Description
This is the way to get into paddle sport. PPCA runs one of these courses every month from April until September or October, depending on the weather. They are generally held on Saturdays.
You need no prior experience just a sense of fun and to be reasonably fit as it will be an active day. You need to be able to swim with a Personal Flotation Device (aka Buoyancy Aid) on and not to be frightened of the water environment.
Who can do this course?
This course is open to all from the age of 10. No upper age limit as long as you can manipulate yourself in and out of the boat. A Paddle UK (formerly British Canoeing) qualified coach or coaches will be instructing you and keeping you safe, aided by a small number of helpers from the club who are also seasoned paddlers. We love doing the Introductory courses as we are keen to introduce you to the many and varied joys of our sport. At the end of the course you will receive a PPCA certificate enabling you to claim your free two sessions. This certificate is the gateway to discovering and developing your skills in various types of paddle craft. You will have the opportunity to come to two Tuesday night PPCA training nights to find out what the club has to offer. You will also be issued with a discount code entitling you to half price club membership should you decide to join PPCA within a month of completing your course.
The courses are all run from our sheds at the Mountbatten Watersports Centre (remember to register your car with Mountbatten reception staff on arrival to avoid a parking fine.) You will be provided with a windproof cagoule, correctly fitting buoyancy aid (BA), a helmet and a spray deck. We advise that you bring a wetsuit if possible or neoprene trousers and a fleece or water sports top to add if it is cold. If it is really sunny then board shorts or old track suit bottoms may suffice. Wet shoes or boots are ideal, but a non-bulky pair of trainers will do nicely. You will need to bring a towel and change of clothing with a warm jacket as we promise to get you wet! Do bring a packed lunch as we may go on a short journey and picnic, but warm food and drinks are available from the Mountbatten Centre in season. Cold drinks and a snack to keep your energy up on the water are a good idea especially for the young. We have a range of models of kayaks to suit every shape and size. We spend some time making sure that you are correctly adjusted in your boat and feel comfortable. If you are very nervous, do let us know and we can ensure that you have a very stable, less responsive craft. Although you will spend most of the time in a general-purpose kayak you will get an opportunity to try out sea kayaks and open boats i.e. Canadian canoes. Please note for 2025 that the Mountbatten Centre cafe will be closed for renovation.
What will you be doing on the course?
After some time just getting used to the feeling of being on the water in a kayak, we will give you basic instruction and demonstration of paddling forwards and backwards in a straight line, (harder than it sounds), turning strokes, steering strokes, how to move the boat sideways over a short distance and how to stop the boat. We will also show you how to get into the kayak from a pontoon and from the water. This learning will be interspersed with games for fun and to encourage self- discovery. We will show you how to empty a swamped boat and to safely get out of the boat in the event of a capsize. Many people worry about this, but it is very straight-forward, and always closely supervised. We hope that after you have completed the course that you will have had so much fun that you want to join the club and regularly paddle. I did my introductory course many years ago because I wanted to get into white water kayaking. I am now a veteran of several seasons on the rivers and for me, nothing equals the thrill of running a difficult rapid or drop well. Other friends have gone on to develop their sea kayaking and doing multi day trips in Mexico, the Greek Islands, France, Norway, Greenland or around our own spectacular British coast. Others love to kayak surf which is very exhilarating and yet others just love to come along every Saturday and go for a club paddle with friends, sometimes seeing dolphins, seals, basking sharks and sunfish. Rock hopping and exploring sea caves and narrow passages is great fun. The best bit is you are doing this with friends and surrounded by experienced paddlers who are on hand to help you out if you capsize amongst the rocks or surfing into the beach. There is a strong group in the club who enjoy open boating, meeting on Friday nights in the summer, with some training on Tuesday evenings in canoes.