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15 activities for an Isle of Wight stag do
A stag do used to mean a couple of pints down at the Crown and Anchor with Dave and Steve. Nowadays, it involves a long weekend dressed as a chicken in a former Soviet city followed by a brawl at 2am outside a nightclub and a two-year battle against extradition for the best man.
If you fancy something in between, consider a day or two on the Isle of Wight for your stag do. After all, it was good enough for Prince William, who was 'rebuked by senior officers for using a training flight in an RAF Chinook helicopter to travel to a stag party on the Isle of Wight' in 2008.
If you fancy something in between, consider a day or two on the Isle of Wight for your stag do. After all, it was good enough for Prince William, who was 'rebuked by senior officers for using a training flight in an RAF Chinook helicopter to travel to a stag party on the Isle of Wight' in 2008.
1. Bars and clubs
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The Isle of Wight is generally not the place to come for wild nightlife. A large proportion of the Island goes to bed before dark, so if you are the kind of person who wants to drink Jägerbombs for 72 hours then you might be better to look elsewhere.
Having said that, there are a modest selection of places to go at night in some towns. Cowes, Newport and Ryde are your best options (personally I'd pick Cowes, but I'm a parent with a toddler so I rarely leave the house after dark). The exceptions are Cowes Week and the Isle of Wight Festival when sales of plastic pint glasses go into orbit. There are other smaller festivals which you might like to incorporate into a stag do. |
Sleepy towns come alive during festival season
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2. Beach Barbecues
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Our favourite Isle of Wight spot for a beach barbecue is Compton Bay just as the sun is setting and the crowds are going home. A couple of warnings for you though:
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Burning things at Compton Bay
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3. Beach Football
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Jumpers for goalposts? Skins v Shirts? What could be more manly than a kickabout on the beach with laddish lads shouting things like "If you want, mate", "Line it, line it, LINE IT!" and "Come on!" (a useful phrase for sharing either frustration or joy).
Appley at Ryde is probably your best bet for beach football on the Isle of Wight. If it is low tide and not too busy then several other beaches would also be good, including Yaverland, Shanklin, Sandown, Priory Bay and Compton Bay. |
Compton at low tide is good for football
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4. Isle of Wight Aqua Park
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The Isle of Wight's Aqua Park should really have been called Total Wightout, in my opinion. It offers a similar sort of thing to Total Wipeout with an obstacle course of inflatables to climb up and fall off.
It's in the West Wight and costs £20 for a session, at the time of writing. Get ready to shout "waheyyyyyyyyyy!" when the stag falls in. |
Plenty of opportunities for 'classic bants' at Isle of Wight Aqua Park
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5. Isle of Wight Football Golf
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Is it football golf or golf football?
Either way, it's an ideal stag do activity since it encourages intense competition over something meaningless and it's not a sport you do most weekends. It's also not terribly expensive at about £6-£11, depending on how many holes you complete. It's next door to the Isle of Wight Aqua Park and one of the Island's clay pigeon shooting sites (see #10) so you might like to combine a couple of things. The onsite pub/restaurant is called the Cow Co and specialises in burgers. There is also disc golf on the Isle of Wight but it's part of a bigger attraction called Robin Hill Country Park which is mostly aimed at children. You wouldn't really get your money's worth if you paid the entry fee and just played the disc golf. |
Pointless competitiveness at football golf
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6. Kayaking or Stand up paddleboarding
You'd be a bit potty to come all the way to the Isle of Wight for a stag do and not do something water-related.
If you fancy kayaking, there are a few options. On the tranquil waters of St Helen's you can play some games on kayaks with Tackt Isle for about £30 a person. Or you can just hire a few kayaks and pedalos around Shanklin or Sandown for about £5 or £10 and spend a bit of time larking around on the water. Please try to avoid ending up in France. I've also seen a handful of kayaks for hire at Cove Kayaks at Steephill Cove.
Read the blog about our kayaking adventure.
You can hire standup paddleboards from Bayside Beach Hire in Sandown, West Side Beach Hire in Sandown, Tackt-Isle in St Helens and Wight Water Adventure Watersports in Lake. I've also seen them for hire on the seafront in Shanklin and you can hire them by the day from Two Elements in Cowes.
