FAQ'S
How do I know if I had enough experience to go sea kayaking with my friends?
Sea kayaking, like any water activity has inherent risks. Kayak rental is available to people with outdoor experience, preferably in water activities. Every group must have an experienced person who is familiar with marine environments, and is able to anticipate, and deal with, adverse conditions should they develop. On the morning of departure we will provide a full safety briefing which covers area such as weather, itinerary planning, on-water skills, capsize and re-entry. For inexperienced groups it's a good idea to hire a guide for part, or all of your trip, or join our 1 Day Trip for your first day and use it as a training day before heading off independently.
How much can I take in my sea kayak?
The double sea kayaks can take the equivalent of one large backpack and a half per person. You can normaly take fresh food for up to 3 days and it will remain fresh and edible. Single kayaks take approximately the equivalent of 1 pack per person.
I want to hire a sea kayak and camp out overnight on my own?
For safety reason, we will not rent to solo paddlers.
We want to plan our itinerary now so that we can get organised?
We always recommend that people discuss their itinerary options with their guide during their safety briefing. At that time we can assess the weather forecast, the groups abilities and recommend a suitable itinerary to meet your needs. Therefore, it is a good idea to not plan your itinerary until the day of arrival.
Can we find our own campsites to use or do we have to use DOC campsites?
We strongly urge all our clients to use the DOC campsites as this ensures that we are all protecting our environment. Also, in most cases, the DOC campsites are in the best spots in the Sounds anyway. We sell tickets for DOC campsites at our office.
I want to catch a water taxi to the Outer-Sounds and paddle back?
If you haven't paddled in the Marlborough Sounds before, we always recommend that you paddle from Picton to the outer-Sounds. This means that you will be feeling more comfortable with the conditions by the time you reach the more exposed outer-Sounds. It is not a problem to organise water transport for your return to Picton.
