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.

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 trips from 2007

• Rolls & rescues - Millisle Lagoon
• Sea paddle - Knockinelder to Portaferry
• Gentle paddle from Killyleagh to Island Taggart for lunch
• White water paddle - River Blackwater - Benburb
• Sea paddle - Lough Beg
• Sea paddle - Whitehead to Carrick
• White water paddle - Shaws Bridge - Enjoy the sunshine and work on your tail squirt
• Sea paddle - Knockinelder (Kearney Point) to Portaferry
• White water paddle - Lagan Descent - Lambeg to Stranmilllis
• Rolls & Rescues - rescue practice in the sea
• Night paddle - Ards sailing club to Boretree islands
• Club coaching & come and try it session - Shaws Bridge
• A variety of boats will be available so try something different
• Gentle paddle from Ards sailing club, lunch on an island - meet at the pool session at 9 or at Ards sailing club at 11.30
• White water paddle - Six Mile Water
• White water paddle - Shaws Bridge
• Personal skills training - 2 star training session
• Sea paddle - Donaghadee yacht club to the Copeland Islands
• White water paddle – River Blackwater – Benburb
• River paddle - Annacloy
• Sea paddle - Donaghadee yacht club to the Copeland Islands
• Sea paddle - Strangford Lough – Heading out from Ards sailing club to look for the seals
• BKC committee meeting – First meeting of 2008
• White water paddle - Shaws Bridge
• Sea paddle – heading out from Groomsport
• Sea paddle – heading out from Millisle lagoon
• Sea paddle – headng out from Killyleagh sailing club
• Sea paddle – heading out from Cloughy car park, paddle to south rock
• White water paddle – Upper Bann
• Sea paddle – Strangford to Ballyhornan, through the lough entrance
• Open boat paddle – put in at Dromore heading down to Magheralin
• River paddle - Lagan
• BKC AGM
• Sea paddle – Bangor
• Sea paddle – Killyleagh to Quoile barrage
• White water Safety and Rescue course
• Sea paddle – Groomsport to the Copelands
• Surfing – Portrush
• Sea paddle – Bangor
• 4 day trip on Strangford lough followed by 2 days on the Blackwater canoe trail
• Sea paddle - North Coast
• Sea paddle – Bangor
• Sea paddle – Strangford Lough – Ards sailing club and out to an island for lunch
• White water skills training
• Sea paddle – heading out from Millisle
• Sea paddle – heading out from Bangor
• VHF Course
• River paddle – Six Mile Water
• Sea paddle – Location TBA
• Sea paddle – Bangor
• Sea paddle – Bangor
• White water skills training
• Sea paddle - North Down
• Surfing - White Rocks
• Surfing – White Rocks
• White water paddle – Six Mile Water - Dunadry
• Surfing – White Rocks
• White water skills training
• White water skills training
• Sea paddle – location TBA
• River paddle - Upper Lagan Open Boat Paddle – Dromara to Drumillar
• Sea paddle – Heading out from Groomsport heading into Belfast Lough
• Traditional Xmas Gobbins Paddle
• Open boat paddle - River Blackwater canoe trail – Meet at Bonds Bridge car park beside the Argory
• Sunday Morning Pre-Christmas Paddle – Strangford Lough – White Rock Bay to Island Taggart
• Rolls & rescues - Millisle Lagoon
• White water paddle – River lagan – upper section – Dromara to Dromore, open boats
• Open boat paddle - River Quoile
• BKC Strangford Challenge - 23km sea kayak race with RLNI cover
• Building a Greenland Kayak
• Surfing – Whiterocks
• Rolls & Rescues – Millisle Lagoon
• White water paddle – River Bann – 3*
• Sea paddle – Strangofrd lough – White Rock Bay
• Rescue Emergency Care First Aid Training
• Sea Paddle – Belfast Lough
• Sea Paddle – Donaghadee to the Copelands
• Sea Paddle – Strangford Lough
• Sea Paddle – Heading out from Holywood
• Surfing - Weekend Surf Trip
• Lough Foyle Part 2 – Camp overnight at Portsalon - paddle Lough Swilly the next day
• Sea paddle - Lough Foyle
• One-star assessment – Millisle
• One-star assessment – Craigavon
• Star test coaching – Millisle
• Star test coaching – Shaws Bridge
• Star test coaching – Millisle
• Surfing – White Rocks
• Star test coaching – Craigavon
• Star test coaching – Shaws Bridge
• Liffey Descent
• Star tests coacing – Bangor Marina
• Star test coaching – Bangor Marina
• Club Night Out – Meal in Belfast – Bring A Partner
• River paddle - venue TBA
• Sea paddle - Strangford Lough
• Sea paddle - Copelands
• Sea paddle Weekend West Coast
• Sea paddle - Gobbins
• Open boat paddle - Erne Waterway
• Sea paddle - Newcastle
• Sea paddle - Strangford Lough
• Star test coaching – Millisle
• Sea paddle – Donaghadee to the Copeland Islands
• Sea paddle - Belfast Lough – Holywood to Whiteabbey (across lough)
• Sea paddle - Copelands
• Sea paddle Groomsport
• Sea paddle - Carlingford
• 2 day sea kayaking trip on the North Coast
• Sea paddle - Ballintoy harbour,
• Sheep Island, Carrick a rede rope bridge
• Sea paddle - Gaints Causeway – Port Ballintrae
• Sea paddle - Annalong to Newcastle
• White water paddle - Upper Bann, Open boats or Kayaks
• Sea paddle – Whitehead to Port Much - Gobbins
• Open boat paddle - Rams Island Lough Neagh
• Surfing – Whiterocks
• Sea paddle - Ardglass
• Surfing – Whiterocks
• River paddle - Lagan
• Rolls & Rescues - Bartins Bay - Lough Neagh
• Rolls & Rescues - Strangford
• Sea paddle – Gobbins
• River paddle - Lagan
• White water paddle – Upper Bann
• River paddle - Lagan
• River paddle - Lagan
• White water paddle - Six Mile Water
• 5 day trip to Scotland - Open Boat paddle on River Spey
• Sea paddle – Copelands
• White water paddle – Upper Bann 3*
• Surfing - White Rocks
• White water skills training – Shaws Bridge
• White water paddle – River Blackwater – Benburb
• White water skills training – Shaws Bridge
• Sea Paddle – Location TBA
• Surfing – Whiterocks
• Sea paddle - Killyleagh