My mate Dan's got one too, so if you see him just ask if you can have a go. I'm sure that won't be a problem.
If you fancy kayaking, there are a few options. On the tranquil waters of St Helen's you can play some games on kayaks with Tackt Isle for about £30 a person. Or you can just hire a few kayaks and pedalos around Shanklin or Sandown for about £5 or £10 and spend a bit of time larking around on the water. Please try to avoid ending up in France. I've also seen a handful of kayaks for hire at Cove Kayaks at Steephill Cove.
Read the blog about our kayaking adventure.
You can hire standup paddleboards from Bayside Beach Hire in Sandown, West Side Beach Hire in Sandown, Tackt-Isle in St Helens and Wight Water Adventure Watersports in Lake. I've also seen them for hire on the seafront in Shanklin and you can hire them by the day from Two Elements in Cowes.
My mate Dan's got one too, so if you see him just ask if you can have a go. I'm sure that won't be a problem.
Bobbing along at Freshwater Bay
7. Surfing or bodyboarding
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Surf lessons are a reasonably good idea for a stag do, but it is very dependent on the weather so you will want to have a plan B ready. If the waves aren't big enough you'll get nowhere (see our surf forecast).
Group lessons are from £25 each with iSurf, including the cost of hiring a board and wetsuit. |
Bodyboarding is somewhat easier than surfing
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Bodyboarding requires zero ability and is good fun, although you may not consider it macho enough when you see small children boarding alongside you. I've not yet come across anywhere which hires bodyboards on the Isle of Wight, although bodyboards are only about £20- £40 to buy or there's a place in Shanklin where you can buy them.
Compton Bay is our favourite spot for surf (see our beaches map). The Isle of Wight generally doesn't get as big waves as parts of Cornwall, but it is still decent on the right day.
Compton Bay is our favourite spot for surf (see our beaches map). The Isle of Wight generally doesn't get as big waves as parts of Cornwall, but it is still decent on the right day.
8. Paintball / Laser combat / Airsoft
There's always one guy at paintball or laser combat who is taking it all a bit too seriously. He is the one who has brought his own camouflage face paint and has an apocalypse survival kit around his waist. He wanted to join the army but his mum wouldn't let him.
If there's anyone in your stag party like this I would give it a miss as they will spend the whole time bellowing instructions about formations and strategies.
If you don't mind a bit of bruising, try Island Paintballing which takes place near Ryde or Splatter on Paintball. A cheaper option is Headhunters Laser Combat which takes place in woodland just outside Newport, and was about £7 for two hours last time I checked.
Another option is 4D Sports, which specialises in Airsoft and indoor Laser Tag on the Isle of Wight. They organise woodland shooting games as well as indoor games and rifle shooting. Airsoft is a bit like paintball but you fire tiny plastic balls (yes, it hurts).
If there's anyone in your stag party like this I would give it a miss as they will spend the whole time bellowing instructions about formations and strategies.
If you don't mind a bit of bruising, try Island Paintballing which takes place near Ryde or Splatter on Paintball. A cheaper option is Headhunters Laser Combat which takes place in woodland just outside Newport, and was about £7 for two hours last time I checked.
Another option is 4D Sports, which specialises in Airsoft and indoor Laser Tag on the Isle of Wight. They organise woodland shooting games as well as indoor games and rifle shooting. Airsoft is a bit like paintball but you fire tiny plastic balls (yes, it hurts).
9. Tree climbing
If there was one thing that I loved as a young teenage boy it was treeclimbing. Well, that and Jennifer Aniston.
Anyway, you might consider organised treeclimbing with Goodleaf which takes place in Ryde. It is one of the pricier stag do options at about £30 per person, but it does get very good reviews.
Anyway, you might consider organised treeclimbing with Goodleaf which takes place in Ryde. It is one of the pricier stag do options at about £30 per person, but it does get very good reviews.
10. Clay pigeon shooting
I can't stand Clay Pigeons. Coming over here, killing off our native pigeons, stealing their jobs and destroying their natural habitats. Do your bit by spending a couple of hours shooting at them on farmland with Bowcombe View Shooting (West Wightish area near Carisbrooke) or at Top Targets at Tapnell Farm (near Freshwater).
