Sea Kayaking in Jersey, Guide books & Resources

Jersey sea kayaking guides, articles and press cuttings about kayaking in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Les Écréhous and Les Minquiers.

Derek Hairon is the author of the Channel Island and South East Coast Sea Kayaking guide book (Pesda Press). All you need to know about sea kayaking in the Channel Islands.

South East & Channel Islands Sea Kayaking Guidebook

Les Écréhous – a splash of colour. Derek writes about this superb destination in The Paddler Magazine. Pages 96-98.

Jersey Sea Caves. North coast sea caves to explore by sea kayak. The Paddler Magazine.

Sea Kayaking in Fog and Poor Visibility. Derek Hairon writes for Ocean Paddler Magazine. PDF pages 52-56

Jersey Sea Kayak Guide Ocean Paddler Magazine guide to sea kayaking in Jersey. Online high-resolution copy pages 30-40

Sea kayaking in Alderney– Derek Hairon writes about a sea kayak trip to Alderney -the most northern Channel Island- which is famous for it fast tide races. Published in Ocean Paddler.

Kayaking Around Jersey– by Tamara Nance. A personal account of her circumnavigation of Jersey by sea kayak. An example of how you can have an outdoor adventure sea kayaking in Jersey.

Hidden Island – Canoe Focus. Sea kayaking the caves of Jersey.

Les Écréhous– by Hazel Irvine. An offshore adventure to les Écréhous.

The Colours of Spring– By Clive Tully. An adventure holiday in Jersey.

La Maitresse Sauvage. Les Minquiers– by Jane James, in the award-winning Club Hotel and Spa’s in house magazine. An adventure tour to the most southerly island in the British Isles and home to the most southerly toilet!

Kayaking, surfing and coasteering. Watersports in Jersey-by Ed Leigh. Pure Jersey Magazine.

Jersey’s hidden charms-Daily Telegraph magazine. Off Jersey’s north-east coast lies a series of smugglers’ islands, most of which are submerged at high tide. Tim Burrows writes about our boat and kayak tours to Les Écréhous.

Sea Kayaking at night. Useful kit to carry when kayaking at night so you will be seen by others on the water. We look at lasers, Odeo strobes, sea streamers and other forms of illumination for the sea kayaker. Article by Derek in Ocean Paddler Magazine #46, page 30-34

Navigation and tides in Jersey

Tide Streams around Jersey-pdf. This document is a rough guide to the tidal streams around Jersey. Use at your own risk.

Tide streams off the Southeast coast of Jersey St Clements Bay, Seymour and Icho towers. Tide streams amongst the gullies and gutters. Use at your own risk.

Jersey tide tables. Times of high water at St Helier Harbour.

Tide streams around Jersey

Live data showing tide streams in the Channel Islands from the French marine research organisation Ifremer.

The Admiralty tidal stream atlas for the Channel Islands and adjacent coast of France (NP 264) is an essential aid for anyone sea kayaking in Jersey and the Channel Islands. Alderney gets its own chapter due to the very fast and complex tide streams around Alderney, which I can vouch for!

You’ll find a basic tide stream atlas for Jersey here and a more detailed diagram showing the tide streams in the gullies off the south-east coast of Jersey.

This site has some excellent animations and is very accurate for the tidal streams around the Channel Islands and French coast: Marc.

You can learn a lot about tides, tide streams and kayak navigation on one of the many BCU Coastal Navigation and tidal planning courses. Or, buy a copy of Sea kayak Navigation by Franco Ferrero (who happens to be from Jersey) published by Pesda Press.

I also run Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning (CNTP -British Canoeing certificated) courses. These can often be arranged on request and can be either day or evening classes. You’ll find more information on our Kayak Navigation courses page.

Sit-on-top kayak skills

Kayaking with children by Derek Hairon. Tips and advice for families kayaking with children.

Rescue techniques for Sit-on-top kayaks:

Part one – assisted rescues. By Derek Hairon.

Part two – self rescues. By Derek Hairon.

Sit-on-top kayak fishing. An introduction. This article covers kayak fishing safety for sit-on-top kayaks.

The Sea kayakers trident by Derek Hairon. Short magazine article. Why traditional sea kayaking needs to embrace sit-on-top sea kayaks. Since the article was written BCU Star Test 3 sea has been changed to allow sit-on-top kayaks to be used.

Stay safe in your kayak. Useful information for both sit-on-top and closed cockpit sea kayakers. Derek Hairon helped to revise. Published by the RNLI.

Sea kayaking safety advice from Jersey Coastguard.

Dress for immersion. A short interview with Derek Hairon about Sit-on-top sea kayak safety.

Sea Kayaking Adventures in Jersey. Press Coverage

Landing at les Ecrehous. Jersey is on the horizon.

Read what others have been saying about Jersey Kayak Adventures and our super coastline:

Guide Endorsement Success for Jersey Kayak Adventures. Visit Jersey 2018.

Kayaking the East coast of Jersey. Karen Bowerman writes about here kayaking trip in Pure Jersey magazine 2015.

Sea Kayak Centre Wins Environment Award. Our Jersey Enterprise Environment Award gets a mention in Canoe Focus, the magazine sent out to members of the BCU.

“Derek Hairon’s  Bucket list”. Our Director and BC level 5 coach list his top things to do before he gets ancient in the Jersey Evening Post.

Free kayak safety classes initiative in Jersey. Jersey Evening Post.

Lonely Planet Magazine. 11 best things to do for an active weekend in the UK.

The Green Traveller. Green Travel list 2010.

Jersey Watersports Heaven– Maggie King. Small World Magazine. Adventure activities with children in Jersey.

So Wild ist Jersey– In German by Oliver Abraham. Die Welt newspaper.

What Lies Beneath. (Daily Telegraph).

Near and Far (Daily Telegraph).

Mother Nature– Gabriella le Breton explores the outdoor activities in Jersey.

BBC Coast series 3 featured Neil Oliver kayaking to Les Ecrehous with Derek Hairon of Jersey Kayak Adventures.

Discover Jersey’s Adventurous Side– Matt Hill BMI baby flight magazine.

The Guardian Green Travel List 2010.

Jersey Enterprise newsletter. We are on page 2.

Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold award.

The magnetism of ‘Green Jersey’. Phillipa Jacks writes about Ecofriendly and Green Tourism in Jersey. A kayak tour with Jersey Kayak Adventures is featured. Her blog contains lots of Eco friendly advice and guides.

Top kids’ attractions to enjoy in Jersey.

Sit-on-top Kayak. A Beginner’s Manual

Written by Derek Hairon, Director of Jersey Kayak Adventures and British Canoe Union Level 5 coach. £9.99 with detailed colour photos.

Buy your copy directly from the author (postage free in Jersey).

Preview selected pages of  Sit-on-top Kayak