Lake District Kayaking - Lakes and Rivers

Key Facts
Availability
Details
Typical Session
Activity Days
Why do it?
Kayaking River Trips

Key Facts

Locations: Lakes: Coniston, Windermere, Rivers: Brathay, Rothay, Crake, Leven
Progress to: River trips, new BCU star tests
Duration: ½ or full day activity
Minimum Age: 12
Premium Days available: River trips
Other: If you have children younger than our minimum age for kayaking, we recommend they do Canoeing. Please feel free to discuss this with us if you have any questions.
Per person prices: offers and prices

Our kayaks (small single person boats with a double ended paddle) allow you to have some fun while learning new skills and enjoying a journey on a lake. We can also run BCU Star Tests and White Water Safety and Rescue courses for groups.

Kayaking Availability

We have availability! Please send us an enquiry or call us to check availability of your preferred dates

Please see dates below for activity sessions that are running and have spaces available for others to join.

Kayaking sessions in the near future

last updated: 22 July 2010
Wed, 28 Jul Full Day Kayaking Location: North end Coniston Water Current Spaces Available: 5
Tue, 3 Aug Pm Kayaking Location: North end Coniston Water Current Spaces Available: 1
Wed, 4 Aug Am Kayaking Location: North end Coniston Water Current Spaces Available: 3
Sat, 7 Aug Am Kayaking Location: North end Coniston Water Current Spaces Available: 6
Sat, 14 Aug Am Kayaking Location: North end Coniston Water Current Spaces Available: 5
Fri, 27 Aug Pm Kayaking Location: North end Coniston Water Current Spaces Available: 5

Kayaking Details

Kayaking uses boats originally designed by Eskimos for travelling on the sea. This in mind the boat is covered except for a hole around the waist. Our kayaks allow beginners to have some fun, learning skills on a lake and then maybe trying them out on a river in further sessions.

Wetsuits, buoyancy aids, spray decks, paddles and kayaks are provided unless you wish to learn in your own boat, in which case you are free to bring it along.

What do we do in a typical Kayaking session

A kayaking lakes session usually takes place on Coniston lake. You will generally learn how to paddle in a sheltered bay then venture out onto the lake, taking a journey, maybe to Peel Island or a hidden tarn. You may have a go as seal-launching off a jetty and refresh yourself by jumping in the lake off the rocks.

All our outdoor activity sessions include elements of fun, learning new skills, going on a journey, adventure and coaching. Each session will have one of these elements as its main focus, either because the activity naturally offers it, (eg. Kayaking a journey), or to tailor the session to the groups aims. Be sure to let our office/your instructor know if there is something you would like to learn, do or have concerns about. We will always remember that you are doing the activity as part of your time off and so your enjoyment will always be our priority.

Through years of experience providing quality outdoor activities we include all those small things that make your holiday so unique and memorable. Such as average instructor to customer ratios of 1:5 (so you have more time and are not rushed) complimentary hot drinks, and much more.

Premium Days

Canoe Skills Preimum Day

Our Canoeing Skills Days give you the opportunity to complete your BCU Canoe 1 Star Test, or BCU Kayak and Canoe 2 Star Test. The Syllabus to complete this can be found by following this link to the BCU website www.bcu.org.uk. You can check the availability for Canoeing Skills Day on the Canoeing availability pages.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Kayak River Trips

Kayak River Trips are fast moving, exciting and great for learning and testing new skills. The rivers in the lakes require a certain level of skill and so we rarely do these as the first session with people. There are some beautiful journeys that we run that finish in one of the lakes or even the sea!

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Kayaking

Kayak Skills Preimum Day

Our Kayaking Skills Days give you the opportunity to complete your BCU Kayak 1 Star Test, or BCU Kayak and Canoe 2 Star Test. The Syllabus to complete this can be found by following this link to the BCU website www.bcu.org.uk . You can check the availability for Kayaking Skills Day on the Kayaking availability pages.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Kayaking

Paddling the Length of Coniston

Paddling the length of Coniston is a great adventure that allows you to discover parts of the lake that can only be appreciated fully from a boat. This journey includes opportunities to locate and admire the beautiful Allan tarn at the south end of the lake and have a roam around Peel Island (Wildcat Island from Swallows and Amazons). Coniston is the third largest lake in the Lake District and measures five miles (8 km) long, half a mile (800 m) wide and has a maximum depth of 184 feet (56 m). It drains to the sea via the River Crake which can provide a great River Trip to the sea for experienced paddlers. The beauty of Canoe Sailing is that it allows more distance to be covered generally requiring less effort (depending on the wind!) as well as giving you the opportunity to admire the views of and from the Lake.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Paddling the Length of Windermere

Paddling the length of Windermere is an exciting and challenging day that requires motivation, but provides a great journey and huge sense of achievement. Lake Windermere is the largest natural lake in England and measures 10.5 miles (16.9 km) long and width-wise varies from a quarter of a mile (400m) to one mile (1.6 km). It reaches a depth of about 220 feet (67 m) and is drained from its southernmost point by the River Leven. The rivers Brathay, Rothay, Trout Beck and Cunsey Beck run from Lake Windermere and provide great venues for our River Trips for experienced paddlers. The beauty of Canoe Sailing is that it allows more distance to be covered, generally requiring less effort (depending on the wind!) as well as giving you the opportunity to admire the views of and from the Lake.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Why go Kayaking in the Lake District?

The natural geography of the lakes make them an excellent place to learn with sheltered bays, big open water and islands to explore. There's also the magnificent scenery and nature all around you.

Kayaking River Trips

Rivers are open mainly from November til March. Outside these times, a river trip requires lots of rain to have fallen or the river to have been booked well in advance. However there are some tidal features on a couple of rivers which we can use to teach basic moving water kayaking skills. Doing a river trip usually requires some previous experience or at least a skills session on flatwater at the start.