Recommended Kit

The ACC try and make paddling as accessible as possible by having lots of kit available to borrow but there are still some personal expectations in terms of what you yourself provide.

Is this trip suitable for you?

If you are unsure if you have the ability to take part in a session or trip then speak to the organiser and ask them for their recommendations. Trips are popular and group safety is paramount so be prepared for the possibility that you might not be ready for a particular body of water yet and might be better suited to a different trip.

Under 18s:

Please remember that under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult at all times during the event.

  At the coaches discretion 16 and 17 year olds can attend events without an accompanying adult.

Personal Information:

You will be asked to sign in at the start of the event and will be asked for your ability, an emergency contact number and any relevant medical information.

Personal Kit:

We recommend that you bring (to get wet):

• warm clothing to be worn while kayaking (synthetic not cotton)
• old trainers/ sandals/ wetsuit boots
• waterproofs
• a drybag to store sealed food in
• lunch and snacks
• water/drinks for hydration
• personal medication stored in a secure drybag (please make coaches/ leaders aware)

To get dry afterwards we recommend that you bring:

• towel
• dry footwear
• a warm spare change of clothing
• plastic container or bag to store wet clothing or kit in when returning home
• a plastic bag or sheet for keeping car seats dry

Technical Kit (all available from ACC)

To paddle you will require:

• A Canoe, Kayak or SUP
• Waterproof Cag, Wetsuit or Drysuit (please trim your nails and wear socks if using a drysuit, overly large trainers are recommended too as the latex drysuit boots are fragile)
• Spray deck (if you have been trained how to safely wet exit with a spray deck on)
• Buoyancy Aid
• Helmet
• Paddle
• Roof rack straps (please remember to return these)

More experienced paddlers might also bring a whistle, throwlines, pulley and karabiners provided they have been trained how to use them.

These items are available to borrow from the ACC but you may bring your own if you prefer.

Once you have been paddling for some time it's a good idea to start looking towards purchasing your own equipment  so that you can be more independent and develop your paddling style to specific kit suited to your body type.

Transport

If you have a vehicle with a roof rack then it would be great if you could assist in transporting kayaks on any river trips- even if you have no roof rack then transporting people is also helpful. Shuttles and logistics are often organised on the day of the event. Taking part in loading and unloading kayaks and canoes onto vehicles or trolleys is expected- many hands make light work!

N.B If you are going to provide transport its worth having some plastic sheets or bags for soggy folk to sit on rather than dampening your seats...

Note for River Trips/ Events:

You MUST contact the event organiser at least 3 days in advance to book a place on the event because numbers are limited due to leader / participant ratios.