DUKE OF EDINBURGH | OPEN SILVER EXPEDITIONS | WALKING | KAYAKING
GOLD KAYAKING | RIVER WYE
DOFE FOR SCHOOLS
GOLD EXPEDITIONS | DARTMOOR
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SILVER EXPEDITIONS | DORSET
Bronze EXPEDITIONS | Dorset
Your Silver Duke Of Edinburgh Expedition marks an important milestone in your journey on The Award Scheme. For many, the completion of their Silver Award, sets them well away on their journey to Gold!
At Jurassic Watersports, we recognise the fact that for many young people, their Silver Expeditions will be the last chance for them to refine their skills before embarking on their Gold. We use Silver as an opportunity to reinforce the skills learnt at Bronze and build on them, pushing participants' abilities to properly prepare them for the added difficulty of completing a Gold Expedition in Wild Country.
Your Silver Duke Of Edinburgh Expedition marks an important milestone in your journey on The Award Scheme. For many, the completion of their Silver Award, sets them well away on their journey to Gold!
At Jurassic Watersports, we recognise the fact that for many young people, their Silver Expeditions will be the last chance for them to refine their skills before embarking on their Gold. We use Silver as an opportunity to reinforce the skills learnt at Bronze and build on them, pushing participants' abilities to properly prepare them for the added difficulty of completing a Gold Expedition in Wild Country.
OPEN DOFE Silver TRAINING/PRACTICE EXPEDITION
At Jurassic Watersports, our Training and Practice Expeditions are ran as a 3 day block. The first day is an intensive training day. Usually based from a campsite, we will meet you in the morning, introduce everyone to each other and introduce your instructor team. They will then go through a plan for the next 3 days and conduct a kit check, before running through our basic campcraft training and asking you to set up camp.
Once settled in, we are straight out on the hill. Your instructors will start by putting you through your paces to assess your current navigation ability. Once assessed, they will begin to deliver any training required to get you up to the required standard. After this long and intensive day of training, you will arrive back on camp. Your instructors will then run you through any emergency procedure, first aid or general expedition skills training that couldn't be covered while out on the hill. They will then deliver our basic camp stove safety training and leave you to have some dinner. Over dinner, you will sit down with your team and Instructors to discuss the routes and plan for the next 2 days.
The remainder of your time with us will be a standard expedition as you will likely be used to from Bronze, with our staff giving bits of advice and top up training as required. Your evenings will be spent discussing your Qualifying Expedition, reviewing any changes to kit you might make and discussing meal planning as a team.
At the end of this expedition your instructor team will sit you down and review the last few days and run a group debrief to ensure that you are all prepared to undertake your Qualifying Expedition.
(If you are going on to complete your Qualifying Expedition elsewhere, we are happy to issue a report on this expedition to pass on to the next provider.)
Expedition Now £200pp!
OPEN DOFE Silver QUALIFYING EXPEDITION
As per DofE requirements, this is a 2 Day & 2 Night Expedition. During this expedition you and your team will be 100% self-sufficient. Our team of Supervisors & Assessors are there for one job and one job only. To facilitate a successful expedition. They are not there to watch every move to find a mistake to fail you on! So relax! This is meant to be an amazing experience!
Our team will operate pre-arranged checkpoints and ensure you stay on track and safe at all times, but this is for all intensive purposes your expedition, we are here to help!
On completion of a Qualifying Expedition, you and your team will be expected to deliver a short presentation on your expedition aims and your overall expedition experience. Once complete, your Assessor will deliver a debrief on your last 3 days and all being well, congratulate you on a successful expedition. They will also take some time to discuss how you are getting on with the rest of your DofE programme and give you some advice and information on Gold. After your expedition, your Assessor will upload a full Assessors report, direct to your eDofE account and you are done!
(If you would like to receive a copy of this via Email for your own records, please inform your Assessor before you leave.)
Expedition Now £200pp!
