I have completed my first year of sea kayak training. Given the milestone, I felt it was important to provide an in depth summary for the masses of people who will likely be interested. I suspect the overall number of interested people might well be a round number...
Nonetheless, there is much to be celebrated here - if only by me.
As part of early Dove Step efforts we did a channel equivalent paddle, over two days with an overnight wild camp. It was class.
Kurt Finch (Nomad Sea Kayaking) who led the trip has this to say at the end of our first days paddling:
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Guys did really well. Launching into conditions well above their ability levels. Impressed with Stu’s recovery following a capsize – which went smoothly. Ed did particularly well in his short waterlined boat – keeping pace with the longer sea kayaks. Gooders did well to keep up despite double-figure vomiting episodes owing to motion sickness. We worked hard and we’re looking forward to our beds'.
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| Sea Kayaking off Shingle Street during Dove Step 2, Suffolk - April 2015 |
Following the 2015 paddling I didn't sit in a kayak until 17th August 2025. Then followed a years worth of immersion into the world, the hobby, the lifestyle of sea kayaking...
I purchased my first kayak - an old P&H Quest from Facebook Marketplace for £100. It needed some TLC having been lashed to a roof rack, piercing both sides of the cockpit. Anglia Yacht Brokerage sorted this out for me and the maiden sea voyage was a paddle from Brightlingsea to Clacton on Sea - return, with Kurt from Nomad Sea Kayaking who we had previously used for the 2015 paddle:
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| Clacton on Sea, 12th October 2025 |
Christmas was spent in Lanzarote, on the last day of their paddling year, I got to paddle with Sea Kayaking Lanzarote:
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| Sea Kayaking off Lanzarote, 21st December 2025 |
To say the Lanzarote paddle was epic would be an understatement. Whilst rounding a headland off Playa del Papagayo, a Brown Booby flew in off the sea and perched above us! We stopped paddling to admire the booby, as we did two Egyptian Vultures broke the skyline above it! Memorable, to say the least, you have to use your imagination but all three birds are visible in the below photo taken by Juan Valencia:
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Brown Booby and Egyptian Vultures - Playa del Papagayo, 21st December 2025
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Moving into new year, on the 23rd and 24th of March I paddled with Sea Kayak Dorset, completing their two day 'Level 2 Course' which resulted in Paddle UK 'Explore Award'. Awards have no bearing on ability, but it is nice to track progress as a novice...
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| Classroom work with Dorset Sea Kayaking, 24th March 2026 |
On 16th April I paddled with Barry Iszard of Lollystix Paddles an East Anglian paddler and by all accounts a bit of a legend. This got me out in rougher conditions locally, with wind and waves, which resulted in a solid capsize off on our way back into Dovercourt. I remember been proud that I held onto my paddle in the water - which suggests I hadn't managed this up till then!
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| Dovercourt paddle, 16th April 2026 |
May saw me attend my first kayak symposium, the 'Midwest Kayak Symposium' up in Tayvallich, Argyll. This was a great event, with three days of paddling well paced for a beginner like myself. In some respects in was a bit overwhelming, with so much coaching thrown at you. I did enjoy an afternoon paddle up to the Faerie Isles, with memorable sightings of Osprey, White-tailed Eagles, Black Guillemot and Brittle Starfish beneath the boat.
There was also blooms of Moon Jellyfish in Loch Sween, jellys I would go on to see a lot of over the course of the paddling year!
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| The Virgo - I love this boat |
For the symposium and to assist with my learning I got an ex-demo P&H Virgo. The shorter, more stable plastic boat made it easier to chuck up on the roof rack and also practice self-recoveries.
One of the highlights at the symposium was meeting and paddling with
Donald Thomson in person. In my opinion a living legend. The only person to have kayaked to all 169 Scottish islands! More than that, he had an agreeable coaching style. Over the last year I have really responded to some coaches, of which Donald was one.
My last paddle with Nomad Sea Kayaking was on 27th June, a one day paddle and overnight camp, sadly the return leg was called off due to the wind. By the end of June the blooms of Moon Jellys I had seen up in Loch Sween had made it down to the Suffolk coast, along with Compass Jellyfish, albeit in smaller numbers...
