Sea kayaking

rockontommy said:
Looks easy enough, I'm sure it isn't. Why don't we have more watersport clubs on the front offering activities like this? It's a hobby I'd love to get into.
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I don’t know how viable or not water sports are around here.
See jet skiing at Cleveleys and Fleetwood.
I still can’t get my mindset past how filthy our sea is or was at Blackpool.
But, bring it on if it’s doable 👍
 
Lala said:
I don’t know how viable or not water sports are around here.
See jet skiing at Cleveleys and Fleetwood.
I still can’t get my mindset past how filthy our sea is or was at Blackpool.
But, bring it on if it’s doable 👍
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I've made the same assumption but you do get the occasional kite surfer in Cleveleys and jetskis are becoming more common. I also presume kayaking is prohibited around the piers? It just seems a shame when the sea is a beautiful blue like it is at the moment.
 
Them there Kayaks aren’t cheap you know, this is something I have been looking at for a while now, not necessarily in the sea , but kayaking in general .
 
I've wondered this a few times but I do know there is a strong current which runs 3-400 meters past the end of the piers in quite a deep channel or maybe too many people just come here to get drunk and it's not worth the aggro
 
rockontommy said:
Looks easy enough, I'm sure it isn't. Why don't we have more watersport clubs on the front offering activities like this? It's a hobby I'd love to get into.
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Many, many years ago I did a bit of canoeing. It's maybe because there isn't really a bay on the gold coast. It's easy enough when the water is really calm but when you get on the open sea outside of a sheltered bay, even a little bit of wind gives the sea a really alarming swell!

Canoeing is ace. It's one of them things I stopped doing when I was about 14/15 cos smoking fags, drinking and not having any luck with girls was 'cooler' and actually, it's one of the things I wish I'd gone back to.
 
Fatboy said:
Them there Kayaks aren’t cheap you know, this is something I have been looking at for a while now, not necessarily in the sea , but kayaking in general .
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There are loads on Gumtree ranging in price from £100-£1k+

If I thought it was as easy as buying one, jumping in it and paddling, I'd have got one already but it seems fraught with difficulty on TGC. You should be okay on canals, lakes etc though surely?
 
td53 said:
Many, many years ago I did a bit of canoeing. It's maybe because there isn't really a bay on the gold coast. It's easy enough when the water is really calm but when you get on the open sea outside of a sheltered bay, even a little bit of wind gives the sea a really alarming swell!

Canoeing is ace. It's one of them things I stopped doing when I was about 14/15 cos smoking fags, drinking and not having any luck with girls was 'cooler' and actually, it's one of the things I wish I'd gone back to.
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There's always time td 😉
I've been thinking for a while that bobbing about on the sea with a beer or two stored in the hull would make for the perfect Sunday afternoon on days like today but alas, it doesn't sound viable here unless you are a seasoned kajaker/canoer...
 
I did a lot of kayaking in my youth, til mid/late 20’s.
Mainly white water rivers, but had a couple of trips on open water.
Honestly, much preferred white water, but if you’re into the idea of touring a long stretch of coastline over a few days, and camping each night, then sea kayaking is for you.
My advice is to Google somewhere to have lessons (there’s a good one near Holyhead), and go on a couple of guided tours (they will provide equipment). Then look at joining a club/group.
It’s definitely not the kind of sport that you can decide to take up and just set out on your own, it’s VERY dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
 
rockontommy said:
There's always time td 😉
I've been thinking for a while that bobbing about on the sea with a beer or two stored in the hull would make for the perfect Sunday afternoon on days like today but alas, it doesn't sound viable here unless you are a seasoned kajaker/canoer...
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I think on a v calm day you might get away with it but in reality, a v calm day is often not a bit further out.

I joined a club which was ace, it was dead cheap and you could borrow canoes. We practiced in the swimming baths which was great to learn how to roll it etc.

It was irc in Leyland (I grew up in Wigan) but this is going back to about 1993...
 