OPEN DOFE Silver PRACTICE & QUALIFYING EXPEDITION PACKAGE
Booking both your Practice and Qualifying Expeditions at the same time is good for you and it’s good for us! As a result, when you book both together, you will receive a special discounted rate.
Booking both expeditions at the same time, with the same provider comes with many benefits. Just some of the biggest of these include:
- Completing both expeditions with the same Team
- You get to know your Instructor team
- You can work with your team to plan your Qualifying Expedition during your Practice
- You get everything sorted!
(One of the big problems the DofE Award sees is the dropout rate, ie. the number of participants that fail to complete an award level. One of the biggest contributing factors to student dropout is the loss of motivation between the two expeditions. By booking the two together you give yourself a target to aim for, making sure you go through with the award)
We are also on occasion able to offer ‘Back-to-Back’ style expeditions. To find out more about these, or to enquire about availability, please contact our team at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk.
Expedition Package Now £350pp!
OPEN DOFE Silver TRAINING/PRACTICE EXPEDITION
At Jurassic Watersports, our Training and Practice Expeditions are ran as a 3 day block. The first day is an intensive training day. Usually based from a campsite, we will meet you in the morning, introduce everyone to each other and introduce your instructor team. They will then go through a plan for the next 3 days and conduct a kit check, before running through our basic campcraft training and asking you to set up camp.
Once settled in, we are straight out on the hill. Your instructors will start by putting you through your paces to assess your current navigation ability. Once assessed, they will begin to deliver any training required to get you up to the required standard. After this long and intensive day of training, you will arrive back on camp. Your instructors will then run you through any emergency procedure, first aid or general expedition skills training that couldn't be covered while out on the hill. They will then deliver our basic camp stove safety training and leave you to have some dinner. Over dinner, you will sit down with your team and Instructors to discuss the routes and plan for the next 2 days.
The remainder of your time with us will be a standard expedition as you will likely be used to from Bronze, with our staff giving bits of advice and top up training as required. Your evenings will be spent discussing your Qualifying Expedition, reviewing any changes to kit you might make and discussing meal planning as a team.
At the end of this expedition your instructor team will sit you down and review the last few days and run a group debrief to ensure that you are all prepared to undertake your Qualifying Expedition.
(If you are going on to complete your Qualifying Expedition elsewhere, we are happy to issue a report on this expedition to pass on to the next provider.)
Expedition Now £200pp!
OPEN DOFE Silver QUALIFYING EXPEDITION
As per DofE requirements, this is a 2 Day & 2 Night Expedition. During this expedition you and your team will be 100% self-sufficient. Our team of Supervisors & Assessors are there for one job and one job only. To facilitate a successful expedition. They are not there to watch every move to find a mistake to fail you on! So relax! This is meant to be an amazing experience!
Our team will operate pre-arranged checkpoints and ensure you stay on track and safe at all times, but this is for all intensive purposes your expedition, we are here to help!
On completion of a Qualifying Expedition, you and your team will be expected to deliver a short presentation on your expedition aims and your overall expedition experience. Once complete, your Assessor will deliver a debrief on your last 3 days and all being well, congratulate you on a successful expedition. They will also take some time to discuss how you are getting on with the rest of your DofE programme and give you some advice and information on Gold. After your expedition, your Assessor will upload a full Assessors report, direct to your eDofE account and you are done!
(If you would like to receive a copy of this via Email for your own records, please inform your Assessor before you leave.)
Expedition Now £200pp!
OPEN DOFE Silver PRACTICE & QUALIFYING EXPEDITION PACKAGE
Booking both your Practice and Qualifying Expeditions at the same time is good for you and it’s good for us! As a result, when you book both together, you will receive a special discounted rate.
Booking both expeditions at the same time, with the same provider comes with many benefits. Just some of the biggest of these include:
- Completing both expeditions with the same Team
- You get to know your Instructor team
- You can work with your team to plan your Qualifying Expedition during your Practice
- You get everything sorted!
