Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland is a large sea lough & the largest inlet in the British Isles. The lough is almost totally enclosed by the Ards Peninsula and it links to the Irish sea via a long narrow channel.

Owned by the National Trust, Strangford Lough is a place of natural beauty & a conservation area for many birds & marine life.

The main body of the lough has at least 70 islands along with many islets, bays & coves.

Less experienced kayakers should head to the West side of the lough between Whiterock and Killyleagh. Here you’ll find a group of islands called the ‘basket of eggs’ which offer plenty of places to explore. You will also find sheltered paddling on the South West of the lough around Delamont Country Park and Salt Island.

How to get there:

Towns and villages around the lough include Killyleagh, Comber, Newtownards, Portaferry and Strangford.

Facilities:

Plenty of facilities are on offer in nearby towns and with number of adventure/outdoor centres dotted along the banks of the lough.

Hazards:

Strangford Lough is tidal, so check tides before setting off on a trip. Outside of high & low tides, “The Narrows” has fast running tidal channels, whirlpools and swirling water & is best avoided by novice kayakers.

Be aware of sailing boats & ferry.

Ins and Outs:

There are several access points around the lough – see Canoe NI for location maps.

Notes:

Canoe NI offer guided tours & hire kayaks/canoes, go to http://www.canoeni.com for more information.

Overview:

Plenty to explore, beautiful scenery with lots of islands, bays & coves. Look out for common and grey seals, arctic terns, porpoises and more.

Location:

The Pulse 85 Huntsman is one of the most stable, compact & versatile kayaks in the Tootega range, making it great for a variety of uses. Although it is kitted out as a fishing kayak, the Huntsman would be equally suited to river paddling, exploring the bays/coves & is perfect for a spot of wave surfing. If you’re out playing in the waves & capsize then the kayaks self-bailing system will come in useful.

The Pulse 85 Huntsman is also lightweight with moulded carry handles, making it easy to carry down the beach or lift on & off a roof rack. Because it’s compact & light it’s the ideal choice for female kayakers, small adults & even children.

Tootega’s Pulse 85 Huntsman comes in a range of colours, for anglers there’s even a camouflage version. There are also plenty of  accessories for the kayak, so you can set the kayak up to suit you.

Tootega Pulse 85 Huntsman FEATURES

The Tootega Prophecy 135 is the flag ship model in the Tootega touring range and offers performance in spades. There’s great storage capacity for all the essentials you will need for your adventures plus amazing comfort, stability and speed. The generous space in the cockpit area gives excellent comfort and the cushioned heel pads, easily adjustable foot rests and raised padded seat all add to the mix. If you are planning on covering distance then the Prophecy 135 is the sit on kayak for you!

Tootega Prophecy 135 FEATURES

The BIC Bilbao is a versatile recreational kayak that is suited to both beginners and expert kayakers. Whether you’re paddling for sport, exploring, diving or having a quick paddle with the kids, the quality of its design makes all activities possible with comfort and ease. The fluid hull shape provides a nice smooth ride, while the deck shape and quality extras allow you to carry almost any load with optimum stability and guaranteed safety.

BIC Bilbao FEATURES

The distinctive looking Bic Ouassou is a fun, versatile sit-on-top that is designed with the leisure kayak market firmly in mind. The Ouassou’s spatula shaped hull, derived from surf long boards and rodeo kayaks, makes it ideally suited for beach play and use in surf as well as making the Ouassou responsive, stable and very manoeuvrable in most conditions. The compact size and integral handles make the Ouassou easy to move and store, further adding to it’s appeal as a great beach or starter sit on.

BIC Ouassou Features

Aberafon campsite is on the North Wales Coast on the Llyn Peninsula at Gyrn Goch between Caernarfon & Pwllheli. The site adjoins a private beach with access to a slipway to launch your kayak if the tide is in. If the tide is out you have to carry your kayak down to water, over a rocks initially, but then it becomes sandy.

How to get there:

There’s a tricky, steep single track lane off the A499 between Caernafon and Pwhelli.

Facilities:

Facilities on the campsite include
Boat Launch
Toilets & showers
Laundry facilities
Site shop during the main holiday period

Hazards:

Rocky beach at low tide.

Ins and Outs:

Concrete slipway when the tide is in.

Notes:

Campfires are allowed on the the beach. Fire wood can be bought from the campsite at a reasonable price.
Pets are allowed.

Overview:

Picturesque coast line.

Location:

Just like the Fatyak’s standard construction Mahee tandem kayak, but lighter and more stealth. A doube hander great for all manner of paddling shenanigans – from flat water touring with a friend, getting the whole family (inc. dog onboard) or dabbling with a spot of fishing the Adventure S Mahee will get you there in style.As Fatyak themselves state the Adventure S Mahee is ‘stronger, lighter and more durable breed of Fatyak™ makes them both a fantastic choice for serious paddlers.’

Adventure S Mahee FEATURES

How to get there:

Facilities:

Lifeguards on duty at the surf school during peak months, toilets, lots of parking and a 4wd ice-cream van. Harlyn Surf School offer kayking tours & kayak hire, see here for more details harlynsurfschool.co.uk

Hazards:

Can get very busy. Novice surfers getting in the way. Submerged rocks around the edges of the bay that are well capable of puncturing a hull.

Ins and Outs:

From the main beach. Nice shallow, sandy spot.

Overview:

Sheltered beach with good surf and interesting spots for day touring / exploring.

Location:

Westward Ho! is a coastal village near Bideford in Devon. It’s location at the Taw/Torridge estuary, with Hartland Point to the south and Saunton Sands to the north. The beach known as Golden Bay boasts two miles of sandy beach, backed by a pebble ridge. The beach is a popular for swimming, surfing and kite surfing. Family friendly with a RNLI Lifeguard service from May to September, shallow water and Blue Flag status.

How to get there:

Westward Ho! Beach Nr Bideford, Devon, EX39 1HN
The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude.

Facilities:

Slipway
Ample car parking with disabled parking close to beach
Toilets
Hot food and drink is available from a kiosk at the top of the slipway
Many restaurants, bars and cafes
Tesco Express/Co-op & and various other shops

Hazards:

Just be aware of the tides.
Can be a bit windy.

Ins and Outs:

Slipway near short stay car park.

Overview:

Lovely sandy beach, beautiful scenery. The village lies within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Location:

Aberporth is a large coastal village located in Ceredigion on the west coast of Wales.  The village lies at the southern end of Cardigan Bay & has two sandy sheltered beaches with rock pools at low tide.

Aberporth is a popular recreational fishing village in the summer and is also popular with divers and boating people. With it’s sandy beaches, good surf & safe swimming, Aberporth is ideal for kayaking with or without the family. Lots of kayakers head here, so if you’re feeling sociable there’s plenty of chatting to be done!

Paddle out along the left side of the bay to discover hidden coves and caves. If you’re lucky you may get to see a dolphin or 2, Bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen swimming and diving as they follow the shoals of mackerel into the bay.

How to get there:

Aberporth, Cardigan SA43 2DB

Facilities:

Toilets, cafe, shops, pub, outdoor shower. Car park fills up quickly in the summer, get down there early, thre is another little used car park in the village.

During the school holidays – from mid July to the end of August – Ceredigion Beach Officer Lifeguard Service normally establishes patrolled bathing areas daily.

Hazards:

Rocks to the right of the bay need avoiding.

Ins and Outs:

Put in on the beach.

Notes:

Lifeguards operate on this beach in school holidays.

Overview:

Lovely surf bay.

Location: