Sea Kayaking Skills Course 2020
To celebrate coming out of lockdown (Covid-19), we have offered a block Sea Kayaking Skills course to encourage more locals to brush up and improve their technique to become a confident able paddler in a variety of sea conditions.
Welcome to our new Sea Kayaking Skills Course
Course outline:
4 x sessions 23rd & 30th May and 6th & 13th June 2020
Saturday mornings from 8:30am - 11:30am all based around the Peninsula.
Designed to cover the skills required to become a confident paddler in a variety of sea conditions.
Become familiar with setting up your kayak and how to paddle effectively while enjoying Kaikōura’s wildlife and majestic views.
Topics covered below…….
-Clothing and equipment
-Beach launching and landing
-Kayak handling and how to paddle effectively
-Paddle strokes including power, sweep, draw, stern rudder and low brace.
-Edging or railing your kayak to gain better control
-Safety at sea
-Weather interpretation
-Paddling in wind and swells
-How to rescue yourself or someone else in the event of a capsize.
-Simple tow systems
Develop your kayaking skills and enjoy a whole range of sea conditions and marine life around the Kaikōura Coastline.
The perfect course to cover skills needed in Adventure Racing, Multi Sport advents or recreational Sea Kayaking.
Session 1:
Trip planning, Paddle skills, clothing, weather forecasting, kayak anatomy, launching & landing, open sea paddling, rafting up and setting up your kayak to paddle all checked off!
Session 2:
Capsize recovery, self and assisted rescues plus introducing the low brace stoke to help stay upright in adverse sea conditions.
Session 3:
Weather assessment, route planning, kayak surfing, assessing paddle technique and opportunity to use a single kayak for those that are keen.
Session 4:
Putting everything together for a massive paddle around the whole Kaikōura Peninsula, followed by a debrief of the last four weeks.
What our customers have to say
Truly amazing experience! We had a lot of luck with the weather and animal encounters, we saw a small whale and loads of seals. Staff were super friendly and it was much fun. Would definitely recommend
Serafin K, Europe
I’d like to say thanks for a great day today. The guides were excellent setting up the day and introducing everyone. They’re very organized. The equipment was of a great standard and the day was brilliant. The weather was good and we saw well over 100 dolphins, and even seals and birds local to the area. All in all we had a great...
Emma H, Canada
Marine mammal megamix Spent a truly incredible morning around the Kaikōura Peninsula with Matt and Emma, two fantastic local guides. The whole operation was very professional, with high quality kayaks, equipment and a detailed safety briefing. Spent a good amount of time observing the seals, tried our hand at some kayak surfing in the big...
Tom, Neverlands
We loved our trip with Kaikoura kayaks. We took our whole family and the kids aged 9,12 and 14 really enjoyed paddling on the water and getting up close to the seals on the rocks. The guides were really informative and friendly. The safety briefing meant us parents felt comfortable with our kids out on the water. We would highly recommend!
Erin, Australia
We had a great time kayaking with this outfit. The guides were professional and trained us well before we got into the water. We saw loads of fur seals as well as albatross. It was a wonderful experience that I highly recommend.
Marcella R, USA
We had an amazing time with our guide Loz, gave us some really cold facts about all the wildlife around! He had a wealth of knowledge and even managed to bring us to some Dusky dolphins!!
Emma R, Ireland
"To Matt and the Kaikōura Kayaks team, Thank you very much for a fantastic day of kayaking. Both our trips were very well organised by your friendly team. We found your lessons enjoyable, helping us all to be confident, expert paddlers! We were so lucky to have a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed fantastic scenery and wildlife out...
Kowhai Class, Hurunui College NZ
The experience of a lifetime! Having intuitive and professional guides who allowed us the opportunity to experience an outstanding and very memorable day. They knew just where the incredible action was happening. We saw an amazing array of dolphins playing right near us and also saw blue penguins and seals. We travelled for two weeks around...
Paula Kirby, Wellinton NZ
We were soooo lucky - perfect sunshine, calm water and 300 dolphins! But it wasn't just luck: Kaikoura Kayaks were also superbly organised, friendly, safe, encouraging and a LOT of fun. Thank you!
Lucy M, UK