Starting Out
Come and meet us
You are either here because you are curious and want to know more or you are already convinced Bramston Canoe Club is for you, well in either case your best next step is to get in touch by email, we'll probably suggest that you come and meet us, maybe jump in a boat for a taster session. You can find us at the Witham Leisure Centre pool every Monday evening, except on public holidays.
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 suit. 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 the first few months, 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.
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 as such. 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 5-session "Introduction to kayaking" in the pool to help beginners decide if they will like kayaking before joining the club. The 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 introductory course?
Both are intended to help someone new to kayaking decide if it's for them and whether the club is a good fit. They are a good way to meet and get to know the other members and find out more about the club.
There is only so much a potential new member can glean from us via email and from this website, far better to give someone the opportunity to meet us and try out a boat, without any commitment. This is what the taster sessions are for. 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. The Taster Sessions would also suit someone who already has some experience, but it's important to understand that the taster sessions are not coached.
The 5-session Introductory Course is ideal for someone completely new to kayaking who wants more hand-holding than a taster session, with coaching through the basic skills.
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.