Detail of Trip. This is a day paddle from Bournemouth on the South Hampshire coast to Christchurch, around Hengistbury Head. The route follows the coastline, but as we will be off shore and there will be limited places to stop. The aim is to reach the Christchurch for lunch before conducting the return leg.
Grade: B, that is Explore Award level or equivalent experience. Guidance on gradings – Trip and Session Guidelines « Chelsea Kayak Club.
Please register your interest for this trip here. Note that by registering you are a candidate attendee and your place is not yet confirmed. The organiser will review your eligibility and confirm your place directly with you. New sea paddlers will be prioritised over paddlers who have already done multiple trips this year. This trip is a good first sea trip for newly qualified Explore level paddlers, as long as you have already done multiple Thames paddles and stayed in your boat for that amount of time (ie~2-2.5 hrs). You also need to maintain a steady pace and be able to stay with the group. Again, if you have been able to be at the front on Thames paddles that would be a good indication that you have the stamina to be able to join this trip.
Timings: It will be an early start from Kew Bridge to load boats, ~2 hr drive to Bournemouth, plan to launch around 10:30am, arrive about 1pm for an hour’s lunch, then be back at the launch site about 4:30pm. Estimated distance is 14 km (7nm) each way. We will share fuel and parking costs for transporting kayaks, estimated at ~£20 per person.
Logistics. All trips can only go ahead if the conditions of sea and weather permit and this can only be assessed in the few days before the day of the trip. There will be a WhatsApp group set up for those going and an on-line meeting on the Wednesday before the trip. The trip is also dependent upon being able to move and recover the appropriate number of kayaks to the trip start point.
Leader: David
Group size: Maximum number of people excluding lead is 6 people. The minimum number of people is 3 including the leader. If there is sufficient demand and transport we may add a further leader to increase the number of paddlers.
Please sign-up by 17:00 on Sunday 14th Sept 2025. Note that the organiser will confirm your place on this trip after the sign up deadline and arrange a MS Teams call to organise the logistics for the day. If you are in any doubt about your suitability for this trip, please discuss with the leader directly.
Total Attendees: 0
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