Know Before You Go

A Sea Kayak Safety Philosophy

A common sense approach to developing the skills and knowledge to paddle a sea kayak safely.

Take courses, watch videos, read books.
Become ocean literate.

The values we paddle by

At SKAG, our mission is to provide exceptional sea kayak training that goes beyond skill building, emphasizing ocean education, a common-sense approach to safety, adherence to first principle thinking, and an unwavering commitment to ocean conservation.

For more details visit our what makes us tick page.

What we do.

Ocean Education & Training

Being ocean educated (literate) means having knowledge about the ocean, the weather that effects the ocean and the skills necessary to enjoy the ocean environment in a sea kayak.

We offer practical and theoretical training courses in all things to do with sea kayaking on the sea (duh!).

Organised sea kayak journeys

Knowledge without experience is almost irrelevant. The scope of learning about every scenario in the ocean is impossibile in 1 lifetime. It is necessary to take sea kayak journeys to be able to join the dots, to extrapolate the circumstances of experiences with knowledge. This builds expertise and mastery.

We operate regular sea kayak journeys for anyone who has done one of our training courses to consolidate their learning.

Networking with other sea kayak organisations

Ultimately, our mission extends beyond training individuals in sea kayaking skills. We aim to build a community of passionate sea kayakers who share a common purpose, united by a love for the ocean and a desire to create positive change.

Together, we can inspire others to embrace a common-sense approach to sea kayaking, rooted in respect, safety, and ecological mindfulness.

Equipment Rental

One of the biggest roadblocks to enjoying sea kayaking is accessing the required gear.

Buying a sea kayak, buoyancy vest, paddle, spraydeck and other safety equipment adds up to a substantial investment. Not something that seems sensible before trying the activity.

As part of our mission to make sea kayaking as accessible as possible, we have a small fleet of seakayaks for rent (at very reasonable rates) for people to use. It will make knowing what type of sea kayak to buy later, if you wish to continue with sea kayaking.

What people think about us....

SKAG MEMBERSHIP FAQ

Why do I have to become a member?

At the moment its so we can manage the numbers of people doing our training courses or going on our journeys (members only).

All members will be notified by email when the next courses or journeys are being run.

Later we will be creating forums for discussions, organise trips, learn new things etc, a market place for members to buy or sell sea kayak equipment and more.

In general though, its so that we can build a community of paddlers that can engage with each other for the benefit of sea kayaking and learning more about the ocean (ocean literacy).

Is it really free?

At the moment there are no costs associated with running the web platform. If it becomes more complex later (such as hosting online courses) then there may be a need to recoup the costs. Until then, its free.

Do I need experience to join?

Not at all. One of our main reasons for existence is to help absolute beginners (first timers) be comfortable in getting into sea kayaking.

Do I need to own my own sea kayak equipment to join in the courses or journeys?

No you don’t. By providing very reasonably priced rental equipment we hope to make it easier for people to try sea kayaking in the saety of a group of paddlers, with no significant investment until you decide that the sport is for you.

How do I join?

Click or tap the Register Now button on the top of the screen, complete the details as required. Once your details have been verified, you will become a member of SKAG.

How do I register for a training course or journey?

Each training course or journey (see FAQ for the definition of a journey) will have a post with its title. On that post will be a registration form with a payment method if fees apply.

As we have limited availability (safety first) it is better to register as soon as possible after notification.

Do I need to know how to swim to go sea kayaking?

NO! We always wear buoyancy vests when paddling so swimming ability is not required. However, people generally are more confident in waterif they can swim. Being relaxed while sea kayaking is the secret sauce to enjoying sea kayaking – so it helps in the short term.

Do i need to be fit to go sea kayaking?

No, you just have to be able to fit in the sea kayak cockpit.
Like all active passtimes, the fitter you are the easier it is. But the great news is that sea kayaking is one of the best ways to gain fitness without injury. We use all muscle groups but mostly the large back, shoulder and glute muscles, so everyone is capable of paddling. Jump in. The waters fine!

Want to know more about SKAG?

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to call email or chat..