About Belfast Kayak Club

Belfast Kayak Club was founded by John Napier and Mike Totten in early 2000, but was not formally constituted until 2003, when it was recognised as a Charity by the Inland Revenue. However, in many respects the Club is significantly older dating back some 12 years when Paddy Boyle and Brian Maguire began to run canoeing sessions in the Robinson Centre.

The Club funds and runs introductory canoeing courses for beginners and new members. We have just completed a very successful programme of white water training, and this year ran a white water safety and rescue course for the more advanced members, and a VHF course which was very well attended.

We organise simple afternoon & evening trips and multi day trips for club members, mostly in Northern Ireland - but we range further afield. The furthest trip has been a 14 day sea kayaking expedition to Alaska.

We aim for two weekend paddles a month that will include every discipline of the sport.

During the summer we will continue our Tuesday Evening sea paddles around the North Irish coast.

We run an easter trip every year. In recent years we have visited the River Barrow and the Spey River in Scotland. This year we headed for the Isle of Mull. Those of us who stayed at home had fun on the Blackwater and Bann canoe trails.

There are currently sixty members in the Club and there has been a lot of success particularly in relation to the Polo teams, which have successfully competed in Limerick and Fermanagh, against UK and Irish competition, ranking fifth and 2nd respectively.

Belfast Kayak Club 2009 - 205 trips

Belfast Kayak Club 2008 - 164 trips

Belfast Kayak Club 2007 - 138 trips

Some of the sea paddles, river trips, and courses the club runs are ...

Sea paddles

• East Coast
  • Donaghadee
  • Groomsport
  • Holywood
  • Ballyhalbert around Burial Island
  • Cloughey to South Rock
  • Newcastle
  • Ballywalter
  • Portavogie
  • Ballyhalbert
  • Knockinelder
  • Warrenpoint
  • Kilkeel
  • Rostrevor
• Belfast Lough
  • Cultra
  • Helen's Bay
  • Carrickfergus
  • Bangor, the Long Hole
• Strangford Lough
  • Kilclief Castle to Guns Island (via Angus Rock)
  • Killyleagh to Island Taggart
  • Ards Sailing Club
  • Whiterock Bay
  • Strangford
  • Portaferry
  • Ringhaddy
  • The Dorn
  • Ballyhenry Island
  • Island Hill
  • Kilclief Castle
  • Sea paddle, Strangford to Ballyhornan through the lough entrance
  • Kircubbin
• West Coast
  • Carrigart/Mulroy Bay to Milford/Bunlin Bridge
  • Malinmore
• North Coast
  • Balintoy
  • Portbalintrae
  • Cushendun
  • Carnlough
  • Portmuck
  • Gobbins
  • Brown's Bay

Surfing

• Whiterocks, Portrush
• East Strand, Portrush

Inland water paddles

• Lower Lough Erne from Enniskillen to Kesh, 25km, 2 days
• Erne Waterway
• Upper Lough Erne, Crom
• Lough Beg
• Lough Foyle
• Lough Swilly
• Lough Neagh, Coney Island (camping)
• Lough Neagh, Rams Island
• Lough Neagh, Bartin's Bay

River paddles

• Lower Bann, Newferry to Portglenone
• Lower Bann, Portglenone to Drumaheglis Marina
• Lower Bann, Toome to Portglenone
• Lower Bann, Coleraine Marina to Movanagher
• Upper Bann, Seapatrick to Gilford
• Upper Bann, from Katesbridge to Corbett
• Lagan, Lisburn Civic Centre to Drumbo
• Lagan, Dromara to Drumillar
• Lagan, Lambeg to Drumbeg
• Lagan, Lambeg to Shaw's Bridge
• Kells, Battery Bridge to Rock Bridge
• Maine, Dunnstown (Creamery) to Gracehill
• Six Mile Water
• Annacloy, Ballynahinch - Kilmore
• Annacloy, Kilmore to Downpatrick
• Blackwater, whitewater section, Benburb
• Blackwater, Benburb to Bonds Bridge
• Blackwater, Bonds Bridge to Maghery
• River paddle, open boats, Put in at Dromore then towards magheralin
• Quoile - Downpatrick
• Liffey - Leixlip, Straffan

Places of interest

• The Dorn marine waterfall
• Copelands
• Salt Island
• Routen Wheel
• Ballywhite Bay
• Castleward Bay
• Chapel Island
• Garron Point
• Angus Rock
• Ballyquintin Point
• Strangford Narrows
• Routen Wheel

Club practice sessions

• Sea kayak rolls & rescues, Millisle lagoon
• Park and play, Shaw's Bridge, work on your tail squirt
• Moving water skills & rescue techniques - Dundrum
• Moving water skills & rescue techniques - Shaw's Bridge
• Family fun paddle, rolls & rescues, Castlewellan Lake
• Rolls & Rescues - Bartins Bay (Lough Neagh)
• Pool Sessions - Robinson Centre

Club courses

• Sea paddling, 1* through 3*
• River paddling, 1* through 3*
• Open boating, 1* through 3*
• Pool sessions
• Rescue & Emergency Care First Aid Training
• VHF operators license
• Navigation & Tidal Planning