Who is this course suitable for?
This course is suitable for people who have done some sea kayaking before, at least 2-3 days, and who have some experience of force 3 or 4 conditions. You may have already done an introductory course and are now looking to consolidate your experience and improve your skills to feel more confident in more challenging waters. The minimum ager for our Improver sessions is 15 years. If your children are younger, our family days may be more suitable for you.
What does a Sea Kayak Improver course involve?
The main emphasis is on enjoyment and exploring the beautiful coastal scenery in and around Plockton. During the course we’ll help develop your sea kayaking skills, understanding and knowledge so that you can consider yourself an able improving sea paddler rather than a beginner. On a two-day course we’ll also cover weather, tides, planning, navigation, seamanship and how to deal with emergencies. You may find this useful if you’re working towards your BCU 3 star award.
Meeting and greeting
The day starts with introductions and a briefing. It’s good for us to get to know a bit about you and to find out more about your experience and where you’ve paddled previously. We’d also like to find out what you’re hoping to get out of your time out on the water and it’s 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. If you have your own kit and equipment you may use that if you wish. There are changing facilities in Plockton. There’s more information about what we provide and what you need to bring on our FAQs page.
Out onto the water
After some final safety briefings we’ll head out onto the water. 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. The session will be a good balance of skills and coastal exploration. 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, consolidating skills and techniques learned during the morning. At the end of the session we conclude with a debrief, give advice on how to take your kayaking to the next level, and we welcome your feedback.