What to Wear & Useful Things To Know
Useful information about our kayak tours and answers to some common questions our clients ask us when planing their kayak tour.
How to book. Phone +44 (0) 7797853033 or email.
Departure points. For our kayak tours, the meeting point is decided the day before your trip once we have checked the weather forecast, so you kayak in the best spot. The meeting point will be confirmed by SMS text. Tell us, if you prefer to be phoned.
Arrival. Arrive at least 5 minutes before the start time. If you are late, we will not wait, and you logged as a no show. Payments will not be refunded.
Departure points are listed on this map.
Jersey has an excellent bus service linking most of our departure points. We offer an eco-discount if you plan to arrive by public transport when you book. Liberty Bus times and routes.
Change of venue. Due to weather conditions, we may need to change to a different venue. Ensure your phone and email details are correct, and we can contact you.
Note: Mobile phone networks on Jersey are different from those in the UK, and some networks and pay-as-you-go phones do not always work very well. It helps us if you inform us of where you are staying in Jersey.
What to bring for your sea kayak trip
We provide all water sports equipment for the activity: buoyancy aids, wetsuits, paddle jackets etc.
Each person must bring:
Swimming costume.
Towel.
Snack or food/money depending on the length and type of trip.
Fluids (water is best). Protect the environment – avoid bringing bottled water. Use a cycle bottle.
Sunblock (min SPF35), sunglasses, and a hat or cap.
Sweatshirt or fleece-style long-sleeved top to wear on the water if needed.
Plimsolls, trainers, flip flops or wetsuit boots must be worn (in case of sharp stones etc. on the beach). Remember some dry shoes to go home in.
We supply ladies, gents and child-sized wetsuits, buoyancy aids and windproof jackets. If you have your wetsuit, it is well worth bringing it.
Personal medication that you may need while kayaking. Instructors have waterproof storage boxes available
Acceptance of Risk
There will always be some real risk in the adventure activities we offer. Some of these risks might contribute to the loss or damage of your clothing/equipment, feelings of discomfort, fear, apprehension, or even accidental injury, illness, or trauma which in extreme but thankfully very rare cases, can be very serious.
We take all reasonable steps to provide you with the level of care and assurances of safety appropriate to the activity. The nature of the risks may be different from those you are familiar with and may require an attitude and approach different from other activities you have taken part in.
We expect clients to contribute to their own and each other’s safety by following the instructions given by staff.
Access to emergency services may take longer than you may be used to or may be more limited.
Clients must tell staff of any relevant medical matters or injuries for your (and others) safety during the activity.
Clients must bring any medication they may need during the activity with them. We have waterproof bags for this.
If you decide to gather or eat any seaweeds/shellfish/fish/fungi etc., you do so at your own risk and are aware of size limits/regulations etc.
Kayaking activities are at your own risk.
Physical fitness for kayaking.
Kayaking is a physical activity. Kayaking may also involve the lifting and moving of equipment. If you or anyone in your group has difficulties moving kayaks, tell our staff as we have trolleys available. If you are finding it hard to lift kayaks, please do not attempt to do so.
Kayaking is a water sport, and you may get wet.
Weather. We live in a maritime climate; rainy weather doesn’t stop us!
Swimming ability. We encourage water sports for all (regardless of ability) who are water confident. We have found, a good indicator of water confidence is to ask how you feel if you put your head into the water. We will take non-swimmers if they are water confident and happy to take part. Tell us if you are a non-swimmer. We may ask clients to demonstrate their water confidence.
Adaptive paddling/walking. If you or your group has special needs, then please discuss this with us in advance. We will endeavour to enable you or your group to have an enjoyable activity.
Personal belongings. It is usually possible to store belongings in our vehicles while taking part in our activities at your own risk. Jersey Kayak Adventures Ltd cannot be held responsible for personal belongings and equipment. Ensure your car keys, mobile phones etc. are not taken on our activities in case they get wet or damaged.
Photographs. We sometimes take pictures during our tours, and some may be uploaded to our Facebook or other social media pages. High-resolution copies can be emailed to you at no charge. Photos and videos may be used on our website, for promotional activities or in magazine articles. Personal details are not disclosed. A photo consent is requested when you complete the health and acceptance of risk form before we depart.
National and local standards. Jersey Kayak Adventures is inspected by the British Canoeing, Adventuremark and Jersey Harbours to ensure we meet National and local standards.
Protect the environment. Consider catching the bus or go by bicycle. Our website has links to bus times and cycle hire. Follow the advice of your guide when observing wildlife.
Less packaging can make a significant impact in reducing the amount of rubbish on beaches. Help keep our beaches clean. Try to bring back one item of plastic after your kayaking/ walk.
Answers to some common questions we get asked
Do I need to be very fit? No, we just ask that you are of average fitness and willing to take part in what is a physical activity. Kayaking may also involve the lifting and moving of equipment. If you or anyone in your group has difficulties moving kayaks tell our staff as we have trolleys available. If you are finding it hard to lift kayaks, please do not attempt to do so.
Will my muscles ache? Any physical activity may result in muscle aches. Fortunately, kayaking is a relatively low impact sport.
An important part of kayaking is – strange as it may seem – the ability to maintain a good posture. If you have poor posture or little core muscle strength, you may notice the lower back and inside thighs might ache. An excellent way to check, if you have difficulties maintaining an upright posture, is to sit on the floor with your legs outstretched and without back support. If you cannot maintain this position, you may likely experience some aches and pains. With practice, this usually decreases.