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| Camping out of our boats on the Suffolk coast |
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| Moon Jellyfish - Shingle Street, 27th June |
On the 09th July I had the opportunity to paddle with Deben Canoe Club - Woodbridge is quite possibly the nicest place I have ever visited. The people were absolutely wonderful. As soon as I got out the car a chap was chatting to me about my boat and sailing, a random passer by - not even a paddler - then helped me get my boat off the roof! The club paddlers were all lovely too. We did an estuary paddle from the Yacht Club, up to Melton and back.
From early July I felt confident enough to solo paddle, albeit with oversight from my wife running along the promenade as I paddled in view along the seafront. This was a game changer as it allowed me considerable more paddle time and opportunity to drill self recoveries and also practice without waiting for group. In particular, I practiced forward paddling with proper trunk rotation which Jim Ellis of Ipswich Canoe Club (ICC) coached on the River Stour, on the evening of July 16th.
Semi-solo paddling, with a bit of overwatch provided a leap a leap in skill - but also helped with feeling comfortable in the boat and sea...
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| First solo paddle, Felixstowe 05th July |
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| First solo paddle, Felixstowe 05th July |
August came with a feeling of real momentum with the regular paddle time at sea. I was frustrated a lot during the first half of the year, chomping at the bit to get out and not getting the opportunity. Several times I was asked not to paddle, owing to lack of experience, which I understand but this is also self fulfilling. You need the opportunity to paddle in testing conditions to gain the experience.
My first paddle of August was an estuary paddle with ICC, from Pin Mill up river into Ipswich, with return leg into headwind and rougher water. Pushing the headwind I really focussed on trunk rotation and the forward paddling Jim had taught me the month before, relishing deploying coached skills.
The Orwell was absolutely full of Moon Jellys on this paddle. At times it seemed like every paddle stroke was disturbing clusters of them.
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| ICC paddle on the Orwell, 01st August |
Brittany - game changer:
A massive leap in my sea kayaking came via five days of paddling in Brittany with Camino Kayak, led by Vincent Achard and with a mixed group of mainly French paddlers with one Icelandic, one Corsican and a Brit (myself). The first three days were coached, with a mixture of skills, surfing and getting out into the open water - gently getting exposed to winds and waves. There was paddles with rain, wind and the occasional squally showers - but a lot of the time was idyllic sandy beaches, beer, wine, cigarettes and communal eating! It was very French and very enjoyable...
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| Strawberry Anemones - these were common when we beached and looked at rockpools |
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| Typical lunch stop |
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| Nice comparison of P&H Virgo and Scorpio boats. I paddled a Scorpio all week and loved it |
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| 'My' boat took a dive off the trailer just before the Groix paddle and received a tape repair! |
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| Celebratory selfie having made the crossing from the mainland to Groix |
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| Outdoor cooking and drinking on Groix |
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| My roommate and paddle buddy Óli |
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| Our route for the crossing circumnavigation and return crossing of Groix |
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| Trip participants |
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| A very Brittany photo - taken by one of the other participants - happily paddling the P&H Scorpio |
The Groix paddle in particular felt like a real achievement, liked I'd bank my learning to date and exceeded myself. Not ashamed to say I felt emotional making landfall after taming the open-water crossing.
ICC North Norfolk Sea Kayak Weekend - consolidation:
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| Lunch stop on Blakeney Point - by the old coastguards - iconic! |
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| Lunch stop boats |
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| My much loved Virgo |
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| ICC - North Norfolk Sea Kayaking weekend participants |
On 13th July Jim let me paddle with the club out of Felixstowe Ferry on one of their sea kayak evenings. The conditions were well above my ability, but I absolutely loved it! With onshore Force 5 winds I capsized twice in the surf, including a proper washing-machine effort! One of the main reasons I appreciated it so much was the actionable intel. It gave me a measure and informed onward training. For example, low-brace training in Brittany, which I hadn't done before, made a lot of sense when I thought back to the conditions on that Monday night and how a low brace may have been useful!
On the ICC North Norfolk trip, two months after my Monday nights swims, I paddled in Force 5 - 6 westerlies, including a play in the waves at the seaward end of Blakeney Point - without disgracing myself! I also employed my practiced trunk-rotation, forward paddling to battle home in a headwind.
Onwards:
My priority now is to consolidate this years training and experience. I am paddling with ICC again tomorrow, out of Dovercourt and have my first pool session, to start learning a roll, at the end of the month.
For the millions reading around the world I will be sure to chart progress on this blog.
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