Sea kayaking organisations by country
Unlike race kayakers, sea kayakers are usually represented by small organisations with unpaid staff. Most of the sites listed here have some really interesting resources. The sites shown in bold have particularly impressive resources and usually a magazine. If we've overlooked yours, please Get In Touch.
If you'd like to link to us, thank you. If you'd like to use a graphic, our "puffin" logo is in the right margin.
Traditional kayaking
Websites on the construction and use of traditional skin-on-frame kayaks, usually inspired by Greenlandic designs.
Making kayaks & equipment
For most of these links you'll have to navigate your way around Kayarchy, particularly the sections on Kayak Design, Kayak Construction and Greenland Paddles. However, special mentions here for our particular favourite sites:
Strip-plank and other wooden kayaks:
Björn Thomasson - www.thomassondesign.com
Clear Stream Fine Woodworking - http://clearstreamwood.com/WordPress/
The Kayak Forum - www.kayakforum.com
Skin-on-frame construction:
Brian Schulz - www.capefalconkayak.com
Harvey Golden - www.traditionalkayaks.com
Corey Freedman - www.skinboats.org
and click here for courses on which you can build a traditional kayak in North America.
For Europe, see also:
Kerlo Kayaks - www.kerlo.fr
PN Kayak (Italy). www.pnkayak.com
El Narcís - www.belone.net
and click here for courses on which you can build a traditional kayak in Europe.
Making folding kayaks:
Tom Yost - www.yostwerks.org
Making and sailing Pacific outrigger canoes:
Gary Dierking. He has an excellent website here
Other favourite websites
http://bertan.gipuzkoakultura.net. This site about Basque culture has some superb pages about the ships and boats of this maritime people. The English language pages are at http://bertan.gipuzkoakultura.net/23/ing/1.php
www.boat-links.com, John Kohnen's portal subtitled The Mother of All Maritime Links. It will take an enquiring mind practically everywhere in the maritime world.
Le Carré des Canotiers. In French, a lot of pictures, diary dates and news about boats for paddle, oar and sail from the distant past to the near future. Full of Gallic charm!
Kayakalo: Also in French. Lots of good things, including a list of 3500+ kayak launch sites in western Europe and Scandinavia.
Kayak.IM. A beautiful site put up by sea kayakers from the Isle of Man.
www.kayakpaddling.net. A helpful and fun animated kayaking course.
www.kayakfishingnz.com/forum. Pete McGhee was telling us about NZ paddlers' problems with sunstrike. Sunshine, eh... chance'd be a fine thing!
www.kayak-univers.com. Bruno's very useful sea kayaking site in French.
Lake District National Park. A lovely part of Britain, familiar if you have seen the film Miss Potter (2006 biopic of Beatrix Potter, Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor). The hills never seem crowded even in August, and there is excellent kayaking on lakes and sea.
Letters from the Black Sea. Quirky, intelligent and tech-savvy. If you want to make a semi-pro Vimeo video of your kayaking trip, check out this couple's report of their sea kayak trip to the Danube delta in Romania.
Paddlers' Report. We don't generally carry links for purely commercial websites, other than manufacturers, shops and outdoor centres, but we rather like this one. And they asked us so nicely!
www.paddlersreport.com
UK Mobile Phone Coverage. Last time we checked, Vodafone had considerably better coverage than anybody else along the west coast and islands of Scotland, followed by Orange. Here's a very useful website where you can check the current position for yourself: www.ukmobilecoverage.co.uk
Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery. Just what it says on the tin.
Vikamus Virtual Museum of Kayaking (mainly in German)
Good sea kayak blogs
Listed by country.
Thank you to everybody who has written in so far to mention a good blog about sea kayaking or the marine environment. That's 31 so far. Our particular favourites are in bold.
Site name |
Mainly about |
Region |
Language |
|
Vesla Outside |
Antarctic kayaking |
The Antarctic |
English |
|
Alison Dyer |
Local paddling & local issues |
Canada (Newfoundland) |
English |
Adventures on the Blue |
Local paddling |
Canada (Victoria, BC) |
English |
Bojanic (or The Dao of Kayaking) |
Local paddling, gear, thoughts |
Canada (Nova Scotia) |
English |
Canadian CKayaker |
Local paddling, hiking |
Canada (Quebec) |
English |
Kayaking Dreaming |
Local paddling |
Canada (Newfoundland) |
English |
OceanPAX |
Thoughts |
Canada (Vancouver Island) |
English |
|
Havkajak |
Equipment, local paddling |
Denmark |
Danish |
|
Le Kayak et La Mer |
Sea kayak magazine |
France |
French |
Merci Pour le Kayak |
Armelle's blog. Lively, informative and with lots of cool photos. |
France |
French |
Un Monde de Kayak |
Lots of information about equipment, raids, books, etc |
France |
French |
pinkandy's weblog |
Equipment, kayak sailing |
France |
French |
|
Qajaq Underground (Freya Hoffmeister) |
Ultra-long distance kayaking, rolling, equipment |
Germany |
English |
|
Eko
(Marco Ferrario)
|
16 Mediterranean / Adriatic / Aegean sea kayak routes |
Italy |
Italian |
|
Kajakroute (Peter) |
Kayaking news from round the world |
Netherlands |
English and Dutch versions |
Kajakwoerden (Hans Heupink) |
Thoughts, equipment, events, local paddling |
Netherlands |
English |
|
Paddle Pursuits (Jamie Stewart) |
Tips, equipment, entertainment |
New Zealand |
English |
SeaLandAir (Sandy Ferguson) |
Making stuff (rudders, paddles, trolleys) and more |
New Zealand |
English |
|
Havstril Paddelklub |
Club blog |
Norway (Austevoll) |
Norwegian |
|
Manolo Pastoriza |
Local paddling, raids |
Spain (Galicia) |
Spanish |
On Kayaks
(Ignacio Wenley Palacios) |
Traditional kayaking, learning, thoughts |
Spain (Valencia) |
English |
|
Björn Thomasson Design |
Equipment, local paddling |
Sweden |
English, Swedish |
Kayakr |
Sea kayaking in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland |
Sweden |
English |
Richard at Point 65 |
Equipment |
Sweden |
English, Swedish |
|
Taiwan Kayaker |
No idea, but Leo seems like a nice guy! |
Taiwan |
Chinese |
|
Volkan Kaya |
Equipment and local paddling |
Turkey |
Turkish |
|
|
|
|
South West Sea Kayaking |
Local paddling |
UK (England) |
English |
Paddling Orkney |
Local paddling |
UK (Scotland) |
English |
Sea Kayak Photo |
Local paddling |
UK (Scotland) |
English |
Simon Willis |
Scottish kayak trail |
UK (Scotland) |
English |
Jimski's Blog |
Local paddling |
UK (Wales/England) |
English |
Nigel Foster |
Worldwide paddling |
UK (Wales) |
English |
|
Chicago Area Sea Kayaking Assn |
Club blog |
USA |
English |
Dash Point Pirate |
Sea kayaking magazine |
USA (Washington State) |
English |
Frogma |
Local paddling & local issues |
USA (New York) |
English |
Go Kayak Now |
Surf kayaking |
USA (Michigan) |
English |
Greenland Or Bust |
Traditional kayaking, symposia |
USA (California) |
English |
Kayak Grrl |
Local & Greenland paddling |
USA? |
English |
Sea Kayaking Dot Net |
Sea kayaking magazine |
USA? |
English |
Silbs Says |
Thoughts, kayaking community |
USA |
English |
Skinboat Journal |
Traditional kayaking |
USA? |
English |
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