CURRENT EVENTS

These are paddles offered mostly on Weekends and Public Holidays by Club Trip Leaders. You will need to register to take part.  Registration of interest does not guarantee a place on the paddle.  The leader has the discretion to select paddlers to suit conditions and the trip plan. Non-members can join here.

Upcoming events

  • Flatwater paddle

    • 22 Apr 2026
    • 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Davidson Park
    • 3 registrants
    Register

    A flatwater paddle of about 15 km possibly to Clontarf and return. Please bring morning tea and lunch. Destination may change depending on weather. 

    Contact debc[at]hotmail if you have any questions or are interested in flatwater paddling in the Sydney area some other week.


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  • Anzac Weekend South Coast Paddle

    • 25 Apr 2026
    • 9:00 AM
    • 27 Apr 2026
    • 4:00 PM
    • South Coast
    • 6
    • 1 registrant
    Register

    This is a three day paddle trip on the south coast over the Anzac Day weekend.  Distances paddled each day will be between 15 and 25 kilometres and we will be camping on Saturday and Sunday nights finishing around midday on Monday.  The exact route/location will be determined closer to our departure day/ time and may include surf launches and surf landings.  

    You will need to carry two days food and water as well as all your camping gear and safety gear.  Remember that it is cool on the south coast, particularly in the mornings so warm clothes are needed.  

    Contact me (sandy.mcguinness@gmail.com) to register your interest. Open to Grade 2 and above paddlers with some camping experience. 

    We will take a few minutes over the weekend to remember the sacrifices of our service members.  


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  • Lake Macquarie Explorer - Pelican to Pulbah Island Return

    • 3 May 2026
    • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • 4
    Register

    Sunday morning paddle on Lake Macquarie from Pelican around Pulbah island and back.  Distance approx 15km suitable for all grades.  Good opportunity to be assessed for Club Grade 1, if new, and to practice some Grade 2 skills along the way.
    Meet at 9:00am to be on the water at Pelican beach on north side of Swansea Channel (car park near the boat ramp and Marine Rescue) at 9:30am.  Return around 1:00pm.
    Please bring some snacks for the trip, wear clothing appropriate for the weather and have kayaks to Club standard with spray deck and deck lines fitted (no deck lines = no paddle as a rescue is too hard).
    If aiming for Grade 1 assessment with wet exit, please let me know and bring a change of paddling clothes so that we can complete the assessment before the paddle.
    Any queries, please e-mail me at president.nswskc@gmail.com.
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  • Navigation Training Weekend

    • 8 May 2026
    • 5:00 PM
    • 10 May 2026
    • 4:00 PM
    • Port Stephens
    • 4
    Register

    NAVIGATION FOR SEA KAYAKERS

    Port Stephens, 8-10 May 2026

    Navigation: The art of knowing where you are and how to get to your destination in a safe and timely manner.

    This is a weekend that focuses on navigation in a Sea Kayaking context.  The aim is to equip participants with the knowledge to more than satisfy the navigational requirements of the Paddle Australia Sea Skills award.

    There will be a focus on the skills and knowledge most relevant to planning and successfully completing a kayak journey, considering a range of typical considerations and circumstances.

    We will be based at a members home at North Arm Cove, Port Stephens with both indoor (limited) and on-site camping available. You will need to arrive on the Friday afternoon or evening so that we can get started on time on the Saturday.

    There will be a high level of participant involvement throughout (with the bonus of some nice paddling).  Weather permitting, the weekend activities will be predominantly practical, focused on application of trip planning and way finding skills. Day One will include working with compasses, charts and maps followed by on-water exercises.  Day Two will be exclusively on-water (with a shore break for lunch) putting into practice the lessons of the previous day in a 20km open water paddle.

    So  that we can hit the road running on Day 1, registrants will be provided with pre-reading materials related to working with compasses and charts and maps.  Please work through these and contact either Campbell or Caoimhin if you have any problems with it as the contents will be assumed knowledge for the weekend activities

    There will be a registration cost (less than $100, not yet finalised) for the weekend to cover  materials supplied by the Club and other expenses.  Participants will be required to bring their own writing materials and a compass - deck, bushwalking or both (if you have one).

    Kayaks and paddlers to Grade 2 as a minimum please.

    Please email Campbell camtil99[at]gmail.com or Caoimhin via the website if you have any queries regarding the weekend.  Otherwise, use the registration facility on the Club’s website to secure your spot (class size limited).

    This weekend will not run if we have insufficient registrants.  Please indicate your interest early.  Paddlers who have not attended the weekend before will be preferred.

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  • Fingal Fun 1 - Plastic Fantastic

    • 30 May 2026
    • 9:00 AM
    • 31 May 2026
    • 3:00 PM
    • Fingal Bay
    • 1
    Register

    This weekend will be a combination of trips and plastic sea kayak repair tips and tricks.  A few members have recently been learning how to repair plastic boats and the intent is to have a weekend at Fingal Bay where we can share some of this knowledge along with a few paddling trips and hopefully some whale watching.

