2 Day Sea Kayak Course October 11, 2025
This is a 2-day sea kayak course.
2-DAY SEA KAYAK COURSE OVERVIEW
An introductory sea kayaking course for people looking to explore local harbours, lakes, and bays safely. Spend the weekend learning all there is to know about sea kayak equipment, paddling skills, and self rescues.
**This is our most popular sea kayak training course. Prior experience is not necessary**
PRICE $749* (MINIMUM AGE 16 YEARS)
Youth Price: $374.50** (14-15 years, accompanied by an adult)
Ask about our Family Friendly courses for ages less than 14 years.
COURSE LOCATION
This course is delivered in Lyttelton Harbour, close to Christchurch. The course starts at Charteris Bay (30 mins from Christchurch) at 9:00 am. We access the water and utilize the picturesque and sheltered area of the harbour to practise our paddling techniques and rescues.
The exact location for the second day will be decided by the group and instructor at the end of Day 1 and will vary depending on local weather and tides.
The course finishes at 4 pm in Charteris Bay (approx 50mins from Christchurch airport).
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is not included in this course. If you travel from out of town, we recommend staying in Lyttelton, Governors Bay, the south side, or Christchurch City Centre. If you don’t have transport in Christchurch, we are happy to pick you up and drop you off at your accommodation each day.
GEAR & EQUIPMENT
What you will need for this course is your personal paddling clothing plus overnight camping equipment. We will supply the sea kayaking equipment if you don’t have your own. There is also the ability to hire camping equipment too. You can find a packing list and course outline at the bottom of this page.
FOOD
This sea kayak course is self-catered. If you have never packed for an overnight camping trip before we can help you out with meal ideas. A packing list is available to download at the bottom of this page.
FREE TRANSPORT
Free transport is available from any Christchurch accommodation if you’re travelling from out of town to attend one of our courses.
Meeting locations
If you have your own car please meet us at one of the following locations.
- Opposite Princess Margaret Hospital on Cashmere Road, Cashmere (8:25 am)
- Governors Bay Hotel lower car park (8:45 am)
*Our preferred meeting location is Governors bay Hotel.
TRAVELLING FROM OUT OF TOWN?
We recommend that you arrive in Christchurch the day before your course. We have a few hotel & hostel suggestions on our FAQ page. Please avoid booking accommodation north or east of the city centre. At the end of the course, we are more than happy to drop you back at your accommodation or directly to the airport. The earliest time we can have you back at the airport is 6 pm.
WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS SEA KAYAK COURSE
Day 1: Skills & Equipment
Kayaking Skills
- Paddle techniques
- Power and touring strokes
- Kayak control/manoeuvring
- Low Brace
Sea Kayak Equipment
- Fitting out your boat
- Overview of sea kayak equipment
- Care and maintenance
- Transporting and storing kayaks/gear
End of the day, we head back to Living Springs to our cabins.
Day two:
Rescues
- Paddle float rescues
- Scramble self-rescue
- Supporting a rescue
- Emergency communications and equipment
* This is the early bird booking price. Standard rates are available on the course calendar.
**Conditions apply for youth pricing structure. See FAQ’s page.
COURSE DOWNLOADS
See what our clients have to say
“It was a really professional course- 5 Stars” – Sinaritie, Christchurch
“Fantastic team at OENZ. Excellent fun and learning with a great group of like-minded people. Thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and the skills will inevitably allow greater access to our beautiful country. Highly recommend!” – Rob James, Canterbury.
“The experience, enthusiasm and communication from the instructors was great. We’re off to buy a sea kayak and try out the stuff we learned” – Carlos Rosado, Christchurch
