Welcome

Throughout the year freshers will be taught the basic skills to paddling and how to rescue themselves. Returners will be available to coach members during the general sessions with the training aiming to be complete by term 2. 

Everyone learns in different ways and at different times so training will be catered to the individual whilst covering the following:

• Capsize drills
• How to outfit a boat
• Forwards and backwards paddling
• Sweep strokes to turn the boat
• Stern and bow rudder
• Moving sideways using draw strokes
• Bracing to prevent capsizing
• How to roll (and hand roll) a boat
• Rescuing using throwlines/tape and boat recovery
• T-rescue and hand of God

This year polo sessions are led by Jess Webb, the captain of the U21 GB women's squad. We usually introduce polo slowly once members have learnt how to control the boat. Our club has been very successful in polo over the last few years so leading up to competitions we train polo once a week and do regular training at the canal. Some members also travel up to HPP and join Marco Polo canoe club. 

Whitewater is the core of this club with annual trips to the Tees and Dee. Members often use the whitewater course at Nottingham to progress their skills after they have paddled along the canal and at Nene whitewater at the start of the year. All skills learnt enable members to take part in BUCS wildwater racing and slalom as well as kayaking festivals such as NSR and the Dewerstone European open. 

In addition to polo and whitewater we also train in canoe sprint and freestyle! Many returners like the challenge of learning freestyle moves in the pool and on whitewater once they have mastered the core skills. Sprint makes its debut as a BUCS event this year and naturally, we have purchased equipment in order to train for it.