CANOE tours of the Jurassic coast will hit the water next month.

The water-based tours of the World Heritage coastline are the first of their kind in Dorset and are due to begin in April.

Watersports company Secondwind, based in Overcombe on the outskirts of Weymouth, is launching the tours, which will set off from three different venues along the Dorset coast.

Owner Terry Sallows said: "It's an untapped market. We are a World Heritage site and there are no trips going, there is no way of looking at it from the sea."

During peak summer season he hopes to run the tours daily from Lulworth, Ringstead and Overcombe, with local kayak instructors leading groups of up to eight people.

"This is an eco-friendly way to look at the Jurassic coast from the sea. It's a paddle through time - there's 168 million years along that coastline - and you can actually sit back and see the rock structure," he added.

"You can't get to a lot of that coastline with a boat with an outboard motor because of the reefs but with a kayak you can get right up close.

"Also, the water along the coast is so clear you can see all the marine life as well."

The main tour will leave Lulworth and include Durdle Door. Mr Sallows decided to set up the tours after a trip to New Zealand and has bought new double sea kayaks for the new season.

"It's massive over there - kayaking is their number one sport and they don't even have this sort of coastline," said Mr Sallows.

"They go through caves and secret bays and trips along rivers. We don't expect to be inundated with people right away, but once it gets doing in the summer we would hope we can run all three tours."

Discounts will be available for groups and people who bring their own equipment.