Improver Sessions
These gentle trips for new members are useful for gaining experience, confidence and stamina, meeting other club members and seeing how the club works. All new members must attend at least 3 Improver sessions before doing any other paddling with the club.
If the weather and flow are reasonable, we aim to run these Improver sessions from April to October or November. They may not be every week, but they tend to be on Saturday, Sunday, or Wednesday evenings. Volunteer trip leaders run these sessions according to their availability; coaches occasionally attend.
The sessions are usually about three to five miles, depending on who is attending, the weather, river conditions, etc.
The only fee for these sessions is the £3.20 boat fee.
People who have completed an assessment need to join the club before they can do an Improvers.
After completing the Hampton Paddler course, we recommend attending two Improver sessions within the first six weeks, and at least three in total. Once a trip leader or coach signs you off as an Improver, you will need to become a Paddle UK “On the Water” member to be insured to paddle. This is a requirement for Hampton Canoe Club membership. Go to:
Paddle UK's On the Water annual membership is £47 and is paid directly to them.
Continue paddling with others for confidence and safety.
Improver’s sessions are announced via email, and pre-booking is required. This also helps the Trip Leader match the planned trip to the paddler's ability. Please give the Trip Leader your mobile number in case any last-minute changes are needed.
Established members may also join an Improver session at the discretion of the session leader.