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Flat water at the marina gives you room to repeat strokes, recover from capsizes and paddle a short journey without the pressure of a two-hour taster, and this full-day introduction is built for complete beginners who want proper progression. Groups stay at three to six people with an instructor who coaches steering, control and self-rescue step by step. By the end you should feel noticeably more confident in a kayak and know what further paddling or award training could look like.
After kit issue and a safety briefing at the marina, you launch into sheltered water to practise strokes, steering and stopping at a pace suited to the group, with your instructor demonstrating each skill before you repeat it until movement feels predictable. Capsize and recovery work follows so you know what to do if you tip in, with coaching in the water or alongside until re-entry sequences feel manageable.
When conditions allow, the group completes a short journey paddle along the coast; if the sea is unsuitable, equivalent skills and mileage continue within the marina so the syllabus still completes safely. The day closes with a debrief on progress, award outcomes if you attempted assessment, and suggestions for club paddling or further courses that match your goals.
Sessions launch from Brighton Marina, which offers sheltered water for early skills and direct access to coastal paddling when instructors are happy with the sea state. The layout allows you to build control in a calmer environment before any longer open-water sections.
If wind or chop would make coastal paddling unsafe for the group, practice moves into the marina so everyone still gains practical skills rather than being sent home early, and your instructor explains how venue choice links to safety.
No prior kayaking experience is required. You should be comfortable in and around water because capsize practice is part of the day, and bring clothing you are happy to get wet along with a full change for afterwards.
Maximum weight is 18 stone (115 kg) for safe equipment fit. Contact the team in advance if you need to discuss sizing, mobility or health considerations so the day can be planned safely.
Small groups mean more time on the water per person and feedback tailored to how you learn, rather than a large cohort where individuals wait a long time between turns at the paddle.
Outdoor instructors have been teaching on the South East coast since 2005, with the same team also trusted for professional safety cover on television and film productions, bringing patient, safety-led coaching to your first full day afloat.
No. This is a full eight-hour introduction covering skills, capsize recovery and a journey paddle, not the shorter coastal session aimed at first-time paddlers who want a brief try-out. The course day follows Discover Kayaking Award syllabus content with more time to repeat strokes and build control.
If you prefer a lighter first outing, the separate kayak experience at the marina is a good way to test whether you enjoy being on the water before committing to a full training day.
You will get wet during capsize practice and splash from paddles, so warm layers, waterproofs and a full change of clothes are essential even on sunny days. Sea air and wind at the marina often feel colder than the forecast suggests once you have been sitting in a kayak for several hours.
Your instructor briefs you on dressing for sea kayaking in Brighton before you launch, and a kit list is shared before the course so you arrive with spare footwear, towels and food for a full day afloat.
Kayak, paddle, buoyancy aid and dry bag are included for the day, selected to suit flat-water training at the marina and on short coastal sections when conditions allow. Your instructor adjusts buoyancy aids and explains how to stow kit in the boat before you leave the pontoon.
You bring clothing, footwear, towel, food, water and any personal medication you rely on during outdoor activity. Denim and sandals are not suitable; old trainers or plimsolls work well on the water.
Minimum age is 18. Maximum weight is 18 stone (115 kg) for safe equipment fit and buoyancy aid sizing on standard kit, which keeps boat handling predictable for the group.
Contact the team in advance if you need to discuss sizing, mobility considerations or equipment adjustments so the day can be planned safely.
Instructors assess wind, chop and traffic on the day before committing the group to open-coast paddling. Sheltered marina water is used when coastal conditions would be unsafe for beginners or would prevent capsize training from running sensibly.
The syllabus still covers capsize recovery and control exercises in the environment that conditions allow, so you leave with practical skills rather than a wasted day, and your instructor explains how venue choice links to safety.
You should be comfortable in the water because capsize practice is part of the day, though you wear a buoyancy aid throughout and your instructor stays close during recovery drills. You do not need to be a strong swimmer, but panic in the water makes recovery harder for you and the group.
If you are nervous about capsizing, tell your instructor at the start so they can coach you through it steadily and adjust pacing so you still gain from the rest of the syllabus.
The day follows Discover Kayaking Award syllabus content, and assessment is part of the course though not everyone passes on first attempt, which is normal on a first full day on the water. Your instructor gives clear feedback on which criteria you met and what to practise if you need another attempt.
Certificate fees are included when you meet the standard; otherwise you receive an action plan with specific skills to work on during club sessions or further lessons.
Meeting is at Brighton Marina with full address and parking details in your joining instructions. Arrive in time for kit issue and briefing so the group can maximise water time across the full eight-hour session.
If you are unfamiliar with the marina layout, allow a few extra minutes to find the activity centre and carry your kit from the car park to the launch area without rushing the safety briefing.
Food is not included. Bring snacks and plenty of water for a full day on the water, plus anything you need for energy between paddling blocks when concentration and warmth both matter.
There are shops and cafes at the marina if you need to buy something on the day, though many participants bring a packed lunch to save time between sessions.
Arrive dressed for getting wet, with a full change of clothes, towel and soft footwear for on the water. Medical and terms forms are sent before the course and must be completed ahead of the session so nothing delays the safety briefing.
Read the kit list carefully for spare layers and sun protection; even cool days can feel warm during capsize practice once you are back in the boat and paddling again.
About the centre
Brighton
Operated by Hatt Adventures, a partner of adventuro.
Surrey, East and West Sussex, United Kingdom
From £89
Surrey, East and West Sussex, United Kingdom
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Surrey, East and West Sussex, United Kingdom
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