Bude is an ideal location for all types of paddlesports. We use the sea, the surf, our canal and local rivers to run a wide variety of courses using many different types of kayaks, canoes and SUP's.
One of the best adventures in Bude is to paddle a short distance down the Bude canal and out into Summerleaze Bay. Then, depending on conditions, continue paddling along the coastline to explore all the inlets and channels between the rocks and landing on deserted beaches. On the return we'll find a surf beach and show you how to ride a wave giving you plenty of time to practice - which is easier than you think and great fun.
For this activity we'll provide you with wetsuits and use our Sit-On-Top kayaks, which are the perfect boats for exploring and surfing.
If the conditions are flat and calm the focus will be on coastal exploring, if there's plenty of surf rolling in we'll focus more on the surfing aspect. Either way we'll guarantee you'll have a great time.
Just for your information
The Beaches in and around Bude are perfect for Surf Kayaking, a sport with both its history and some of the best paddlers in the world located in this very town. Within our coaching team we can boast our own former World Champion, Simon Hammond, author of Surf Kayaking: The Essential Guide and International Surf Kayak Coach. Together we run surf kayaking courses from beginners up to international team training with all the Paddle UK surf kayak awards available.
Crooklets beach is our main location for Surf Kayaking but Summerleaze beach, Widemouth Bay and Sandymouth are also regularly used. We'll also travel to beaches closer to you whether thats in Cornwall and Devon or for development programmes abroad (we've run Surf Kayak programmes as far afield as the Channel Islands, Ireland and Denmark).
The beauty of Surf Kayaking is that you can start by surfing the very smallest of waves and then as your skills and confidence increase so you can move up to larger and more powerful surf as you choose. You can surf in almost any type of kayak although sit-on-tops and short flat-bottomed river kayaks are particularly good when starting off and progressing to specialised surf kayaks when you have gained the basics.
We are proud of our coaching techniques and have developed programmes for beginners, intermediate and advanced surf kayakers.
North Cornish Surf Beaches
Other Locations
Courses
If you've never kayaked before we'd recommend you start with a session or two on the Bude Canal where we can provide you with a good foundation of skills. This will allow you to enjoy the more advanced environments in a safe way. Having said this you can enjoy surf kayaking with very few skills or prior knowledge as long as you don't mind lots of capsizing! We teach beginners in very shallow water with small surf using spraydecks that come off very easily.
We can accommodate a wide range of ages across the many kayaking and canoeing activities but we'd recommend the following minimum ages based on the strength and endurance required for each activity :
Canal-based kayaking minimum age 8.
Surf Kayaking minimum age 12.
Surf Kayaking is our most physically demanding sport and in some conditions minimum aged paddlers will struggle.
Our beginner's session, based at Crooklets Beach using general-purpose kayaks, requires that paddlers are able to carry their kayaks across the beach to and from the water's edge and that they have experience in releasing a loose-fitting spray deck. As capsizes are unavoidable at this stage our team of experienced coaches will often buddy-up paddlers to help each other in and out of the kayaks and to assist with emptying water-filled boats.
Please be honest with our team about your capabilities when making a booking and during an activity as this will effect both the safety and quality of the session
For our beginner's courses, we provide all the equipment, wetsuits and extra kit, all you need to bring along is your swimming kit, towel and an old pair of trainers or wetsuit boots for your feet.
For all other courses paddlers will generally bring their own clothing and equipment with a packed lunch (or money for lunch at a beach cafe). We recommend that paddlers bring extra layers especially when taking part in courses at colder times of the year.
We tend to use general-purpose kayaks for our beginner sessions but have a number of surf kayaks available for paddlers to use as they wish.
