We create memories together that will last a lifetime.
An expedition on the Dart estuary. Paddle together in our giant canoes and take in the wildlife, history, geography, and stunning landscape. Including fire lighting and basic bushcraft, team skills, catching crabs, getting muddy and maybe a wild swim. We learn about the dynamic estuary environment and the changing landscape of nature recovery. Most of all this is a precious day to find another rhythm. Time and space for free play, fresh air and fun, and a healthy, phone-free respite from the busyness of school and home life.
We head out in our giant canoes and land at our basecamp where we can run a range of activities, such as archery, bushcraft skills, paddle skills, seasonal art and craft, and campfire cooking.
A unique canoeing and multi-activity wild camp at our secluded riverside site. We're outdoors 100% of the time. Overnights for one or two nights are normally camping without tents. Participants build shelters with the equipment we provide (you need to provide sleeping bags and roll mats). Cooking is done together over the open fire.
We place emphasis on time and space and challenge-by-choice, learning new skills and being in nature in a very beautiful part of the country. The whole experience rolls as one continuous adventure, more like a mini-expedition; responding and adapting to the group and conditions, and facilitating the learning than comes from that, as is appropriate to the group. Prices and timings depend on your numbers, tides and activities. If you have suitably experienced staff we can reduce our staffing and work with you to keep costs down.
For students needing more dedicated staffing and support, we can offer sessions where they can build confidence and exercise challenge-by-choice while learning fun, new skills such as firelighting, paddleboarding or kayaking. We work with most local SEND schools to provide tailored sessions.
We have a fleet of traditional canadian canoes and sit-on-top kayaks. Here the focus is learning more technical paddling skills rather than covering distance, and often involves getting wet, especially in the kayaks! If you have suitably qualified instructors in your staff team, this equipment is available to hire.
We are a lot smaller and more seasonal than most activity centres. This means we can be more flexible on price and scheduling but we have limited capacity so we do get booked up quickly at peak season. We work exclusively on the tidal Dart estuary and no one knows this amazing place better than we do!
We are licensed and insured to take Under 18s out in our canoes on the River Dart Estuary between the weir at Totnes and Dartmouth Castle.
We are inspected annually by the Dart Harbour Authority, who issues our commercial operators' licence, and every two years by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, part of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), who issue our license to take out U18s according to a UK national standard. Both those inspections involve an assessment of the qualification and experience of our staff, our operational procedures, and the quality of our vessels and equipment.
Please note that numbers of students and staff attending are an essential part of our Risk Assessment and Safeguarding policy. Appropriate ratio of adults to youngsters agreed in advance of outing; standard practice being at least one adult known to youngsters per boat. We need at least one adult that is known to the young people in each canoe. Please therefore advise us if your numbers change.
Our insurance is provided by Activities Industry Mutual Limited that specialise in outdoor and adventure activities. Our public liability extends to £5,000,000 each and every occurence. Our Employers liability extends to £10,000,000 each and every occurence. Our professional Indemnity cover extends to £100,000.
We keep a constant eye on the weather forecast and will be in touch in advance of you trip to explore contingency options, should conditions look like being outside of our operating window.
Please see this page for our Privacy Policy which includes how we manage photos of under 18s.
Please find attached
Come dressed for a full day out in the outdoors. Nothing precious, no phones. You will come home muddy and smelling of woodsmoke!
If going back to school afterwards, it is worth having a change of clothes but no need to bring with you or your bag will be too big.
We provide giant kit bags to put your bags in but please don’t pack too much or it doesn’t all fit. The canoes do not have cargo holds!
