Starting Out
Below are some questions we get asked a lot by people starting out or looking to join the club.
You can contact us at info@bramstoncanoeclub.org to arrange to meet us at the Witham Leisure Centre Pool on a Monday at 7.45PM to 9.15PM, or better still, get in a boat for a taster session or join the next available taster course.
Why do I need to attend taster sessions before joining ?
We know the feeling when you just want to get started, but it's important to us that when new members join the club they already know it's a good fit. This does mean signing up for some Taster Sessions or the Taster Course in the pool before joining.
This might sound like an unnecessary hurdle but the other side of this coin is that the club has been very successful at building a very enthusiastic and active membership, and that counts for a lot.
For an experienced paddler looking to join, we'd still ask that you attend at least one taster session at the pool for safety checks and to show competency, but this then opens up the possibility of taster sessions in the wild.
The final point on this topic is that the Club's constitution requires new membership applications to be approved by the committee, so the taster sessions are a great way for you to meet and talk to them before submitting your application.
We hope you understand why we don't offer instant membership. It really is well intentioned.
What are the Fees ?
The current prices are listed here for the different types of membership, pool fees, taster sessions and boat hire.
Does it matter that I've never paddled before ?
Absolutely not. The weekly pool sessions are a great way to build confidence and basic skills before paddling in the wild. The taster sessions and taster course will help you decide if the sport and the club is for you. You only need normal swim wear to get started.
There are members in the club enthusiastic about Sea Kayaking, open boat canoeing, river and WW paddling and they'll help you to try each of them out.
What do I need to buy ?
To start with, not a lot, until you work out what type of paddling you enjoy and then the "Buy once, cry once" adage applies. Club members will be able to help you and borrowing or hiring kit is a great way to narrow down the options.
As a beginner you would start in the pool and use the club's kit, so you would just need a t-shirt and normal swim wear. The next stage would be easy paddling on a local river or sea, still borrowing most of the kit, but you'll want to consider clothing that is suitable for the time of year. Unfortunately in the UK, the window for shorts and t-shirt is limited, any paddling immediately outside of peak summer will involve some form of neoprene wetsuit, whether a "shortie", separate shorts and top or "long-john", and sadly for much of the year a full dry suit is the sensible choice, add to this a bouyancy aid (PFD) and shoes or boots. Perhaps not as a complete beginner, but you may quickly venture into paddling that warrants wearing a helmet.
After a few paddles, assuming you are hooked at this point, you'll have a reasonable idea of the type of paddling that appeals to you most and you'll have narrowed down the kit you want to buy to avoid needing to borrow anything i.e. a roof rack, boat, spray deck and paddle. Eventually, you'll want to add to your list of kit beyond the essentials to increase your independence, notably safety kit like spare paddle, throw line, tow rope, PLB, marine radio etc, but as a beginner you'll always be looking to paddle with other experienced club members who will have this kit.
Over time you'll come to appreciate the golden rule which states that the correct number of boats in your fleet is N + 1, where N is the number you currently have, so yes you'll need an understanding partner/ bank manager. We should also mention the ancillary kit you'll end up buying to avoid the dreaded FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) e.g. camping kit so you can join trips away that involve sleeping outdoors. All of this is optional of course but it only seems fair to warn you.
Hopefully no one reading this has been put off. You don't need much to get started and there are various places to buy second hand, including club members, ebay, Facebook Market Place and UK Rivers Guidebook.
As a rough estimate, an outlay of £1000-£1200 would get you a mix of new and 2nd kit that would get you everything you need to get out paddling, without needing to borrow anything. You might be able to spend a bit less and you could certainly spend a lot more, but at that level you'd get most of it back if you chose to sell it off.
Where do you paddle?
