In the Spring and Summer the Civil Service Canoe Club hold regular Tuesday evening paddles on the Thames at Chiswick.
These take place most Tuesdays launching at 6.30pm (please try to arrive a few minutes beforehand to get kitted up).
Paddlers of all ability levels are welcome.
Sessions restart in May and continue until the end of September.
Boat, paddle and buoyancy aid.
The club provides coaching and practice etc for all standards including inexperienced paddlers.
We paddle upstream (towards Kew) or downstream (towards Hammersmith) and after a stop for a rest and refreshments, we paddle back to Barnes Bridge.
£5 per session
Canoe Club Members pay no fee for these sessions over and above their annual subs.
You need to wear old sports clothes that will remain warm and comfortable if they get a bit soggy (synthetic materials are generally better than cotton, because they absorb less water).
If it is showery bring an anorak and if it is sunny a cap. Don’t wear bulky footwear that you will struggle to fit in a kayak.
We have access to changing rooms and showers at the boathouse, so bring a towel and a fresh set of clothes to wear home. If you wear glasses or sunglasses, it is advisable to wear an elastic strap which will secure them to your head and prevent them from being lost in the Thames. Don’t bring valuables with you if you can avoid it, but do bring enough cash or a card to buy yourself a drink.
Participation depends on you being capable of swimming up to 30 metres if the need arises.
Access for beginners may be restricted depending on tides and weather forecast. Club members will be able to advise which evenings are most likely suitable for a newcomer.
If lightning is forecast we may cancel the session for safety reasons at a late stage, but most sessions go ahead on Tuesday evenings.
Paddling is generally great for the health. However, as you will have read in the newspapers, water quality in rivers is currently not as good as everyone would like, so please do not turn up to paddle if you have an open wound. We are hoping the position will improve when the super sewer opens and the risks to health from paddling on the Thames will reduce significantly. However, all paddlers will continue to have to be alert for symptoms of weil’s disease (a disease spread by rats) in particular, for details see-https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leptospirosis
The Civil Service Canoe Club are a small, friendly, mixed club of enthusiastic canoeists, of all abilities, ages and interests mainly based in the London area.
If you’ve ever fancied your hand at canoeing in one of its many forms, or you are an experienced paddler who has moved to London, we hope the Club will have something to offer you.
For more information please click here.