Kayak Navigation Courses

British Canoeing Online Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning (CNTP) Course

Join Derek Hairon for our online British Canoeing Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning (CNTP) course.

Derek will share his top navigation tips based on over 40 years of sea kayaking in Europe, North America, and the waters around Jersey, the island of the 12m tides.

Our course is suitable for kayakers, paddle-boarders, open-water swimmers, coastal explorers, divers, small-boat users and low-water explorers. It’s also ideal for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge to have a safer experience around the coast.

During this live and interactive online course (usually spread over five classes), we’ll explore how to use and interpret;

Weather forecasts and swell.

Tide tables, tidal range

Tidal Streams, tide rips, races overfalls and eddies

Maps, Charts, interpreting coastal and offshore features

Trip Planning

Upon completing the course, a British Canoeing certificate of attendance is awarded. This course is a pre-requisite for the Sea Kayak Leader award.

The resources and access to a video of each class are available via file share. If you do not have access to a printer, so long as you book at least ten days in advance, we can post materials to you on request (the UK only).

To ensure you get lots of tutor time and interaction, places are limited to 6 people.

Cost; £100. BC members price; £95

See our booking page for 2023 online and classroom-based course dates.

Contact Derek for additional dates and custom courses.

This course is usually four 2½ hours (with break) live online modules via GoToMeeting.

For more details about the content of the course and what items you need, click on the “Info” button on our booking page.

For course dates, online booking and payment, select “Book online.”

Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning (Classroom-based)

This practical classroom-based course will develop your sea kayak trip planning and navigation skills.

Suitable for kayakers, divers and small boat users, or anyone who wants to understand more about the tides and coastal navigation around Jersey and elsewhere.

The course includes weather, tides, chart work, trip planning and estimating tide streams, so you know how to select the best times and places to go afloat.

Option to add this course to the Sea Kayak Leader (SKL) training (moderate water/4 star training).

See our booking page for the 2023 classroom and online course dates.

£110 per person.

The British Canoeing certificate and the registration fees are included in the price. Some ‘cheaper’ courses omit to tell you about the certificate and compulsory registration fees.

This course can be run on demand. Please email me for dates or see our online booking pages.

Sea Kayak Navigation. Putting Theory into Practice

Level: To get the most from the course, you should have some sea kayaking experience. Suitable for sea kayakers who want to develop their on-the-water coastal navigation skills or tune up their existing knowledge and techniques through practical water-based scenarios.

Join us for two days of practical sea kayak navigation to turn theory into reality around the scenic coastline of Jersey.

Day one covers the British Canoeing (BC) Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning course. We’ll then move on to the sea to apply your sea kayak navigation skills.

Develop your map/chart reading skills and navigation techniques. Practice using transits, assessing speed and drift, allowing for tide streams and cross tides, micro navigation, and perhaps paddling in low light/darkness.

Please email me for dates or see our online booking pages.

Sea kayaks and essential navigation equipment are supplied at no extra charge.

Foundation Safety and Rescue Training

The Foundation Safety & Rescue Training (FSRT) aims to provide paddlers with the safety and rescue skills required to kayak safely and deal with incidents on and off the water when kayaking/canoeing.

Expect to get wet on this practical and fun day as we work through various incidents that paddlers might encounter afloat.

The FSRT has two purposes:

To give you the necessary skills to ensure the safety of yourself and others.

Learn appropriate rescue skills that can help yourself and others in difficulty.

8 hours. There is a discount if you have all your kit and kayak.

Custom courses can be arranged. Please email us.

VHF Marine Radio Course for Kayakers

We’ve teamed up with Le Mourier Marine in Jersey to offer the Royal Yacht Association (RYA) online VHF marine radio course.

The VHF marine radio is an essential safety device for anyone who plans to go sea kayaking. Using your VHF correctly could be a lifesaver in an emergency.

Before completing your Sea Kayak Leader assessment, you must be familiar with and understand the UK licencing requirements (if you are based in the UK).

Once you have completed the training course (and have downloaded the paperwork!), you can arrange a 1½-hour theory and practical assessment in Jersey with Le Mourier.

If you attend our Sea Kayak Leader training or assessment course, this is an ideal way to obtain your VHF marine radio certificate.

Online RYA VHF/SRC (Short Range Certificate) Marine Radio Course.