(One of the big problems the DofE Award sees is the dropout rate, ie. the number of participants that fail to complete an award level. One of the biggest contributing factors to student dropout is the loss of motivation between the two expeditions. By booking the two together you give yourself a target to aim for, making sure you go through with the award)
We are also on occasion able to offer ‘Back-to-Back’ style expeditions. To find out more about these, or to enquire about availability, please contact our team at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk.
Expedition Package Now £350pp!
Still have questions? Find some more info on the tabs below or please just get in touch with us at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289 and our team will answer any queries!
Still have questions? Find some more info on the tabs below or please just get in touch with us at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289 and our team will answer any queries!
WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL AND WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE US?
At Jurassic Watersports, we recognise that for many young people (and their parents!), the very thought of going away on a DofE Expedition is terrifying! (Especially when you may not know anyone else!) When you book with us, you can rest assured that you (or your child) will be supported by our Team of experienced expedition staff, each with extensive training, qualifications and experience, all working as a part of an exceptional AALA licenced Instructor team.
Our number one goal is to provide a relaxed expedition experience from the day that you book, to the completion of your final expedition. We recognise the stress you are under with exams and other educational commitments, as well as the pressures to get your DofE expeditions all sorted.
To this end, we want to make your expedition prep as quick and painless as possible. We won't drown you in forms and paperwork. We won’t badger you with phone calls and emails. All we will do is provide you with all the comprehensive information you may require in one compact information pack, and stand by ready to help with any questions or queries you may have.
WHAT DO WE SUPPLY AND WHAT DON'T WE SUPPLY?
For all expeditions we provide:
- High Quality 2 or 3 Man tents from Vango & OEX
- DofE Recommended Trangia Stoves and Fuel
- All Maps required
- Group First Aid Kits & Group Shelters
- Full Kit Lists
- Any campsite fees
- Participant Information Packet
We will always provide a team of experienced and qualified Supervisors & Assessors for all expeditions, as well as a dedicated office team, here to help from enquiry to completion.
What's not included?
- Transport to and from your expedition start and finish points
- Accommodation the night before any expedition* (if travelling the day before)
- Personal clothing and Expedition equipment (Rucksacks, Sleeping Bags, Roll Mats Etc.)
- Expedition Food
- Compasses
*We do not usually offer to provide accommodation the night before an expedition. However if this is required, please do contact our team to see if we can assist. On occasion we are able to arrange this, or make recommendations.
Do YOU ENJOY THE CHALLENGE OF WALKING….BUT think IT MIGHT BE NICE TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
In short…No!
At all three levels of The Award, we are able to run expeditions in Walking, Canoeing and Kayaking. As standard, we only offer Walking Expeditions at SIlver, but at Gold we offer Open Expeditions in both Walking and Kayaking. In fact, in the past few years, our Open Gold Kayaking Expeditions have been the most popular!
If you wish to discuss the possibility of Kayaking at Bronze or SIlver, please get in touch with our team at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or 01202 985289.
WHERE DO WE RUN OUR OPEN DOFE GOLD EXPEDITIONS?
As standard, we run all of our Open DofE Silver Expeditions in Dorset. Usually in the Purbecks & Wareham Forest. We do on occasion also offer Open Expeditions alongside our schools. Meaning expeditions can take place in a variety of other locations such as:
- Purbecks
- Wareham Forest
- New Forest
- West Dorset
- Chippenham & Devizes
- Dartmoor
At Jurassic Watersports, we recognise that for many young people (and their parents!), the very thought of going away on a DofE Expedition is terrifying! (Especially when you may not know anyone else!) When you book with us, you can rest assured that you (or your child) will be supported by our Team of experienced expedition staff, each with extensive training, qualifications and experience, all working as a part of an exceptional AALA licenced Instructor team.
Our number one goal is to provide a relaxed expedition experience from the day that you book, to the completion of your final expedition. We recognise the stress you are under with exams and other educational commitments, as well as the pressures to get your DofE expeditions all sorted.
