The Best Brighton and Hove Boat Tours & Water Sports

Brighton and Hove is one of England’s most popular seaside resorts; and their boat tours and water sports offer some of the most fascinating and enjoyable ways explore the area. If you’re looking to create a whole new adventure on your own or with family, here are the best Brighton and Hove boat tours & water sports that’ll add a twist to a traditional holiday.

Lagoon Watersports

Lagoon Watersports offers sailing, kayaking, wakeboarding, and windsurfing activities, and stand up paddle boarding tuition and hire. There are a wide range of activities available to children, adults, and groups (schools, community, stag/hen, and corporate) who have no previous experience. If you’re looking to take part in the activities happening in the safe sheltered waters of the lagoon, and out on the sea, you’ll find access to full tuition, wetsuits, and all specialised equipment.

Lagoon Watersports is a fully inspected centre by the AALA, BWSW, and the Royal Yachting Association, and has been operating for more than 20 years. Between April and October, the water quality is checked as part of the seafront water quality test. Since Lagoon Watersports opened in 1994, it has passed all water quality tests, so you and your family can enjoy good, clean fun. The various child-friendly water activities, equipment, and staff are impressive as well.

Lagoon Watersports – Brighton Marina

Lagoon Watersports is set in an ideal location in Brighton Marina, and offers RYA courses in jet skis (PWC), power boating, and yacht and dinghy sailing. They also provide 2-hour yacht sailing trips, jet ski and high speed power boat rides, chartered along the beautiful Brighton coastline. Their experienced skippers cater to tourists, adults, kids, and individuals alike, in addition to hens and stags, groups, and corporate events.

Visitors are sure to have a great time on the Jet Ski Safari. The friendly and helpful team, including qualified instructors, can tailor the time to the experiences you want to enjoy. If you’re feeling inclined, you can choose to head east instead of towards central Brighton and enjoy the amazing views towards the cliffs and South Downs.

Between the Piers Boat Ride

Boat trips in Brighton are a fantastic way to experience the city skyline, and the range of architectural designs from the Regency era to the 21st century. Between the Piers Boat Ride runs short cruises in Brighton, and visitors can see the breathtaking Brighton Pier from different interesting angles. Gliding over the water, you can appreciate the blend of architectural designs from the regal, flowing crescents of the Regency period, to the Victorian bandstand, modernist Embassy court, and the cutting edge British Airways.

To get a taste of these, try the Between the Piers Boat Ride, to discover the dramatic coastline and capture stunning photos of the Seven Sisters, Beachy Head, and other cliffs overlooking the English Channel. The rides are suitable for all ages, from babies to adults, and everyone will find it an experience to remember.

Sussex Fishing

Fill up the boat with friends and family, for an afternoon of fishing and cruising along the Brighton and Sussex coast. Sussex Fishing offers a memorable range of fishing sites that’ll match different abilities, ensuring an enjoyable, easy, and safe trip. The normal route is from Eastbourne to Selsey, and the occasional cross to France. During the early wreck fishing season, it was quite common to for trips to go 30 miles or so into the Channel.

Sussex Fishing is open to everyone, from experienced anglers to beginners. They offer first class boats and skippers, who are helpful, experienced, and highly knowledgeable. You’ll find all you need in the boat, so if you’ve got no gear or bait, there’s no need to worry. The skippers know where the fish are, and can move you to the next spot when things seem dry. This boat tour experience offers great value and a great day out.

The Brighton Dive Centre

Add some valuable leisure skills to your repertoire with open water courses at the Brighton Dive Centre. The team is friendly and extremely knowledgeable, and courses are conducted in a lovely heated pool, close to the centre of Brighton. You can also perform some magnificent sea dives, and encounter schools of British sea fish, plenty of local sea life, fish, crabs, and lobsters, in extremely clear water and around the old Victorian railway support blocks.

The diving locations you can choose depend on your skill level. The Brighton Dive Centre offers a mix of learning and fun in a captivating environment, with super friendly and helpful staff on hand, who’ll always do their best to accommodate you. The centre is located in Brighton Marina, which means you get two great diving sites in one place. Channel Gardens, on the eastern side of the Marina, is perfect for keen photographers looking for great shots of seaweed and underwater vegetation. Visitors flock to the famous Brighton Palace Pier in the summer months, where dives reveal shellfish, Tompot blennies, starfish, and even the odd mobile phone.

