Frequently Asked Questions

The exact meeting location will depend on the activities and activity format chosen. We usually meet directly at our Harbourside base (Underfall Yard, Baltic Wharf Leisure Centre, Cumberland Road, Bristol, BS1 6XG)  for all of the water based activities, Bristol Urban Adventure Challenge & Team Building activities.

The rock climbing & abseiling usually take place in the Avon Gorge (approximately 1.5 miles from the Harbourside base) or other suitable venues around Bristol.

We will advise on the exact venue and meeting point for each activity at time of enquiry.

We advise you to dress appropriately for the weather and activities. Old comfortable clothing that may get wet, splashed, dirty or muddy are ideal e.g sports clothes, casual clothes, trainers/flat soled walking shoes, warm jacket, sweatshirt, waterproofs if it’s wet and hat and gloves if it’s cold. It is advisable to bring a change of clothes for any water activities or if it’s particularly wet/muddy.

We will advise you on the most appropriate clothing to wear depending on the activity chosen.

In our maritime climate we certainly don’t let rain stop play and will still continue with all activities even if it’s wet or cold. It is usually a case of dressing appropriately for the weather  conditions on the day. In fact we’ve had some of our most fun days during inclement weather. There are changing rooms and hot showers at our Harbourside base  so we’d advise bringing a change of clothes on wet days.

There is a small free public car park at our Harbourside base though it can get busy especially around lunch time. (Max stay 4 hours). There is plenty of metered street parking on roads surrounding the base –  free on Sundays but limited to between 3 – 4 hours Mon – Sat 9am – 7pm. There is a Pay & Display car park near to the SS Great Britain (5 hour max stay) about 7 – 10 minutes walk from the base or numerous other car parks located around the Harbourside and city centre. If possible we’d advise coming to the Harbourside base on foot (easily walkable from the city centre) by taxi or harbour ferry in order to save any traffic and parking issues.

For all other activity locations there is free car parking available at each venue.

We will advise on how to get to each venue and where to park at point of enquiry/booking.

We have an office and equipment storage locker at our Harbourside base for all activities starting from there so it is possible to leave bags and valuables whilst out doing activities. For all other venues it is also possible to leave bags and valuables locked away.

Although there are changing rooms, hot showers and toilet facilities at our Harbourside activity base, the changing rooms and showers are operated by Bristol City Council and have unfortunately been closed since the start of the Covid pandemic. We are hoping that they will be re-opened in 2022 though have no control over this. We have a Harbourside office where you can change and leave bags in whist doing the activities. There is also a toilet block next to our office where you can change in.  We will advise on what facilities are available at each of the other activity locations at time of booking/enquiry.

There are numerous pubs, cafe’s, restaurants and shops around the Harbourside for all activities starting there. We have a great waterfront cafe located right next door to our office as well as a waterfront pub that serves food. Many groups end up finishing in the pub or cafe.

For all other activity venues we would advise bringing drinks and snacks with you as the nearest shop, pub or cafe is approximately a 5 – 10 minutes drive away.

You can book via email, phone or contact us through the website and we will forward you a Booking Form. In order to book an activity we usually require a 25% deposit based on your best estimate of numbers at time of booking in order to fully secure the activity, date and instructors. The balance is then due approximately 4 – 6 weeks before the date based on your final numbers at that stage.

Payment by cheque or bank transfer is preferred. Card payment over the phone is possible though we usually limit this to the deposit only due to the high fee that we are charged for processing card payments. Payment details will be on the Booking Form.

This is a question we get asked about on numerous occasions. Unfortunately we don’t hire out boats and boat hire is not possible anywhere on the harbour. Bristol harbour is a busy working dock and there are many boats (much larger and faster than our canoes) that regularly move around. There are also factors such as the prevailing Westerly winds to consider which can often make any paddle back from the city centre a tough proposition. As such it would be unsafe and unwise to let people go out on their own without supervision.

All of our activities are instructor led by fully qualified paddlesport instructors who know the harbour intimately. This way we can ensure that you’ll have the best and safest experience possible. They can also teach you some useful paddle skills as well as giving you an insight into the history of the area.

All of our activities are suitable for participants of any age, experience or fitness. We are well used to taking out groups of mixed ages and abilities and will tailor the activity session to suit. Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any specific questions about fitness or experience.

We try and encourage pregnant ladies to join in and regularly take out pregnant participants on activity sessions. Some activities and stages of pregnancy are more suitable than others however so it is best to let us know in advance if there is anyone in the group who is pregnant so we can advise on what might be the most suitable activity for them.

There are no upper age restrictions and we have taken people on activities such as; canoeing, climbing and abseiling who have been well into their 80’s.

We are fully licensed with the Adventurous Activities Licensing Service allowing us to provide activities to under 18’s with or without parental attendance. We regularly run activities for School & Youth groups (both primary & Secondary) so can run activities for children. Some activities are more suitable for younger children than others so it is best to contact us to discuss the options that are available depending on the youngest age of the children.