Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside, but do we make the most of the water that we have down here in Brighton & Hove? There is so much to do when it comes to getting in and on the water, so we’ve rounded up some of the best things to do to see the city from a different perspective. In the words of Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing: “Get wet, right?”
SUP at Sea Lanes
We are big fans of Sea Lanes and can’t wait for their beach pool to be built, but in the meantime, there are plenty of things happening down there to keep you busy. Flow + Paddle are husband and wife duo Deanne (aka Wild Thing Yoga) and Barney, who run stand-up paddle boarding, yoga and hiking retreats. They will be hosting day retreats and events down at Sea Lanes from next Spring, but to get warmed up they are kicking things off this weekend with Barney’s SUP lessons.
Barney will take you through all the basics, teaching you the correct paddle stroke technique with plenty of fun along the way. You can either book in for a 1:1 or if you’ve got a bunch of SUP-curious friends, why not arrange a group session? It’s £40 per person for a 1.5-hour session and you get all the boards, wetsuits, kit and paddles included.
And if you like the sound of getting away from it all, then they’ve got a couple of last-minute places on their Flow + Paddle Shropshire retreat on 30th August – 1st September, if you get in there quick. You can join them for three days of SUP, yoga, hiking, delicious plant-based food, fun and adventure in the stunning Shropshire countryside. Sounds good, right? We can confirm that it is as we went on their last one and came back relaxed, refreshed and with new friends and amazing recipes, so go go go!
1:1 and group sessions available this weekend, £40 pp for 1.5 hours. To book lessons or the retreat email deanne@wild-thing-yoga.com
Launching from Sea Lanes, Madeira Terrace, Brighton
Sunset Wildlife Cruise
There are a few super spots to watch the sunset in the city, but we’d recommend getting on the water and heading out with the Brighton Dolphin Project on their Sunset Wildlife Cruise. Not only will you get to see the city in the gorgeous sunset light, but you’ll learn about (and hopefully see!) some of the amazing marine wildlife here in Brighton.
They’ll teach you all about our Sussex dolphins and other lush sea life that choose our local shores as their home. That includes seahorses, sharks, lobsters and lots of different fish. You’ll be able to listen to some underwater sounds, take a look at some seabirds and then soak up the sunset with a backdrop of some of Brighton’s famous landmarks. They’ve sold out their tour this weekend, but there are other dates before the summer is up and all proceeds go to the Brighton Dolphin Project.
Various dates throughout the summer, times vary; £18 child, £25 adult
Pontoon 5, Brighton Marina, Brighton BN2 5UP
brightondolphinproject.org
Hove Lagoon Watersports
Hove Lagoon is a hive of water-based fun, bringing paddleboarding, wakeboarding and windsurfing to the city, as well as a heap of other stuff, too. A great way to get started is with one of their taster days, which offers a full schedule of fun to give you the chance to try a little bit of everything. They host regular adults, ladies, family and kids days, so take a look at their line-up and get yourself booked in. It’s not just for water babies either as there are lots of beginner options, too. Fancy a go at wakeboarding? Have a look at the video above to see what to expect!
Various taster days from £45pp
Hove Lagoon, Kingsway, Hove BN3 4LX
lagoon.co.uk
The best things in life are free
And yes, that includes sea swimming. We’ve had some interesting weather over the past few weeks but the bank holiday weekend is set to be a scorcher, so when better to dip your toe in and enjoy a refreshing dip? If you want to find a spot that’s a little quieter, our advice would be just down from Sea Lanes to the East of the Palace Pier (not quite as far as the nudest beach, unless that’s where you fancy) or towards Hove around Brunswick Square. If you’re new to wild swimming then plonk yourself near one of the lovely lifeguards just to be safe and make sure you check their flag before going in!
Photo credits: Dylan Walker (Sunset cruise)
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