    Accommodation for up to 8 is available in a holiday house near the beach from Friday to Sunday night.  There are 2 x double beds, 2 rooms with 2 single beds and some floor space.  Cost will be $70 each for the weekend to cover the cleaning fee.  Other options are also available locally, including Fingal Bay holiday park.  Depending on numbers, we will have a meal on Saturday night either at the holiday house or at the local Fingal Bay Cellar Cafe.

    Note that we may have to park some cars around the corner or in 9 hour parking areas.  There is safe storage for kayaks in the back yard of the holiday house.

    This weekend is suitable for strong Grade 2 and Grade 3 paddlers and will involve open ocean paddling and rock gardening.

    Caoimhin Ardren and Tony Murphy will be the sea guides and Richard Hackett will be organizing accommodation.  Please let us know if you have any questions.



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  • Fingal Fun Weekend 2 - The Humpback Highway

    • 20 Jun 2026
    • 9:00 AM
    • 21 Jun 2026
    • 3:00 PM
    • Fingal Bay
    • 0
    Join waitlist

    Hopefully the humpback highway will be in full swing by mid June and Port Stephens is a great place to see these amazing creatures as they come in close to the coast around Fingal Island on their way north

    This is the second Club trip to Fingal in June.  Over the weekend we will be paddling around 20km each day, with the final plans to make the best of the weather.

    Accommodation will be in a holiday house near the beach and is available from Friday to Sunday night.  There are 2 x double beds, 2 rooms with 2 single beds and some floor space. To make catering easy, we will cook a meal for everybody on Saturday night and provide some basics like bread, milk, margarine, tea and coffee.  Please bring your own breakfast and lunches and food for Friday night, alcohol etc.  The cost will be shared between those attending and will be around $110 for the weekend to cover the cleaning fee and food.

    Note that we may have to park some cars around the corner or in 9 hour parking areas.  There is safe storage for kayaks in the back yard of the holiday house.

    Paul Thomas will be the sea guide planning the routes and Richard Hackett will be organizing accommodation and cooking.  Please let us know if you have any questions.



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  • Myall Lakes Camping - Under the Milky Way Tonight

    • 11 Jul 2026
    • 9:00 AM
    • 12 Jul 2026
    • 3:00 PM
    • Myall Lakes - Bombah Point Ferry - Shelly Beach
    Register

    Its time to dig out your winter woolies and head to the Myall Lakes for a camping weekend under the stars.  I've got a few ideas for trips and much will depend on who signs up and what the weather brings.  All options will include Saturday night at Shelly Beach to watch the sunset.

    Plan A - Bombah Point Ferry (east side) to Shelly Beach Return.  Leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday afternoon.

    Plan B - Bombah Pint Ferry (east side).  Leave Friday night 5pm and paddle in the dark to Johnsons Beach as the Milky Way rises above us.  Head to Shelly Beach on Saturday and return on Sunday.

    Plan C - If the weather is good extend the trip to stay on Monday.

    The Myall Lakes is a wonderful area to kayak and camp, especially in the winter when it is much quieter.  The weekend has been selected as a good time to see the Milky Way with no light pollution.  The sunsets from Shelly Beach can also be superb, so make sure that you pack your camera (and tripod if you have one).

    This trip is suitable for competent paddlers (Grade 2) who can maintain a speed of 6km/h to stay with the group (especially if we paddle at night).  If you are familiar with bush camping, but have never kayak camped before, this would be a great introduction.

    You will need an NSW National Parks Pass and NPWS camping fees will apply.


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  • AGM Weekend - Swansea Caves and Lake Macquarie

    • 17 Oct 2026
    • 9:00 AM
    • 18 Oct 2026
    • 3:00 PM
    • Swansea
    Register

    NSW Sea Kayak Club Annual General Meeting

    This year's AGM weekend will be at Swansea in the Hunter region on Saturday 17 October. 

    There are some great paddling options for everybody from exploring the caves between Swansea and Catherine Hill Bay to the quieter waters of Lake Macquarie.   We will aim to put on a number of trips to suit those who want to attend the weekend.

    The AGM itself will be held at the Swansea RSL where we have a room booked with water views.  Refreshments and food will be available at the RSL after a day on the water.  At this stage, there are no plans for a speaker etc, but this may change closer to the time if somebody has some good tales to share from a recent trip.

    The AGM is where the "office bearers" of the Club are elected and where other business associated with running the Club can be discussed.  We are always looking for new people to help on the Committee, so if this interests you, please give it some thought before the AGM and have a chat to one of the Committee members.  In particular, this year we will be looking for at team of 3 or 4 people to help organise Rock and Roll 2027 at Currarong on 13/14 March 2027.

    There are a couple of camping options at Swansea close to the water and the RSL.  I will  check these out before the event and confirm which location we will use.  When registering for the AGM, please select either the "camping" or "not camping" option so that we can try to coordinate and share camping sites used by the Club.


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