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Kayak Coaching and Courses

Kayak Coaching in North Wales


For paddlers Plas y Brenin couldn't be in a better place. We're surrounded by all kinds of water, from the fast flowing rivers and still, picturesque lakes of Snowdonia to the rolling surf and tidal streams of the Anglesey coast. That’s not all. The facilities for paddlers at Plas y Brenin itself are second to none. We've an indoor heated rolling pool, our own section of grade II rapids and a huge unspoiled lake right at the bottom of the garden.
As far as the gear's concerned, we make sure all the equipment you use on your course is modern and well maintained without adding a penny to the cost of the courses. But the real secret of our success lies in the passion of our coaches. Each and every one of our canoe coaches is an enthusiast - they just love to paddle and it's their love for the sport that makes them want to introduce others to it.
So if you'd like to learn to paddle, improve your technique quickly, or just get out there and soak up some of Britain's finest water, pick a course from our kayaking and canoe programme and give us a call.

If you are in any doubt which course suits you the best why not take a look at this page:
How to get the most from your paddling course

Review Quote
Day 1 - Sea Kayaking off Anglesey with an amazing view of seals
Day 2 - Stunning views and building up important skills in the currents of the Menai Stra  .........

Review Quote
 
Brian Coward - White Water Sea & Surf
 
Find out what others thought by clicking the review Course Reviews button below any course.

 

Quick Course Finder



Flat Water Touring Weekend

Flat Water Touring Weekend <Two days spent kayaking on flat water with our coaches. You'll pick up tips on paddling technique, equipment selection, navigation, access, safety and even wildlife as you travel through this beautiful area on two hand picked flat water tours. If you have some experience of paddling a kayak on flat water and your are able to manoeuver your boat with ease, this is a great way to get some miles under your belt and gather some valuable experience. You'll also have loads of fun.
Previous Experience  Confident flat water paddler with the ability to manoeuvre your craft with ease and perform a confident and controlled capsize with a spraydeck.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 200
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Detailed Course Notes
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Discover Kayaking

Discover Kayaking<A weekend designed to give you an enjoyable introduction to kayaking. You'll cover everything from what clothing and equipment to choose right up to basic rescue skills, not to mention plenty of paddling. By the end of the weekend you'll have all of the foundation skills to confidently progress in your new sport.
Previous Experience  none.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 194
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Detailed Course Notes
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Introduction to Kayaking

Introduction to Kayaking<A five day course which will give you a thorough grounding in kayaking. You will be introduced to all the equipment and basic skills on local rivers, lakes and sea. On this course there is ample opportunity for coaching and progression in white water and sea kayaking.
Previous Experience  none.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 450
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Detailed Course Notes
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Introduction to Kayaking for Families

Introduction to Kayaking for Families<A five day course which will give you a thorough grounding in kayaking. You will be introduced to all the equipment and basic skills on local rivers, lakes and sea. On this course there is ample opportunity for coaching and progression in white water and sea kayaking. Tailored specifically for families.
Previous Experience  none.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 460
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Detailed Course Notes
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White Water Sea & Surf For Families

White Water Sea & Surf For Families<You've decided you like kayaking. Now it's time to experience racing down the face of a surf wave, bouncing down a rapid and running a tide race. These five days of white water fun will give you an introduction to all the techniques you need to handle a boat in the exciting wild water of British rivers and sea. You'll also be introduced to Eskimo rolling and we guarantee you'll have plenty of opportunity to develop your cold water roll!!
Previous Experience   Confident flat water paddler with the ability to manoeuvre your craft with ease
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 460
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Detailed Course Notes
Book Online

 


White Water Sea & Surf

White Water Sea & Surf<You've decided you like kayaking. Now it's time to experience racing down the face of a surf wave, bouncing down a rapid and running a tide race. These five days of white water fun will give you an introduction to all the techniques you need to handle a boat in the exciting wild water of British rivers and sea. You'll also be introduced to Eskimo rolling and we guarantee you'll have plenty of opportunity to develop your cold water roll!!
Previous Experience   Confident flat water paddler with the ability to manoeuvre your craft with ease
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 440
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Detailed Course Notes
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Discover White Water Kayaking

