YOUR TOUR
Autumn/Winter 2024/25
DATES & TIMES,
NOW, Special reduced winter rates.
20% off Standard Price
Now £52 per person
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The price includes:
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Use of /hire: Boat, Paddle, Buoyancy Aid (PFD) Waterproof Cag and Over trousers, Drybag etc.
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Qualified and experienced Kayaking Guide, conducting the tour and ensuring your safety and enjoyment.
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Cardiff Harbour Authority launch fee/licence, which also gives you parking and use of the changing facilities at the Channel View centre, during its opening times, where we launch.
Contact Stephen either by
Email: cardiffbaykayaking@gmail.com
Mob: 07432 210861
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ITINERARY
From 09 November 2024,
until 29th March 2025.
(Other times by arrangement, Weekdays in the school holidays for example, please contact me for details)
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We are not hibernating this Autumn and Winter. If the conditions are good, we will be out, paddling around Cardiff.
We will only be running 1 session a day due to daylight hours and temperatures. The session afloat will still be around 3 hours but with added time for extra kitting up.
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Session times are listed below, but start times could depend on weather, temperature and conditions, which will be communicated to you after booking and prior to your session date.
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​Until 29th March 2025
Saturday, all day:
AM 09:00 - 13:00
Sunday, all day:
AM 09:00 - 13:00
Our guided tours are unique because we only cater for very small groups with high guide to customer ratios.
Our usual group sizes are between 2 to 4 customers to 1 Guide
The maximum group size is 6 customers to 1 Guide. (This would be with two customers in our Tandem boat. Please contact us for details)
We aim to ensure that all our customers are provided with a high quality experience, tailored to their individual requirements; making the experience more interesting, enjoyable and safer.
Please contact us to find out our special family rates, tour details, itineraries and groups over 4 people.
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PLEASE NOTE: We can only take participants who are under 18 if they are accompanied by their parent/legal guardian
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Tour Options
All tours are circular, aiming to return to the starting point.
Your tour would be one of these options;
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Along the River Taff, through the city to the Principality Stadium, to the picturesque Bute park.
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River Taff then either to Mermaid Quay or to Mouth of Ely.
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Circumnavigate Cardiff bay, visit the mouth of the Ely River, paddle past the barrage locks and then along the barrage to Mermaid Quay.
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Typical 3 Hour Tour Itinerary
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Meet at Channel View Cardiff.
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Sort out kit for your trip then kit up.
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Introduce you to your boat and its features, then a quick safety briefing.
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Get afloat from the jetty.
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Quick demonstration and tips about manoeuvring the boat and paddling, with time to do a bit of skills practice.
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Off we go on tour. All routes are circular aiming to return to start point.
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The tour routes are quite flexible with the possibility to get ashore in places (Time and ability permitting) for exploration and/or refreshment.
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Return to base and de-kit.
WHAT TO BRING
To be comfortable on your tour you will need to wear sports clothes. As kayaking is a water based activity, there is a chance you may get wet, either partially or in rare cases completely wet.
Ensure you wear clothing that will keep you warm/comfortable even if soaked. Avoid 100% cotton garments, like jeans for example.
Your choice of what to wear is weather dependent and down to your sensitivity to cold or heat. Some days in the Spring or Autumn, especially in the bay where it can be breezy, it can feel cold. In the Summer, it can be roasting and you really need to consider sun protection, so loose fitting long sleeves and a sun hat may be best. When Winter paddling it's best to be nice and warm, so lots of thin layers are best so you can regulate temperature depending on the weather and the physical activity. Sports and gym gear, fleece tops, leggings, base layers, walking clothing tracksuits are good choices especially if they are made of manmade fabrics, so check the labels. Bring a hat too not only if it is cold but also recommended to protect you if it is sunny.
It is recommended to bring a spare set of clothes and shoes to change into as well as something warm to wear afterwards. Our starting point has changing facilities available to use.
Footwear. Your feet are the part of you that is most likely to get wet. Please wear shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and don’t forget a spare pair to change into afterwards.
Despite being in a city, we operate in an outdoor environment. Embankments and waterways around Cardiff can be slippery, dirty, muddy, wet, cold and are potentially unstable and sharp, so wear footwear appropriate to this. Old trainers should be fine. Please no bare feet or flip flops.
If you prefer to wear your own wetsuit and water shoes, please feel free to do so. We will still provide you with the use of our waterproofs because wetsuits are susceptible to wind chill.
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Please bring some water, 1 litre is recommended especially on hot days.
Also, feel free to bring your own snacks.
THE KIT
Our fleet consists of; Wilderness Systems, Tarpon 120, Sit on Top Kayaks. These quality boats are fitted out to a high level of specification.
Why Sit on Top Kayaks?
This type of kayak is easy to use, and most people can quickly learn the basics. This means that you will spend more of your time enjoying the tour than having to master new skills.
These boats are slightly wider than traditional kayaks so feel more stable and are easier to get in and out of. The open cockpit design means that the boat can also feel less claustrophobic and enable the kayaker to move around a bit more. Its design and sitting position means that in the unlikely event that you capsize, you will fall out of the boat and are less likely to be entrapped by it. Additionally getting back on is easier too. Each boat is equipped with a lightweight paddle.
For your safety and comfort, you will also be given a Buoyancy Aid which must be worn whilst afloat and a set of waterproofs to keep you dry if required. You will also be supplied with a Dry Bag for storing the waterproofs and your personal items.
WHERE TO MEET
Slipway Car Park,
Channel View Leisure Centre,
Jim Driscoll Way,
Cardiff.
CF11 7HB
Cardiff’s bay and river system is mostly green space that sits right in the centre of an urban environment which is habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.
Due to the coastal location, the birdlife you may encounter is diverse. This includes: Heron, Kingfisher, cormorants, swifts, wild fowl, and sea birds.
From the Spring, throughout the Summer and well into Autumn, Cardiff’s waterways really come alive with plants and animals, with many species of insects, mammals and fish.
Last summer, Otter's were spotted twice (check out the Cardiff Bay Kayaking Instagram for video!). Even the odd Terrapin has been seen.