PADDLESPORTS
Grab a friend and paddle your way to a happier and healthier lifestyle! Exercise in the 'blue gym' more often and you’ll find an improvement in your physical and mental well-being. Paddling offers a way to enjoy time in nature in a relaxing and stress reducing environment whilst working out. Ranging from expert to novice, paddlesports are open to all fitness levels and can be as exciting or calming as you’d like to make it. What are you waiting for!
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We have an extremely active paddlesport section offering kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding (SUP). Manvers Lake is the ideal venue for newcomers to try the sport and to learn the fundamental skills in a safe environment. We aim to run regular trips away from the lake and try to cater for all tastes and abilities whether that is a gentle cruise on an easy river or lake or an adrenaline fuelled blast down whitewater rapids. In addition to day trips we also aim to run a number of longer trips usually over a weekend which generally involve camping. All club trips are led by qualified and experienced coaches and leaders.
About
We have a wide range of craft available for members to use on any of our sessions including sit-in and sit-on kayaks, open canoes and stand-up paddleboards. All of our paddlesport sessions are supervised by experienced British Canoeing qualified coaches and instructors. The Club is affiliated to British Canoeing which is the National Governing Body of paddle sport in England. The club holds Clubmark, Top Club and Paddleability Top Club accreditation.
Once you have become a member you are allowed to paddle in the designated ‘general paddle’ area. If you wish to advance your paddling from this area you then book onto an introduction with an instructor or coach. We use British Canoeing ‘Start’, ‘Discover’ and ‘Explore Awards’ to progress you through your personal paddling journey. We encourage all members to come onto one of further paddling courses.
If you have your own equipment, once the instructors are happy you are competent then you can use the lake outside of club sessions on our ‘Paddle for exercise’ sessions - see webcollect for available times.
When
The club aims to run regular club paddlesport sessions on the days and times below. For further information please read our Paddlesports FAQs.
Saturday: 10:00 - 13:00
Tuesday evening: 18:00 - 20:00 (mid April to mid Sept)
Thursday evening: 18:00 - 20:00 (mid April to mid Sept)
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These sessions are where any coached sessions and new paddler Start Awards are held. Please Note: Everything at the club is run by volunteers. Coached sessions are run by volunteer instructors who give up their time for free, so are subject to their availability.
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Bookings are put onto Webcollect weekly – If the booking you are trying to make is not available yet, please try booking later. Most of the booking slots for the week ahead are done on a Sunday evening.
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For new members, please book onto a 'General Paddle' session and speak to a coach about getting assessed.
Competition
Members participate in a range of competitive paddlesport disciplines including canoe polo, slalom, SUP racing, sprint and marathon. Don't worry if you are a beginner or not built like an Olympic athlete, there are divisions suitable for all levels from novice to expert and In the lower divisions it is more about having fun than winning.
Canoe Slalom
Canoe slalom is one of the most spectacular watersports, demanding skill, stamina and courage. Here at Manvers we have a small but active group that regularly compete in competitions.
What is Slalom
The aim is to run a rapid river course marked by "gates" fast, and without touching. A 'gate' is two poles, suspended over the water. Green and white gates are negotiated in a downstream direction, red and white gates upstream. The gates are placed so that you must make tricky cross-current moves and use the eddies and waves. You have to pass through all the gates in number order, and in the right direction. If you touch a pole with anything - paddle, boat, buoyancy aid, helmet or any part of your body - a 2 second penalty is added to your time. If you miss a gate out, or go through in the wrong direction or upside down, the penalty is 50 seconds - a wipeout in serious competition! The aim is fast and clean. Each competitor takes two runs, and the best run of the two counts. In Division 4, where you start, it won't be too hard.
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