To this end, we want to make your expedition prep as quick and painless as possible. We won't drown you in forms and paperwork. We won’t badger you with phone calls and emails. All we will do is provide you with all the comprehensive information you may require in one compact information pack, and stand by ready to help with any questions or queries you may have.
For all expeditions we provide:
- High Quality 2 or 3 Man tents from Vango & OEX
- DofE Recommended Trangia Stoves and Fuel
- All Maps required
- Group First Aid Kits & Group Shelters
- Full Kit Lists
- Any campsite fees
- Participant Information Packet
We will always provide a team of experienced and qualified Supervisors & Assessors for all expeditions, as well as a dedicated office team, here to help from enquiry to completion.
What's not included?
- Transport to and from your expedition start and finish points
- Accommodation the night before any expedition* (if travelling the day before)
- Personal clothing and Expedition equipment (Rucksacks, Sleeping Bags, Roll Mats Etc.)
- Expedition Food
- Compasses
*We do not usually offer to provide accommodation the night before an expedition. However if this is required, please do contact our team to see if we can assist. On occasion we are able to arrange this, or make recommendations.
In short…No!
At all three levels of The Award, we are able to run expeditions in Walking, Canoeing and Kayaking. As standard, we only offer Walking Expeditions at SIlver, but at Gold we offer Open Expeditions in both Walking and Kayaking. In fact, in the past few years, our Open Gold Kayaking Expeditions have been the most popular!
If you wish to discuss the possibility of Kayaking at Bronze or SIlver, please get in touch with our team at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or 01202 985289.
As standard, we run all of our Open DofE Silver Expeditions in Dorset. Usually in the Purbecks & Wareham Forest. We do on occasion also offer Open Expeditions alongside our schools. Meaning expeditions can take place in a variety of other locations such as:
- Purbecks
- Wareham Forest
- New Forest
- West Dorset
- Chippenham & Devizes
- Dartmoor
At Jurassic Watersports, we recognise that for many young people (and their parents!), the very thought of going away on a DofE Expedition is terrifying! (Especially when you may not know anyone else!) When you book with us, you can rest assured that you (or your child) will be supported by our Team of experienced expedition staff, each with extensive training, qualifications and experience, all working as a part of an exceptional AALA licenced Instructor team.
Our number one goal is to provide a relaxed expedition experience from the day that you book, to the completion of your final expedition. We recognise the stress you are under with exams and other educational commitments, as well as the pressures to get your DofE expeditions all sorted.
To this end, we want to make your expedition prep as quick and painless as possible. We won't drown you in forms and paperwork. We won’t badger you with phone calls and emails. All we will do is provide you with all the comprehensive information you may require in one compact information pack, and stand by ready to help with any questions or queries you may have.
For all expeditions we provide:
- High Quality 2 or 3 Man tents from Vango & OEX
- DofE Recommended Trangia Stoves and Fuel
- All Maps required
- Group First Aid Kits & Group Shelters
- Full Kit Lists
- Any campsite fees
- Participant Information Packet
We will always provide a team of experienced and qualified Supervisors & Assessors for all expeditions, as well as a dedicated office team, here to help from enquiry to completion.
What's not included?
- Transport to and from your expedition start and finish points
- Accommodation the night before any expedition* (if travelling the day before)
- Personal clothing and Expedition equipment (Rucksacks, Sleeping Bags, Roll Mats Etc.)
- Expedition Food
- Compasses
*We do not usually offer to provide accommodation the night before an expedition. However if this is required, please do contact our team to see if we can assist. On occasion we are able to arrange this, or make recommendations.
In short…No!
At all three levels of The Award, we are able to run expeditions in Walking, Canoeing and Kayaking. As standard, we only offer Walking Expeditions at SIlver, but at Gold we offer Open Expeditions in both Walking and Kayaking. In fact, in the past few years, our Open Gold Kayaking Expeditions have been the most popular!