Discover White Water Kayaking<A weekend designed to introduce you to the thrills and spills of white water. You'll cover everything from clothing and equipment to foundation white water skills. By the end of the course you will have tackled your first white water and have the confidence to tackle the rapids under your own steam.
Previous Experience  Confident flat water paddler with the ability to manoeuvre your craft with ease, able to perform a confident and controlled capsize.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 199
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Detailed Course Notes
Book Online

 


Introduction to White Water Kayaking

Introduction to White Water Kayaking<A week for kayakers who have decided to specialise in white water or for white water paddlers looking to build confidence and control by refining their white water technique. Our aim is to refine your existing paddling skills and coach you in more advanced techniques like breaking in and out, ferry gliding, surfing standing waves and small stoppers. River reading, rescue and rolling will be an integral part of the course. A week of grade II and easy grade III water.
Previous Experience  Confident flat water paddler with the ability to manoeuvre your craft with ease, able to perform a confident and controlled capsize.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 460
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Detailed Course Notes
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Intromediate White Water Kayak

Intromediate White Water Kayak<A five day course on grade II and III white water designed for kayakers who have some white water experience but lack the confidence to move on to the intermediate course. Whether you have limited experience on moving water, you've had a knock in confidence due to a 'big swim', or you've simply been 'out of your boat' for a few years, this course is an ideal confidence booster. Initially you'll spend time consolidating your existing paddling skills before developing your balance and moving on to more advanced techniques. You will also enjoy a more in-depth insight into river reading, rescue and further develop your roll. The course should help you become more comfortable and relaxed on the water so you'll enjoy your paddling more than you ever thought possible.
Previous Experience  Some white water experience, able to perform a flat water roll.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 465
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Detailed Course Notes
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Intermediate White Water Kayaking

Intermediate White Water Kayaking<Running wild rivers is all about judgement. This week gives you the experience and skills you need to make those decisions. You'll concentrate on developing boat positioning skills, refine your judgement and practical techniques to help you become a good white water paddler.
Previous Experience  Competent Grade II paddler with some experience of Grade III. A reliable flat water roll.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 485
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Detailed Course Notes
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Performance White Water Kayaking

Performance White Water Kayaking<Intermediate or advanced white water paddlers will find this two-day personal improvement programme a perfect way to hone their paddling skills . High staff to student ratios combined with top level coaching give maximum opportunity for improvement.
Previous Experience  competent grade II paddler with some experience of grade III and a reliable moving water roll.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 220
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Detailed Course Notes
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Freeride Week

Freeride Week<River Running with Attitude! Join our enthusiastic coaches as they help you to combine the thrills and spills of river running with the more exciting elements of freestyle, throwing in a generous helping of boofs 'n' drops along the way. Over these five fast-moving days you'll develop your white water skills, improve your river reading and learn to throw in a few new moves on a wave. But most of all, you'll learn how to do it all in style, blending strokes, moves and tricks together with fluidity and grace, using the whole river. This is a chance to learn how to enjoy running rivers from a completely different perspective and a week that's guaranteed to leave you grinning from ear to ear.
Previous Experience  competent grade III paddler with a reliable moving water roll.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 483
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Detailed Course Notes
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Getting to Grips With Freestyle

Getting to Grips With Freestyle<Freestyle is about having fun, total control and free expression. If you've always wanted to shred a wave, spin 360s in a hole, do cartwheels, flatspins, blunts or tricky woos - we can help. Join us for five days of intensive freestyle coaching from some of the best in the business. Over the week our coaches will fine tune your skills using some of the finest freestyle venues in the country, most of which have been used for competitions. You'll have the opportunity to discuss future development, training, diet, fitness and competition with our coaches giving you a unique opportunity to learn from their depth of experience. So if you aspire to compete in freestyle events or you?d just like to be able to show off on the way down river, sign up for this five day clinic and you'll find yourself doing more than you ever thought possible.
Previous Experience  
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 220
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Detailed Course Notes
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Boofs & Drops

