Courses & Booking

To view scheduled dates for activities or tuition courses, please see the activities Schedule.   

Please use the sidebar menu or follow these links for prices of activity sessions, how to book on a scheduled activity, or book an activity to suit your own schedule, and to read our acknowledgement of risk document before making your booking.

Below are outlines of our most popular courses.

Sea Kayaking Courses

4 sessions - Typically two to three hours each in duration. view album

• 4 different journeys - We aim to provide four different novice sea kayak trips on different stretches of coastline.
• Aim - Emphasis on discovery - View the coast from a new perspective, observe wildlife unobtrusively. 
• Block Course - 2 Days scheduled as two full-day trips.

Improvers Sea Kayaking

4 sessions on the sea - Typically two hours each in duration. view album

• Learning basic skills and techniques - control, maneuvering, and preventing a capsize.
• Aim - Coaching will be structured to give the student a basic grounding in their ability level, and work towards BCU 1 Star Award. 
• Pre-requisites – ‘Discover Sea Kayaking’ or ‘Kayak Safety Pool Course’
• Block Course - 2 Days scheduled as two full-days of coaching.

Paddling Fundamentals (Transferable Skills)

 8 sessions in different canoes and kayaks - typically 2 hours each in duration.

• Using various water environments, such as river, lake, sea and surf.
• Aim - Coaching will be structured to introduce students to different elements to the sport , and work towards the BCU 2 Star Award.
• Pre-requisites - 'Improvers Sea Kayaking' and 'Kayak Safety Pool Course'

Practical Sea Kayaking  

4 sessions on the sea - Typically two hours each in duration,

• Developing coastal navigation skills, transferring from theory based sessions including low visibility navigation.
• Developing core skills, group awareness in varying sea conditions, practice safety & journeying, introducing moving water and rescues.
• Aim - Coaching will be structured to give the student the skills needed to be an asset to a group and work towards BCU 3 Star Sea. 
• Pre-requisites – ‘Improvers Sea Kayaking’ + ‘BCU Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning’ course.
• Block Course - 2 Days scheduled as four full-days of combined practical and theory.

Incident Management & Prevention at Sea

4 sessions mostly in sea kayaks - Typically two hours each in duration, one session is coasteering based.

• Developing group management, rescues and towing, moving water rescues.
• Aim - Coaching will be structured to give the student the skills needed to avoid an incident at sea.
• Pre-requisites – ‘Practical Sea Kayaking’ or BCU 3 Star Sea PLUS ‘BCU Foundation Safety & Rescue' course.
• Block Course - 2 Days scheduled as two full-days of predominantly practical.

Indoor Pool - Kayak Courses

Kayak Safety & Core Skills

4 sessions - Typically 8 till 9pm on a Tuesday evening at Western Swimming Pool, Peel.

• 4 weekly sessions - Covering water confidence, support and recovery strokes, rescues.
• Aim - Emphasis on core stability and balance in a kayak. and rescues within a group environment.
• Block Course - not presently offered.

Kayak Rolling Clinic

4 sessions - Typically 8 till 9pm on a Tuesday evening at Western Swimming Pool, Peel.

• 4 weekly sessions - Moving from recovery strokes into an eskimo roll.
• Aim - Emphasis on body rotation, applying technique, injury prevention and reducing reliancy on strength.
• Pre-requisites - Kayak Safety & Core Skills' pool course.
• Block Course - not presently offered.

Rolling Reconstruction

• 4 sessions - Typically 8 till 9pm on a Tuesday evening at Western Swimming Pool, Peel.

  • 4 weekly sessions - Breaking down the eskimo roll into individual elements and rebuilding the technique.
  • Aim - Emphasis on feel, understanding the technique, eliminating bad practice and reducing reliancy on strength.
  • Pre-requisites - an exisiting issue with your roll or wish to learn on your 'off-side'.
  • Block Course - not presently offered.

Other Adventure Sports

Discover Rock Climbing

4 sessions - Typically two and a half hours each in duration. view rock climbing page

• Personal and group safety at a rock climbing venue. Learn to belay, abseil and climb with confidence.
• Basic equipment, selection of Rock boots, Harness and Helmet. Use of different ropes, related knots and anchors.
• Aim - Coaching will be structured to give the student a basic grounding in setting up a basic top rope and bottom rope system. 
• Pre-requisites - a willingness to learn and an interest in Rock Climbing.
• Block Course - 2 Days scheduled as two full-days of coaching.

 Basic Hill Navigation

4 sessions - Typically two and a half hours each in duration. view hill navigation page

• Safety in the hills - footwear, clothing and emergency kit. Basic Map work – reading a map, identifying key features and relating them to the landscape.
• Basic Compass work – taking a bearing, following a bearing, using a compass in conjunction with a map. Micro Navigation – working out your personal pacing and timing, relating this practically to the route.
• Aim - Coaching will be structured to give the student a basic grounding in Observation - use of landscape features as handrails, tick points and catchment features.
• Contours - basic use of contours to aid navigation, route planning and establishing escape routes.
• Pre-requisites - a willingness to learn and existing participation in Hill Walking..
• Block Course - 2 Days scheduled as two full-days of coaching, with optional overnight camp.

Introduction to Bushcraft and 'Survival'

Offered only as a two day block course, including overnight bivvi.

• Shelter and fire-place construction, sourcing food outdoors, firelighting, preparation and cooking, leaving no trace!
• Scheduled to commence June 2009 - when its warmer!
• Aim - To give students the skills to enable them to enjoy wild-campcraft responsibly.
• Pre-requisites - a willingness to learn and desire to enjoy the outdoors!

Other Courses

BCU Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning (including weather) - link

BCU Foundation Safety and Rescue - link

BCU Open Water Navigation and Tidal Planning - link

BCU Personal performance Awards - 1 to 3 Star Sea

BCU Leadership Awards - 4* Sea and 5* Sea

Rough Water Training & Safety at Sea

Introduction to Navigation on Land and Sea

Introduction to Tidal Races

1st Aid at Sea

Risk Assessment and Leadership