Kayak School
Get up to speed on one of our kayak school sessions today! Learn to surf, kayak roll and paddle efficiently.
If you're new to the aqua sport of sea kayaking or simply want to improve your skills, our New Zealand Kayak School here in Kaikoura will really help you get up to speed.
Our Kayak School modules can provide you with the basics of sea kayaking if it's your first time in a kayak, to the Sea Kayak Leader award, and ultimately a full Sea Kayak Instructor qualification.
Instructors hold the NZOIASea Kayak Instructor 1 qualification and have an extensive knowledge of sea kayaking, having trained themselves along the same pathway.
Here is what Leonie had to say about her Rolling Clinic experience
"Just a quick email to say thank you for yesterday, really enjoyed it! Still cant believe you taught me to roll in a day!, thank you for your time and everything, and I'll keep an eye on your website see if you manage to get any video up. Have a good summer, and I'll let you know if I'm heading your way later in the year thank you!"
- Leonie
Our comprehensive courses include:
- Introduction to Sea Kayaking Skills Course
- Kayak Rescue
- Kayak Rolling
- Kayak Surfing
- Weather and Navigation
- Multi Day Kayaking
- NZOIA Kayak Leader Pre-course
Kayaks, paddling gear, pool hire, online lessons and shuttle rides all included.
Free phone 0800 452 456 to discuss course options with one of our instructors.
Course at a Glance
Open Season:
Open all year
Prior Experience:
Not required
Duration:
1/2 day, full day and multi day
Age:
16 years and above
What our customers have to say
A Magical Morning! Wow! What an amazing morning we had. We were on a trip with four separate groups, so we had three amazing guides - Emma, Jonna and Ty. All three were excellent. Ty asked about our experience, and when we said we'd been out in a sea kayak the week before, he changed things up - he gave us a short lesson and then took...
Kathryn H, Hamilton NZ
Marine mammal megamix Spent a truly incredible morning around the Kaikoura 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 are a family of five (14, 12 and 10 year old kids) and we went out last week with Emma as our guide. It was the perfect morning - we saw a seal right up close - he swam right next to our kayaks. Really comfortable kayaks and easy to use. Emma had lots of useful information and was very patient when we got used to using the double kayaks....
Emma W, Auckland NZ
We booked on the seal kayaking tour and the day dawned magical and calm. Pretty much straight away we saw seals up on the rocks, so tick tick. We ventured out into the Pacific and were blown away to have a pod of Dusky dolphins cruising with us. They were gorgeous and kept on swimming near our kayaks. Then a seal took to the water and started...
Dave, Christchurch NZ
A big thanks to Matt and Renee for fitting us in so we could give our kids an ultimate experience. From the time of booking communication and service was awesome. Such a professional team. Renee was very patient and excellent with the kids. Highly recommend this experience. Well worth the money. Thanks team from the Warrington family. May...
Jollene W, Wellington NZ
Great Trip - even the oldies loved it! Had a really great trip with Cowan out to the see the seals and the reef on a beautiful morning. I was a bit worried getting in a kayak with my mother (67) and father (70) but Cowan kept us going at a leisurely pace and even convinced us to have a go in the open ocean! What a great experience and...
John R, UK
"To Matt and the Kaikoura 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
Sunset magic 10/10 thanks to Emma and her crew. We had a magical day on the water and got to see feeding seals, dolphins and wildlife. Thanks so much would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a unforgettable experience in Kaikoura!!
DKG, Australia
Amazing Sea Kayaking Experience Emma was our guide for the half day seal kayaking experience. Though we had never been sea kayaking we felt safe with all the instruction and had a blast. We even saw some hector dolphins and a blue penguin. Emma’s knowledge was impeccable and enthusiasm was infectious as she led us in a chase of the...
Emaria, North Carolina