Open Canoeing | Exeter Canoe Club

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An open canoe is a go anywhere do anything craft from trips across an open lake to a trip down a white water river. It is also possible to sail or pole an open canoe. They can be paddled solo or tandem and are perfect for carrying large amounts of kit (even the kitchen sink if you wish!).

The club offers a range of trips from days out to weekends away. The River Wye is a particular favourite.

The courses and club trips described on this page are Club Activity. These are coached or led by an authorised club coach or leader.

Courses

The club offers the following open canoe courses:

Each day you spend on the water further expands your skills and knowledge, creating a more enjoyable experience on the water. With no two experiences on the water ever the same, you never stop learning

Discover (Introductory) Award

This is a 5 week course on Wednesday evenings aimed at introducing paddlers to open canoes. This course is aimed at paddlers who have never been in an open canoe or not had much tuition in one.

Taking you on the steps towards becoming an independent paddler, for a fun and safe time on the water. Developing an understanding of the factors which affect your paddling; developing your decision making and practical skills, giving you confidence on the water.

The course will cover introductory skills, an example is below of what you might expect from the course.

– What to wear
– How do I choose a boat
– How do I choose a paddle
– What type of water can I paddle?
– What might limit me in paddling?

– Etiquette on the water
– What strokes can you use to paddle forward
– Steering the canoe
– Stopping the canoe
– Where to sit in the boat and why (Trim)

By the end of this course you should be able to paddle an open canoe solo on canals.

Explore award

This is a 5 week course on Tuesday evenings aimed at those who have completed the discover award, or can paddle but would like to learn more.

Your Explore Award gives you ownership; allowing you to choose where you move next in the world of paddlesport.

The course will include the following (but not limited to)

– What to wear
– How do I choose a boat
– How do I choose a paddle
– What type of water can I paddle?
– What might limit me in paddling?
– Looking at the environmental issues

– Group awareness
– Looking at efficient paddling
– corrective strokes
– Effective and efficient posture
– Rescuing others

By the end of this course you should be able to paddle an open canoe solo on canals and slow moving rivers and carry out basic rescues.

Tuesday Evenings

Tandem Canoeing

This is a 5 week course on Tuesday evenings to introduce paddlers to paddling tandem in open canoes. You can either come with your tandem partner or alone and you can either paddle with the same person each week or switch partners.
We will cover basic tandem skills including

– communication,
– efficient forward paddling,

– turning,
– paddling backwards.

Bookings can be made HERE

Canoe award

This course will run on weekends so we can spend mornings/afternoons or whole days on the water. Some sessions may take place on the canal, but we will also look at more paddling on estuaries.

For this course you need to have some experience of canoeing. For example, you should have:

Paddled to Double Locks and back in canoe solo
Done a rescue in a canoe
Canoed in a variety of weather conditions

If these aspects of canoeing are new to you, then it is recommended that you go on the Explore Canoeing course before the open Canoe Award course

Your Canoe Award endorses your skill, judgment and decision making when journeying. You will be confident in planning and undertaking canoe journeys on the water in winds up to and including force 3 taking place on grade 1 rivers with simple eddy lines.

The course will teach skills with the aim of enabling you to become a competent member of a canoe trip on white water and/or open water. The focus will be on traditional canoe skills such as efficient paddling, and skills liste below. It will not be possible to cover the whole open canoe award syllabus in 5 weeks. Speak to your coach about how to complete the award. NB there are some good videoes lower on this page and there are many on Youtube.

– Solo / Tandem paddle?
– Sailing
– Poling
– Lining
– loading and securing
– manouvreing in tight spaces
– Moving left/right around an obstruction
– moving sideways
– entering eddies, crossing eddylines
– Where do you want to be? (“Future Water”)
– Edging / leaning
– Trim
– How you engage your body
– Reverse paddling
– Turning effectively at speed
– Rescuing others
– Preventing capsize
– self rescuing
– Rafting
– Towing

– What kit do you need to carry?
– Safety precautions
– Additional equipment
– Potential injuries
– Environmental conditions (weather -The award will need some F3 winds)
– Group awareness – other paddlers strengths/weaknesses
– Environmental conditions – water levels, nesting birds, etc
– Location
– Carrying canoes / equipment
– Type of stroke (choosing the best stroke for the conditions)
– Can the wind be used to our advantage?
– launching in different environments (shallow/deep water, pontoon/bank)
– Reviewing the day

These sessions may be advertised on Webcollect or the forum. If you have not done the Explore Award/aren’t at this level, this course is not for you.

Club Trips

We run a variety of trips throughout the year.

In the summer we mainly run touring trips on rivers and open estuaries.

During the winter the trips are mainly on white water. These range from a quick trip down the River Teign to a full day’s play on the River Dart. These trips are a good opportunity to put the skills learnt during the summer to good practice.

We also go away for weekend trips, for example, to the River Wye, the River Thames or Poole Harbour.

These are advertised on the club forum.

Emergency Contact Details

Each paddler on a club trip is required to carry a waterproof card with the telephone number of their emergency contact details. This is in case a paddler is injured and the leader needs to contact the paddler’s relative\ friend. A laminated card carried in the buoyancy aid is a suitable method. There is a template that can be used on the Club Documents and Procedures page. (Mike/Jane have a small supply of laminating pouches for this size – Business card if needed).