Welcome to the incredible world of paddling. In this blog we will give you some idea’s on how and where to start.
The key to really enjoying paddling is stability in the boat so we start there with some tips on how to improve your stability and with that help you develop a basic good technique that you can build on. There is an old saying “you can always paddle faster than you can swim” so find the most stable boat you can and lets start from there.
The greatest thing about paddling is being able to do it with mates so we hope that you make use of our calendar and club page in order to connect with other paddlers. There are literally 100 of paddlers on the river or in the sea that would be delighted to show you the ropes and get you started. We aim to help you meet those people. One of the easiest ways to do this is to join your local club and join them for a social paddle otherwise known as a trip.
There are a number of disciplines within our sport; river racing, sea racing, sprints and marathons. Try them all if you have the time.
Once you have settled in you may want to browse through our canoe and surfski guide in order to find a boat that is
more suited to your requirements. You may need a boat that can be used for 2 or more disciplines or you may need a specialist boat – we are here to help. Our only caution is that you read as much as you can about the boat or paddle but you simply must try it before you buy it! We are all different in our build, power and technique therefore there may be different solutions for different people.
Once you are reasonably proficient in you craft we would strongly recommend that you join the paddling community for a race. You could:
- Attend you provincial sprint regatta
- Do a C grade river race
- Try a dice on a calm evening on the sea
- Join your club for marathon training
What ever you do – don’t forget to tell us about it!
