Making school holiday plans? Don’t forget to take the most important member of the family…your canoe, kayak or paddleboard! The school holidays roll around every few months, so it’s time to dust off your kayak, SUP or canoe and get out on the water! And, if you’ve got an inflatable craft it’s easier than ever to pop it in the car and head off on a holiday adventure.
If unanswered paddling questions are holding you back you’re going to love this article. We’ll be sharing with you:
- Where you can find kayak, canoe or SUP lessons near you.
- How to get on the water safely.
- Great places to paddle!
- Where you can find kayak, canoe or SUP lessons near you.
Learn new paddling skills
You’ve invested in the kit but now it’s gathering dust because you’re not sure what to do with it. It’s a good idea to take a course before heading out on your own, so you can plan your adventures and help yourself and others in your group if you get into difficulty. Courses run by our approved Delivery Partners can help you right from the start of your paddling journey.
Join a paddle club
If you’re looking for a longer-term learning experience, with a great bunch of people thrown in, why not join your local club?
You can find clubs nearby using our Paddling Club Lookup and check out what each club has to offer to choose the right fit for you. Some clubs are more recreational based, and others can help you get into racing and competing in a range of disciplines.
Many clubs can help you get started with our Start, Discover, Explore and Paddle Safer Awards too.
How to get on the water safely.
We’ve recently shared our #PaddleSafe 2024 campaign, with lots of important tips and advice for when you’re going out paddling. It’s well worth a read before you head out on a paddling adventure. Our website also has a fantastic range of blogs with information on a whole raft of paddling topics (see what we did there!?).
Check out articles on topics such as:
Great Places to Paddle
We’re lucky in the UK to have a fantastic array of rivers, canals, lakes and coastline we can explore by paddle power!
Many of the rivers and canals require a licence to paddle them. Paddle UK (formerly Paddle UK) membership is your gateway to the waterways! Membership starts from just £60 for the year and will give you a licence to paddle over 4500km of UK waterways!
The money from licences helps contribute to the maintenance of the waterway and preserve the surrounding environment. In addition to this, membership gives you public liability insurance and access to a wide range of discounts.
Discover more about waterways licences in this article and purchase membership here.
Paddling Trails
Did you know we have a database of well over 150 paddling trails which you can download and follow? A bit like choosing a walking route, you can enter a postcode or town/city into the look up function, then choose a trail which suits your ability.
The trails contain times, local amenities, safety information, advice, and more. You can also download GPX files to add to your favourite fitness tech.
With trails from just a couple of miles long, to ones which will take a full day, you’ll be able to pick your perfect paddle!
Paddling Challenges
Looking for a bit more of an adventure? Our paddling challenges will be right up your creek! A bit like our trails, you can choose your challenge and download all the details you need of the route. But these have the added bonus of being able to get your name and time on our challenge leaderboards once you’ve completed them!
Our shortest challenge route is just 7 miles and our longest is a whopping 85 miles on the River Wye! We’ve also got the ultimate UK paddling challenge – The Three Lakes Challenge – which takes in the three longest lakes in England, Scotland and Wales.
Paddlepoints
If you’re a bit more of an independent paddler Paddlepoints is your go-to resource. It’s interactive map is packed with information shared by paddlers, for paddlers.
From launch points, to refreshment stop, hazards to avoid to parking and accommodation, planning your next adventure is just a few clicks away!
Dust off your craft and get paddling!
Hopefully we’ve answered all your questions to help you get on the water for a UK paddling adventure.
Now you just need to dust off your canoe, kayak or stand up paddleboard and get on the water!
