Guest FAQs - Watersports

If making a booking for ‘Pay and Play’ equipment hire, where an instructor isn’t needed, then there is no need to book before your holiday, though you are welcome to if you prefer – just pop in to see the watersports team when you get here and we will get you on the water.

If you would like to book a session with an instructor, please contact us before your holiday to ensure we have qualified staff available. It might be that you would like have an instructor-led lesson, or perhaps additional family needs means you would like to book our wheelchair-friendly ‘Floaty’. Maybe you’d like the extra muscle power of an instructor to help paddle our multi person boats, or you’d like a sailing session on ‘Friendship’, our Drascombe Lugger. Often, we can organise all these things ad hoc during your stay, but this is not guaranteed.

Don’t forget, as guests you get 15% off our standard prices!

There are standard activities available to book online through the CST Experiences watersports website which you are welcome to peruse and choose – but to get your guest discount, please email or call us to get booked in.

If you are unsure what or when to book, have SEND requirements or would like a bespoke, instructor-led session just drop watersports an email or call 01326 702326 Option 3 (watersports)

Please get in touch a couple of weeks before your holiday to discuss individual needs so we can ensure we have the staff available but we are very flexible and will do our best to cater to your needs.

You do not have to book everything in advance!

You can usually call into the watersports hub in the morning and see what’s on for the day – and join in if you like!

In Winter, the lake is generally closed (apart from swim sessions) and you will need to ask in advance to arrange a bespoke session.

In Spring and Autumn, the lake is open subject to staffing levels – this may not be every day but is usually only closed on Mondays and Saturdays until the May half term. However, if you would like to book a bespoke group activity when we are otherwise closed, please contact us and we will do our best to arrange for you to get afloat.

In the Summer months, it is likely that we will be open most days, but it is still worth contacting us to check, a couple of weeks before your holiday.

Unfortunately, at the moment we’ve decided to keep the lake closed on Saturdays for equipment hire and self launches as we currently don’t have the staff to open every day. However, if you would like to book something bespoke on a certain Saturday, please do get in touch with the watersports team as we might very well be able to organise something!

In summary, we try to be very flexible and cater to individual requirements so if you would like to get on the water during your holiday, and you can’t book online, let us know and we’ll make it work for you!

Watersports:

We have quite a few different ways of enjoying the water, whether paddling, sailing or electric-powered, catering for families and individuals including those with almost any additional need. Children under the age of 12 will need to be accompanied on the water by an adult over the age of 18.

Kayaks and Paddleboards

Our sit-on kayaks are quite stable by kayak standards, but do expect to get wet! We have single kayaks, ideal for one paddler, and double kayaks which are great for two, or sometimes just one larger adult. Our 1+1 kayaks are great for an adult to take a toddler or small child out, sitting just in front of the paddler for support.

Our paddleboards are designed for one adult, but are buoyant enough for an adult and small child, or two older children, though they will likely get wet!

Katakanu and MegaBoards

These are our family or group sized paddle craft. The MegaBoard is a giant paddleboard with a multitude of uses, from a synchronized paddle round the lake to a platform to fall (jump!) off. We can also hoist onto a giant beanbag sitting in the middle of the MegaBoard so wheelchair users can also experience the fun of being on a board but with a much, much lower risk of falling off.

The Katakanu is a very stable, twin hulled canoe, designed for 6 people to paddle while sitting on seats. It can be a very dry ride for those who don’t like the idea of getting wet and is also excellent for those with additional needs. As with the Megaboard, we can hoist onto a beanbag, but we can also put slightly more supportive seating on the boat for those who need a little help, or even turn one of the hulls into a ‘nest’ for smaller participants. This enables the whole family to get out on the water together.

If required, we can send an expert paddler out with the group on either of these craft – just let us know in advance.

Sailing craft

For those who can already sail, you can hire small dinghies to sail on the lake. If you wish to learn to sail, then we can supply an instructor by arrangement.

For those with additional needs that mean they can’t move around in a small dinghy, we have the option of a small keelboat called a Hansa 303. These are sailed using a joystick rather than a tiller, sitting on a deckchair-like seat. As with the dinghies, these can be hired by people who can already sail or can be sailed two up, with an instructor to either teach or provide a therapeutic ride.

Our Drascombe Lugger can be hired with a professional helm to take the whole family (up to 6 people) or group afloat. In terms of additional needs, it is wonderful for those with special educational needs who are ambulant, as there isn’t as much physical support as some of our other choices. The ability to take a person sailing with a family member or carer on board too, makes the Lugger a perfect choice for those who cannot be away from medical care.

Powered craft
On the lake, we only have electric-driven powerboats. The two smaller dinghies are mainly used as safety boats, but one of them can also be used with a beanbag to be hoisted into from a wheelchair to give rides round the lake.

Our Drascome Lugger can also be used with a motor for families and small groups.

Floaty, our floating classroom, is a custom-made platform boat designed for groups and wheelchair users. Its triple-hulled, ultra stable platform, combined with ramp access, makes for a safe, accessible way for everybody to access the joy of being afloat. Our professional drivers can take you for tours of the lake, seeing our site from a totally different perspective. We generally run half hour trips around the lake for up to fifteen people including up to three wheelchair users.

Trevassack Lake has won Gold for its Accessibility and Inclusivity, with the entire site having been designed with mobility in mind. Everywhere is wheelchair-accessible – including the water!

On the waterside pontoons, we have a hand-cranked Hansa C-Crane Hoist & variety of slings. This allows us to transfer from a wheelchair directly onto any of our water craft, including our:

6 x Hansa Sailing Dinghies

2 x MegaBoards with or without support beanbag

2 x Katakanu

1 x Drascombe Lugger

Floaty is an electric-powered floating platform, that has ramped access from the shore for wheelchair users to access directly. You can move about freely on Floaty as it tours the lake.

In addition to the craft, we have plenty of Lifejackets and Buoyancy Aids to suit, along with support seats (rigid and removable pads) to make those with less upper body strength to feel comfortable and safe.

Trevassack Lake is the only place this far west to have two Changing Places facilities that are fully equipped to make changing and bathroom visits easier for those with additional needs.

Yes you must wear a buoyancy aid in or on the water (except for swimming sessions!). Wetsuits are recommended for cold weather and young people, wet shoes are helpful for getting in and out of the stony shore!

Wetsuits, wet shoes and buoyancy aids are all included in equipment hire or any booked courses with an instructor, although we can’t guarantee availability of all sizes and types of wetsuits (most of ours are short sleeved).

If you do have access to your own wetsuit and/or closed-toe wet shoes (flip flops, crocs, wellies or bare feet are not permitted), we’d recommend bringing your own.

Buoyancy aids etc are also available to hire for self-launches

Absolutely!

You might’ve seen our charity name, Children’s Sailing Trust, but we definitely do adult sailing and other watersports too!

We can organise bespoke sailing sessions both at Trevassack Lake or at the Helford River and everything at the lake is for all ages and abilities.

(Our charitable work supports primary-aged children access sailing but all our other non-profit activities are for all ages and abilities!)

Get in touch with us at hello@cstexperiences.co.uk or give us a ring at 01326 702 326 to see what’s possible.

Under 16s need to be supervised from the shore and under 12s need to be supervised from the water.

Generally, we let children go out on the lake from 6 years old (when accompanied on the water) but please note, under 8s are allowed at the discretion of the safety officer on duty that day.

We’ve been running watersports since 1997 and our watersports team are fully qualified in the activities they run, plus up-to-date in water-based first aid.

We only allow access to the water when qualified staff are available to supervise and, should the worst happen, we have a defibrillator on the side of the watersports hub next to the lake.