FAQ's - Kayak Clifton - Single Kayak

Frequently Asked Questions:

Clothes that can get wet when you paddle in them or a swimming costume.
Sun hat, sunscreen and some water to drink.
Change of dry clothes for afterwards.

We meet up at Clifton 4th beach which has been voted one of the Top Ten Beaches in the world. Upon arrival we will welcome you, fit you with a Portable Floating Device (PFD) and give you a waterproof cell phone case to use so that you can take your own photos and videos on the trip.

After everyone arrived we will do a short introductory talk and demonstrate how to paddle the kayaks. Then we will launch the kayaks and start our adventure by paddling across the bay towards Clifton 1st beach. We will admire the splendid backdrop provided by Lion’s Head, Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles and share a bit of Clifton’s history with you. After that we will paddle through the kelp forests and rock boulders where the water becomes a lot shallower. On a perfect day it feels like paddling in an aquarium.

Depending on the wind, wave and tidal conditions we will choose a suitable spot for the adventurous ones to take a swim. We offer diving masks to those people who want to take a peak underwater and experience the splendour of the rock pools and kelp forests first hand.

What time should we arrive?

Aim for 10 min before your slot.
During busy, holiday times, you need to allow more travel time for the late morning slots.
And you will probably have to park further away and allow more time to walk to the beach.

How long does a kayak adventure take to complete?

It is approximately 90 min in total. We hope that the memories will last a lot longer. Talk to us if you need to get back earlier or have any other special needs.

What marine wildlife will we see?

We often see seals (there is a small resident colony), sea gulls, terns, cormorants and oystercatchers on our trips. We don’t often see whales, dolphins or sunfish but occasionally we do, you just never know.

Why do you have different pricing for South Africans and Foreigners?

Most of the foreigners who kayak with us have the exchange rate in their favour and/or are rich enough to afford international travel and do fun activities.

We want to afford the opportunity to experience a kayak adventure to as many South Africans as possible, hence the discounted rate to them.

What are your business hours?

Summer:

We paddle every day when the weather is nice. During December, January and February kayak adventures are usually scheduled at 7, 9 & 11 am and for the other months at 9, 11 am and sometimes at 1 pm.

We rent kayaks out by the hour on Clifton 4th beach when the weather is nice and the beach busy enough to make it worth our while. Rentals are done from opening time, whenever kayaks and guides are available to manage the rentals.

The easiest and quickest way to reach us is on WhatsApp. Someone mans the phone most of the day and responds to messages pretty quickly most of the time.

Winter:

We go into hibernation from 01 June to 31 August each year. If it is an exceptional day, you may be able to twist our arm for a paddle. Please WhatsApp us to enquire or keep an eye on our Instagram page.

Are there sharks?

In 6 years of sea kayaking I have not seen a shark yet. So you will be extremely lucky (or unlucky) to see one. Don’t worry about it.

Private tours?

We do private tours for groups of 4 or more, at a more expensive rate. If you are less than 4, you will need to pay for 4. The advantage of a private tour is that we are able to tailor the tour exactly to your needs. If you have not paddled before we can spend more time to teach you how to paddle and then paddle a shorter distance that will not be so tiring etc.

What is your Cancellation, Rescheduling and Postponement Policy?

If we postpone or reschedule a trip we offer a full refund to people who are not able to reschedule.

In the past we have had people who postponed their trips several times last minute on a whim of theirs. This is very frustrating for us as we book the amount of guides needed in advance, we still need to pay them and we lose the income on those spaces that sometimes could have been filled by other customers. In order to discourage people from doing this to us, we have implemented the following cancellation policy:

More than 24 hours before trip:

Cancellation: Full refund less R100 admin fee.
Rescheduling: Free. It must be done by WhatsApp or email more than 24 before the start of the booked trip.

Less than 24 hours before trip: No refund for cancellations and no rescheduling allowed.

Do you sell vouchers?

Yes we do. Please contact us on WhatsApp or email to arrange for a customised gift voucher for those special people or occasions in your life.

What other services do you offer:

Birthday parties, film shoots, school trips, corporate teambuilding events and end-of-year functions.

Why do you recommend booking a kayak adventure in the morning?

The wind usually starts blowing stronger during the day so the best time of the day to kayak is mostly during the morning. The sunset kayak adventures are bliss when the conditions are good, but they don't often happen.

What are your age limits?

The youngest guest on our kayak adventure so far was a 12 month old baby, BUT the sea was as flat as dam, without a breath of wind AND both the parents were experienced SUP’ers. We have specially designed Life Jackets for small kids weighing as little as 3 kgs.

For our guided kayak adventures, we recommend a minimum age of 4 and for kayak rentals 3. This obviously depends on the conditions; the parent’s paddling ability and them being comfortable taking the kids out.

On the other side of the spectrum we have had 76 year old people paddling along on our kayak tours. The fitter and healthier you are, the older you can be. If the arms are not that strong anymore, bring a youngster along to do the paddling:)

If we (Kayak Clifton) are not comfortable with the conditions, we reserve the right to reschedule kayak tours or to stop kayak rentals.

What if I can’t swim?

As long you are not scared you will be fine. You will be wearing a Portable Floating Device (PFD) that will keep you afloat, should you fall into the water.

The chance of falling into the water though, is very slim as our kayaks are very stable.

Do you have single kayaks?

Yes we do. Please specifically ask for a single kayak when booking.

Why choose us?

We only kayak on the best days, approx. 100 days between September and May each year so every trip is a memorable experience.
Valid African Paddling Association – Sea Kayaking (APA-SK) membership.
Valid South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) certificate.
We offer the best value for money, sea kayak adventure from the most beautiful beach in Cape Town.

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