SAFETY TRAINING

Here at Akaroa Guided Kayak Safari, we take your comfort and safety seriously. In fact, your safety is our number one priority.

We have been operating since 2009 after extensive research, training and consultation with Maritime New Zealand on their recommended safety & procedure standards. We are proud recipients of the highly regarded Outdoor Mark certification for exceptional safety standards. You are in safe hands in any situation as our guides hold certs in advanced first aid, search, and rescue, wilderness first responder, defibrillator training & over a decade each of experience in the outdoor industry.

At the start of every Akaroa guided sea kayaking trip, we give you a thorough introduction to sea kayaking and how to make the best of your trip with us. Its called a safety briefing and it takes about 20 minutes. It includes setting up your kayaks so that you have maximum comfort when paddling, teaching you the correct techniques for paddling, route and weather information and of course what to do in the case of an emergency or capsize. You won’t be asked to immerse yourself underwater, unless of course, you want to, so relax and enjoy.

This safety session is really important to ensure your safety and enjoyment throughout the trip so please ensure you arrive on time and are giving our guides your full attention. If you miss the safety briefing our guides can not take you on the tour. If you are running late you can call us and let us know and we will assist you in any way we can.

On all of our trips we carry the following safety equipment as a minimum:

Spare paddles, water pump, towing lines, cell phone, VHF radios, providing weather updates & emergency communications, first aid pack, spare warm clothes, gloves, hats, thermals, repair kits, phones and always have exit routes and our 4 wheel drive minivans on standby in case of sudden weather changes.

We are mobile so we conduct our tours in the safest area each day depending on the wind direction. We also have the best Kayaks on the market, we travel in double kayaks made in NZ which are far better suited to our sea conditions, they offer safe, strong and very stable experiences for our guests!