Sail Boat Project – Day Tour

If you’ve always dreamed of experiencing sea sailing at an affordable cost, then the Sail Boat Project – Day Tour is the ideal way to do it. A weekend sailing on a 38 foot yacht with a qualified and experienced skipper is an incredible experience, even if it’s a bit of hard work as well. The boat takes up to 10 people in 4 cabins, and offers all the normal facilities and comfort you would expect. They offer first class sailing tuition and, after your first trip, you’re sure to look out for more of the same in the future.

Visitors’ bookings support the company’s community work, with a four to one student instructor ratio on RYA courses. Great food – vegetarian and vegan – with all meals and snacks are included. Hull paint is environmentally-friendly and silicone-based, to prevent toxic biocide on-board. Sailing waterproofs and boots on courses and trips are provided at no extra charge, and there is a comprehensive on-board library of learning resources. Sail Boat Project day tour sailings leave from picturesque Itchenor in Chichester harbour, and regular customers can get special offers and discounts.

Brighton Charter Fishing

Groups looking to charter a whole boat, or anglers interested in individual bookings can get their needs met at Brighton Charter Fishing. The company specialises in deep sea fishing trips in Brighton, boat tours, and fishing charters and tours. In Brighton, there are countless wrecks, and plenty of fishing grounds and reefs, which is why it’s one of the leading ports in the UK for sea fishing. Brighton Charter Fishing offers a spacious, fast, and well-equipped 440hp 38ft Aquastar Pro-Fisherman, one of the busiest charter boats in Brighton and purpose built for fishing.

Beginner and experienced anglers alike can enjoy a day aboard the Grey Viking II. If needed, tuition and advice can be provided throughout the day. In addition, equipment can be hired for a modest charge, if you haven’t got your own. Brighton Charter Fishing can also arrange for you to purchase bait within the marina before getting on-board. There’s so much Brighton Marina has to offer as a destination – good fishing all year round, free parking, and an adequately supplied tackle shop close to the boat. If you’re choosing to stay over, the marina itself offers plenty of entertainment, while the city centre is a few miles away, where you can find a range of accommodation to suit every budget.

Brighton Kayak Experience

If you’re looking for something exciting to do with your kids at half-term, look no further than Brighton Kayaking Experience. Even if your kids are really anxious about getting in the water, the instructor is fantastic and, within hours, they can be paddling happily around the bay. Brighton Kayak Experience aims to ensure that visitors have the opportunity to experience all that kayaking has to offer. Everyone is unique, with different learning styles working more effectively for each person. Whether you like to explore, prefer to be guided, or simply need instructions on how to get better, you’ll find it all at Brighton Kayak Experience.

Brighton Kayak Experience instructors have nearly twenty years of experience and a background in teaching. Whatever your preferred way of learning, you’ll be sure to enjoy your kayaking experience.  River adventures from Brighton Kayak Experience are the perfect way for families to spend time together on the rivers of Sussex. Whether you prefer canoes, kayaks or sit-ups, a tailored adventure can be designed to suit all abilities and requirements.

Marina Water Tours

Established in 1997, Brighton Marina Water Tours is a family-owned business offering passenger service to visitors. Marina Water Tours is the perfect destination for wedding receptions, hen parties, stag dos, corporate events, and other functions. Lasting memories can be created on the 45-minute pleasure cruises, which you can take from the marina to check out the West pier and i360 and return after.

The experience is one to remember, with a merry overseer and crew, and at a price that won’t break the bank. The passenger boat pleasure trips hold up to 63 people, so you don’t have to worry about finding space for guests at your special function. Marina Water Tours also offers power boat rides for up to 12 people, and fishing trips for up to 18 people as well.

Brighton Jet Ski Tours

Thrill seekers looking to get their adrenaline pumping, while taking in the impressive views of Brighton, can hop on a jet ski ride along the coast. Brighton Jet Ski Tours provides high quality wetsuits, buoyancy aids, and life jackets, and a briefing from one of their enthusiastic, qualified RYA instructors. This tour offers you the chance to take to the water, and soak up the view of the Palace Pier, the Grade I listed West Pier, and other iconic landmarks. In a 25-minute whirl along the coast, you’ll be soaring across Brighton’s waves at exciting speeds on your personal watercraft.

