Gifts for kayakers: six kayak experiences from £36
The six experiences below run from a first sea tour to a winter coaching day, across Cornwall, Devon, Cheshire and North Wales, from £36 to £225. Buying for a paddleboarder or canoeist? See all paddle sports.
| Experience | Where | Price | Minimum booking | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea kayak tour | Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall | From £55 | 1 | View availability |
| Kayaking tour | River Dee, Chester | £36 | 2 | View availability |
| White water kayaking | River Dee, Llangollen | From £45 | 2 (Key Details) | View availability |
| Hidden Devon sea kayaking | Dartmouth, Devon | From £59 | Not stated | View availability |
| Level 2 sea kayak course | Dartmouth, Devon | From £225 | Not stated | View availability |
| One-day advanced sea kayaking course | Lannacombe, South Devon | From £115 | Not stated, 1 or 2 paddlers | View availability |
"From" is the lowest price shown on the page, and what you pay depends on group size and date, so check the page for your party. Chester shows one flat price with no "from". Bank holidays and school holidays are the busy spells, so look early.
What do you give someone who's never been in a kayak?
A guided session, not a boat. A first-timer can't judge a kayak yet, and a guide deals with what catches beginners out: the launch, the tide and the route. That's also why a guided tour beats a hire slot as a present. Hire hands them a boat and wishes them luck. The usual first-timer mistakes are cotton layers, a hat that blows off in the first gust and a grip on the paddle like a rolling pin. A guide will sort the last one early.
Sea kayak tour, Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall
From £55, about three hours including changing, with around two on the water. MAKAI's group tour launches from Mullion Harbour or Cadgwith, chosen the day before for wind and swell, so don't tell the recipient which beach to pack for. The price covers a sit-on-top kayak, wetsuit, buoyancy aid, helmet and paddle, and the photos come with the tour, so nobody needs a phone in the boat.
Who it suits: a first-timer, or a family. Children from 5 can go, but everyone has to swim, children included, and anyone under 14 shares a double kayak with an adult. The catch: you can't choose the harbour, and a dangerous sea moves the day. The page says light rain doesn't. Solo bookers join other people on the same slot.
Kayaking tour, River Dee, Chester
£36 for about two hours. Dee River Kayaking sets off from Sandy Lane Park, and the page names the Roman city walls, the Old Dee Bridge and Chester Weir along the route. The boats are inflatable kayaks, and the price includes the kayak, paddle, buoyancy aid and a guide. A wetsuit is optional at £5 a head.
This one suits two friends, or a couple, who'd rather talk than race: about two hours on a river, no experience needed, and a wetsuit only if they want one. Nobody can book it alone, because at least two people must be booked. Participants must be over 12, and under 18s need an adult. Shoes are the other trap. The page wants closed-toe footwear plus a spare pair for the journey home, and says no jeans and no cotton T-shirts, which is the cotton rule in one line. The web address says 1.5 hours, but the page says approximately two.
White water kayaking, River Dee, Llangollen
From £45 for three hours, including changing and the safety briefing. TNR Outdoors runs it on its own stretch of the Dee, where the page says they own 300 metres of riverbank and can re-paddle the rapids. Ages 10 and over, no experience needed, and kayaks, paddles, buoyancy aids, helmets and wetsuits are supplied.
Pick this for someone who'd be bored by flat water and doesn't mind getting wet, because wet is the price of the fun. The page says capsizing isn't the aim but may happen, and that you needn't be able to swim, because the buoyancy aid does the work. The page asks for at least two people, in the Key Details rather than the booking header, so ask the centre before you buy one place. Every child needs an adult, and high river levels can move the session elsewhere. Sandals, flip-flops and crocs aren't allowed.
What if they've paddled a bit and want more?
You can give a better day out or a better paddler. If they've caught the bug, I'd book the course. A tour is lovely, but the next one needs the same skills, whereas a course makes every tour after it easier.
Hidden Devon sea kayaking, Dartmouth, Devon
From £59 for a half day, either 09:30 to 13:00 or 13:30 to 17:00. Sea Kayak Devon's half-day trip takes ages 12 and over with no experience needed, and the price includes equipment, a guide and refreshments, with marshmallows for a driftwood fire on a beach stop. The page lists seals and sea caves among the things you might see, and sightings aren't guaranteed.
A first-timer can book this too, since the page asks for no prior experience, but it earns its place here for someone who has done a few sessions and wants a longer day on a proper coast without a course attached. No wetsuit comes with it. The page says you don't need one, or the ability to swim, but you do need warm layers (not jeans) and a spare set for the colder months. No minimum booking is shown.
