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Sea kayaking activities (3)

Tours, treks, races, raids, symposia

List was last updated in October 2016. (Sorry, but these details and even the organisations change faster than you might think and I don't have the time. With any luck, you'll be able to use these old links to find the current situation.)

If you'd like us to add another event, see Get In Touch.

Elsewhere you will find links to outfitters and guides in North America and elsewhere; to some sea kayak meetings & symposia, and to both national and regional sea kayaking associations.

Tours, treks, races & raids

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-motorized 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 - hmm, still seems to be defunct (2016). Somebody please let me know if or when this cool event is resurrected.

Arctic Sea Kayak Race, Vesterålen Islands, Norway. Tourers definitely welcome.
Next one starts 23 July 2017

www.askr.no
Blackburn Challenge, Cape Ann, Massachusetts.
2017 dates?
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.
Next one is ?12 August 2017
www.kanotmaraton.se

Race to Alaska. Port Townsend WA to Ketchikan AL, organised by the Northwest Maritime Center. Jake Beattie tells us it's "an engineless, unsupported boat race from Port Townsend to Ketchikan. First prize is $10,000 (second prize is a set of steak knives). This is a race that will pit kayaks, rowboats, and engineless sailboats against each other and against the inside passage to Alaska. It's a really wide open format: any boat without an engine can enter, other than two waypoints there is no set course, and there are no classes of boats. It's one race cast in the spirit of the Gold Rush that made the route to Alaska famous."
Starts June. 2017 dates?

www.nwmaritime.org
and
http://r2ak.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.
Next dates?
www.yukon1000.com

 

Sea kayak meetings & symposia

Listing is alphabetical by country for 2016-2017 (last updated October 2016)
Australia Batemans Bay , NSW Rock n' Roll 10-13 March 2017
Australia Albany, WA Canoeing WA's Sea Kayak Symposium 2017 dates?
Australia Windsor, NSW Hawkesbury Canoe Classic 29 Oct 2016. 2017 dates?
Canada (British Columbia) Vancouver Island Pacific Paddling Symposium 2017 dates?
Canada (New Brunswick) Saint John Atlantic Paddle Symposium (organized by Paddle Canada) Defunct?
Canad (Bay of Fundy) Southwest Nova Scotia Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium (organized by Paddle Canada) 22-25 Sept 2017
Canada (Bay of Fundy) Tangier, Nova Scotia Atlantic Canada Sea Kayakers' Meeting (organized by Coastal Adventures) 2017 dates?
Canada Palmer Rapids, Ontario National Sea Kayak Symposium (organized by Adventure Kayak magazine) Defunct?
Canada Ontario Rossport Island Sea Kayak Symposium Defunct?
Canada Ontario Rossport Islands Sea Kayak Festival Defunct?
Canada Ontario Georgian Bay Storm Gathering Defunct?
Catalonia See Spain
Chile Valdivia Simposio de Kayak Pacifico Sur (organized by Pueblito Expediciones) Defunct?
Denmark Aalborg DGI Landsstævne 29.06-02.07.2017
Denmark Jutland DGI-Jutland Havkajak Winter Festival 2017 dates?
Denmark Roskilde DGI-Lejre Havkajak Symposium 2017 dates?
Finland Tulliranta Hanko Sea Kayak Gathering 2017 dates?
France Brittany (Bretagne) www.ckmer.org Various, all year
France Brittany (Bretagne) Brittany Kayak Festival
www.kayakdemer.eu
Defunct?
Germany Prora on Rügen Salzwasserunion's Seekajakwoche 2017 dates?
Greenland Qaqortoq Greenland National Kayaking Championship 2017 dates?
Ireland Rathdrum, Wicklow ICU Paddlefest
www.cani.org.uk
2017 dates?
Ireland Baltimore? Irish Sea Kayaking Association Symposium (ISKA Symposium) 2017 dates?
Ireland   Irish Sea & Surf Symposium Defunct?
Ireland Inishowen? Moville? Inishowen Sea Kayak Symposium organised by www.inishadventures.com 2017 dates?
Italy Genoa and other locations Events organized through Canoaverde Various, all year
Italy Sicily Sicily kayak tours Events organized by Maremotu) Various
Mexico Ensenada Baja Kayak Fest (organized by Aqua Adventures) 2017 dates?
New Zealand Ponui Island KASK (Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers)* national forum
*Today, Canterbury Sea Kayak Network may be a better starting point
03-05 March 2017
New Zealand near Auckland Coastbusters Sea Kayak Symposium Now on hold
New Zealand   International Kayak Week 2017 dates?
Norway   Neptun Kajakk symposium 2017 dates?
Norway Hordaland Padlefestivalen 2017 dates?
Norway East of Oslo Kanalfestival 2017 dates?
Norway   Rullefestivalen organised by Kajakkspesialisten 2017 dates?
Norway Near Sandefjord Bølgefestivalen (= Wave Festival) 07-09.0ct 2016. 2017 dates?
Norway Fredrikstad Fredrikstad Kajakk Various
Norway Stokkøya Qajaq-treff 2017 dates?
Norway   Rangøysamlinga 2017 dates?
Norway Near Sandefjord Telemarkspadler'n (marathon) 2017 dates?
Scotland See UK
Spain (Catalunya) Cap de Creus Pagaia Symposium 2017 dates?
Spain (Catalunya) Llanca www.pagaia.cat Various, all year
Sweden Fjällbacka? Kajakkorienteringen (marathon) 2017 dates?
UK (Channel Islands) Jersey Jersey Sea Kayak Symposium 2017 dates?
UK (Cornwall) Falmouth Sea Kayaking Cornwall Symposium (organized by Sea Kayaking Cornwall) 8-16 Oct 2016. 2017 dates?
UK (Dorset) Studland Qajaq Games (fun events based on the Greenland Games of the Inuit). Entry forms from ukqajaq at gmail.com

