Ocean Vertical
BEST FOR
Ages 14-18
ENTRY
from £27.50
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Dunbar
What it’s like
Coasteering, surfing and axe throwing for teenagers, driven out to the coast or hills from a Dunbar meeting point.
This isn't one for the younger kids. The minimum age is 14 for most of it, 16 if they want to go mountaineering, and 18 for anything overnight, so it's really a teenager's day out rather than a family one. What they actually do is properly physical: coasteering means jumping and scrambling through the tidal zone, there's surfing for all levels, paddle boarding either in the sea or on a calm forest lake when the swell's too rough, plus axe throwing and archery in the woods if you want something a bit less soaking wet.
You get driven to the actual location from the meeting point, which is a nice touch if you're not local, though mountain trips mean a 6.30am start at Ingliston Park and Ride by Edinburgh Airport, which is early for anyone, let alone a teenager. Prices start from £27.50 and climb well past that, £65 for surfing and £135 for a full yoga and SUP retreat day, so this is a treat booking rather than a casual afternoon out. Booking and payment both have to be done online in advance, no turning up on the day.
Fitness matters here. The site is upfront that a reasonable level of fitness is needed for both the mountain and ocean stuff. Coasteering runs April to December, but surfing, axe throwing and archery are year round, so winter isn't a dead loss if the coasteering season's shut. There's a café and toilets on site for afterwards, which after a coasteering session in the North Sea is probably the bit everyone's most grateful for.
Bad weather gets managed rather than just endured, with the guides watching mountain forecasts and moving paddle boarding inland to the lake if the sea's too rough. Actual storms mean the trip gets cancelled outright, with a refund, voucher or new date offered instead.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Teens 14 to 18 who want proper physical outdoor challenges
- Getting there by bus or train
- For mountain adventures meet at 6:30am at Ingliston Park and Ride EH28 8LS by Edinburgh Airport, then driven to adventure location
- Minimum age is 14 for most activities, so this isn't one for younger siblings.
- Mountain trips mean a 6.30am meet at Ingliston Park and Ride, not at the Dunbar base.
- Booking and full payment happen online in advance, there's no paying on arrival.
- Coasteering only runs April to December, but surfing and the woodland activities go year round.
- High winds and swell push paddle boarding from the sea to a forest lake instead.
Plan your visit
How old do kids need to be?
14 for coasteering, surfing and climbing, 16 for mountaineering, 18 if it's an overnight trip. There's some flexibility for custom group adventures.
How much does it cost?
Prices start from £27.50, with surfing at £65 and the full day yoga and SUP retreat at £135. Payment is taken in full when you book online.
Do we need to book in advance?
Yes, everything goes through their online booking system and has to be paid for at the point of booking.
Where do we meet?
For ocean and coasteering trips you're driven from the base to a spot 10 to 20 minutes away. Mountain adventures meet at 6.30am at Ingliston Park and Ride near Edinburgh Airport.
What happens if the weather's bad?
Guides follow the mountain forecasts closely and will switch mountain destinations if conditions look risky. Rough seas mean paddle boarding moves to a calm forest lake instead, and genuine storms mean the trip is cancelled with a refund, voucher or rebooking offered.
Do you need to be fit for this?
A decent level of fitness is expected for the mountain and ocean adventures. It's worth thinking about whether your teenager's up for scrambling and swimming through rocky tidal zones before booking.
Is coasteering available all year?
Coasteering runs April through December. Surfing, axe throwing and archery run all year round.
Is there food on site?
There's a café and on-site food available, plus toilets.
Can you build a custom trip?
They'll put together trips based on experience, timescale, budget and location, from a one-on-one paddle boarding session up to a multi-day mountaineering and surfing trip.
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