Playing in the Rocks! What Does That Really Mean?
For us, playing in the rocks isn’t just a catchy phrase – it’s about safely having fun while building both skill and confidence in one of the most dynamic coastal environments sea kayaking offers. As sea kayak coaches, we’ve spent countless hours exploring rocky coastlines, honing techniques, and helping others discover the joys of this playful, challenging style of paddling.
We were fortunate to team up with Simon Osborne and James Stevenson from Online Sea Kayaking to share tips and insights on how to maximize fun and minimize risk while paddling in these environments. Their new course, Playing in the Rocks, guides paddlers through understanding the water, reading coastal features, and learning how to navigate safely close to, up, over, and around rocks. It’s designed to take you from observation to practice, helping you grow confident while still having a blast on the water.
Your Guide to Playing in the Rocks
The course starts by setting the scene, introducing the key skills, safety principles, and equipment considerations you need before heading into a rocky environment. It then moves into helping paddlers understand how water behaves around obstacles, how to spot hazards, and how to pick safe lines. As you progress, it teaches techniques for approaching coastal features like slots, caves, and rebound waves, and finally, it encourages practical exercises to turn knowledge into confident, playful action.
The beauty of this approach is that it helps you gain a deep understanding of your environment while gradually building both technical skill and self-assurance. You’re not just learning tricks; you’re learning pattern recognition and how to think and move safely in complex coastal waters.
World-Class Rock Gardens
Filming took place in some truly stunning locations, from the classic rock gardens of Cornwall and the tidal playgrounds of Anglesey, to the big swells and rugged coastlines of Marin and Mendocino in California. Each location presents its own challenges, rock types, unique coastal features and opportunities, showing how the same skills can be applied across very different coastal conditions and environments. These varied settings make it easy to see how rock gardening can be adapted to your local waters, whether near home or abroad.
Finding the Right Kayak
Navigating the turbulent waters and tight spaces in rocky environments demands the right boat. In our experience, a kayak that is responsive, stable, and comfortable gives you the confidence to push your skills safely. We chose the P&H Virgo for all of our paddling locations, and it performed beautifully. Its balance of playfulness and precision made it easy to manoeuvre through tight slots, ferry across currents, and enjoy more playful elements of the rocks without ever feeling out of control.
We also find that it’s stable in dynamic water, providing more volume when going over pour overs and steep drops, giving you more confidence to push yourself. It’s the perfect balance of maneuverability (especially on edge) and giving you the right amount of length for days when you want to explore more distance than your local park and play.
Boat choice matters, and while there’s no one-size-fits-all, the Virgo’s versatility makes it a great companion for both exploring and skill-building in rocky coastal environments. And it works for lots of different body types. For filming this course, Laura and Simon were in Virgo MVs while Kelly rocked a Virgo LV.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, playing in the rocks is about exploration, learning, and joyful engagement with a part of the coast you can really only access by kayak. With the right mindset, solid skills, and a kayak you can trust, exploring rocky coastlines becomes an incredibly rewarding (and for some of us: addictive) experience. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced paddler, taking the time to understand the environment and develop your skills transforms rocky coastlines from intimidating to exhilarating. Step out, explore, and let the rocks teach you a new side of sea kayaking.
Check out the OSK Playing in the Rocks course here and start your adventure today!