Tours, treks, races, raids, symposia
Tours, treks, races & raids Meetings & symposia
Courses & Holidays In UK Courses & Holidays Elsewhere Maritime Festivals
This is a free list. If you'd like us to add another event, see Get In Touch.
Elsewhere you will find links to outfitters and guides in the UK and elsewhere; to some sea kayak meetings & symposia, and to both national and regional sea kayaking associations.
Races listed below have, as far as we know, a warm welcome for kayakers who prefer cruising speed. See also Rowing-Sailing Boats for some picturesque raids which are open to a wide range of non-motorised boats.
| Alphabetical order: | |
| Arctic Canoe Raid (formerly the Arctic Canoe Race). Various destinations, tourers welcome. This is a river race so we asked organizer Petri Sutinen if it is safe to take your best composite sea kayak. He said "fiberglass sea kayaks CAN survive in the big rapids of the Tornio, Teno and Kalix rivers. But maybe they don't... sea kayaking experience may not be enough for avoiding permanent damage to the kayak hull. Paddler have to drive proper line through the stone reefs. Teno is much smoother, Kalix and Tornio are far more aggressive rivers." | www.arcticcanoeraid.com - click on ACR / English. |
Arctic Sea Kayak Race, Vesterålen Islands, Norway. Tourers definitely welcome. |
www.askr.no |
| Blackburn Challenge, Cape Ann, Massachusetts. | www.blackburnchallenge.com |
| Dalsland Canoe Marathon. 35 miles of beautiful Swedish lakes and rivers, suitable for sea kayaks. 2000 kayakers and canoeists. Elite kayakers in marathon race boats can expect to finish in 4.5 hours, but others have up to 12 hours to finish before the race closes. | www.kanotmaraton.se |
| Elba Mare Marathon, Italy. | www.seakayakitaly.it |
| Go Kayak Raid, Lillsved, Sweden. | www.gokayakraid.com |
| Watertribe events (including the Ultimate Florida Challenge, Everglades Challenge, Ultra Marathon, North Carolina Challenge and the North Carolina Ultra Marathon). Races up to 1200 miles long. | www.watertribe.com |
| Yukon River 1000. 1000 miles and 7-12 days of solid paddling. | www.yukon1000.com |
| Listing is alphabetical by country for 2011 (2012 is on the "to do" list) | |||
| Australia | Batemans Bay NSW | Rock n' Roll | 1-4 April 2011 |
| Canada (Newfoundland) | Terra Nova National Park | Atlantic Paddle Symposium (organised by Paddle Canada) | 20-23 May 2011 |
| Canada (Bay of Fundy) | Tangier, Nova Scotia | Atlantic Canada Sea Kayakers' Meeting (organised by Coastal Adventures) | 11-12 June 2011 |
| Canada | Palmer Rapids, Ontario | National Sea Kayak Symposium (organised by Adventure Kayak magazine) | 2011 dates? |
| Canada | Ontario | Rossport Islands Sea Kayak Festival | 2012 |
| Canada | Ontario | Georgian Bay Storm Gathering | 13016 October 2011 |
| Catalonia | See Spain | ||
| Finland | Tulliranta | Hanko Sea Kayak Gathering | 19-21 August 2011 |
| France | Brittany (Bretagne) | www.ckmer.org | Various, all year |
| France | Brittany (Bretagne) | Brittany Kayak Festival 2011. www.kayakdemer.eu | 6-15 August 2011 |
| Germany | Spiekeroog | Salzwasserunion's Seekajakwoche (English page here) | 5-13 August 2011 |
| Ireland | Sligo | Celtic Sea and Surf Symposium | 2011 dates? |
| Italy | Genoa | Da Genova a Rapallo e ritorno meeting for kayaks and rowing boats (organised by Canoaverde) | 2011 dates? |
| Italy | Sicily | Vulcanoa (organised by Maremotu) | 2011 dates? |
| New Zealand | Anakiwa | KASK (Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers) national forum | 1-2 April 2011 |
| New Zealand | near Auckland | Coastbusters Sea Kayak Symposium | 2011 dates? |
| New Zealand | Hauraki Gulf | International Kayak Week | 2011 dates? |
| Scotland | See UK | ||
| Spain (Catalunya) | Llanca | www.pagaia.cat | 16-18 April 2011 (+ 19-24 April 2011) |
| UK (Channel Islands) | Jersey | Jersey Sea Kayak Symposium | 2011 dates? |
| UK (Cornwall) | Falmouth | Sea Kayaking Cornwall Symposium (organised by Sea Kayaking Cornwall) | 8-9 October 2011 |
| UK (England) | Lake District | Traditional Kayak Meeting, on Ullswater in the Lake District (e-mail for details) | 17-18 September 2011 |
| UK (Isle of Man) | Isle of Man | Isle of Man Sea Kayak Symposium (organised by Adventurous Experiences) | 23-25 September 2011 |
| UK (Scotland) | Tayvallich | Mid-West Symposium (organised by Kari-Tek) | 30 April-2 May 2011 |
| UK (Scotland) | Isle of Skye | Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium | 2012 |
| UK (Wales) | Anglesey | Anglesey Sea Kayak Symposium (organised by Sea Kayaking UK) | 30 April-2 May 2011 |
| UK (Wales) | Pembrokeshire | Stackpole Sea Kayak Festival (organised by Sea Kayak Guides) | 2011 dates? |
| USA (California) | Various | Traditional Arctic Kayaks Symposium (TAKS, organised by Shaman Kayaks) | 2011 dates? |
| USA (California) | San Francisco | Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium | 18-20 February 2011 |
| USA (California) | San Diego | Southwest Kayak Symposium | 25-27 March 2011 |
| USA (California) | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz Surf Kayak Festival (organised by Adventure Sports Unlimited) | 18-20 March 2011 |
| USA (Carolinas) | Charleston | East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival | 15-17 April 2011 |
| USA (Delaware) | Lewes, DE | Delmarva Paddlers' Retreat | 2011 dates? |
| USA (Florida) | St Petersburg Fl | Sweetwater Kayaks Symposium (organised by ... you've guessed it, Sweetwater Kayaks) | 17-27 February 2011 |
| USA (Maine) | Bar Harbor ME | Downeast Sea Kayaking Symposium (organised by Carpe Diem Kayaking Co) | 2011 dates? |
| USA (Maryland) | Annapolis, MD | Mid Atlantic Kayak Festival (organised by Potomac Paddlesports) | 2011 dates? |
| USA (Michigan) | Lake Michigan | Qajaq TC | 19-21 August 2011 |
| USA (Michigan) | Grand Marais | Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium | 13-18 July 2011 |
| USA (Michigan) | Munising | Ladies Of The Lake (organised by Downwind Sports) | 18-21 August 2011 |
| USA (New York) | Croton-on-Hudson | Hudson River Greenland Kayak Festival | 24-26 June 2011 |
| USA (New York) | Manhattan | Ninth Annual Manhattan Circumnavigation | 16 July 2011 |
| USA (Vermont) | Lake Champlain | Vermont Sea Kayak Symposium (organised by True North Kayak Tours) | 2011 dates? |
| USA (Washington) | Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend WA | West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium | 2011 dates? |
| USA (Washington) | near Seattle | South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayak Symposium (SSTIKS) | 10-12 June 2011 |
| USA (Washington) | Port Angeles | Port Angeles Kayak Symposium (organised by Olympic Raft & Kayak) | 15-17 April 2011 |
