Totally Thames Tasters – 7 & 8 Sep

PLA Notices

Seals and Caves in South Devon, July 2024

Time to go on the CKC annual weekend trip to South Devon and our yearly visit to Sea View Campsite near Slapton Sands. Unfortunately we had a few last minute ‘not able to make it’ paddlers but still a good sized group of 11 paddlers came,  including three out of London members.

The campsite […]

Moving water fun in Pembrokeshire: Caves, Rescues & Birds!

CKC Moderate Water Trip to Pembrokeshire April 2024

CKC Attendees: 

Fiona, Claire, Rich, John L, Tudor, Damian, Rachel, Jude, Gilly, Izzy, Mary, Mike L, Paul H, Steve D, Ingo, Andrew

In April, Fiona and Claire organised a fantastic trip to Pembrokeshire for “moderate water” Sea Kayak coaching with Sea Kayak Guides (SKG) who had […]

Herne Bay Fun, May 2024

Before the trip: Happy Paddlers!

An almost unprecedented 1pm on the water time meant that the Herne Bay trip, launching at Hampton, was very relaxed start. After a safety briefing we launched into virtually no waves from the shingle beach, although the wind was a bit stronger than expected, F3 from the East and […]

Racing Past Seals and Shingle on Suffolk’s Coast, April 2024

A strange landscape that was once top secret and remains largely inaccessible

We punched through the waves with the flow behind us down the seaward side of Suffolk’s longest shingle spit. Suddenly we were surrounded by seals.

Britain’s largest new colony of seals is well-defended by unexploded ordnance and the North Sea. The Atlantic […]

West Solent, March 2024: My First Time Kayaking on the Sea

“Avoid travelling completely or find something to do at home: decorate the bathroom or something,” so said National Highways as they shut the M25 over a weekend for the first time in its history. Unluckily for them, I decorated my bathroom last year, and I had signed up for Liza’s planned trip on the […]

Selsey Bill March 2024: A Shipping Forecast Micro-Adventure Part 2

Following on from the Margate to North Foreland trip in February 2024, CKC had planned a trip in another Inshore Shipping Forecast area: Selsey Bill. Checking the forecast on Friday for the Saturday trip didn’t give us much hope:

“The Inshore Forecast issued by the Met Office at 0500, Friday 1 March…North Foreland to […]

Margate Feb 2024: A Shipping Forecast Micro-Adventure

An early start on Saturday meant that we were able to get the shipping forecast for the area that we planned to paddle today. The North coast of Kent is the location of North Foreland, one of the boundaries for the shipping forecast and in particular we were interested in the Inshore Forecast for […]

Christmas Paddle, Dec 2023

Hands up for Christmas!

Yes, it is that time of year again – time for the annual CKC Christmas Paddle!

Even though the wind was gusting force 5 in our faces as we launched and the fluvial flow significant, we still had an enjoyable, although short, paddle.

Meeting up in the late afternoon […]

Sardinia, Oct 2023

Sunday 1st October

It was finally the day for six intrepid CKC kayakers to rendez-vous at Laguna Blu campsite in Alghero, Sardinia. The preparations had been ongoing for much of the previous year from planning calls with Clark, our local operator and provider of kayaks, to group zooms where kit lists, food plans and […]

Crossing the Meridian: Rottingdean to Cuckmere, July 2023

After a short safety briefing on the beach we left Rottingdean just after low water under cloudy skies, light winds and a small amount of swell – perfect kayaking conditions for this mostly straightforward paddle, but with some significant distance to cover.

Launch at Rottingdean

The trip followed the cliffs passed Saltdean and Peachaven, […]