Paddling FAQs

Q: What do I need to wear?

A: On the River, the clothing will depend on how cold it is, but suitable clothing for a summer session is as listed below. Some items, may not be required if the weather is warm, but please be ware that the water is still often little cold even in the summer season. Hence, we tend to recommend clothing that will keep you warm, even if you get wet. The club can provide a waterproof top and of course all the specialist equipment (Buoyancy Aid, Boat, paddle etc.), but you need to provide the rest of:

  • A thermal vest (if possible)
  • A wet suit is great if you have one. If not trousers which drain quickly e.g. thermal trousers or track suit trousers. NOT JEANS!
  • Woollen pullovers or thermal jacket
  • Over trousers
  • Wet suit boots - otherwise trainers or similar soft shoes that will not fall off or matter if they get wet and muddy.
  • A Woolly hat.
  • You will also need a full change of clothes for when you get off the water.

Q: Do you have Classes so I can learn to Paddle?

A: Yes. We run beginners courses during the summer months. Please see the Adult Beginners and Improvers Courses section of the website. There is also a page for Family Courses.

Q: Do I have to stay if my child comes to the club?

A: We expect unaccompanied children to be at High School, and hence it is not normal for the parents to stay with the children. Younger children are very welcome to attend the club as part of a Family group, but in that instance we would like one of the parents to be taking part in the activities as well.

Q: Do you do British Canoeing Awards?

A: Yes. All our coaches are British Canoeing accredited coaches, and all our courses lead to recognised awards. Typically our beginners courses lead to the 1 Star award. Improvers courses lead to 2 Star. We can also arrange 3* (Open Canoe and Kayak), Safety and Coach Training. Please see the Adult Courses section of the website.

Q: I am a Qualified Coach/Experienced Paddler Already. Does the Club have anything to offer me?

A: We have a varied programme of activities to help develop all paddlers, and many members who would love to try something different. So if you are already experienced in a field of paddlesport why not come along and see if there are folk int he club who can help you further develop your paddling, and who you can help develop theirs. We are a community of paddlers who all help each other, and we welcome experienced paddlers as well as the less experienced.

Q: Where can I find Tide Tables for the River Deben?

A: The Harwich Harbour Authority publish Tide Tables for the Harwich Area. These can be found on their website at: http://hha.co.uk/leisure/downloads/.

Please remember that times shown are for Harwich Harbour and are given in GMT. For Woodbridge a Tidal Difference of +32 Mins needs to be added and during the summer you need to add 1Hour extra for British Summer Time. So if the Tide Table states that High Water is at 4:30pm in June, the actual HW time for Woodbridge will be around 6:00pm BST. As a final comment, these are estimates and give an idea, but are rarely accurate, as storms and other factors can also have a big effect.


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