Mount Batten Watersports & Activities Centre
WHERE
Plymouth
What it’s like
Kayaking and paddleboarding try sessions and holiday courses for kids, run from a centre with the beach and café shut for now.
Paddles and kayaks are the main event here. You can book a try session or a tour on a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard, which is a good way to find out whether your child is actually keen or just likes the idea of it before you spend money on kit of your own.
School holidays bring dedicated sessions split by age, one for 8 to 13 year olds and another for 11 to 15 year olds, so you're not putting a nervous eight-year-old next to a confident fifteen-year-old on the water. That age split is the kind of detail that suggests they've thought about who's actually turning up.
Two things worth knowing before you plan the whole day around it. The beach itself is currently closed, asbestos fibres have turned up in the sand at levels they're treating as hazardous, so this isn't a spot for a paddle and a picnic on the shore either side of your session. The on-site café and accommodation are also closed while redevelopment work goes on, so this is one for the activity itself rather than a full day out with lunch thrown in.
Need to know
- Best for
- 8 to 15, with age-split holiday sessions for that range
- Beach access is off the table right now due to the asbestos closure
- No café or accommodation on site while redevelopment work continues
- Holiday sessions are age-split, so check which group your child falls into
- Try sessions and tours are also on offer outside the school holiday programme
Plan your visit
What can kids actually do there?
Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, either as a one-off try session, a tour, or through the school holiday sessions aimed at 8 to 13 year olds and 11 to 15 year olds.
Is the beach open?
No. Mount Batten beach is currently closed because of asbestos fibres found in the sand at levels considered hazardous.
Can we get food there?
The centre's café is closed at the moment as part of redevelopment works, so don't plan on eating on site.
Is there an age limit for the water sessions?
The school holiday sessions are split into 8 to 13 and 11 to 15 age groups, though the general try sessions don't specify an age range.
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