Yamba UK, A Family Run Outdoor Pursuits Company With A Passion For What They Do... My Recent Visit & First Impressions

YAMBA UK are a family run company based in Lancashire, with an obvious passion for what they are involved in, paired with a great deal of knowledge and experience, in what they have to offer. Whether it be outdoor pursuit training programmes or quality kayaking and canoeing equipment.

They are a relatively new company, but have clearly been involved with the activities they offer for some considerable time, highlighted in the advice and knowledge they demonstrate when talking to the staff at Yamba UK.

Having recently purchased a Stearns Back Country inflatable canoe, I was on the lookout for a suitable buoyancy aid and preferred to purchase new, rather than second hand (When it comes to safety, you need the reassurance of equipment that is going work when you need it to).

And so I began my research on the internet. I had a good idea as to what I was looking for and completely by chance landed on a site that was very local to me, in Lancashire.

I have always gauged the credibility and professionalism of a company by the quality of their website and Yamba UK ranks very highly in my book, so wasted no time in driving over to their retail outlet in Lostock Hall, near Preston for a visit. I was greeted by a lovely lady called Diane who turned out to be one of the owners of Yamba UK and we soon started to have a good chat about kayaking, bushcraft and outdoor pursuits in general. They are clearly passionate about their outdoor life and this was also evident by the quality of their retail outlet and the media literature they had on show in the shop, everything oozed quality.

Not only do they sell a good selection of canoeing, kayaking and other outdoor related equipment, they also run specific training courses such as canoeing, sea kayaking, ghyll scrambling, rock climbing and bushcraft, but to name a few. I already have my eyes set on a one day sea kayaking course that they are running, which includes full coaching, equipment and insurance for just £75.00 They have various courses tailored to whatever standard you may be comfortable with.

They also host regular demo days, where you can spend a couple of hours in the lakes, trying out their sea kayaks, under their experienced supervision. All equipment is provided, along with tuition and all for a tenner. Pretty good I reckon, if you are looking to by a sea kayak, or just want to try something different.

There is so much more I could say about Yamba UK, but everything you need to know is available on their brilliant website www.yamba.org.uk, so why not take a look for yourself. You can also find them on Facebook.

Its always nice to find a company that has a clear passion for what they do and the guys at Yamba if not helping others to enjoy the outdoors are enjoying the outdoors themselves. I myself wish them all the success in the world in their new venture and hope to book on a few courses very soon.

Oh and one last thing, Diane found me the perfect buoyancy aid and it is now on order awaiting my collection...thanks guys !