NSW Sea Kayak Club upcoming events

Myall Lakes Camping - Under the Milky Way Tonight (11 Jul 2026)

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:00:00 GMT

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.

A Gentle Introduction to Rock Gardens (18 Jul 2026)

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 22:30:00 GMT

A full-day session in gently moving water developing our boat control skills in tight situations through the effective union of body, boat and blade – in other words working on the hard skills for safe passage in rock gardens and gauntlets (a fun part of sea kayaking!).

We will be covering a broad array of strokes (maybe some which are new to you) and testing our edging skills.

Helmets will need to worn throughout the session (loan helmets available if required).

There is the possibility of unintentional capsizes (a good opportunity to practice rescue skills) so you will need dress appropriately (and have a change of dry clothes to get into post session).

Best suited to plastic kayaks and Euro blades. If you are concerned about your boat getting a scratch or two then this is probably not the session for you.

There will a generous shore break for lunch (Balmoral) for which you have the option of self-catering or patronising the local eateries.

Kayaks and kit to Grade 2 please.

Class size limited.

The session will provide opportunities for some Grade 2 competencies to be signed off.

Your instructors for the session will be Adrian Clayton and Paul Thomas. Email Adrian at adriancl8on[at]gmail.com if you have any queries.

AGM Weekend - Swansea Caves and Lake Macquarie (17 Oct 2026)

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 22:00:00 GMT

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.