Sea Kayaking for Improvers

Designed for developing sea kayakers with their own sea kayaks & well equipped with the basic safety essentials. A great opportunity to 'stretch your sea legs' & enjoy a good, steady pace with a competent group of fellow sea kayakers, build your confidence & do some extended paddling with a great social group of like-minded people.

Launching from both Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey Quay (whichever is closest & easiest for you), we paddle south down the coast enjoying the sea conditions as they arise on the day. We'll have a following flood tide with us and we'll arrive around high tide (or a little before) at the mouth of the River Orwell, just off the main shipping channel. We'll stop for lunch on the beach off Harwich Harbour Master (V.T.S.) play in the conditions as presented and after a break for a bite to eat and hot drinks, we'll turn about for the return journey.

The trip is planned for a two-hour paddle up and a two-hour paddle return with following tides in both directions with a round figure of one hour for stops and breaks so total trip time will be approximately 5 hours. This trip is for developing sea kayakers who perhaps lack the confidence of planning & committing to this type of trip or just don't want to paddle alone for safety reasons.

You don't need a roll but sound recovery skills and speed over the bottom of at least 3 knots which is not very high for sea kayakers but a nice steady pace. The weather remit will accept most conditions including rain and snow with winds from 15-18 knots steady and gusts to a max of around 22 knots, swell up to 1 metre and there are bail out points all along the coastline.

Launch Venue Post Codes: Bawdsey Quay IP12 3AZ & Felixstowe Ferry IP11 9RZ (sailing club). Please Note the safety equipment requirements.