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 you attend 2 Improver sessions within six weeks. Once you have graduated from an Improver, you must become a British Canoeing “On the Water” member to be insured to paddle. This is a requirement for membership in Hampton Canoe Club. Go to:
Paddle UK's On the Water annual membership is £47 and is paid directly to them.
Improver’s sessions are announced via email, and pre-booking is required; let the Trip Leader know your mobile number in case last-minute changes must be made. This also enables the Trip Leader to match the planned trip with the paddlers’ strength.
Established members may also join an Improver session. This would be at the discretion of the Improver’s session leader.