Blackaby's Sea Kayaks and Tours was founded in 1999 and is dedicated towards providing safe and enjoyable sea kayaking journeys into the rugged beauty and history of Tasmania. We are accredited by the Tourism Council of Australia, approved by Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) and fully insured.

Chris Blackaby, owner of Blackaby's Sea Kayaks and Tours, has been paddling kayaks for over 20 years and building them too! He has competed at a national level in the K1 and C2. His early days of paddling kayaks were spent riding the rapids of Tasmania's rivers and kayak surfing the waves of Tasmania's surf beaches. Today, Chris spends most of his time exploring the sea around Tasmania by sea kayak, competing in flatwater sprint kayaking and local triathlons.

Chris has held an instructor's certificate in whitewater kayaking and is currently involved in instructing the TAFE beginners and moderate sea kayaking courses. The TAFE courses are part of an Australian Outdoor Recreation Diploma.

Our guides are among the most experienced sea kayak guides in Tasmania and their experience guiding sea kayak tours encompasses the world, including New Zealand, Canada, United States, Mexico and Fiji. All of our guides have current first aid certifications.

Equipment:
Most of our sea kayaks, doubles and singles, are based on the 'Greenland' design, which is quite popular in Tasmania. Australian sea kayakers typically paddle British style sea kayaks. The 'greenlander' sea kayak is based on that design (pictured below). Penguin Fibreglass is a Tasmanian sea kayak manufacturer of Greenlanders. We also sell Penguin Fibreglass single Greenlanders.

Increasing in popularity are North American style plastic kayaks. Necky, Current Designs, Perception and Wilderness Systems sea kayaks are now commonly seen in Tasmania and Australia.

Chris Blackaby has over 20 years of fibreglass kayak building experience and has built most of the fibreglass Greenlander sea kayaks in Blackaby's Sea Kayaks and Tours fleet (one pictured below). All of our sea kayaks are approved by Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) and are less than 3 years old.

All of our paddling and camping equipment is of high quality, from manufacturers like SKEE Paddles, Perception, Macpac, and North Face.

References:
We are happy to provide you with references from past guests on our sea kayaking tours. Please contact us.

More info? please read through our frequently asked questions.

B & B Tour itineraries and design: Sean Daugherty

Website and graphic design: Sean Daugherty

Photos: Chris Blackaby, Sean Daugherty, Tasmanian Seaplanes, and Cascades Colonial Accommodation.

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