It costs about £15-£60 depending on what you're firing and for how long.
It costs about £15-£60 depending on what you're firing and for how long.
11. Go Karting
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If you are a David Essex fan and you are planning a stag do I'd say you rarer than a Guardian reader in a Conservative club.
Anyway, I digress. The Isle of Wight's go kart track is now home to the pavilion which featured in a David Essex and Ringo Star 1970s film called 'That'll Be The Day'. No? Me neither (it features in our Isle of Wight Film and TV tour). Stag do packages are from about £40, reviews are very positive. |
Wight Karting is open in all weathers
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12. Rib Rides
This is another one for those with a strong stomach, so not to be attempted the morning after a raucous night.
RIBs - rigid inflatable boats - usually hurtle around the Solent rather than the south of the Isle of Wight. There is lots to see on the Solent, such as the Victorian era forts and modern cruise ships crammed full of people called Sue and Alan.
I've not tried them myself, but Rebel Marine gets good reviews.
RIBs - rigid inflatable boats - usually hurtle around the Solent rather than the south of the Isle of Wight. There is lots to see on the Solent, such as the Victorian era forts and modern cruise ships crammed full of people called Sue and Alan.
I've not tried them myself, but Rebel Marine gets good reviews.
13. Mountain Biking
If you and your friends are cyclists you might consider either attempting the round the Island route (65 miles, mostly on roads) or the somewhat tougher 'Chalk Ridge Extreme' which is popular with mountain bikers.
If you want to complete it in a couple of days, I would personally spend a night on the South West coastline. There are several campsites along the Military Road as well as beaches which are quiet in the evening and not too close to civilisation.
See our Isle of Wight cycling holiday guide.
If you want to complete it in a couple of days, I would personally spend a night on the South West coastline. There are several campsites along the Military Road as well as beaches which are quiet in the evening and not too close to civilisation.
See our Isle of Wight cycling holiday guide.
14. Paragliding
Stag parties with deep pockets and plenty of bottle might consider paragliding with High Adventure Paragliding. From the beach below it looks both graceful and thrilling, although you can be pretty sure that first timers have looser bowels than a pigeon full of blackberries.
A two to three hour session which includes a 20ish minute tandem flight costs £80.
A two to three hour session which includes a 20ish minute tandem flight costs £80.
Paragliding over Compton Bay
15. Golf
The Isle of Wight has got the whole range of golfing related activities.
Well, there isn't anything that comes under the PGA Tour but there are 18 hole courses, as well as pitch and putt, driving ranges and plenty of mini golf/ crazy golf courses.
Red Funnel has produced a golf guide. I'm no expert, but Freshwater Bay Golf Club has great scenery, although I would imagine it gets windy up on the cliffs. There's an undercover driving range at Westridge Golf Course near Ryde (£4 for 25 balls at the time of writing).
If you'd rather attempt some kind of minigolf tournament ("LADS!") then there are a few to choose from:
There is more on these in our guide for activities for children...
Well, there isn't anything that comes under the PGA Tour but there are 18 hole courses, as well as pitch and putt, driving ranges and plenty of mini golf/ crazy golf courses.
Red Funnel has produced a golf guide. I'm no expert, but Freshwater Bay Golf Club has great scenery, although I would imagine it gets windy up on the cliffs. There's an undercover driving range at Westridge Golf Course near Ryde (£4 for 25 balls at the time of writing).
If you'd rather attempt some kind of minigolf tournament ("LADS!") then there are a few to choose from:
- Jurassic Golf at The Needles Park near Alum Bay (small course but nicely done)
- Jurassic Bay Golf, Pirates Cove Adventure Golf and Caddyshack in Shanklin (all good courses but a little pricey - Caddyshack is indoors, the others are outdoors)
- Lost World Adventure Golf in Sandown (an indoor one on the pier)
- Mini Golf at Puckpool in Ryde (simple outdoor course)
- Dino Islands at Sandham Gardens in Sandown (big and impressive course with smoking volcano)
- Rylstone Gardens in Shanklin (quaint old fashioned course)
There is more on these in our guide for activities for children...
