Adventure Hebrides - Half day and day trips run out of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides

Applecross Mountain & Sea Guides offer a variety of canoeing and mountain activities in the Applecross, Wester Ross area.

Arisaig - Rockhopper Scotland offer a range of activities and there is a suggestion they may do sea-kayak hire as well.

Canoe Hebrides - Tailormade trips in the Outer Hebrides run by Tim Pickering and other top Hebridean guides. They also run trips to Sub Arctic Sweden sea kayaking in the Lulea Archipelego.

Carlisle Canoes will hire sea kayaks

Clearwater Paddling are based on Barra in the Hebrides, but offer trips in Norway as well.

Glenmore Lodge offers a variety of courses, including sea kayaking.

Hebridean Pursuits, run by Andy Spink and based in Oban, offer a range of options from trips to BCU instruction and assessments, as well as surfing courses and the Tiree Surf Gathering. They also run a "supported" trip to St Kilda.

John Muir Trust offers "cutting edge adventurous activities and environmental education experiences in wild places. Led by skilled and qualified leaders these trips are open to people of all ages and abilities."

Kari-Tek, based in Coylton in Ayrshire, will hire Nigel Dennis boats - they also have a limited range of roof racks for hire, so you could fly to Glasgow or Prestwick, hire a car (check the appropriate type with Kari-Tek first), pop down to Ayrshire (under an hours drive) and you're then positioned to take your hired boat away! Nice lateral thinking. With the Clyde on the doorstep, and easy access to road and ferry links to the West Coast, this has got to be worth considering if you're planning on visiting Scotland.

Kayak Scotland is based in Aberdeenshire in the North East of Scotland and offer a variety of day trips around the North East coastline and also offer multi day trips at various locations throughout Scotland including the West Coast.

Lakes Canoe & Kayak Hire.co.uk profess to do what it says on the tin - and offer instruction as well. Based in Keswick, so handy for Scotland.

Lochore Meadows Country Park offers Sea Kayak Hire: Lochore Meadows, Lochgelly, Fife. Peter Crane (Manager) 01592-414300.

Nevis Canoes, Fort William - see Stirling Canoes. They offer a retail / hire / guiding / repairs & servicing / advice etc.

Sea Freedom Kayak Company operate near Oban and "run trips and sessions for individuals and small groups". They also offer a number of P&H Capellas for hire to "suitably qualified people".

Sea Kayak Scotland are offering courses and trips "on the West Coast" - they also seem to have boats for hire.

Sea Kayak Shetland offer guided trips on Shetland.

Skyak on Skye. Gordon Brown's centre, superb part of the world.

Standing Waves (based in Stirling) offers hire / guiding / courses / expeditions of sea & touring kayaks (single & double) / kayaks / canoes.

Stirling Canoes / Nevis Canoes - in Stirling and Fort William

Tiso have sea boats for hire.

Uist Outdoor Centre is recommended, set in a truly magnificent Outer Hebridean setting.

Visit Scotland (the Scottish Tourist Board) have links to some of the centres in Scotland

WhiteWave on Skye offer a variety of activities, including sea-kayking.

Wales

The Canoe England Sea Touring committee has purchased 4 plastic double sea kayaks, as part of its continuing brief to promote sea kayaking. The kayaks are available for hire to individual BCU members, or to affiliated clubs. Currently 2 Kayaks are located in North Wales, 1 in Dorset and 1 in Devon. Click here for details.

Adventure Elements are based in North Wales and say they "offer a range of sea kayaking courses and expeditions for all ranges of abilities"

Cwm Pennant Mountain (and Kayaking) centre is run by Dave Evans, the BCU Sea Touring Committee Chairman.

Edge of Adventure offer a variety of adventures in North Wales, including sea-kayaking courses.

Plas y Brenin, the National Mountain Centre, also offer a variety of kayaking courses.

Sea Kayaking UK (formally NDK) well respected sea kayak centre on Anglesey, who are also believed to hire kayaks.

