FREE Watersport Safety Sessions to help people ‘Get Wet…Stay Safe’ 

A new campaign called “Get Wet…Stay Safe” has been launched ahead of the expected influx of people taking to watersports this summer. 

The campaign is part of a joint initiative with Sport Northern Ireland, Swim Ireland, Swim Ulster, RNLI, Irish Surfing and the Outdoor Partnership, with promotional support from ourselves at Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland (ORNI). 

The campaign aims to provide necessary safety advice for the 3 main watersports which have seen the largest uptake since the pandemic – stand up paddleboarding, sit-on-top kayaking and open water swimming, through delivering a range of safety sessions from June to September. 

Sessions are being run across all 11 council areas in Northern Ireland and are completely free to attend for anyone who is interested in how to participate in the above watersports safely.  

So if you’ve recently bought a stand up paddleboard or sit on top kayak or just want to experience the many benefits of open water swimming and are not quite sure what to do these sessions are a must for you.  

Participants don’t need to have any previous experience or equipment though booking in advance is essential. They can expect to learn suitable weather forecasts, local tidal information/river level information, how to find out the best places to access the water and how to develop their personal performance skills.  

The Stand Up Paddleboarding & Sit-on-Top Kayaking sessions start on Wednesday 8^th June and will run throughout the summer until September on a Wednesday and Friday evening at 7pm and Saturday and Sunday morning at 10am. See list of sessions below. 

Co. Antrim

• Friday 10^th June – Ballygally Beach, Larne – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Saturday 11^th June – Carnlough – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Sunday 12^th June – Ballygally Beach, Larne – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Friday 24^th June – Jordanstown Loughshore, Newtownabbey – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Saturday 25^th June – Jordanstown Loughshore, Newtownabbey – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Sunday 26^th June – Antrim – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Friday 5th August – Main Street, Cushendun – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Saturday 6th August – Main Street, Cushendun – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Friday 19th August – Lough Shore Park Car Park, Antrim – Stand Up Paddleboarding
• Saturday 20th August – Lough Shore Park Car Park, Antrim – Stand Up Paddleboarding
• Sunday 21st August – Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast – Stand Up Paddleboarding
• Saturday 17th September – Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Sunday 18th September – Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Saturday 24th September – Jordanstown Loughshore, Shore Road, Newtownabbey – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Sunday 25th September – Antrim Lough Shore Car Park – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking

Co. Armagh

• Wednesday 8^th June – South Lakes Leisure Centre, Craigavon – Stand Up Paddleboarding 
• Wednesday 6^th July – Kinnego Marina, Lurgan – Stand Up Paddleboarding 

Co. Down

• Wednesday 15^th June – Downpatrick – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Wednesday 22^nd June – Ballyholme, Bangor – Stand Up Paddleboarding
• Saturday 25^th June – Millisle, Co. Down – Open Water Swimming
• Sunday 26^th June – Millisle, Co. Down – Open Water Swimming
• Wednesday 29th June – Killyleagh, Co. Down – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Wednesday 13^th July – Cranfield Beach, Kilkeel – Stand Up Paddleboarding 
• Wednesday 20^th July – Killyleagh, Downpatrick – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Wednesday 27^th July – Donaghadee – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Friday 29^th July – Delamont Country Park, Downpatrick – Stand Up Paddleboarding 
• Saturday 30^th July – Delamont Country Park, Downpatrick – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Saturday 30^th July – Ballywalter, Co. Down – Open Water Swimming
• Sunday 31^st July – Delamont Country Park, Downpatrick – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Sunday 31^st July – Ballywalter, Co. Down – Open Water Swimming
• Wednesday 3rd August – Donaghadee Slipway, Co. Down – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Wednesday 10th August – Cranfield Beach, Newry – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Friday 26th August – Donagahadee Slipway, Donaghadee – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Saturday 27th August – Donagahadee Slipway, Donaghadee – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Sunday 28th August – Ballywalter Harbour, Co. Down – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Wednesday 31st August – Cunningburn, Greyabbey Car Park, Portaferry Road – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking

Co. Fermanagh

• Friday 8^th July – Enniskillen – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Saturday 9^th July – Enniskillen – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Friday 12th August – The Round O, Enniskillen – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Saturday 13th August – The Round O, Enniskillen – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Sunday 14th August – Castle Archdale, Lisnarick – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Saturday 10th September – Castle Archdale, Lisnarick – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Sunday 11th September – The Round O, Enniskillen – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking

Co. Derry / Londonderry

• Sunday 19^th June – Ballyronan Marina, Magherafelt – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Friday 22^nd July – Prehen, Derry / Londonderry – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Saturday 23^rd July – Prehen, Derry / Londonderry – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Sunday 24^th July – Prehen, Derry / Londonderry – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Sunday 7th August – Somerset Car Park, Coleraine – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Friday 2nd September – Hutchinson Quay Car Park, Coleraine – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Saturday 3rd September – Hutchinson Quay Car Park, Coleraine – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking
• Sunday 4th September – Swanns Bridge Glamping, Limavady – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking

Co. Tyrone

• Friday 17^th June – Dungannon – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Saturday 18^th June – Dungannon – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Sunday 10^th July – Gortin Lakes, Gortin – Stand Up Paddleboarding and Sit-on-Top Kayaking 
• Friday 15^th July – Blackwater, Dungannon – Stand Up Paddleboarding 
• Saturday 16^th July – Blackwater, Dungannon – Stand Up Paddleboarding 
• Sunday 17^th July – Dungannon – Stand Up Paddleboarding 

For more details or to book onto any of the ‘Get Wet…Stay Safe’ sessions please click on the relevant link above. 

More dates and venues for the Open Water Swimming sessions will be released soon!