My first river ‘ river trip - ‘ in the UK . Good old Matlock where the smiles run freely ! Photo : Tom Clare
2 . Lending warm and dry gear
Learning to paddle in the UK is a cold experience , and I can only imagine paddling in the UK winter season now with my drysuit . Our UK winters can be cold , miserable and very off-putting . A beginner probably won ’ t have the gear needed to make that environment more comfortable , so having club gear that can be lent out is a game changer . A proper dry cag and some warm thermals are essential and can be the difference between someone carrying on after a swim or having to get off the river .
This is one point that is particularly relevant for women . Women , on average , will feel the cold more easily than men . In the winter , I often wear seven layers under my drysuit , whereas many of my male friends will be OK with just one layer . If you have some keen new paddlers in the club who feel the cold more easily , can you find them some extra thermals ? It might be the thing needed to ensure that they keep up the sport !
Ensuring you have gear and boats to fit a range of people is also essential . We are all different sizes , but if your club has no kayaks or gear that would fit smaller or larger people , those people cannot access the sport . For example , if you have ten large cags to lend out or only medium-sized kayaks , only some people will fit into those . I appreciate the difficulties of this , but my point is , try to have a range of starting options at least !
3 . White water kayaks !
As with gear , try to have a range of boats to lend out in the club . Then take the time to show people how to do basic outfitting changes in their boats to make them more fitted to them . Most people will only think about changing the position of the footplate if told to do so , and it may be obvious to an experienced paddler but not to a beginner . Most women would also benefit from changing their hips pads and support from behind instead of above their hips . Yet even experienced paddlers are often amazed when I share that tip with them ! Fitting better in a kayak will help people to feel more in control .
Spend five minutes at the start of a trip showing people how to lift and carry their kayaks correctly . Carrying a kayak can feel very awkward at first and people might not even realise they are doing it wrong . To avoid anyone hurting themselves , I recommend starting with this . Remember that your new paddlers may also need more assistance carrying or loading kayaks . Offer support if you can but remember to ask if people would like that help instead of assuming they do . I have helped carry many people ’ s kayaks for them – both men and women . People are usually grateful for the offer of help but appreciate having the option to be independent .
Hip pads positioned in this way are much more supportive if you have hips !
I don ’ t think I would still be smiling without my drysuit ! Scotland at Christmas . Photo : James Lankford
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