Courses | Pool Sessions | Club trips
Sea kayaking is a popular part of the club with a wide range of courses and trips.
The courses and club trips described on this page are Club Activity. These are coached or led by an authorised club coach or leader. Club members on these activities are provided with 3rd party insurance via their club membership.
You can take part in the following ways
Courses
Discover Sea Kayaking
These courses are for absolute beginners to paddling. They take place on Wednesday evenings in the summer and each course is for five weeks.
You need to be a club member to book on our courses. Booking on these courses can be done HERE.
Sea Kayak Touring Paddles
This is a good course for paddlers who have some experience in sea kayaks and just want to go for a paddle to improve paddling fitness. It takes place on Tuesday evenings.
Explore Sea Kayaking
This is the course for paddlers who want to acquire specific sea kayak skills such as
- How to choose the best sea kayak for you, and how to operate it eg foot pegs, skegs
- Efficient forward paddling, paddling in the wind
- Manoeuvring the sea kayak, turning, edging, brace strokes
- Towing
- Rescues (we will choose warm weather but you will definitely get wet)
- Theory: trip planning, weather, navigation, safety kit, loading sea kayaks on vehicles
On week 4 or 5 (choosing the best weather) we will go on the sea so you can try real sea kayaking. The club’s sea paddlers may assist with transport for the sea kayaks.
The five week course takes place on Tuesday evenings on the canal. You can book on this course HERE
Video – Sea kayak rescues
BC Sea kayak award
This BC qualification has the aim of enabling you to become a competent member of a sea kayak trip on the sea. Particular skills include manoeuvring a sea kayak in moving seas, eg with swell of up to 1.25m or small surf, paddling in winds of up to force 4, different methods of rescues, towing, weather, equipment and navigation.
Sea kayak award basic skills is a popular course that runs for 5 weeks on Tuesday evenings for paddlers who would like to achieve British Canoeing’s Sea Kayak Award. It takes place on the canal
You can book on this course HERE
In addition, training days will take place at weekends at Exmouth or other local beaches. You need to have a plan for getting your sea kayak to the launch point for each session.
Pool sessions
Pool sessions are a great way to learn particular skills such as support strokes and rolling. There are specific sessions for sea kayaks as they take up more room at the pool. More information is HERE
Club Trips
The club offers a range of sea kayaking trips. Trips are normally advertised on the forum
The club does not take any responsibility for transport to club trips or courses.
Touring trips
These trips are ideal for new paddlers who want to gain experience and are looking for calmer conditions before venturing onto the sea.
The trips are usually on Devon’s fantastic estuaries such as the Exe, Dart, Teign, Plymouth Sound, Salcombe. The distance might be 8 to 12 miles according to the experience of the group.
Sea trips suitable for new sea kayakers
When the weather and tide conditions are suitable these trips offer a great opportunity to start paddling on the sea.
Journeys
Club trips that are journeys are regularly offered. The leaders describe the expected difficulty of the trips and the likely distance; also the experience required of the paddler to be able to go on the trip.
Paddlers who wish to go on these trips and more experienced ones are required to demonstrate a deep water rescue (both being rescued and assisting another person) each year.
Surf trips
Surfing is best in spring and autumn, when the beaches are not so crowded, but there are nice waves. The north coast of Devon is where you get the best waves. Keen surf paddlers often set up trips when the surf is good.
Moving water group
This group is for paddlers who are keen to acquire sea kayak skills for paddling on moving water. Paddlers should already have practised rescue skills in a flat water environment, and have a reasonable level of paddling fitness.
This group is ideal for paddlers who want to acquire the Sea Kayak Award and / or progress to leadership.
Video 2 – sea kayak rescues
Advanced paddles
Advanced paddles take place when two leaders are available and the conditions are right. These trips are for experienced paddlers. If you would like to take part in this group you should expect to attend a regular club trip first so that the leaders can ascertain your expertise and advise which trip level is appropriate. A high level of paddling fitness is required.
Trips to other locations
The club often travels further afield. The trips mostly use fixed campsites and day trips are chosen according to the weather and tides.
Recent trips have included Cornwall, Dorset, Portland and Pembroke.
Expeditions also take place where the group camps from the boat each evening. Trips have included Scotland, Sweden and Norway.
