"I wish I was back at the office. . . "
– No one
Your favourite Outdoor Adventure, Activity and Training Centre in Courtmacsherry, Cork, Ireland
Hey there!
Welcome to Gecko Adventures!
We are an outdoor activity, adventure, and training centre operating in the picturesque Irish community of Courtmacsherry, along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Our highly experienced instructors are dedicated to passing on their expert skills and knowledge while providing a safe and fun learning environment, and making every session an unforgettable experience.
We pride ourselves on being fully inclusive, the outdoors is for everyone, of all ages and abilities!
Summer Camps
2023 brings some changes to our super popular Summer Camps. Main camp will be split into two separate age groups:
Turtles: 6 – 9
Sharks: 10 – 13
This will help to keep groups of friends together, something we always do our best to accommodate. The 2 groups will run at the same times as each other. If you have a group of friends bridging the 9/10 age group then it’s ok to book them all into one group.
Our Mini Camps won’t be running this year, but if there is a demand to bring them back then please let us know and we will take a look how much interest there is.
Academy is running as normal, 5 days of focused skills learning for teenagers interested in progressing in the sports. It is the starting point for Academy, and the course includes all the fundamental skills as well as the Academy Logbook. If Students then wish to continue, Academy runs throughout the year every Sunday where candidates will have the opportunity to excel at windsurfing, kayaking, sailing and powerboating and more, in order to progress towards becoming instructors themselves.
Academy
Water Skills Academy
Academy is back! Dedicated skills program for teenagers looking to take on the sports. The Skills Academy Week is the starting point for all levels.
- Age 13 - 17
- Monday to Friday
- 10am - 4pm
- Kayak, Windsurf, SUP, Sailing, Weather and Tides, Sea Safety, Team Leadership and Session Planning
Sailing
Sailing Courses are available for booking now!
We are an Irish Sailing Training Centre and run our Sailing courses in line with the Irish Sailing syllabus. Our teenage courses are 5 days, Monday to Friday, and mixed levels are run concurrently. Assessments are ongoing throughout the courses as participants tick of the skills required of their current level.
- Level 1: Start Sailing
- Level 2: Basic Skills
- Level 3: Improving Skills
Sailing Level 1
Start Sailing
This is the starting point for sailors with no previous experience. They will learn all the basics of rigging, safety, launching and sailing with the assistance of an instructor
- Pre Launch Safety
- Rigging and Ropework
- Weather and Tides
- Sailing Skills
- Capsize Recovery
Junior Sailing
Young Sailors
For younger sailors to come and try their hand! Coming soon!
- Age 8-12
- Monday to Friday
- 10am - 3.30pm
- Introduction to the basics of sailing, mixed in with fun team building activities and games
Adult Sailing
Weekend Course
2 Full days learning the basics of sailing and getting a feel for the wind, water and tides, and taking control of your boat.
- Age 12+
- Weekend
- 10am - 4pm
- Basic sailing, rigging, weather and tides
Kayaking
Brand New: Sea Safety for kayakers course Designed for newcomers to kayaking or any watersport around the various skills, techniques and knowledge you need to keep you and your loved ones safe when making use of the water.
Kayak Skills Courses Level 1 and Level 2 will be added to the booking calendar soon, and will begin running around March/April. If you are interested in a course in the meantime, please get in touch!
The level 2 Kayak skills award has grown, and Canoeing Ireland have added an increased number of skills, techniques and rescues as well as additional theory and knowledge on weather and tides. This is to give the level 2 paddler a higher level of skill and competence in order to kayak safely and independently as part of a peer group. Because of this additional training requirement we now require that the level 1 course is completed as a prerequisite before doing the Level 2 Course, bringing the total number of training days to 3.
Level 3 kayak trips are running on Sundays at the moment for anyone who has completed Level 2 Skills training. If you’d like to join us please get in touch to join our WhatsApp group.
Coastal Kayak Tours will run as normal throughout the Summer, and can be found on our booking calendar, or booked privately through us. The Coastal Kayak tour is a 2 hour tour around the headland and exploring the coastline and Courtmacsherry’s hidden sea caves beneath the cliff walk. Suitable for total beginners, all equipment is provided and included.
Sea Safety for kayakers
Just bought a Kayak?
If you’re new to the water, or are looking to grow your knowledge of:
Safety at sea – Weather reading and prediction – Tides and their affect on you – Self rescue and peer rescue – Cold shock – Basic Kayak Skills – Equipment selection
…then this is the course for you. Designed for those who may have bought their first kayak, or those who have been paddling for years but feel there may be some gaps in their knowledge. It’s always worth taking that extra step to ensure you’re not caught off guard, and you have the skills, knowledge and confidence to paddle safely.
- Full day course 10am-4pm
- All equipment provided
- Includes training booklet
- Age 12+
- €80
Level 1 Kayak Skills
Introduction to Kayaking
This is the starting point for kayak skills training and is a prerequisite for our Level 2 Skills Course. Includes basic flatwater strokes and skills, self rescue, equipment management and weather and tides.
- Full day course 10am-4pm
- All equipment included
- Canoeing Ireland certified Level 1
- Age 12+
- €80
Skills include:
- Forward/reverse stroke
- Forward/reverse sweep stroke
- Combined sweep stroke
- Stopping stroke
- Weather and tides
- Equipment set up and manageament
- Self Rescue
Level 2 Kayak Skills
Beginner Weekend Course
Building on the skills learned on the level 1 course, here we focus on the more advanced flatwater strokes and work on rescues as a team as well as more advanced self rescues, weather and tides and more.