In addition to jet skiing, Brighton Jet Ski Tours also provides water skiing, tours, boat tours, and water sports for you to enjoy. If you’re lucky to be out in warm, sunny weather when the sea is calm, you can get even more speed on the open water for an even bigger rush. With the helpful assistance of the instructors, you can make high speed turns, covering your friends and loved ones in tidal wave spray. It’s a must-do experience, and absolutely superb. Booking activities is easy, and the equipment is always in excellent condition.

Sea Breeze 3

Brighton Marina fishing charter, Sea Breeze 3, offers tours, fishing charters and tours, boat tours, water sports and outdoor activities. They offer charters for sea fishing trips for individuals looking to take part in deep sea fishing, for larges catches of cod, ling, turbot, bass, pollack, and lots more. Sea Breeze also provides exciting activities along the Sussex coast, to suit stag and hen dos, birthday party trips, and sightseeing trips. Clubs and beginners are welcome to experience a memorable fishing charter and day trips, and with the help of experienced and qualified crew, you could be catching fish in no time. The skippers and crew have a vast knowledge of everything related to ground fishing, wreck fishing, bassing, and so on.

If you’re keen on fishing in the English Channel in Brighton, look no further than the Sea Breeze 3. The boats are in great condition and fully equipped, and you can spend hours cruising and stopping to fish for mackerel for a splendid BBQ dinner. Sea Breeze 3 is a first class vessel to enjoy a boat charter experience. They pay attention to the finer details, like helping you tackle the rods, baiting, and filleting of special fish as preparation for bait.

BK Kayaking – Day Adventures

BK Kayaking – Day Adventures offer pure fun, and a memorable experience in kayaking and canoeing, boat tours and water sports. Beginners and advanced kayakers are welcome, as there are introductory sessions, in addition to intermediate and advanced sessions for the whole family. You’ll lean rescue for capsize situations, advanced techniques, and other skills to help you build better water confidence. Based in the middle of Brighton Beach, BK Kayaking is the ideal destination for fishing trips, coastal trips, birthday parties and stag/hen groups. If you’re planning a surprise mackerel fishing trip for a loved one, look no further than BK Kayaking.

The instructors are excellent, easy going and very friendly, and can usually provide helpful guidance in crystal clear and comprehensible instructions. Even if you’re a beginner faced with relatively challenging situations, you’ll manage to have a wonderful and safe experience. Explore the amazing Sussex coastline; and discover towering cliffs and hidden beaches. BK Kayaking also offers kayak mackerel fishing, Eskimo roll/rescue clinic and surfing, and you can learn new manoeuvres and polish your fishing strokes.

The Kayak Coach

From kayaking and canoeing, to lessons and workshops, tours, classes, boat tours, water sports and outdoor activities, there are countless activities you can partake in to occupy your time at the Kayak Coach. They specialise in running several courses, and experiences in kayaking and canoeing, from certified courses to memorable adventures for birthdays and stag and hen celebrations. Other activities you can try include guided river trips in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. You can also rent paddle boards, canoes, and kayaks for as little as one hour at a time.

Even if you’ve only kayaked a few times, you’ll soon be speeding down the gorgeous River Medway, with the help of supportive teachers at the Kayak Coach. The coaches are not only great guides but fabulous teachers as well and, by the end of your trip, you’ll be feeling like a much better kayaker, and be ready to try the kayak shoots on the weirs. When it’s time to get out of the water, there’s warm water on-site to clean yourself up, and you can also grab something to eat at the Bull Inn in Hensfield.

Hatt Adventures

Hatt Adventures offers a range of adventure courses, holidays, and experiences in various outdoor pursuits. These include canoeing, kayaking, bush craft, rock climbing, mountaineering and navigation, survival, and other wilderness first aid courses. You can see Brighton from the water with this kayaking experience, that launches near Brighton Marina, a little over a mile from the east of Brighton Pier. Visitors also enjoy the popular River Arun trip from Stopham Bridge to Pallingham Quay, and you don’t need to be fit or young to have fun here.

As one of the leading outdoor adventure providers in the south east, Hatt Adventures can give you a holiday to remember. Choose from different canoeing and kayaking courses for novice canoeists and advanced kayakers in Brighton, or mountaineering and hill walking courses for beginners and experienced mountaineers. You can also spend an amazing afternoon abseiling under the guidance of the friendly and knowledgeable Hatt Adventures team. If you’re preparing for a charity abseil, a fundraising activity, or simply looking for a fun day out, Hatt Adventures offers a two-hour abseiling course to overcome your nerves and get you ready to go.