Level 2 sea kayak course, Dartmouth, Devon
From £225 for two days, 9:30 to 4:30 each day, ages 17 and over. The page calls the Level 2 course the centre's most popular. It covers strokes, rescue, tidal planning and navigation, with no more than six clients per coach, picnic lunches on both days and the Paddle UK Paddle Start Certificate included as a free digital PDF.
Who it suits: someone who has paddled a handful of times and keeps saying they'd like to plan their own trips. The catch: the page asks for basic kayaking experience and a good level of fitness, and everyone must be able to swim 50 metres in light clothing. Accommodation isn't included, so a recipient from outside Devon needs a bed as well as a boat.
What about someone who already kayaks?
Don't buy them a paddle. A paddler with opinions about blade shape will tell you so, politely. Give them a coached day on harder water than they'd pick alone.
One-day advanced sea kayaking course, Lannacombe, Devon
From £115 for one day at Lannacombe Beach, near Start Point, with Sea Kayak Torbay. It's for adults only, with one or two paddlers and a coach, and the work is tidal movement, surf, swell and incident work up to force 4: deep-water rescue, rock landings and towing. A sea kayak, paddle, buoyancy aid and technical clothing are supplied. Lunch and water are yours.
Who it suits: someone who already paddles 12 to 16 km comfortably, can recover from a capsize in deep water and handles surf. The catch is the season and the entry bar. Dates run from 1 October to 17 March, so it's cold, and the page says to bring warm layers for sitting on a winter beach between drills. Whoever books requests a date and sends their recent trips so the centre can judge whether it's the right step. Ask what they've paddled lately before you surprise them with homework.
What kit is worth giving?
For a first-timer, none. The first-timer experiences above supply the kayak, paddle and buoyancy aid, and the Lizard and Llangollen add a wetsuit. A kayak bought before the first session is a lot of garage space spent on a hunch.
For someone who paddles, choose small things that don't depend on fit: a dry bag, wet shoes, a warm top that isn't cotton, a hat with a strap, since the loose cap is the first thing to go. A waterproof phone pouch earns its place too, because phones don't belong loose in a cockpit.
For what to wear, read what to wear kayaking. If they want their own kit, kayaking equipment essentials covers what to look for, and how a kayak differs from a canoe helps if they're torn between boats.
What if you can't choose?
Kayaking seasons don't line up with Christmas, and a voucher doesn't mind. It's valid for 18 months from the day you buy it, so even a winter-only course like Lannacombe, which runs 1 October to 17 March, still fits inside it. It arrives by email within minutes and works on any activity on adventuro, subject to availability.
Use it in parts and the balance stays on the same code, so a tour now and a course later can come off one voucher. You can add a suggestion, such as a kayak tour, and they're still free to pick something else. It's digital only, with no physical card, so print it or forward it. Buy a gift voucher.
If they like this, book that
| If they... | Look at |
|---|---|
| have never kayaked and you want the sea | Sea kayak tour, Lizard |
| are two people who want a gentle river outing | Kayaking tour, Chester |
| want something noisier and wetter | White water kayaking, Llangollen |
| have paddled a few times and want a good day | Hidden Devon sea kayaking, Dartmouth |
| want to get better and can spare two days | Level 2 sea kayak course, Dartmouth |
| already paddle confidently and don't mind winter | One-day advanced course, Lannacombe |
| are impossible to choose for | A gift voucher |
Browse more kayaking experiences across the UK, or send a voucher and let them choose.
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Questions about kayaking gifts
How much does a kayak experience gift cost?
From £36 for the Chester river tour, which needs two people booked, up to a from-price of £225 for the two-day Level 2 course at Dartmouth. The guided tours start at £45 at Llangollen, £55 on the Lizard and £59 at Dartmouth. Prices depend on group size and date, so check the page for your party.
Can a complete beginner do a kayaking gift experience?
Yes, for four of the six. The Lizard, Chester, Llangollen and Dartmouth pages say no experience is needed. Level 2 asks for basic experience, and the advanced course asks for long journeys, deep-water recovery and surf. Swimming varies: the Lizard says they must swim, Level 2 wants 50 metres in light clothing, Llangollen and Dartmouth say they needn't, and Chester states nothing, so ask.
What age can they go?
Each page sets its own minimum. It's 5 on the Lizard, where under 14s share a double with an adult, 10 at Llangollen, 12 at Dartmouth, over 12 at Chester, 17 on Level 2 and 18 on the advanced course. Children at Llangollen need an adult, and so do under 18s at Chester.
Will bad weather cancel it, and when can they use a voucher?
Weather decides the day. The Lizard moves or cancels for a dangerous sea, Dartmouth reschedules or refunds if conditions are unsafe, and Llangollen may run elsewhere when the river is high. Only the advanced course states a season, 1 October to 17 March. A voucher lasts 18 months from purchase, so they can wait for the right weekend.