Johnno said:
I did a lot of kayaking in my youth, til mid/late 20’s.
Mainly white water rivers, but had a couple of trips on open water.
Honestly, much preferred white water, but if you’re into the idea of touring a long stretch of coastline over a few days, and camping each night, then sea kayaking is for you.
My advice is to Google somewhere to have lessons (there’s a good one near Holyhead), and go on a couple of guided tours (they will provide equipment). Then look at joining a club/group.
It’s definitely not the kind of sport that you can decide to take up and just set out on your own, it’s VERY dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
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Thanks Johnno. It sounds great fun for seasoned outdoor adventurers. I'm put off slightly by the comments above however - 'really alarming swell', 'very strong currents' and 'VERY dangerous'. I'm not the most responsible of individuals 😉
 
rockontommy said:
Thanks Johnno. It sounds great fun for seasoned outdoor adventurers. I'm put off slightly by the comments above however - 'really alarming swell', 'very strong currents' and 'VERY dangerous'. I'm not the most responsible of individuals 😉
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Before lock down, the council ran courses on basic kayaking at Stanley Park, maybe worth looking into for a cheap intro.
Inland enclosed water is always a good place to learn the basics, even if your intention is to eventually hit the sea - perfecting getting back into the boat in open water is a must!
😁
 
Johnno said:
Before lock down, the council ran courses on basic kayaking at Stanley Park, maybe worth looking into for a cheap intro.
Inland enclosed water is always a good place to learn the basics, even if your intention is to eventually hit the sea - perfecting getting back into the boat in open water is a must!
😁
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Cheers Johnno. I've kajaked loads of times on lakes etc so have the basics nailed. Never at sea though.
 
I did my canoeing back in the 70s when I was in the scouts, but in recent times I’ve been considering doing a bit of Kayaking as an upper body workout and an excuse to get up to the lakes every othe week 😜
 
I’ve just been doing a bit of research, and found that rubble canoe club do all sorts of organised events , for further information visit ribblecanoeclub.org.uk
 
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Canoeing is great fun, and isn’t particularly difficult under ‘normal’ conditions.
I like to have a go every couple of years.
Give it s chance if you can folks!
 
rockontommy said:
Looks easy enough, I'm sure it isn't. Why don't we have more watersport clubs on the front offering activities like this? It's a hobby I'd love to get into.
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Bit flipping cold

Sea-kayaking is a very popular leisure activity in Hong Kong, so maybe Mr Sadler would want to back it 🤔
 
The Fylde coast isn't really a particularly interesting place to sea kayak. The fun is exploring caves, rocky shores and landing on sandy beaches no one else can get to. NW Scotland is perfect for it. Long, open sections are sea are quite tedious. If you really want to try it, Oban is a good place to go to learn.
 
Jersey is great for Kayaking. I have three kayaks, a single, a double and an inflatable. You could not use an inflatable round Blackpool because you would be blown out to sea in an instant. On the whole I think the seas around Blackpool are generally too rough to make it viable. Even getting the kayak out against moderate waves can be daunting. I also think, as others have said, that the views would not change enough along such a long coastline and the experience would be dull. Personally prefer rivers where the scenes are constantly changing. If I was back in Blackpool right now, I would consider the river wyre and some of the canals around other areas of Lancashire.
 
Agree with the O/P that not enough is made of the water off Blackpool. I wonder if the tragic mass drowning event in the 80's put people off, or if the conditions of calm waters are too infrequent to make a business out of water sports.

Been in Norfolk this week and there's loads of people on paddle boards being used in the sea which is very flat and calm at the moment. Kayaks tend to be used on the Broads and adjoining rivers.

Did sea kayaking in Jersey a few years ago with a guide and it was a great experience seeing birds close up in bays where you can't get to by foot. Was quite tired though towards the end of the day coming back in to shore after several hours paddling.
 
I have a 'sit on top kayak' ( Galaxy Cruz) and use it on the river Deben in Suffolk..bloody great fun and great for keeping fit..been out many times and these under £500 are a great first buy..but I would say you need a calmish sea...and a better experience in Devon than Blackpool ! Though you'd have fun down the wyre around Wyre Hotel and skippool !..If you get hooked than you can start to look at a Perception sit in kayak....you can also do some fishing off them, as they have all the fittings and accessories for fishing :)..Wait until the paddle board phenomenon takes off..already has in river districts! But as people say..it would be no fun in our coastal seas as its so boring !! and nothing to see except a look back at the tower.
 
Not sure about the sea on the Fylde - calmness, currents (can be v dangerous), cleanliness, temperature. Probably need a shorty wetsuit.
I'd try up in the Lakes, rather than on the rivers.
Paddle-boarding is popular at the moment. Ok for here in the West Country, and good fun, ok for the Lakes too, but again not really for the Fylde coast. Just my view if it helps.
 
Used to swim in the sea through the summer in the 70's and 80's,would rather go canoeing/kayaking in there than Stanley Park. Bet the lake is full of decaying animals and fish and maybe the odd one or two human. Had a day at it in the lakes,had to show you could do a roll or you had to stay with the instructors by the edge.
 
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