I am quite large. We have wetsuits and kayaks up to XXL sizes. Tell us in advance, so we can ensure we have the correct gear for you. Check you have sufficient core body strength – see above.
Are there age limits to go sea kayaking? Our oldest paddler is 87 years old, so age should not stop you from getting afloat with us. The key question is whether you are still an active person; so it’s best to tell us when booking.
Our youngest kayaker was four years old and very water confident. We usually suggest children aged 4-11 years go on either a tandem kayak with a parent, or use a junior sit on top kayak. The crucial thing is that the child is water confident. Read my “Kayaking with children” article published in “Paddles” magazine for more tips and hints.
What happens if I fall in? You’ll get wet! It does happen, though by wearing a wetsuit and buoyancy aid, you will not sink. Staff will help you get back on board. Our sit-on-top kayaks are very stable. If you do fall in, it’s not like a sit-inside kayak with spray skirt etc. You’ll often find that if you do fall in, your hair will stay dry.
Providing you have upper body strength (a useful guide is if you can you climb out from the side of a swimming pool) getting back onto a sit-on-top kayak should not be too difficult. If you are unfit and/or overweight without much upper body strength, it will be harder.
I get cold quickly. Wear the equipment supplied and see the list of items to bring. Add a thicker fleece-style top, a hat, wear thin neoprene or cycling gloves footwear with socks or bring wetsuit boots.
Water temperatures in Jersey range for 8 ºC in winter to 17 ºC in late summer and autumn and this is warmer than many parts of the UK. We also hire drysuits if you are planning to kayak in colder conditions or practice safety skills for an extra charge.
It’s raining. Kayaking is a water sport, and water sports may involve getting wet. We will kayak if it is raining and provide wetsuits, paddle jackets etc. Weather systems move through Jersey very quickly, so just because it is raining in the morning, it does not mean it will still be raining when you paddle. Most rain showers are usually of short duration. The key thing is to come with suitable clothing and always dress for immersion. It is easy to cool down but much harder to warm up.
Is kayaking dangerous? Sea kayaking in Jersey is an adventure sport, so there will always be some real risk in the adventure activities we offer.
All our instructors are highly experienced with many years kayaking both around Jersey and overseas. We operate to national standards and select locations based on the best conditions.
Why do you kayak from different locations? We do not operate out of just one venue to ensure we get the best conditions for the needs of the group. By employing staff with higher levels of kayak qualifications and experience, we can kayak from many more locations around Jersey and get the best conditions on the day.
There is little point in kayaking from a given location, when conditions may be better elsewhere.
Why can’t you always tell us the venue when we book? Long-range forecasts for more than 2 or 3 days are not always accurate. To avoid confusion, we often advise clients of the venue by the evening before, when we get forecasts for the next day.
If you specifically request an area, we will try to make this trip. However, we will not send clients out if we do not think the weather and swell conditions are suitable.
Greve de Lecq, for example, is a great spot but is prone to swell.
Why can’t you drive your trailers down to the edge of the water? There are a few reasons. On most beaches, it is not allowed under the Policing of beaches regulations in Jersey. Also, on many beaches, the sand or gravel can become soft, and we do not want to risk getting a vehicle stuck. Driving on a beach is also regarded as off-road, so most of the vehicles, you might see driving on a beach, are probably driving uninsured.
What happens once I book? Once payment is received an email booking confirmation with essential information is sent out with the date, and time along with what to wear, map links to our starting points and bus time table link.
What happens if I change my mind and want to cancel or rebook? See our terms and conditions.
Why do you take payment when booking and not on the day? We limit the numbers on the tours for safety reasons, so places on all our kayak trips are limited. Advance payment is required to reduce the risk of people not bothering to tell us they will not attend.
I am late. Sorry, but we will not wait for late arrivals. It’s unfair on other people booked on the trip who will be kept waiting. Our instructors often have other bookings, and as a result, it is not usually possible to delay start times because you are late. If you call the office, it may not be possible to get in contact with the instructor once they are at the venue.
Allow time when travelling to venues in case you get lost, stuck behind horses, tractors or even cannot find a parking place.
Where is your starting point? Use the map to help locate our starting points.
How are tours organised? Tours last approximately 2.1/4 hours from start to finish. Aim to arrive about 5 minutes before the start time. We usually start getting clients ready at the listed start time to ensure everyone receives the correctly sized gear (and to save duplication of information) and complete your sign in form. Once you ready for the trip, we’ll ask you to help unload kayaks, ensure seats are fitted correctly and explain some basic paddle techniques. Safety, the location of safety kit, and what happens should you fall in will also be covered before you go afloat.
The kayaks are carried or dragged down to the edge of the water (tell us if you have any difficulty lifting/moving things as we also have trolleys), and we go afloat. Usually, this part takes around 20- 25 minutes though it might take longer if you are with young children.
We spend a short time running over the basic paddle skills on the water before we head off to explore the coastline for the next 1 hour 40 minutes before returning to shore and changing out of the kayak kit. Aim to be walking away for the session 2½ hours after the start.
How far will we kayak? It depends on several factors such as the level of skills within the group, fitness and conditions. Most adults are likely to paddle around 2½ – 3 miles, but we stop and look at many great bits of coastline and often land for a few minutes.