Who is this course suitable for?
A learn to sea kayak course is suited to complete beginners and anybody who is keen to develop their kayaking skills on the sea. It helps to have water confidence.
What does the course involve?
The main emphasis is on enjoyment and exploring the beautiful coastal scenery in and around Plockton. In order to do this, your instructor will teach you the necessary skills so that you can paddle and manoeuvre your sea kayak to negotiate the coastline. If you join our Learn to Sea Kayak days we can introduce the new British Canoeing Paddle Start or Paddle Discover Award to you. For more information about British Canoeing personal performance awards please go to the qualifications page.
How long does the session last?
We usually meet at 10.00am and you’ll be good to go by about 3.00pm. It takes about an hour to get everyone briefed, kitted out and onto the water. We paddle for about an hour and half, have a break for lunch, then paddle for about another hour or so before we finish. During the first part of the session we take a short break for ‘elevenses’ and we can stop as often as we need to if people need to stretch their legs or have a comfort break.
What age do children have to be to join a Learn to Sea Kayak session?
Our Learn to Sea Kayak sessions are for children aged 15 years and over. If you have younger children, our Family days may be more suitable for you. This is so that we have the right size kit and equipment for them. We are sorry that we cannot take out unaccompanied children, however, we can recommend other kayak schools that may be able to help you.
Meeting and greeting
The day starts with introductions and a briefing. It’s good for us to get to know a bit about you, whether you’ve done any paddling or water sports before (It’s OK if you haven’t!), and what you’re hoping to get out of your time out on the water.
It’s also a chance for you to find out a bit more about us too. Details about when and where to meet will be emailed to you together with your booking confirmation.
Getting ready – kit and equipment
When you book your course we ask you for size information on the booking form… this is to help us provide the right size kit and equipment. After the briefing, kit will be distributed and you’ll get changed. There are changing facilities in Plockton. There’s more information about what we provide and what you need to bring with you on our FAQs page.
Next, we unload the kayak trailer and allocate boats. Your kayak needs to fit you, a bit like a pair of shoes does, so some time is spent adjusting various bits of the cockpit and seat to ensure you’re comfortable and you have the correct posture in your boat.
Getting started
After some final safety briefings we’ll head out onto some sheltered shallow water to give you a chance to get comfortable and used to being in a kayak.
All of our instructors are extremely experienced so they will be able to quickly gauge what to teach you based on the weather and sea conditions on the day to enable you to explore the coastline and take in the stunning scenery.
The journey
The rest of the day is spent exploring the nooks and crannies of Plockton and the island archipelago of Loch Carron. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for seals, porpoise, otter and seabirds. We usually have a short break for ‘elevenses’ and then another stop at lunchtime. We aim to have lunch on a coral beach on an island and we’re lucky to have lots to choose from!
After lunch we continue our journey, putting into practice all the skills and techniques learned during the morning.
Finishing
At the end of the session boats are loaded back onto the trailer and then it’s time to get changed. Finally, we conclude with a debrief, give you advice on how to take your kayaking to the next level, and we welcome your feedback.