatic waves pluming in the wind. The vibe in the van was suddenly back on a positive note and our spirits began to lift, ready for whatever the day had in store!

Down at the carpark there were a few other windsurf vans with their drivers wisely assessing the conditions but nobody had ventured the water as yet. The wind was strong enough to make me hang on with all my might as I opened the van door. The camera damage Timo could probably handle but if I allowed Timo’s precious van door to be ripped off its hinges, then that might be one step too far.

I left Timo to chat with the other sailors and decided to trek up to Clavell Tower in order to grab an overview of the untamed scene in the bay. Hiking up the rickety steps, the strength of the wind became much more apparent. At the top the wind was so strong I could barely breathe let along stand upright or be able to take a photo. It must have been gusting 80 knots as the wind accelerated up the hill. For a moment, I felt like a fighter pilot straining against G-forces, on the brink of blacking out. Breathless and exhilarated, I stumbled back down to the van, where Timo was already rigging up his 3.7m Super_Hero sail and his Grip 3 D/Lab board.

The sea state outside the bay looked chaotic and out of control, but in the bay, there was just enough shelter from the cliffs to provide some workable conditions. There were ramps galore and some big jumps to be scored for those with the guts to send it. Right as Timo hit the water, I felt the first splats of rain in my face as I set up my camera, not the best since I was going to be shooting directly into the wind. Storm Darragh was now in full force, and I was interested to see how Timo and a few other hardy windsurfers were going to pitch battle with these crazy conditions.

SURVIVING THE STORM

 

TIMO MULLEN

“Big storms don’t really excite me the same way a forecast does with perfect side of winds and big waves. A storm is much more unpredictable and there is no way of preparing for it. You just know it is going to be survival. It will most likely be extreme strong winds and the performance levels will drop slightly compared to when the wind is manageable. Your expectations are always lower. Even so a storm can be a windsurfers dream. Some one that doesn’t windsurf will tell me… “I expect that will be a good day for you tomorrow Timo!” Big storms like Storm Darragh are the ones that grab all the headlines. I am not as expectant of good conditions in a storm.

We had a yellow wind storm warning for Storm Darragh which for the UK is pretty extreme, some parts of Wales, they were even calling a red warning!. The reason we went to K-Bay was that it would be windy but you have got some shelter from larger waves within the bay. The bay would also provide a little bit more shelter from the wind. As it turned out that was a good decision because the reports from the other beaches were out of control. I don’t think I would have been able to sail at any other beach. Pozo regularly gets 3m conditions overpowered but in the UK when we have a storm with similar strength winds in the middle of winter, it is so different.

Locations like of Pozo, have much more consistent wind, while we were getting gusts up to 75mph while the average wind speed was 50mph! My smallest sail is a 3.7m Duotone as anything smaller I will barely use. I knew I would be overpowered. I was on my more onshore board, the Duotone GRIP 3. I had my harness lines set up so I was always in control. I move them slightly further apart on a really windy day so I can relax a little bit more. I never really sailed further out than I had to. Just because you are asking for trouble if something goes wrong! When the wind is that strong it almost creates its own rip. So if you fall in on the outside you can get blown downwind quick quickly.

I kept to the bay and only went for big moves when there wasn’t a crazy gust. I had a hood on to protect my head as in those winds it is very easy for a board to flip over and hit you. I would never really sail on my own in those conditions. I would still say it was a day to remember. It was a named storm, but at the end of the day it was more about survival than epic conditions. When I was a kid I always thought that sailing in big storms was the level of extreme that I wanted to reach!”

JAMES DATE

“My wife knows instantly what the underlying meaning of the question ‘What’s happening on Saturday…?’ is! This question is usually asked around Wednesday when the forecasts start to firm up, and she is very understanding of my constant checking of whether the K-Bay stars are going to align, and on a weekend when I am not at work – this probably happens 2 or 3 times a year.

December 7th was one of those days. Storm Darragh was blowing through and at the tail end of it the wind starts to come round to the W / NW, cross to cross offshore, which brings the hope that the Bench will be firing. The forecast looked like this perfect scenario could be on. I love that view as you drive down and get your first glimpse of the bay. When it looks big from a mile away, it’s probably going to be good, but in reality it was not quite as cross off shore, with messier waves than the 4 to 5m at 12s period suggested.

Probably because it was really, really windy! Sheeting in the 3.7 was optional and moments of feeling in control were few and far between. Providing guinea pig duties to confirm to those still hiding in their vans how windy it was, I launched, closely followed by Timo, and as always K Bay provided an epic day out.