- Full weekend course
- All equipment provided
- Canoeing Ireland certified Level 2
- Age 12+
- €160
Skills include:
- Low Brace
- Edging
- Draw Stroke
- Stern rudder
- Weather and tides
- Personal safety equipment
- Self Rescues and rescue as a team (X rescue and T rescue)
Level 3 Kayak Skills
Moving water and River Skills
Level 3 River Kayak Skills training brings us to moving water as we begin training on white water environments. We run various river trips, kayak surf sessions and more throughout the year as we work towards Level 3 skills such as the Eskimo Roll, various new strokes, rescues and techniques.
- Sunday sessions throughout the year
- Contact us to join our WhatsApp group
Coastal Kayak Tour
Guided Kayak Tour
A scenic tour around the beautiful headland of Courtmacsherry Bay and exploring the sea caves hidden beneath the cliffs
- Age 12 +
- Perfect for families
- 2hrs
- €40 per person
Kids Kayak
1hr Kids Kayak Session
A guided fun session including some basic skills and safety followed by exciting kayak games
- Age 6-12
- Weekends
- Times vary according to the tides, check our booking calendar
- €25
Kayak Rental
Sit On Top Rental
A brief skills demo and safety instruction and you can rent our single and double kayaks
- Age 12+
- Singles and doubles
- All equipment included
- €15 for first hour, €10 for every hour after that
Windsurfing
Windsurfing Courses for Adults and Teenagers will be available for booking soon.
Kitesurfing
Flying an enormous kite, and using it to skim over the surface of the water, through the waves, and up into the air. Seriously, what could be more fun than that?
We love teaching kitesurfing in Cork. We use a variety of local beaches depending on the conditions, but most often teach on the large sandbank at the Courtmacsherry estuary. This is a fantastic spot to learn because of the consistent winds, waist deep water, and an uncrowded sailing area.
Learning kitesurfing in Ireland you may sacrifice hot, sunny days. But in return you can learn with qualified instructors in standing depth water with space all around you. Which means you can focus on learning in a safe and secure way, without worrying about people nearby.
If you’ve seen people kitesurfing and want to give it a try, we say go for it! At worst you will have a fun new experience, at its best you may just find a sport that will change your life!
You can decide whether you want to learn in a class of 2 people, or privately in a one on one lesson with your instructor.
Kitesurf lessons aren’t up on the calendar, so contact us to book!
Courtmacsherry Beach
We are based in the heart of West Cork, in the beautiful Courtmacsherry. A charming village with a friendly and welcoming community, Courtmacsherry is a hidden treasure along the Wild Atlantic Way. Follow along it’s one street with houses on your right and the ocean, pier and historical remains of the old railway to your left, until you reach Courtmacsherry Beach at the far end of the village. The road stops here, right at the doorstep of our activity centre, but if you would like to continue along then you can choose between the walkway through the forest and along the top of the sea cliffs, or take to the water and explore the coast on one of our Coastal Kayak Tours!
Owenahincha Surf School
We are super excited to have opened our brand new surf school at Owenahincha beach in West Cork! Our main centre in Courtmacsherry with it’s perfectly flat water bay is perfect for most of our activities, but we needed to find somewhere with waves so we could start teaching surfing! We will be running surf lessons and rentals from the beach at Owenahincha, as well as kayak and SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) rentals, and we’re planning to run kids camps soon too! For more information, check out our surf school page.
Gallery
Testimonials
Rob
"Doane and Tal are brilliant instructors. Doane has coached me from when I started kayaking until I did my level 4 training. He always has something new to teach you. He makes progression fun and rewarding at all levels. Tal is an awesome windsurfing instructor who makes even the most complicated sounding windsurf theory simple to understand. His well structured lessons will have you planing in no time! I would absolutely recommend them to anybody interested in adventure sports, or anybody who wants to progress to the next level"
Pamela
"Had the best time windsurfing today. I'm really nervous about being out of my depth in water but Tal was a great instructor and put me right at ease. can't wait to go again."
Sarah Kate
"Doane took a group of us kayaking and he's an excellent teacher! He's passionate about what he does and you really feel like you're in experienced hands. I'll definitely be trying some of the other activities on offer too, thanks Doane!"
Alannah
"I have never met an instructor with as much enthusiasm as Arran, and yet his patience and attention to detail helped me develop my skills while always having fun!”
Stacey
"Amazing teaching technique! Tal is so relaxed and patient, I learned so much in just a few hours windsurfing with him. Absolute bargain. Would highly recommend to anyone! Can't wait to get out on the water with them again"
Marissa
"Great fun had here today by my three teenagers. Great instructors. Thanks.
Brendan
"Both Doane and Tal are amazing instructors, with their teaching I was able to get my eskimo roll after just a couple of sessions with them. They are very relaxed and will make your sessions fun and educational.
Michael
"Both Doane and Tal were busy coaching me and others in kayaking and windsurfing for the majority of last year and I'd 100% recommend any sessions with them. Two totally friendly, relaxed and experienced instructors who make instructions super clear and easy to understand. Huge thumbs up!"
Check out our facebook page and tripadvisor for more reviews!