News & Events
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Discover the coastline of Kinsale with our new and exciting Sea Kayak trips

Day Trips

Take a closer look at the Cork coast line with our new Sea Kayaking day trips. With our natural harbour, natural coastal inlets, caves, Charles Fort and The Old Head of Kinsale to choose from you will see Kinsale from a whole new perspective!

Evening Trips

To top off any trip to Kinsale take a few hours to kayak from Kinsale harbour to Sandycove Island, passing James Fort and Charles Fort along the way. See the caves, the beach, the wildlife and if you’re lucky some dolphins!

Discover the coastline of Kinsale with our new and exciting Sea Kayak trips

Ireland has one of the most isolated, indented coastlines in Europe. Between it and America lie only 3000km of ocean. The coastline at the edge of this vast expanse is, in effect, one massive national park. Malin Head in the North to Mizen Head in the South exist some of the worlds most breathtaking vistas, among them The Giants Causeway, The Aran Islands, The Blaskets and The Old Head of Kinsale. Seeing any of them is an experience never to be forgotten. How you see them is up to you!

Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre, with its new fleet of sea kayaks runs exclusive courses of half or full day sea kayaking trips. It offers you the chance to experience a landscape of unparralled beauty in a safe, educational and intimate manner. Its flora and fauna can be seen from a perspective that only sea kayaking can offer. No engines, no noise, total immersion. Just you and nature, leaving nothing but footprints taking only memories.

Kinsale boasts a strong seal colony, while whales’ dolphins’ porpoise and otters are also common. Not to mention its diverse array of sea birds, waders and foreign migrant, shellfish, wild goats, flowers and foliage.. the list goes on and on. The land itself is rich with history, the ghosts of times past aboard Charles Fort and James Fort, which are steeped in lore. The legend of The Old Head, the DeCoury family and the Lusitania speak for themselves. Garretstown Beach, Dock Beach, Sandycove Island, Money Point, Scilly… another endless list.

Additional information regarding dates, booking details and prices are available, please phone for details. Our staff is friendly, experienced and helpful. So come to be amazed, it’s up to you!!

“All you have to do is contemplate one grain of sand and you will see in it all the marvels of creation”

Where do you go, and what do you see? Our full day Sea Kayaking trips start at 10am at the Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre where you will meet your instructor and get kitted up with all the wetsuits and water equipment you will need. After a quick briefing on the days plan it’s off to launch the boats.

The Harbour Trip, a great paddle for all skill levels

At the harbour you will begin with a safety talk, then how to launch the kayaks and you will get started. Once you have become accustomed to the boats, (depending on the weather conditions) you will set off up the Bandon River to sheltered waters to practice the kayaking strokes necessary for your trip. On the way back down river you will pass the old Kinsale boat graveyard, where all the old fishing boats retire to and seals are often seen.

As you follow the river out to the harbour you will pass James Fort (the first Star Fort built to protect Kinsale in the early 1600s), Dock Beach, a natural beach created by years of erosion and deposits of silt by the changing tides. Also see all of the natural inlets and caves along the passage from Dock Beach to Sandycove Island.

Take a break at Sandycove Island and go snorkelling on the beach and at the caves to see the array of sea creatures hiding below sea level.

On the way back be sure to take a closer look at Charles Fort (one of the finest surviving examples of Star Forts from the 17th century. At low tide you can see the “secret” entrance to the Fort). If you are lucky you might even see a dolphin or two, who have been known to follow the fishing boats into the inner harbour!

The Old Head Trip, for the more experienced paddler!

After your safety talk you will launch the kayaks from the slipway at The Speckled Door, into the sheltered cove. Here you will have a practice paddle to get a feel for the boats and make any adjustments that may be necessary before heading off.

When you leave the cove you will kayak around the peninsula that houses the Old Head of Kinsale, famous for its scenic splendour and frequent visits from dolphin pods and whales. The rock face at The Old Head has been battered into many spectacular formations by centuries of storms, meaning you may well pass some of our rock climbers on your trip!

There are naturally formed caves through the rock, which depending on weather conditions you may be able to kayak through. Although be warned that the new 18hole golf course is situated above the cliffs and stray balls have been known to fly over the edge. FOUR!!

You will finish up on Garrylucas Beach, situated directly beside Garretstown Beach, our very own blue flag beach. Take a moment to enjoy the long stretch of sand and sea and look back at the last leg of your trip.

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Staff Training Cruise September

Aoife, Jammer, clare, Liam & cat before setoff.

Jammer & Liam plot the course.

Cook gone Cuckoo.

Cat & Chris?

Sunrise in Roaringwater Bay

The Stag Islands off Baltimore

Elaine, Aoife & Eric on 1st night sail.

Dolphins on the bow of "Cyrrus" in Roaringwater Bay.

We didn't go hungry with Clare on board.

Aoife perfects the "blind night sail"

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Sailing Club - Saturday mornings, from 10am - 1pm.

As well as our many other great courses we also run a weekly sailing club. The club runs over a 6 week period and meet every Saturday morning during the winter months and every Monday evening from June onwards.

The great aspect of this club is that you don’t have to be a skilled sailor to join. All you need is your level 1 to join the club, which caters for both beginners & advanced sailors. There is no age limit and everyone is welcome.

The sailing club provides members with the opportunity to improve and practice their sailing skills and our fully qualified instructors are always nearby to give advice and help. The sailing club is both beneficial and very enjoyable for people of all ages.

Dinghy's used include Topaz, Toppers, Squibbs & the new and exciting Wayfarer World's.

"As a member of Kinsale OEC Sailing Club I can safely say that it is most definitely an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.

The club offers members a chance to improve their sailing skills in a safe and encouraging environment, which is created by the clubs fully qualified and extremely helpful instructors.

Before I joined the club I would not have considered myself a confident sailor. But my confidence quickly began to grow after a few weeks spent on the water with the club. The great aspect of the club is that it gives me the independence to rig and sail a boat on my own but I also know that one of the instructors will always be nearby if needed. Not only have I improved old skills but I have also begun to learn new ones such as trapizing and flying a spinnaker.

I really enjoy being a member of the OEC Sailing Club and I would highly recommend it."

Sarah Bryan O’Sullivan

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