Guided Sea Kayaking Evenings

Who Is This Course For?
These evenings are ideal for those who maybe have some previous kayaking experience - either in general purpose kayaks or sea kayaks.

The evenings are ideal for those wishing to experience what the Co Down coast has to offer those who are willing to explore - seals, incredible birdlife and the occassional porpoises.  The evenings are guided by experiences and qualified Tolymore staff, who have many years experience built up and are keen to share their knowledge.

These evenings may whet your sea kayaking appetite, so expect to want to do more!

Course Aims

- to provide a guided sea kayaking experience

Skills Covered
When the staff meet the group and discuss aspirations and previous experience, they will decide on a route for the evening.  Generally this will be somewhere on Strangford Lough.  We will usually meet participants at Kilyleagh at 7.00 p.m. and travel on to the put-on from there.


Our Staff
The instructor(s) who will work with you are all highly experienced and qualified.  Tollymore prides itself in the knowledge and experience that its full time and part time staff bring to its courses.  Our staff are all keen canoeists who know all the local ‘hot spots’ enabling them to choose the most suitable site to run your course.  You may well have met them on the water in the past, if not you’re sure to bump into them in the future on days when they are not working!

All staff are obliged to attend annual staff updates and training courses

What do I need to bring?
The following list is of equipment we recommend you bring.  All essential equipment is available from our extensive stores.  We advise you not to rush out and buy kit for the course, but use it as a chance to find out what would best suit your needs. But if you do have any of your own equipment do bring it along our staff will be required to vet for suitability equipment such as buoyancy aids and helmets.

You should bring the following personal equipment with you, if you have it (if you dont, we can supply all paddling equipment):

Tollymore Information
Tollymore Mountain Centre, on the edge of the Mournes, is Northern Ireland’s National Centre for Mountaineering and Canoeing Activities.  It is funded and managed by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland as a National Centre. The Centre is an attractive, purpose-built facility of log construction with accommodation for 30 people in 2, 4 and 6 berth bedrooms.  Quilts, pillows and bed linen are all provided.  The Centre is well appointed with toilets, showers, modern kitchen, lecture room, workshop and drying room.  Outside there is ample parking space, a ropes course and a floodlit granite-climbing wall.  A modern indoor climbing wall is open year round.  The centre is ideally situated on the edge of the Mournes, with quick and easy access to the hills.

The Central Council for Physical Recreation opened Tollymore Mountain Centre in 1969.  In 1974, it passed to the newly established Sports Council for Northern Ireland Trust.  In 1995, Tollymore achieved the management standard BS EN ISO 9001:2000 for the quality systems it operates.   However, as part of Sports Council for Northern Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the development of the National Centre, Tollymore will be undergoing a major redevelopment, commencing in 2007.  The facilities will be improved and expanded, to ensure that Tollymore remains as an example of best practice in the provision of mountaineering, hillwalking, climbing and canoeing courses in Northern Ireland.

What next?
Having attended our Thursday Evennigs, there are a number of options open to you. Why not try one of our next step weekend courses, which are based in a sheltered environment. 

You may also choose to join a canoe club, or join the governing body, The Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI). A full list of clubs is available from CANI

Useful Books

Recommended by and available from Tollymore
British Canoe Union handbook Published by Pesda Press

Useful contacts:

Canoe Association of Northern Ireland

Unit 2 Rivers Edge

13 – 15 Ravenhill Rd

Belfast

BT68DN

Email: office@cani.org.uk

Web: www.cani.org.uk

Tel: 0870 2405065