Fore Adventure
On the coast of Studland, Dorset, an extraordinary outdoor adventure and wild food business has been captivating hearts and minds since 2010. Fore Adventure, founded by the dynamic duo, Dan and Jade Scott, has become a haven for adrenaline seekers and nature enthusiasts alike. Offering an array of exhilarating experiences, from kayaking tours around Old Harry Rocks to foraging courses and overnight wild camping adventures, Fore Adventure has redefined the concept of immersive outdoor exploration. In an exclusive interview, we delve into the backstory of the founders, their passion for nature, the therapeutic aspects of their offerings and their exciting plans for the future.
Hey! Can you give us an introduction to Fore Adventure?
Hi! We're Dan and Jade Scott and we’ve been running Fore Adventure since 2010. We’re an outdoor adventure and wild food business based in Middle Beach, Studland, providing kayak and sup tours and tuition around the majestic Old Harry Rocks, wild food courses and foraged feasts, climbing, coasteering, bushcraft, and more!
We’d love to know your story. What are your backgrounds that led you up to this point?
Dan has spent much of his life in the great outdoors – from 6 months young he was wedged in the front of his dad’s boat as he taught sailing. This resulted in a love for the outdoors, getting wet and grubby meant Dan spent many happy years working in the outdoor industry. Qualified to the nines with Advanced Sea Kayak Leader, NCFE Level 4 Ethnobotany and plant identification award, NCFE Level 3 Bushcraft award, SUP endorsement and Level 3 Beach School practitioner award, he heads up everything outdoors at Fore.
Jade is Dan’s partner in adventure, crime and life! After training to be an Architect while juggling their family of 3 small humans she has been heavily involved in developing Fore, sharing in Dan’s buzz for getting people outside and getting her outdoor fix by foraging for the fodder that goes into many of our feast events and the epic recipes over on our blog - including her famous wild cocktails.
Why have you chosen to base Fore Adventure in Studland?
Both Dan and Jade were keen to escape city life (especially with a tiny baby in tow!) and whilst stumbling across a little hut on Studland beach it’s fair to say they fell in love with this patch of Dorset! Being just a stone’s throw from Poole and Bournemouth, Studland is a perfect pocket of wild and the ideal spot for our adventures - with woodland, hedgerow, beach and heath to explore and of course awesome Old Harry Rocks in the background.
Fore Adventure offers a range of experiences, could you tell us a little more about what you offer?
We’re so happy spending our time out on the big blue. As well as our signature Old Harry Rocks kayak tours, which take in the awesome views of the rocks and allow participants to explore the coves and arches of the rock formations, we run sea kayak coaching, stand up paddleboarding, kayak fishing and foraging experiences, snorkelling and coasteering.
Back on dry land we run foraging courses; exploring seashore, hedgerow, woodland and more to discover what nature’s larder has in store for us. Adventurers can upgrade to our feasting events, where learning about wild plants comes before a delicious meal prepared by our resident chef featuring locally sourced and foraged ingredients - connecting people to where their food comes from. Beyond this we get our hands dirty in the woods with bushcraft courses and scale new heights on our rock climbing sessions.
We also offer overnight wild camping adventures for people who want to really immerse themselves in nature and escape the daily grind for a longer time. This year we are hosting several night kayak, wild camp and sunrise sup events that will give people a unique experience of being in Studland after hours which is usually the quietest time of the day when you get to be at one with the natural environment without any of the usual distractions. →
As much as these activities provide a physical experience, do you think there is also a therapeutic side to the experiences you offer?
Absolutely - it’s no secret that being outdoors is great for our mental health and we’re big believers in that. We’ve found that the way people buy and eat food these days means the connection with what we’re eating has been lost. The power of wandering in nature, foraging for wild edible plants and taking them home to create something delicious is huge, and connecting people to their plate is something we find hugely satisfying. We really do believe that the more people engage with nature the more they will respect and look after it.
Being outdoors is a great way to develop teamworking skills and communication, making it ideal for couples, families and friends or schools as well as for those all important work team away days! But as well as this, activities like kayaking or rock climbing can challenge what we think we’re capable of and our instructors love nothing more than hearing someone say “I can’t believe I did that!”
Is there a Fore Adventure experience you would recommend for first timers?
Our two hour and half day kayak tours around Old Harry Rocks are suitable for total novices, as well as those with a bit of kayaking experience. Using super stable sit on top kayaks, we can get up close and personal with the rocks, explore the coves, arches and secret beaches along our stunning coastline. These adventures run every day between April and October and all equipment is provided. The 2 hour tour is suitable for ages 8+ so the whole family can get involved or we can tailor make packages for families with younger children.
Do you have any tips for people looking to get out and explore our countryside this summer?
Getting out in nature is so good for the soul and something we encourage everyone to do as much as possible! This can be as simple as making the most of your garden or local park, learning about the plants and wildlife that live there and finding out how to protect and look after our natural world.
There are rules and best practice guidelines around foraging which we teach on our courses; for example only take a small amount of what you personally need and from different areas so one patch isn’t depleted, don’t uproot plants or take protected plants or from SSSI sites and make sure to get landowners permission.
There's not many downsides to having our fabulous coastline in Dorset but one is that not everybody treats it with the respect it deserves, we have seen negative side effects of tourism like littering and even heath fires caused by BBQs. We’ll always encourage people to avoid single use packaging and disposable BBQs, to take rubbish home and to leave no trace.
What’s in the pipeline for Fore Adventure?
While our main aim is to continue sharing our amazing outdoors with people for years to come, we’re also in the process of launching a sister business to Fore, Sae Seaweed. We have been granted a commercial seaweed foraging licence and are busy hand harvesting and drying seaweed to sell both to restaurants and to the public and to create a range of new products. We have got some exciting plans afoot for the future with this new venture and we’re super excited to share more news soon!
Website → foreadventure.co.uk
Instagram → @foreadventure
