KayakingThis page is devoted to the different disciplines of Kayaking that we currently offer at the club. However if the discipline you are interested in isn't listed here, contact a Committee member to show your interest in that discipline and how we can help you.Flatwater Kayaking
The perfect teaching and learning environment is on flatwater, the coaches don't have to worry about their group floating off and the paddlers can focus on their strokes without (too many) distractions.
High tide on the Adur offers a great place for flatwater paddling.
The coaches at the club will offer to take you through your Star Awards, ranging from 1 star (fairly new to paddling) to 5 star (river god), however due to the requirements for the awards the club can only take you as high as 3 star.
Still this is worthwhile doing, and all the skills learnt for the star awards are very useful in general paddling too.
For those looking to go into coaching the club will also support, and the coaches will give you all sorts of nifty tips (ones they probably were given when they were aspiring coaches!) to improve that. Flatwater kayaking isn't just about improving your skills either, there are plenty of scenic journeys to participate in, both on the Adur, and on other rivers. These trips can range from paddling up or down the Adur, going to local rivers like the Arun and running a different river, to weekend overnight camping trips. Inland Kayakinga.k.a.: Whitewater.The Adur is a great place to learn how to deal with moving water (it can't quite be classed as 'white'water), as at low tide the river begins flowing out to sea, and the Adur becomes a small channel. Along this channel we get some nice natural features, it is on these that the more experienced coaches will help you with your whitewater skills like Ferry gliding and Break In's and Out's. Learning this will certainly push your paddling skills, requiring you to link two or more skills together. Once you have gained that knowledge the only way is up, we run occasional whitewater trips to Devon, the Nene (an artificial whitewater) and Simonds Yat. These places provide a great step up, whilst still remaining relatively safe, allowing you to build up more confidence, and keep taking steps up, providing you enjoy it of course. Freestylea.k.a.: Playboating.a.k.a.: Showing off! At low or high tide the club's resident playboats come out to show the rest how cool they are, and what new moves they've learnt. 
For those unfamiliar with the discipline, freestyle is where a paddler pulls tricks (much like you would on a skateboard) such as holding ('stalling') the boat on it's nose (bow) or tail (stern), or Cartwheeling from one end to the other.
Some of our paddlers have even pulled off one of the hardest playboating move: The Flat Loop. This is flipping their boat from nose to tail in a forward summersault (a 'Loop') on flat water, hence Flat Loop. There are videos of two of the club's paddlers doing this move in the Video section of the Downloads page. Surfing
Shoreham beach offers a fairly nice place to surf (if you don't mind the occasional dump).
The club has several coaches who specialise in this discipline will offer to teach you the ins and outs (although maybe not the lingo) of Kayak Surfing.
And of course if you decide you don't like surfing in a kayak, there's always boogie boards! The club also runs trips to more reliable surf locations, and these trips do need more punters to go on them, so if your interested it's well worth contacting us. Sea Kayaking
A few members of the club have recently purchased sea kayaks and enjoy braving the waves.
If you feel like joining them, the club has a couple of coaches who are amongst this group, and will be willing to teach you and take you out paddling all over the place.
So if ye feel like bravin' the stormy seas, just Arrrrrrrr(sk) a Committee Member... Yarrrr! |