76 By the Dart • We Tried That


out on a family trip last year when we spotted a young seal in the water. They are very inquisitive animals and this one swam right up to one of the kids and climbed out of the water onto her kayak! It sat there looking at us all and amazingly after a few minutes it fell asleep, still lying on her kayak!” Ben, who has been on the water in one way or another since he was five, says sea kayaking is his favourite way of exploring rivers and coastlines; “The River Dart has so many hidden coves and secret beaches and you can’t access these in bigger boats. It’s a beautiful way to travel.” You can tell he has a passion for outdoor pursuits and his CV is pretty impressive. He has led many exciting expeditions around the world, from an unsupported kayak crossing of the Irish Sea to wilderness journeys on extreme white water rivers in the Himalayas. He holds the highest British leader qualification in both sea and river kayak, is a sailing in- structor and holds a commercial boat master’s licence. He has also spent 10 years running a survival-training centre on a remote uninhabited island off the Scottish coast. During the winter months he runs a ski school in the resort of Courchevel and he holds the highest level of ski instructor qualification but he says come May he’s always eager to get back to Dartmouth and to the water! Although the company has been going six years, the stand-up paddle boarding only started last year, and Ben says it has already been very popular. So popular


in fact that his girlfriend Sarah, a qualified physio- therapist, has just started running yoga and exercise classes on paddle boards, with circuits and runs included. Courses run in the evening so people can go after work. “It’s about taking fitness to the water,” she says. “It’s the perfect way to put the fun into working out. Your balance will be challenged, core worked, mind focused, heart rate raised and fun guaranteed!” You don’t need any previous experience with paddle boarding and a connection with nature is guaranteed; “the sound of water aids relaxation and it’s the closest you’ll get to walking on water.”


To find out more go to www.seakayakdevon.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148