Paddling from our base at Bell Hill

Wednesday evenings (from April)

Meet at 6 pm to be on the river by 6.30 pm. Groups go out for shorter informal paddling. Depending on when the sun sets, we might go as far as Walton Bridge or only as far as Sunbury Weir or Thames Ditton Island. Boat lights may be necessary later in the year.

Saturday mornings (all year)

Meet at 9.00 am to be underway by 9:30 am; groups go out according to participantโ€™s ability for informal paddling upstream to Sunbury, Walton and the Desborough loop or downstream to Kingston and Teddington, sometimes with a stop for coffee en route.

Trips

Usually, we meet at 9 am for departure by 9.30 am on Saturdays and some Sundays (sometimes earlier or later, depending on how far we are travelling). Most trips begin within a 40-minute drive of Hampton, although some trips are further afield, like the Hamble. On all-day trips, we usually paddle between 10 and 14 miles; on half-day trips, we cover about 8 to 10 miles. The most popular local places to paddle are the Wey Navigation, Basingstoke Canal, Grand Union Canal and places further up or down the Thames. Lunch is often in a nice waterside pub, or if the weather is fine, sandwiches on the river bank are the order of the day.  See trip basics and notes for tourers for more details.

Improver Sessions

These are usually arranged on a Saturday morning and Wednesday evening from April to December for people who have achieved their Hampton Paddler qualification and want to improve their ability and stamina. They run from the clubhouse. Contact the session leader if you want to attend. The sessions will be shown on the club calendar, and the leader will also email the club in advance. For more details, see here.

Courses

British Canoeing courses are held at the club from April to October. For full details, see the courses page.

Social events

We have a lively social calendar with frequent BBQ evenings and lunchtimes down by the river throughout the warmer summer months, pub quizzes and other ad-hoc club outings.

Fun regatta

We have the occasional fun regatta in the summer and autumn, which are more of a social occasion than a serious competition. It is a chance for everyone to get together for a few races in canoes and kayaks and then enjoy a lunchtime BBQ together. This picture shows the canoe race with the green club building behind St Mary Church.

Club Holidays

Each summer, a group from the club has a paddling holiday somewhere further afield.

These trips emphasise having a sociable time with gentle paddling to take in the local scenery and culture. A list of past holidays can be found here.

AquaPaddle

A free-timed 5km social paddle run by volunteers. Itโ€™s all paddling abilities on different craft and waterways across the country. The timed social paddle provides an opportunity for those who want to improve their fitness and wellbeing, meet other like-minded paddlers and have fun! For more details, see here.