2017 dates?

UK (Isle of Man) Isle of Man International Training Weekend (organized by Adventurous Experiences) 2017 dates?
UK (Isle of Wight) Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Sea Kayak Symposium 2017 dates?
UK (Kent) Hythe Seapoint & South East Kayak Symposium 2017 dates?
UK (N Ireland) See Ireland
UK (Scotland) Tayvallich Mid-West Symposium (organized by Kari-Tek) 2017 dates?
UK (Scotland) Isle of Skye Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium Next in 2018
UK (Scotland) Glencoe Traditional Kayak Meeting Defunct?
UK (Scotland) Shetland Islands Shetland Sea Kayak Symposium
(organized by www.shetlandcanoeclub.co.uk)
2017 dates?
UK (Wales) Anglesey Anglesey Sea Kayak Symposium 2017 dates?
UK (Wales) Anglesey Anglesey Storm Gathering Symposium 2017 dates?
UK (Wales) Pembrokeshire Stackpole Sea Kayak Festival (organized by Sea Kayak Guides) Defunct?
USA (California) Various Traditional Arctic Kayaks Symposium (TAKS, organized by Shaman Kayaks) Defunct?
USA (California) San Francisco

Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium
or Paddle Golden Gate

26028 Jan 2018
USA (California) San Diego

Southwest Paddle Fest Symposium (organized by Aqua Adventures)

Defunct?
USA (California) Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Paddlefest (organized by Kayak Connection) 2017 dates?
USA (Carolinas) James Island County Park, Charleston Charleston Outdoor Fest 21-23 April 2017
USA (Carolinas) Charleston East Coast Paddlesports & Outdoor Festival sponsored by Sea Kayak Carolina 2017 dates?
USA (Delaware) Rehoboth Bay Delmarva Paddlers' Retreat 30 Sept - 08 Oct 2017
USA (Florida) Yulee, FL ACA Florida Canoe Symposium 2017 dates?
USA (Florida) St Petersburg, FL Florida Gulf Coast International Sea Kayak Symposium (organized by Sweetwater Kayaks) 24-26 Feb 2017
USA (Georgia) Tybee Island ACA Paddlesport Week (organized by Sea Kayak Georgia) 20-27 Oct 2016. 2017 dates?
USA (Maine) Bath. ME Mid Coast Sea Kayak Rendezvous 2017 dates?
USA (Maryland) Annapolis, MD Mid Atlantic Kayak Festival (organized by Potomac Paddlesports) Defunct?
USA (Michigan) Lake Michigan Qajaq TC 2017 dates?
USA (Michigan) Grand Marais Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium 19-23 July 2017
USA (Michigan) Munising, MI Ladies Of The Lake (organized by Downwind Sports) 2017 dates?
USA (Michigan) Big Blue Lake WMCKA Symposium

2017 dates?

USA (Michigan) Munising Gales Storm Gathering 2017 dates?
USA (Minnesota) Duluth, MN Two Harbors Kayak Festival 29-30 July 2017
USA (Minnesota) Lake Carlos State Park The Gathering
www.qajaqmn.org
2017 dates?
USA (New York) Croton-on-Hudson

Hudson River Greenland Kayak Festival

2017 dates?

USA (New York) Manhattan Annual Manhattan Circumnavigation 2017 dates?
USA (Oregon) Pacific City Lumpy Waters Symposium 07-09 Oct 2016. 2017 dates?
USA (Vermont) Lake Champlain Vermont sea kayak tours (organized by True North Kayak Tours) Various, summer
USA (Virginia) Kiptopeke, VA Kiptopeke Sea Kayaking Symposium (organized by Cross Currents) 2017 dates?
USA (Washington) Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend WA West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium Defunct?
USA (Washington) Seattle New Year's Challenge (organized by Paddling Dynamics) Defunct?
USA (Washington) near Seattle South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayak Symposium (SSTIKS) 2017 dates?
USA (Washington) Port Angeles Port Angeles Kayak Symposium (organized by Olympic Raft & Kayak) Defunct?

 

 

 

 

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