Who teaches us?

You will be taken out by an experienced canoe and / or kayak coach (as appropriate) who will not only hold the relevant qualification, but perhaps even more importantly will have a wealth of different paddling experiences, and will ensure your safety and teaching chances are maximized in what can be a very challenging environment.

What do we cover?

​As we run all our Lake District kayaking and canoeing days to order, we will adjust what we cover to your existing level of experience, and what you want to progress onto. Below is a rough idea of what we will aim to cover for different levels of experience.

For absolute BEGINNERS;

Our beginners skills courses will last between 6 - 7 hours depending on the weather conditions and the size of the group. These courses are ideal for anyone who has had limited (or no!) contact with paddlesport but really wants to master the basics, not just have a fun splash about. This is a very practical day spent on flat water (aka a lake!), with the entirety of the time spent out on the water learning and using the new techniques. Over the duration of the course you can expect to cover:

• Canoe and Kayak equipment
• Basic paddling skills forwards and backwards
• Simple steering and using ruddering strokes
• Going on a journey
• Moving the boat sideways
• Try a different type of craft
• Safe exits and taking a swim

The new Paddle UK Paddlesport Awards will be available for those who meet the standard.

For those with some previous experience,

We will spend some time refreshing the skills above, and then apply them in a more challenging environment. This will really help you to sharpen and trust your basic skills, and give you the experience and confidence to push yourself a little bit on to further adventures. We will also introduce some new skills;

• Better forward paddling
• Going on trips
• Access to water ways in Britain
• Edging your boat and increasing your range of strokes
• Wet exits and rescues
• Preventing a capsize / recovery strokes
• Strokes on the move
• Rescues

White Water Introduction Course

This course is for boaters with some experience of most of the main kayak or canoeing strokes on flat or slow moving water. The course will offer a quick recap on flat water and then onto the river;

• Breaking in and out
• Surfing small waves
• River Reading / Guidebooks
• Rescues