Our History
Martlet Kayak Club was founded in 1979, originally based in two of the historic seafront arches beneath Duke’s Mound, at the eastern end of Brighton seafront.
Among the earliest members were Tom Perkins, Clive Biggs, Michael Hordell, Ian Dewey and Dennis, followed soon after by Andy Pumphrey, Chris Childs, David Smith, Phil Blewet, and Graham Hawthorne.
From the beginning, the club has always been run by volunteers for the benefit of its members. The Club started as a racing club and had a number of K1 and K2 racing kayaks. However our location wasn’t ideal for kayak racing and GRP K1s don’t tend to have a long life when paddled off our beach – so the Club quickly diversified.
Martlet started with a few racing boats, a couple of sea kayaks and six KW7 kayaks. All the boats in those days were Fibre Glass, which required regular running repairs. Some members had some slalom boats from Gaybo, the Gaybo Dominator being the “must have boat”. Then in the early eighties a guy from Germany pulled up outside the club and showed us a plastic boat, it was about 12 ft long and very heavy, Andy Pumphrey said to him: “Plastic boats will never catch on”. Within just two years, the club had grown rapidly, boasting over a hundred members, a thriving community, and an expanding collection of plastic boats and equipment.
Photo – First MKC Polo Team: From Right: Andy Pumphrey, Derek Pratt, Ian Dewey, Chris Childs, Dave Packham and Olly Chappell.
Loads of belief but not much ability
Adventures on the water
From the outset, the club has had organised river trips, exploring local waterways as well as the River Wye, the Tryweryn, and many rivers across Europe. In the early days, modern kayaking gear was scarce, so members improvised with what they had: thin Ace plastic helmets, old cagoules intended for rainy walks, nylon spray decks, worn-out trainers, Marigold gloves and woolly jumpers. Winter paddles often meant getting soaked and very cold, but enthusiasm carried everyone through.
As membership grew, the club expanded its facilities, taking on three additional arches along the seafront. This allowed storage for around 200 boats, making Martlet one of the largest community kayaking clubs on the south coast.
Growth and Expansion
Martlet has a proud tradition of competition. Members have competed in Racing, White-Water Racing, Slalom, Surf Kayaking, and most notably, Kayak Polo. The Martlet Polo Team regularly competed across Europe, with several players representing Great Britain. The team achieved remarkable success, including a gold medal at the World Masters Games. Other members also competed in surf events, with at least one paddler representing the GB Surf Team.
Coaching and Development
When the club was first founded, there were no qualified coaches. This changed when Graham Hawthorne and Chris Childs joined, laying the foundations for a strong coaching culture. Over the years, Chris Childs, Dai Thomas and others have trained and inspired many new coaches, helping Martlet develop a large number of qualified coaches who continue to support and grow the club today.
