Tonbridge Canoe Club Membership Information
The minimum age for new members is 12.
If you decide to join the club and have arranged to attend your beginner course you will need to bring a set of clothes for canoeing in. It can be quite chilly on the river, even in the middle of summer, so you will need at least the items listed below. You may need to swim so clothing that becomes heavy when wet such as denim, leather, padded jackets etc. is not suitable. You will not need a wetsuit although you can wear one if you wish.
- T-shirt & sweatshirt
- Tracksuit trousers & shorts. Not jeans.
- Light shoes e.g. trainers or deck shoes. Not wellies, hard soles or heels.
- Cagoule
- A towel and a set of dry clothes to change into afterwards. You will get wet!
PLEASE NOTE: The club does not provide lockers or secure storage and cannot accept responsibility for the safekeeping of any valuables or personal effects brought onto the premises.
So What Happens When You Join?
Beginner Training
If you are new to the sport of canoeing, or have limited experience, you will have to attend a beginner course. This consists of four sessions on the river and one indoor session in Tonbridge Swimming Pool (when the pool is open). At the final session you will be assessed to ensure that you have achieved the required standard to participate in wider Club activities. The beginner course syllabus includes paddling forward and backwards in a straight line, stopping, moving sideways, turning whilst moving and stationary, and getting in and out of your boat. You will also carry out a capsize drill in the river. Once the first two weeks of your allocated beginner course have passed your membership subscriptions are non-refundable. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like more information.
If you have reasonable previous paddling experience you may not need to attend a beginner course but will be required to undertake a short assessment before joining.
All of the river based instruction is carried out in boats specific to flat water. The evening pool session involves the use of closed cockpit boats where you will be taught how to capsize safely with and without a spraydeck. Both the beginner course assessment and pool session are mandatory requirements of membership. Beginner courses run on a monthly basis during the year from April to September. There are no beginner training sessions during the winter months when water and weather conditions are not suitable for instructing, although normal club activities continue as usual.
Once you have passed your assessment you will be ready to take part in general club activities with other club members. Initially there will be a series of sessions designed to introduce you to the club activities, you will be accompanied on these sessions by experienced club members who will not necessarily be qualified instructors but will be able to give you further advice and encouragement. For safety reasons you should never paddle alone so you will need to join in with one or other of the club activities to progress further.
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Marathon racing takes place at weekends throughout the year with each competing club hosting one or more events, Tonbridge canoe club hosts two such races. Marathon racing operates on a divisional system so that everyone races against people of a similar ability. A newcomer to racing would start in Division 9 and race over a course of about 4 miles (which should take about 45 minutes). They would then progress through the divisions as they improve, maybe eventually reaching the highest divisions which race over a 12 mile course. Sprint racing takes place during the summer months, with the main events being five national regattas at the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham. The club competes in the annual Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race which is 125 miles of non stop paddling down the Kennet and Avon Canal to Reading and then down the river Thames. This Easter event is the longest non stop endurance race in the world. Training for this event requires a very high level of commitment over the winter months, and as part of the preparation we also compete in the Waterside and Thameside Series races in January and February each year. Race training takes place on most days during the year, and on weekday evenings from March to October.
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The Club organises trips to other venues away from the club, these trips can range from a day trip on a local river to longer trips further afield. Rivers regularly visited include Cuckmere, Ouse, Mole, Rother, Wye, Avon, several canals including the Royal Military canal, various parts of the Thames & Medway, and the occasional trip on the sea. Some tours are more strenuous than others but most are fairly relaxed and the tour organisers will always be able to give you more details if you are unsure about water conditions. Touring in a canoe or kayak is a great way to see the waterways of Great Britain as you can travel along peacefully and enjoy the countryside, wildlife and the company of the rest of the group.
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Recreational paddling is the term used to describe the activities of the group who mainly use plastic general purpose boats for their activities, which are less formal and might involve exploring the tributaries of the river or playing some canoe games. This group meets most Saturday mornings at the clubhouse and also for various other activities during the year at the club and other locations.
The Club has a number of Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUPs) of various stabilities for members to use.
