The Bude Canoe Experience

We had a superb time learning different bushcraft skills with Paul at his brilliant site on his farm. The tractor ride there and back was a great way to start and finish. Paul showed us how to build natural shelters, put up a tarp and hammock, light a fire, make camp bread and safely use a knife, along with lots of other hints and tips. Paul clearly has lots of practical experience and had plenty of patience, explaining everything clearly to us. It was also very clear he took safey seriously, always key when my boys are around! Would highly recommend. Thanks again Paul!

Very pleasant and pleasurable experience. Paul was very patient with us and our 6 year old daughter, he was very informative and his local knowledge made the experience very engaging and interesting. Fortunately the weather worked in our favour. We highly recommend this experience as an opportunity to something a little different.Thanks PaulDean, Jowita, Lilou and Prince

Superb family adventure on the River Torridge and Yeo in the late afternoon and evening.(Dependent on tides) Paul was a wonderful teacher and host and after a short tutorial we were off canoeing. Basically 2 hours upstream and back within beautiful surroundings. We had a an absolute blast and would look to book again the next time we are in the area.

We had a really fun canoe on the Bude canal. Paul was a fun and informative guide. Thank you Paul. Highly recommend your trip to others.

My fiance and I really enjoyed our time on the canal with Paul. We've rented Canoes and Kayaks before but have never had a guide to show us what to do. Paul took us through everything we needed to know and gave us really helpful tips which will helps us with future trips. We managed to pass (second time lucky) the tasks set by Paul and saw all three locks on the Bude canal (I think usually you see 1 or 2). The stretch of canal was beautiful and we really lucked out with the weather. All in all, we would really recommend the 2 hour trip and hope to visit Bude again soon.

Great afternoon on the canal with instructor. Great guide and kids really enjoyed themselves. Get to spot wildlife, do challenges and learn the different canoeing techniques. Thoroughly recommend!

Paul is an excellent teacher! With no experience of canoeing whatsoever, I happened to try canoeing with him. It was a great experience and a lot of learning. He kept on giving us lessons throughout the session which was quite helpful. He also has a few tricks up his sleeve to make your session a lot of fun. The gear was top class and professional. Definitely recommend Bude Canoe Experience!

I was a little nervous to try the canoe experience. The weather hasn't been particularly wonderful lately but I had heard that this particular canoe experience was one of the best. It was an all day experience that I shared with my brother. We started early and was given a pack lunch. We also brought a recommended change of clothes too. Everything gets put in a dry bag. We launched two canoes close to Bideford. The river Torridge is a tidal river so everything was planned brilliantly by Paul the instructor. We would canoe up with the tide and return when the tide ebbs. The weather couldn't have been better. The sun was out the whole day with blue sky! We didn't feel cold. We rowed through a couple of bridges; where spectatators waved and greeted us. We rowed all the way up to Weare Giffard - that took us 3 hours but honestly it felt a lot less. We had our sandwiches overlooking a nice house and the Weare Giffard Hall. We saw all sorts of wild life along and in the river; swans, geese, ducks, seagulls,curlews,sandpipers and even a stoat swimming across the river. The best duck I saw was a Mandarin duck... It was so beautiful. There was also an egret and a couple of cormorants and a heron flying off in the opposite direction. We had a great day. Paul is a great observer and instructor. Go for a canoe experience, you won't regret it.

We all had a really great time. Paul was very accommodating and knowledgeable. Brilliant family fun - thank you!