Northumberland boasts some of the most beautiful coastline in the whole of the UK and because of that, there are sooo many water activities in Northumberland to get stuck into!
I mean, we are a bit biased because we spend pretty much every day out and about somewhere along the coast, but honestly - it's GORGEOUS!
We've got everything from deserted white sand beaches to rugged cliff tops. There's castles, bustling harbours, the best fish and chips you'll ever eat and don't get us started on the wildlife! We've got huge grey seal colonies, thousands of seabirds (including our favourite the puffins), pods of dolphins and whales - we really are spoilt when it comes to up-close encounters with marine life.
So, there's no wonder we spend nearly every day diving and snorkelling along our amazing coast. But that's only a couple of ways you can get involved with water activities in Northumberland.
In this article, we've made a list of our top 5 favourite water activities in Northumberland so you can make the most of your stay.
1 SUP Cook Out with CBK Adventures
We absolutely love the gang at CBK Adventures. They are very much on the same page as The Fifth Point when it comes to protecting the ocean and that's why we wanted to tell you about their amazing SUP Cook Outs. This has got to be one of the coolest activities you can do on the water in Northumberland.
The team will take you on an amazing SUP tour exploring the regions best waterways. But it's hard work, right?! That's why you'll stop off and cook your lunch by the waterside over an open flame! You'll take an outdoor cooking workshop in the wild, cooking some amazing grub from local food heroes over a camp fire.
We love the fact that CBK will help you follow 'Leave No Trace' principles during your adventure so you make sure you leave your environment pristine.
Find out more on the CBK website...
2 Grey Seal and Puffin Cruises with Serenity Boat Tours
The whole gang at Serenity Boat Tours are amazing. They've taken care of The Fifth Point during our dive trips and snorkel safaris since we opened back in 2017, but you don't necessarily need to go under the water to enjoy the marine life at The Farne Islands.
Hop on one of Serenitys lovely catamaran boats and they'll take you on a sightseeing tour around the islands. You're pretty much guaranteed to see grey seals chilling on the rocks and eyeballing you from the surface of the water. Depending on the time of year, you'll see gannets and guillemots, puffins and kittiwakes, terns and razorbills too. If you're really lucky you might see dolphins and maybe even a whale!
Find out more on the Serenity Farne Islands Tours website...
3 Coasteering with KA Adventure Sports
We spend a lot of time at Beadnell and we always bump into our friends at KA Adventure Sports with their gangs of SUPers and kitesurfers. By far our favourite water activity they offer in Northumberland is coasteering. We love nothing more than hurling ourselves off high cliffs into the sea and they know the best spots along the coast to do just that!
They know where to find caves, tunnels, rocks pools... and even a 40ft jump into the sea!
Find out more on the KA Adventure Sports website...
4 Surfing with Yonder
There is EPIC surfing in the North East. While there's hidden little surf spots like Embleton and Blyth, the best know surfing mecca is probably Tynemouth Longsands. While it's not technically in Northumberland, it's only a stone's throw over the county border into Tyneside!
There's loads of surf schools along the whole stretch of the coast but our favourite is Yonder. We've been following them for a long time and we love the fact that Yonder's sole purpose is to offer a route into surfing for women. They've also got amazing merch!
They're a small family business who focus on quality and safety. They only run lessons when it's appropriate to do so and their group sizes are super small. You know that you're going to get an amazing introduction to surfing with them - definitely a water activity in Northumberland not to be missed!
Find out more on the Yonder website...
5 Protect what you love during your water activities in Northumberland
Whether we're in the sea, next to it or under it, our favourite water activity in Northumberland is to help protect the ocean.
There's a common misconception that because the North Sea is cold and can be really rough at times, it must be hard as nails. It must be able to take anything we can throw at it and the creatures that live in it must be bulletproof.
Unfortunately, that's just not the case and as a water baby, you'll understand that the habitats along the Northumberland coast are just as delicate as any tropical coral reef. That's why it's so important to look after it.
While you're enjoying the water activities in Northumberland that we've mentioned in this blog post, do your bit to protect what you love. Pick up some rubbish off the beach. If you find some debris floating in the ocean, grab it. If you encounter a seal on land, give it a wide berth and encourage others to do the same.
All these little actions add up to remove pressure on the ocean from marine debris and habitat destruction.
If you'd like to join an organised environmental event like a beach clean or underwater litter pick, check out our calendar for the next opportunity.