Boofs & Drops<Two days spent simply 'catching air'. On this roller-coaster-ride of a weekend our coaches will take you to the best local venues, searching out the most exhilarating boofs and drops to make sure you have the time of your life. Plenty of tips and tricks from our coaches along the way will help you develop your technique and confidence. The result? Where you used to approach drops with a rigid nervousness you'll find yourself searching for the drops chasing their thrill and enjoying the buzz that only 'airtime' can deliver.
Previous Experience  competent paddler with experience of grade III and a reliable moving water roll.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 204
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Detailed Course Notes
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Steep Creekin

Steep Creekin<Although things could be warmer at this time of year, the paddling conditions are often hard to beat. That's why our top coaches have put together this five day course that allows you to experience the best of Snowdonia's white water whilst keeping you moving as much as possible. With one of the five days spent perfecting your white water technique on our local rivers, you'll spend the rest of the week exploring as many of the top paddling spots as time and conditions allow, picking up valuable coaching tips along the way. A fast moving week for intermediate paddlers (comfortable on Grade III or above) that will significantly boost your confidence and experience levels.
Previous Experience  competent grade III paddler with a reliable moving water roll.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
5
£ 472
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Detailed Course Notes
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Steep Creekin Safety

Steep Creekin Safety<An essential course for any paddler venturing into steep creeks, this course looks carefully at how to protect yourselves whilst inspecting drops or getting in or out of steep gorges. Together with our highly experienced coaches you’ll examine the pitfalls of lowering and hoisting paddlers and equipment in to steep creeking spots and find out how to avoid them. You will also deal with the practicalities of recovering equipment and how to react in the event of a suspected spinal injury.
Previous Experience  competent paddler with experience of grade III and a reliable moving water roll. competent use of a throw line, preferably attended a BCU WWSR course or equivalent.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 231
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Detailed Course Notes
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Rolling Clinic

Rolling Clinic<Using our pool, lake and river, our expert coaches will help you develop a strong, dependable roll in a variety of conditions.
Previous Experience  able to perform a confident capsize.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 199
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Detailed Course Notes
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Rolling Reconstruction

Rolling Reconstruction<If you've been having trouble with your roll or have 'lost' your roll all together this course is ideal for you. Progressing at your own pace, our coaches will assess your roll and design a programme to consolidate and refine your technique. Whatever your starting point, one day spent in the pool and a second out on the water will move you towards a confident reliable roll.
Previous Experience  able to perform a confident capsize and have rolled before.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
2
£ 204
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Detailed Course Notes
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Alpine White Water

Alpine White Water<Our Alpine White Water Courses are based in a self catering chalet in the Briancon area which allows us the flexibility to head out to local bars, restaurants and cafes but still have a comfortable base to return to and a secure location for your gear. All you have to do is get yourself to France, and feed and water yourself. We?ll do the rest! This six day coaching course in the Durance valley makes the most of the huge range of tributaries, as well as some of the best sections of the Durance itself. A fantastic introduction to alpine white water with six days in the sun that should improve your white water skills and give you a great tan.
Previous Experience  Competent on Grade II with a reliable flat water roll
No. Days
Cost
Dates
6
£ 817
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Detailed Course Notes
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Rolling Refresher

Rolling Refresher<A one day course for those who are a little rusty or feel they need more coaching on their roll. Always on a Friday, our clients often benefit from tagging this day on to the beginning of one of our weekend courses, boosting their confidence and allowing them to get more out of the weekend course. Ideal for sea or white water paddlers.
Previous Experience  50% effective roll
No. Days
Cost
Dates
1
£ 78 (Non residential)
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Detailed Course Notes
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Book Non Residential

 


Alpine White Water Classics

Alpine White Water Classics<On this course you'll be staying in a self catering chalet in the Briancon area allowing the flexibility to visit local bars and restaurants but still have a comfortable base to return to and a secure location for your gear. All you have to do is get yourself to France, and feed and water yourself. We'll make sure you enjoy the paddling. This six day guided holiday will make the most of the huge range of classic, mid graded, rivers in the nearby catchments. Over the week you'll cover lots of water and gather plenty of alpine experience in a variety of excellent venues. You may choose this course as an immediate follow on to the Alpine White Water week above, allowing yourself the opportunity to put your new-found skills into practice.
Previous Experience  Competent Grade III paddler with a reliable white water roll.
No. Days
Cost
Dates
6
£ 817
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Detailed Course Notes
Book Online

 

 


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