Anywhere and everywhere might be an exaggeration but we definitely do not limit our paddling to Essex. You'd get a good sense of where we paddle by checking out the calendar , gallery and social media, but in Essex we regularly paddle out of Bradwell on the Blackwater, around Osea and Mersea islands. Old Felixtowe serves up some fun with overfalls on the sandbanks. The Maunsell Forts in the Thames (Red Sands, Knock John and Shivering Sands) never disappoint. For whitewater entertainment we have Lee Valley on our doorstep but we usually manage to fit in trips to the more natural WW venues in Yorkshire, Dartmoor and North Wales. Then there is Anglesey and Pembrokeshire in Wales for the stunning coastline and world famous tide races. Closer to home there is no shortage of rivers to paddle but the Chelmer and the Stour are amongst the favourites. In summary, we strive for variety.
Can I pay for coaching?
There is no charge for coaching, the club's coaches are all volunteers who enjoy helping other members to develop and improve their paddling. More structured coaching tends to happen during the pool sessions when it's easier to focus on specific skills but coaching naturally extends to paddling outside in the wild, learning from both the certified coaches and the other experienced paddlers.
Members who want to accelerate their learning will sometimes book courses with commercial providers; it is usually easy to find other people in the club to enable a private group booking.
The club does offer a "Taster Course" to give prospective members an opportunity to try kayaking and check out the club before joining. The 5x sessions will be run by a qualified coach, introducing the basic strokes and help to build confidence, ready for the first paddle outside with the club. The cost of the course is £75 which includes the use of kit and pool.
What is the difference between a Taster Session and
the Taster Course?
Both are intended to help people thinking about joining to decide if kayaking is for them and whether the club is a good fit. Aside from getting to paddle a boat, they are a good way to meet and get to know some of the other members and find out more about the club.
The 5x week Taster Course is going to suit someone with either no or very limited previous experience of paddling. Complete beginners will benefit from the more structured coaching provided by the course.
The individual Taster Sessions will include some coaching but are better suited to people with some experience or who are already comfortable in a boat. At the start of a Taster Session you'll be helped into a boat and run through a capsize drill, but you are then free to mingle, join in any suitable organised activity that might be going on, or practise on your own. It's important to understand that the individual taster sessions are not going to include much time with the coaches, who will be focussed on members or those on the 5-week course.
The individual Taster Sessions will be available most Mondays but the course will be run at set times through the year, based on demand.
Can my kids get involved?
The answer is a qualified "yes". The club is very keen to encourage the next generation of paddlers and takes safeguarding seriously. The club already has members whose children are very capable paddlers. Although under-18s cannot join the club as independent members they are very welcome to come along to pool sessions and join some of the outdoor paddles so long as they are supervised by their parent or guardian. In practical terms this means the parent/guardian is a member AND is participating themselves.
When it comes to paddling outdoors with the club, this requires that the parent/guardian has already achieved a basic level of competence so they themselves are comfortable and able to supervise. Not every outdoor paddle will be suitable for children.
Before being eligible for membership at 18, there is a discounted charge for pool sessions, which can be paid on a session-by-session basis or annually. Then a discounted annual membership fee applies up to the age of 25.
Can the club store my boat?
No. Club members need to arrange for their own boat storage and transportation. The club does not have anywhere to store personal boats or kit. Initially, beginners are welcome to hire club kit, and other members are usually happy to loan out and transport their own spare boats and kit for beginners to use, but just be aware that if you are dependent on others, it will generally limit you to only paddling when they are also available.
Can I paddle my paddle board or sit-on-top ?
In private, when no one is looking, members have been known to enjoy paddling SUPs and SoTs, but they would never admit to it. In all seriousness the club is geared towards closed-cockpit kayaks and open boats (Canoes). In general the paddles organised by the club or it's members (peer paddles) will not be suitable for SUPs or SoTs.
What is the position on training and certification?
Unlike some clubs, no certifications are required to join or paddle with the club. Some members enjoy measuring their progress through Personal Performance Awards and the club is very keen to develop the next leaders and coaches, but formal training and certification doesn't suit everyone. For anyone wishing to pursue a coaching or leader certification, to help the club, a level of financial support may be available.