Surf and Sea Kayaking Hire offer a "mobile service" in south and west Wales and will hire you a sit-on-top.

Twr Y Felin, the Outdoor centre at St. Davids, Pembrokeshire.

England (Including Channel Islands, Scilly etc)

The Canoe England Sea Touring committee has purchased 4 plastic double sea kayaks, as part of its continuing brief to promote sea kayaking. The kayaks are available for hire to individual BCU members, or to affiliated clubs. Currently 2 Kayaks are located in North Wales, 1 in Dorset and 1 in Devon. Click here for details.

Bertie's Kayaking Coaching - based in Weymouth, Bertie offers a variety of coaching inputs.

Bournemouth Canoes hire kayaks.

Carlisle Canoes will hire sea kayaks.

Jersey Sea Kayak Adventures offer paddling on Jersey.

Kayak Scilly provide tuition, kayak hire and guided excursions on the Scilly Isles. Based out of Porth Thomas on St Marys.

Lakes Canoe & Kayak Hire.co.uk profess to do what it says on the tin - and offer instruction as well. Based in Keswick, so handy for Scotland.

SKALYBAX in Cornwall is an expedition centre specializing in sea kayak tuition and expedition training run by Jeff Allen.

Ireland & Overseas

Argentina - SDK Kayaks run trips in Argentina. (Click for a Word Doc in English).

Adriatic Kayak Tours offer guided trips and kayak hire on the Croatian coast.

Alaska - Alaska Rafters offer a variety of adventure experiences from sea-kayaking to glacier trekking.

British Columbia / Vancouver Island - Spirit of the West Adventures offer sea kayaking tours around Vancouver Island, as does North Island Kayak who are based in Port Hardy and Telegraph Cove. Powell River Sea Kayak operate in and around Desolation Sound. All these operators do kayak hire. Coastal Spirits run tours in the Quadra Island / Campbell river areas which take in Johnston Straite and the Discovery Islands. Odyssey Kayaking operate out of Port Hardy. Spookily enough, the Tofino Kayak Company is based in - Tofino. Numerous other links here.

Belize - Slickrock Adventures run a variety of adventure holidays.

Canary Islands (Spain) - Ekalis offer a variety of activities, including kayaking.

Costa Brava - Kayaking Costa Brava offer trips and sea-kayak hire.

Croatia - Lifejacket Adventures run kayaking trips amongst the Dalmatian Islands.

Greece has got to be a great location! "House of Sea Kayaking" might help you enjoy it! Sea Kayak Milos says it is "a Sea Kayaking paradise in the Aegean islands of Greece. A family run business, we offer genuine hospitality, quality equipment and an amazing place to paddle. We are open every day from March thru November". Greek Island Activities say "We provide sea kayaking activities, courses and expeditions, from beginners to advanced, situated on the island of Poros [35 miles south west of Pireaus] port of Athens. We will be happy to advise on any matter regarding sea kayaking in Greece"

Ireland - Seapaddling.com offer guided trips and courses in the Waterford area. Deep Blue Sea Kayaking operate in Wicklow. H2O are in the South West near Kinsale. Atlantic Sea Kayaking are in Skibereen, West Cork. Sea Kayaking West Cork are in Castletownbere, Bantry Bay. Tollymore Mountain Centre, Newcastle, Co.Down, run sea-kayking courses.

Greenland - discussion, with details of where to hire sea kayaks.

Jersey/Scilly Isles Centres are listed under England above.

Maine Island Kayak Co offer guided trips in Maine, USA.

New South Wales - Xterra Adventures describe themselves as "an exciting, multifunctional activity and adventure company located on the Central Coast of NSW"

Norway - Clearwater Paddling offer trips in Norway. See this discussion for some mapping resources.

San Francisco - discussion with some ideas.

Sweden - Canoe Hebrides - Tailormade trips in the Outer Hebrides run by Tim Pickering and other top Hebridean guides. They also run trips to Sub Arctic Sweden sea kayaking in the Lulea Archipelego.