The hard deadline of my daughter’s swimming gala meant I never made it out as far as the Bench, but there was some great jumping and waves to be had in the bay. Back to forecast watching for the next opportunity.”

IZZY ADCOCK

“I arrived at Kimmeridge, and it was crazily windy and gusty; everyone was sailing in the bay only.

I was a out on a Duotone 3.0 Super_Hero and a 69L Grip 4 as small as I (or most people) go. There was point when the wind came through at probably a genuine 55 knots, I decided to sink my sail as I couldn’t hang on (partly due to cold NW wind too) and was worried it might tumble weed away from me!

I think Timo was the only one still windsurfing at this point and it had sent a few people in to de-rig. It’s probably the closest I’ve felt to a Red Bull Storm Chase. Also, a huge thanks to John Carter for braving the at points torrential rain!”

STAYING FOCUSSED!

There is a certain thrill in dealing with this type of chaos as a photographer. Everything is unpredictable. You never know how high the next jump will be or if you will anticipate shooting that one critical moment that may capture the essence of the day. The pressure was on but when you are shooting in driving rain and over 40 knots of wind, capturing the action is never going to be easy. Just trying to hold a camera steady as crazy gusts hit you in the face was a serious challenge.

When you see a photo, the one thing that is invisible is the wind and it can be tough to capture the actual drama of the moment in one split second. After the first hour of dealing with the elements my camera gear was already coated in salt spray, I was soaked to the skin and my fingers were rapidly turning numb. Protecting my camera’s from fogging up and keeping the rain off the front of my lenses was a priority but not easy as the drizzle intensified. Despite the fact I wasn’t actually out on the water braving those conditions, I felt I was still involved in my own personal battle with the that same fierce wind, cold and salt spray. But at least I had a front row seat to witness natures sheer power and the brave windsurfers up for the challenge of harnessing this storm.

TRAVEL CHAOS

After three gruelling hours on the water, Timo finally threw in the towel, utterly exhausted but happy to have survived unscathed. (Actually he did head but his rig at one stage and came into the beach with blood all over his face! When we deemed it to be a mere scratch, Timo was obviously straight back out there for the next round of action).

Now it was time to call it a day and head home…Maybe it is a bit of a cliché to recount my travel woes after such a mission, but wild weather nearly always has its consequences for those trying to get from A to B especially when a ferry or trains are involved. So, after packing up we eventually made it back to Poole after being re routed due to fallen trees on the road between Kimmeridge and Wareham.

Timo dropped me at the railway station and disappeared off on family duty. That’s when the chaos started. Apparently, there had not been a train come though for the past three hours due to fallen branches littering the tracks. Determined to get back home, I decided to persevere despite the fact there was only one ferry crossing between the Isle of Wight and the mainland still running.

After waiting around for nearly two hours, as luck would have it, I overheard a guy at the station who was desperately trying to get back to Portsmouth and was about to book an Uber. Cash was exchanged and ten minutes later I was on my way. It turned out my acquaintance in the Uber was a bit of an unsavoury charterer but the less said about that the better. By the time I reached the terminal, I was rattled but otherwise unscathed…only to witness a catamaran leave port just as I arrived…standard!

An hour later, I was finally on board and nearly home. The approach to Ryde Pier was the worst I have ever experienced! The sea was ferocious, and the ferry slammed repeatedly against the pier as the crew battled to secure the moorings. The captain’s voice on the Tannoy was laced with tension, but he gave the go-ahead for passengers to disembark, two at a time. Apparently, the next ferry was not so lucky. The ropes snapped while they were moored up and only two passengers disembarked before the ferry had to turn back! Looking back at the wind readings in the afternoon, there had been a dip down to 40 knots in the Solent between 4 and 6pm but for the rest of the evening the wind returned with a vengeance and was gusting well over 60 knots! Let’s just say getting home was just as tough a mission a braving the storm itself.

SUMMARY

The wild winds from Storm Darragh were too much for most beaches in the UK to handle and looking back on reports, Kimmeridge turned out to be one of the few locations that was not too out of control and sailable. Despite the logistical challenges I was glad I went on the mission to document this rare code red storm at K-Bay. Fallen trees, broken cameras, cancelled trains and a perilous ferry crossing were all part of this manic adventure provided by storm Darragh. Definitely a mission that won’t be forgotten!