If you wish to discuss the possibility of Kayaking at Bronze or SIlver, please get in touch with our team at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or 01202 985289.
As standard, we run all of our Open DofE Silver Expeditions in Dorset. Usually in the Purbecks & Wareham Forest. We do on occasion also offer Open Expeditions alongside our schools. Meaning expeditions can take place in a variety of other locations such as:
- Purbecks
- Wareham Forest
- New Forest
- West Dorset
- Chippenham & Devizes
- Dartmoor
If you are struggling to find a expedition that suits you or you have a preformed group of four or more, please just get in touch at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289 and we will try to arrange a expedition to suit you.
If you are struggling to find a expedition that suits you or you have a preformed group of four or more, please just get in touch at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289 and we will try to arrange a expedition to suit you.
FAQ's
We always try to offer the best possible price. If you have a group of young people looking to complete an expedition together, please do reach out and see what we can do. If you are booking as a youth group, scout group or school, please do check out our DofE for Schools page, or request a copy of our DofE Schools and Groups Brochure from the team at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk.
The DofE do have their own ‘Recommended Kit List’. However from our experience, it is not particularly comprehensive in some respects and way over the top in others. Because of this, we always recommend you work from our own Kit List available here. This kit list has been written by our team from their years of experience in working with DofE groups. A more detailed version of our Kit List will be included in your Participant Information Packet.
You can contact us at any time from enquiry to completion at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289.
Not at all! We simply have one form for you to submit online!
As soon as you book and pay, the online system will send out an automatic confirmation email with a payment reference on. (Keep a note of this for future correspondence with us and for submission of your Participant information form.) Once processed, you will receive a second email from the system with details of how to submit your Participant Information Form, as well as a link to join a WhatsApp Group for the expedition participants Only. At this point, one of our team will also reach out personally to say hello and fill you in on anything important.
If you don't see anything from us, please do get in touch at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289.
(Please do remember to check your spam/junk folder as we do often get sent there!)
Our Open DofE Expeditions are run in a variety of locations based on the level of award and mode of transport. Check out the individual Bronze, Silver & Gold pages for more detailed information on locations. Available locations include:
Bronze - Walking
- Wareham Forest
- Purbecks
- Devizes & Chippenham
- New Forest
- West Dorset
Silver - Walking
- Wareham Forest
- Purbecks
- Devizes & Chippenham
- New Forest
- West Dorset
Bronze & SIlver - Canoeing/Kayaking
- Poole Harbour
- Kennet and Avon Canal
- River Thames
- River Wye
Gold - Walking
- Dartmoor
- Brecon Beacons
Gold - Canoeing/Kayaking
- River Thames
- River Severn
- River Wye
DofE requirements state a minimum of 4 participants for any expedition group. As an AAP we operate a minimum group size of 8. This is both to ensure that if we do have drop outs, we don’t drop below the DofE minimum of 4, as well as to help us to keep the costs down for our participants.
When our team processes your booking, they will reach out to let you know how we are currently looking for numbers. Confirming whether or not the expedition is currently at minimum numbers and when we will make the final call on whether or not we will be able to run the expedition.
If you would like to check numbers before you book, please give us a call on 01202 985289.
Yes! If you have a group of 4+ ready to book we might be able to arrange a date to suit you! Get in touch to discuss!
We try our best to not have to cancel any expeditions. If we do, it is usually because of failure to reach minimum numbers. This is why we are always open from the beginning about numbers booked so far and when we will make the call if we do need to cancel. If we do cancel, You will always be offered any alternative expeditions we have running. If we cannot make any alternatives work, we will of course offer a full refund.
Less than 7 days after booking:
We offer a 7 day cooling off period, so if you decide to cancel within 7 days of booking we will offer a full refund. (This is only if none of the following conditions apply)
Over 30 days before Expedition:
If you cancel your expedition more than 30 days before the expedition start date, we will do our best to either move your booking, or offer a refund. However, we may only be able to offer a refund of up to 50%.
