Last Sunday was a busy and exciting day for the club, with two events running side by side!
While our regular members’ paddle had a solid workout against the tide, another group of members joined our first Sea Kayak Skills Workshop, held near the eyot. It was a great mix of learning, challenge, and camaraderie.
Led by our very own 4-star sea kayaker Elaine, with support from Michelle, the session saw six enthusiastic members build skills and technique in sea kayaks. We kicked things off with some fundamentals and gradually worked up to more technical manoeuvres throughout the day.
The session covered essential sea kayaking skills, including:
🛶 Choosing the right sea kayak – understanding your boat and the importance of choice
🪑 Getting fitted properly – learning how to sit comfortably and with control in your kayak
↔️ Edging vs. leaning – crucial techniques for control and stability
💪 Bracing – keeping upright when things get wobbly
🔄 Turning with edge and sweep strokes – mastering graceful and efficient changes in direction
↩️ Backwards turning – yes, the edge works backwards too!
🚣 Manoeuvring around other boats – learning precision movement and boat awareness
It was a full-on session with a lot of learning and laughs—and every paddler came away having developed their skills. There was a unanimous vote in favour of holding a follow-up “next level” session, which we’re now planning—watch this space!
We’d love to see more members getting involved with our sea kayaking programme. Whether you’re new to this kind of paddling or just want to brush up on technique, these workshops are a great starting point.
If you’re interested in future sea kayak skills sessions, please email enquiries to be added to the list. We strongly encourage everyone who wants to join sea kayak outings to attend one of these workshops first—it’s a great investment in your paddling confidence and safety.
Thanks again to Elaine for leading such a brilliant session, and to all the members who came along and gave it their all!
Until next time—happy paddling! 🚣♀️🌊