16. Isle of Wight Escape Rooms
An escape room is a good way to fill a bit of time on a stag do, particularly if the forecast isn't looking good.
There are two escape rooms on the Isle of Wight.
Random Rooms is in Newport and has several rooms to choose from including a prison cell and an old hospital. They are suitable for up to six people and are only about £10 each if you do it as a big group. There are various levels of difficulty, depending on whether your fellow stag do guests are brilliant problem solvers or absolute numpties. On the last stag do I was on, most of the group were hung over and completely useless so me and another guy had to figure out the whole thing by ourselves.
The Lost Crypt opened in Ryde in 2021. It is a bit more expensive than Random Rooms but it has the novelty of being the country's first escape room inside a genuine church crypt. It mixes local history with a mystery about the body of an 18th century doctor.
There are two escape rooms on the Isle of Wight.
Random Rooms is in Newport and has several rooms to choose from including a prison cell and an old hospital. They are suitable for up to six people and are only about £10 each if you do it as a big group. There are various levels of difficulty, depending on whether your fellow stag do guests are brilliant problem solvers or absolute numpties. On the last stag do I was on, most of the group were hung over and completely useless so me and another guy had to figure out the whole thing by ourselves.
The Lost Crypt opened in Ryde in 2021. It is a bit more expensive than Random Rooms but it has the novelty of being the country's first escape room inside a genuine church crypt. It mixes local history with a mystery about the body of an 18th century doctor.
Prices checked September 2020.
So, what would I do on an Isle of Wight stag do?
I've now organised a couple of stag parties on the Isle of Wight and I'd recommend it as a good choice if your friends are more interested in outdoor type things and less interested in a whole stag weekend of drinking yards of ale. There are bars and pubs (I favour Cowes), but certainly not as many that will stay open until the wee hours as you would find in a big city.
The ferry cost is good value if you can get organised and fill a car full of people. A car costs anywhere from £50 to £180 but that includes up to 6 or 7 passengers, so it will be more like £20-£30 each. See our discount Isle of Wight ferry travel guide before you book.
I would personally only consider the Isle of Wight as a stag do option in the summer (well, Easter to September). There is plenty to do in winter but not so much that would fit well with a group of laddish lads. Having said that, if it rains there is a big cinema, bowling alley, indoor shooting, amusement arcades and some other options.
My idea of a good stag do involves a beach barbecue, football and sea swimming (all nice and cheap and laddish), alongside one or two outdoor activities - I like kayaking, laser combat, surf lessons but there are plenty of options listed above. Pick a beach that isn't full of children (see our guide to which is the best Isle of Wight beach for... to get some ideas). I'd go for somewhere cheap to eat out or a nice pub with a sea view.
For accommodation, I would camp along a cliff edge (there are a few campsites in the West Wight which are worth a look in our camping guide), or you could rent a big self catering place or a manor house for something more civilised. Bear in mind that some places don't want stag parties staying with them. See our accommodation guide for starters.
The ferry cost is good value if you can get organised and fill a car full of people. A car costs anywhere from £50 to £180 but that includes up to 6 or 7 passengers, so it will be more like £20-£30 each. See our discount Isle of Wight ferry travel guide before you book.
I would personally only consider the Isle of Wight as a stag do option in the summer (well, Easter to September). There is plenty to do in winter but not so much that would fit well with a group of laddish lads. Having said that, if it rains there is a big cinema, bowling alley, indoor shooting, amusement arcades and some other options.
My idea of a good stag do involves a beach barbecue, football and sea swimming (all nice and cheap and laddish), alongside one or two outdoor activities - I like kayaking, laser combat, surf lessons but there are plenty of options listed above. Pick a beach that isn't full of children (see our guide to which is the best Isle of Wight beach for... to get some ideas). I'd go for somewhere cheap to eat out or a nice pub with a sea view.
For accommodation, I would camp along a cliff edge (there are a few campsites in the West Wight which are worth a look in our camping guide), or you could rent a big self catering place or a manor house for something more civilised. Bear in mind that some places don't want stag parties staying with them. See our accommodation guide for starters.
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