• Preparation & Planning

    Preparation & Planning

Base Facility

Our purpose built kayak base is ideally placed to prepare you for your trip and relax afterwards. We have the most comprehensive base facilities in the park

  • GPS safety tracking for rentals
  • free Wifi
  • hot showers
  • secure parking
  • lock up for personal belongings
  • purpose built transfer vehicles to get you and your kayaks to the water’s edge regardless of weather or tide

Base facilities

Guided briefing

Safety is our priority and there is nothing safer than having a trained guide with you.  As you are not going it alone, the need for an extended version of our rental safety briefing is not required.  On our guided trips we start with a short group briefing covering the essentials and then we get into our trip leaving more time to explore and experience the beautiful Abel Tasman coastline.

Preparation & Planning - Abel Tasman Kayaks

Rental safety briefing

As the only company specialising in kayak rentals, we provide a comprehensive safety briefing. This covers everything: from packing, kayak technique, weather and planning/modifying the journey, stowage and sea-conditions, map interpretation, to those important emergency procedures plus the added advantage of our secrets of the park that we let you know about before you leave. That’s where we know we add value to your trip.  We also run through information from looking after the top quality gear to enjoying the purpose built base facilities.

1 Day allow 1 – 1.5 hrs for the briefing

2+ Days allow 2-3 hrs for the briefing

Once packed and briefed on land, your instructor will initially accompany your group on the water to cover the last part of the briefing and will ensure you are feeling comfortable and competent before waving you off on your adventure.

We have a few requirements which you must meet before we can allow you out on your own:

  • Minimum group size 2 (no solo hires)
  • Age Limit: 18 years +
  • Younger participants may be considered provided that all 14+ years participants are accompanied by an adult (18+)  on a 1:1 ratio
  • Must demonstrate your ability to kayak before leaving our instructor

Passed this? Congratulations!

If you have not met our requirements don’t worry, we will be delighted to show you around the breathtaking sights of Abel Tasman on one of their exciting guided tours!

In the unlikely event you need to self rescue we have put together an instructional video. These steps are covered off in your rental briefing which you practice on land before you head out onto the water.

Kayaks

For Classics and rentals of two days or more, we use Paddling Perfection double fibreglass kayaks with a built-in rudder system. These purpose-built boats have 3 water-tight chambers for gear storage (approximately 300 litres). Specially designed for expedition paddling, these kayaks are stable, comfortable and fast.

For 1 day  guided and 1 day rentals, we use Dobbe Eco-Niizhdouble kayaks. These plastic moulded kayaks have three hatches, the middle being a watertight centre “pod” for gear storage (approximately 80 litres). With a built-in rudder system, these stable kayaks are perfect for one day trips, or shorter multi-day adventures.

Check out packing and gear storage tips for both the Paddling Perfection or Dobbe Eco-Niizhdouble.

Preparation & Planning - Abel Tasman Kayaks

Checklist

Checklist

Learn More

What our customers say

Great family friendly adventure, loved the information about the park, the walks to explore, fully catered yummy meals. Our guide Lou was a great resource, lover of NZ outdoors and great at checking in on the various needs of our group. Loved that we got a bit of everything from the weather Gods and excited we got to add penguin spotting to our check list.


Erin T

We had the day tour remote coast. The weather was a little bit cloudy whcih we appreciated - otherwise you have really take care about getting sun burned. Only a small group 4 kajaks and Kai from UK as our guide. He did a great job - explained a lot and was always teking care about all of us. Had lunch at Bark bay with nut steeling kaka`s. Have seen... read more


Sigrid H

I had a great tour with Abel Tasman Kayaks. All the staff I met at the base were great, and the guide for my kayaking - Gareth - was very friendly and informative. It was awesome that we got a ride on a tractor to get to the beach with the kayaks. The kayaking part of the tour was my favourite, Gareth gave some awesome commentary and stayed at the... read more


briohnyp

Our guide was great, super knowledgeable and brought lots of positive energy.
The views were amazing, we saw lots of wildlife and with the high tide we paddled through 3 beautiful lagoons.
The lunch was also delicious!


Saraandaaron

Fantastic trip. The perfect combination of professionalism and light hearted spirit.
The route was beautiful with a very knowledgeable guide. Great days exercise in a little piece of paradise.


CarolineDoe101

I had a great tour with Abel Tasman Kayaks. All the staff I met at the base were great, and the guide for my kayaking - Gareth - was very friendly and informative. It was awesome that we got a ride on a tractor to get to the beach with the kayaks. The kayaking part of the tour was my favourite, Gareth gave some awesome commentary and stayed at the... read more


briohnyp

#ABELTASMANKAYAKS

Say hello to the best summer yet, explore the Abel Tasman.
Our summer season officially starts! Whoop whoop! 🎉 Our team has been off exploring exciting destinations like Turkey, the UK, France, Italy, Bali, and even Las Vegas. As amazing as travel is, there's nothing like being back home in the beautiful Abel Tasman. We can't wait to welcome guests this summer! 🌞🌊
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Many of our trips conclude at Anchorage by the end of the day. 🌅🚣‍♂️ its also a great place to spend a night in the park.
Exploring the park on your own.
Split Apple Rock is just around the corner from our base, waiting to be explored.
This is one of our favorite photos ever! 📸❤️
Whether you're a seasoned kayaker or a first-timer, we make sure the paddling is easy and fun for everyone!
Only 6 months to the longest day!  Bring on Summer!
One of our team members demonstrating the correct use of a dry bag. 📸 Cameras are welcome on all our trips, so you can capture every moment!
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