Under 30 days until Expedition:
Any cancellations made less than 30 days before your Expedition start date are not eligible for a refund. This is because we would already have staff and campsites in place that will not be refundable. Cancellation this late could also mean the expedition needs to be cancelled, meaning we may have to compensate other participants. That being said, if it is possible, we will offer to move your booking.
FAQ's
We always try to offer the best possible price. If you have a group of young people looking to complete an expedition together, please do reach out and see what we can do. If you are booking as a youth group, scout group or school, please do check out our DofE for Schools page, or request a copy of our DofE Schools and Groups Brochure from the team at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk.
The DofE do have their own ‘Recommended Kit List’. However from our experience, it is not particularly comprehensive in some respects and way over the top in others. Because of this, we always recommend you work from our own Kit List available here. This kit list has been written by our team from their years of experience in working with DofE groups. A more detailed version of our Kit List will be included in your Participant Information Packet.
You can contact us at any time from enquiry to completion at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289.
Not at all! We simply have one form for you to submit online!
As soon as you book and pay, the online system will send out an automatic confirmation email with a payment reference on. (Keep a note of this for future correspondence with us and for submission of your Participant information form.) Once processed, you will receive a second email from the system with details of how to submit your Participant Information Form, as well as a link to join a WhatsApp Group for the expedition participants Only. At this point, one of our team will also reach out personally to say hello and fill you in on anything important.
If you don't see anything from us, please do get in touch at DofE@JurassicWatersports.co.uk or on 01202 985289.
(Please do remember to check your spam/junk folder as we do often get sent there!)
Our Open DofE Expeditions are run in a variety of locations based on the level of award and mode of transport. Check out the individual Bronze, Silver & Gold pages for more detailed information on locations. Available locations include:
Bronze - Walking
- Wareham Forest
- Purbecks
- Devizes & Chippenham
- New Forest
- West Dorset
Silver - Walking
- Wareham Forest
- Purbecks
- Devizes & Chippenham
- New Forest
- West Dorset
Bronze & SIlver - Canoeing/Kayaking
- Poole Harbour
- Kennet and Avon Canal
- River Thames
- River Wye
Gold - Walking
- Dartmoor
- Brecon Beacons
Gold - Canoeing/Kayaking
- River Thames
- River Severn
- River Wye
DofE requirements state a minimum of 4 participants for any expedition group. As an AAP we operate a minimum group size of 8. This is both to ensure that if we do have drop outs, we don’t drop below the DofE minimum of 4, as well as to help us to keep the costs down for our participants.
When our team processes your booking, they will reach out to let you know how we are currently looking for numbers. Confirming whether or not the expedition is currently at minimum numbers and when we will make the final call on whether or not we will be able to run the expedition.
If you would like to check numbers before you book, please give us a call on 01202 985289.
Yes! If you have a group of 4+ ready to book we might be able to arrange a date to suit you! Get in touch to discuss!
We try our best to not have to cancel any expeditions. If we do, it is usually because of failure to reach minimum numbers. This is why we are always open from the beginning about numbers booked so far and when we will make the call if we do need to cancel. If we do cancel, You will always be offered any alternative expeditions we have running. If we cannot make any alternatives work, we will of course offer a full refund.
Less than 7 days after booking:
We offer a 7 day cooling off period, so if you decide to cancel within 7 days of booking we will offer a full refund. (This is only if none of the following conditions apply)
Over 30 days before Expedition:
If you cancel your expedition more than 30 days before the expedition start date, we will do our best to either move your booking, or offer a refund. However, we may only be able to offer a refund of up to 50%.
Under 30 days until Expedition:
Any cancellations made less than 30 days before your Expedition start date are not eligible for a refund. This is because we would already have staff and campsites in place that will not be refundable. Cancellation this late could also mean the expedition needs to be cancelled, meaning we may have to compensate other participants. That being said, if it is possible, we will offer to move your booking.
