Kayaking Peel

The following paddles have been described in and around the Isle of Man. These descriptions are a brief guide only, and should not be used alone for trip planning purposes.

Peel

Manx Paddle Sports have incorporated their web site here. They are a local paddling club whose aim is to promote kayaking on the Isle of Man, especially in schools.

Manx Paddle Sports information page.

Buy Palm, Dagger and Ainsworth kayaking gear through Mobex. Mobex are a Manx children's charity specializing in outdoor activities for kids. All profits are ploughed straight back into Mobex.

myKAYAK is the Facebook group where you'll find many of the kayakers involved with KAYAK.im .If you are looking for a paddling partner on the Isle of Man, Paddle Buddy is a way of linking with local Manx sea kayakers, surf kayakers and river paddlers.

Detailed wind, temperature, precipitation, visibility and tide reports for the Isle of Man all in one handy place.

There are two sites to start your paddle out of Peel; the Promenade Beach, and Fenella Beach. The Promenade, with the sea kayaking Isle of Man harbour wall opposite, can provide some shelter from the prevailing westerly winds and is sandy. Fenella Beach is sand, shingle and rocks and is a favourite surf location for play boaters. However, both can provide excellent surf depending on the wind direction and are less than 10 minutes paddle apart.

Photo Right: Fenella Beach in the foreground, Promenade Beach in the background.

From the Promenade a paddle left (South West) takes you past Peel Castle. This spot can be extremely rough and gives an indication of the severity of the swell to come when more committed to the paddle. Past the Castle, Fenella Beach offers an escape. Once past Fenella Beach steep cliffs scar the seaward side of Peel Hill. From here onwards there are no reliable escape points as the cliff bases are lined with jagged rocks. This remains the dominant terrain for 1.2 Nm. However, the scenery is spectacular and frequently seen wildlife includes seals, puffins and basking sharks.

The cliffs become slightly lower and a few permanent beeches appear. The first easily accessible beach is at Glen Maye. Beware that all these beaches are guarded by sharp rocks and large rounded boulders, and great care is required on landing. The reward at Glen Maye is the Waterfall Hotel 15 minutes walk up the path and road into Glen Maye Village through the stunning Glen. (Total distance 3.5 Nm, approximately 1.5 hours)

Glen Maye N 54° 10.9' W 4° 42.5'

Below: Peel, Promenade Beach. Below: Glen Maye.

sea kayaking Isle of Man

Paddling right (North East) from Peel Promenade you will quickly leave the sandy beach, which is replaced by boulders and then sharp rocks and jagged low headlands. Past the old outdoor swimming pool which is filled by the sea, mixed boulder and shingle beaches alternate with jagged headlands providing excellent rock hopping with plenty of escape areas. As you head further north the beaches become more sandy and the cliffs change from rock to soil and sand, and are subject to rapid erosion. This coastline continues in this vain for many miles. Although less spectacular than the "Glen Maye" paddle there are lots of escape beaches for the wary. I use this for solo paddles in rough conditions, taking advantage of its escape points.

Warning: Kayaking can be dangerous. Non of the information provided here should be used to plan paddles by inexperienced kayakers, and without expert help and appropriate equipment. In no way should any person assume that any information contained on this site is a recommendation of the safety of the location, facility or professionalism of the instructing personnel. Indeed, some of the locations described can be dangerous.

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