Beginners Taster Sessions
Thank you for expressing an interest in our club! We have answered the most common questions below, but please don’t hesitate to ask if we’ve missed any.
New members are always welcome to join us but unfortunately, sessions need to be pre-booked. You do not need anything but a set of old clothes, the ability to swim and a keen sense of fun.
Our regular meetings are on our lake at Stoney Stanton, find out more about these on our events page
What you will learn?
We have a team of Coaches who will begin with basic safety and confidence in the water. They will then guide you through the necessary progression of strokes to progress within the sport. We teach through structured sessions and games, using British Canoeing guidelines. Members are grouped each week according to their needs and a Coach is assigned to each group. The Club has both Male and Female Coaches.
What do you need to wear?
It’s not essential to have all of the gear to begin with but if you have a wetsuit, wear it! You are going to get wet, right through to your underwear, lots of layers will be best – fleeces, tracksuit bottoms, old trainers and an old waterproof coat. They won’t keep you dry but they will help to keep you warm. We will provide you with a buoyancy aid, just remember FOOTWEAR IS ESSENTIAL for all activities! Don’t forget a spare set of dry clothes for when you finish.
Do I need my own boat/ SUP?
We have a selection of Kayaks, Canoes and Paddleboards available for use. However, we can’t guarantee the availability of a specific craft on a given evening. Club paddleboards are usually allocated to any SUP coached sessions which are taking place. Please ensure that, when booking onto SUP courses, you select the option to use a club craft, if you do not have your own,
How much does it cost?
• Trial membership is free for 3 weeks. During this period you only pay for the Taster (and then Discover sessions), which cost £8 per session, and are available for kayak, canoe and paddleboard. After this time, to attend more sessions, you need to join our club. As a member, coached sessions still cost £8 per session, but after passing Discover you will be able to attend Supervised Social sessions, attend some trips, and move onto Explore. ( See events for costs). Once you have passed Explore, more trips and Social paddling will also be available to you.
For Discover and Explore sessions payment will need to be made using Tokens
If you want to join the club, see our ‘Membership‘ page for an up to date list of Membership fees.
Are there changing facilities?
Currently, we don’t have changing facilities, however, most people change using Dry Robes. We are hoping to provide a changing room soon so watch this space, but in this sport, you have to get used to getting changed in all sorts of strange places!
Can children come?
Yes, a parent/guardian of children under 16 must accompany them. They don’t have to be on the water but they do need to be present throughout the entire session. However, if the child is under 8 years old then their responsible adult must be on the water with them.
What do I do next?
We operate a pre-booking system and taster sessions can be booked by registering with a trial membership and then booking onto the taster session. Please note that trial membership lasts for 3 weeks. If you would like to paddle more, please join the club as a full member.
If you join the club we recommend that you join our HCC Members Area Facebook page which will give you updates on events and all of our club trips.
You can contact the Membership Secretary for more information using our ‘Contact Us‘ page.