One of our main strengths is our instructors. The qualifications, levels of experience and maturity they bring to all our courses create an environment in which students can have fun while learning and challenging themselves in the outdoors.
Our staff regularly pursue outdoor activities in their spare time which fuels their enthusiasm and provides them with a wealth of knowledge they can apply to their work at the centre.
Sean Rider – Centre Manager/Owner
Sean is the Centre Manager and will be your main point of contact before and during your trip.
Sean started as many young people do, riding his bike and playing in the wood with friends. This and sometime in the scouting movement grew Sean’s love of being outside doing adventurous things. Through school, Sean’s love of kayaking was developed by a school teacher who also had a passion for kayaking. He went on to study Outdoor Activities at Duchy College achieving the top student in his final year. After this he worked in a number of centres across the south including the Isle of Wight and South Wales.
After working at The River Dart Country Park in 2006, Sean joined the Adventure Centre as an Instructor and progressed to Chief Instructor before taking over the Centre in 2017.
Sean is a well-qualified Outdoor Professional as a British Canoeing Level 5 Kayak Coach, SPA and ML.
Outside of work, Sean enjoys most forms of kayaking, whether it’s a trip on the sea, catching some waves in the surf or making his way through rapids on some local Rivers. He is a keen sportsman, completing numerous half marathons and being part of a local Cricket and Badminton club.
Ann Rider – Owner/Lead Instructor
Having two older brothers, Ann has always loved being outside playing and exploring. When she was 12, she started at going to a local outdoor centre, learning how to kayak and climb as well as play around in the mud, something she still loves to do!
Volunteering at the centre as she got older helped her gain valuable qualifications and experience, including working with some special need’s groups.
After working a few seasons in the industry and craving more skill development and an urge to explore the mountains, Ann took a role as a Centre Assistant at Plas-y-Brenin, The National Mountain Centre in Wales. 18 months later with new qualifications and skills Ann returned to the South West to challenge herself further taking a role at The Adventure Centre. A job where she would teach adults over a longer period of time, developing their skills and hopefully love of the outdoors.
Ann is also a keen sportswoman, regularly playing Netball and has taken up open water swimming, recently completing her first 10km swim.
Paddy and Reuben – As a family run business these two cheeky chaps are often seen out and about keeping an eye on things making sure everything is being run well!