finding somewhere to kayak

[rogersavery]

I am returning to the sport after many years away (before the world wide web was generally available)

I am really struggling to find a comprehensive list of rivers, canals & reservoirs where I can go kayaking

The BCU were about as much help as a chocolate fireguard - they referred me to a site officer, who referred me to a local site officer who simply suggested I have a look at Matlock Canoe Club website.

I have tried go canoe.org.uk (part of BCU/Canoe england???) - you can put in your postcode, and miles you want to travel and get a very short selective list of clubs , 1 canal and 2 starter sessions.

What I would like is a site where I can put in my postcode, mileage and get a comprehensive list of rivers, canals & reservoirs, a description and the entry requirements for each of them i.e. if you need to join a local club, 3rd party insurance, a water way license etc

Does such a site exist??

Whilst I am on a rant - why does our national water sports centre (holmepierre point) dumb themselves down - if you go onto their website they don't even mention you can kayak on the white water run - all they mention is the boating lake and the bcu 1 & 2 star courses

[scottdog007]

Whilst I am on a rant - why does our national water sports centre (holmepierre point) dumb themselves down - if you go onto their website they don't even mention you can kayak on the white water run - all they mention is the boating lake and the bcu 1 & 2 star courses

You probably find your search on internet is not finding their site. You need.
http://www.nwscnotts.com/

[Neilo]

Unfortunately you may just have proved the point of the OP. I followed that link and found the same. Might I suggest viewing here where river guides are listed, or give an idea of where you are (I'm guessing Derbyshire ?) and your rough ability, for other contibutions ?

Welcome back to the greatest sport/leisure activity/pursuit ever, hope you find somewhere suitable to enjoy it fully.

Neil.

[David Fairweather]

You might find the Rainchasers site useful. http://rainchasers.com/

[Big Henry]

Or you could use this site! At the top of this/any page, click INLAND then on the left RIVER GUIDES. Choose your area and then ability/type of water you want. Jobs a guddun.

[Adrian Cooper]

I am, likewise, trying to find a ''a comprehensive list of rivers, canals & reservoirs where I can go'' canoeing. I think it is shocking that this has not all been done for me and that it is not available, free, at the touch of a button. After all, are we not in the entitlement culture?

[Pete K]

.....suggested I have a look at Matlock Canoe Club website......

I suggest you don't bother reading the information on the Matlock CC site about rivers as it is complete tosh and they have ignored all requests to update or change it. The current/ex Peak river advisor has not responded to any of my emails for years.
Your best bet for info is to look on here and ask specific questions on here or join a good canoe club like Manchester CC (moving water) or Peak Paddlers (Errwood Res).
Song of the Paddle forum have listings for flat water venues in the area too (don't hold your breath). Access to flat water is a complete farce unless you join a club and even then you only get Errwood. Failing that there is always the Peak Forest Canal to paddle on.

P.S. Just go paddle rivers when the conditions are appropriate and it is safe to do so for you and your group. We've had chats with bailiffs in the Peak but no aggro and we've paddled some very 'disputed' rivers this season.

[Chalky723]

I am, likewise, trying to find a ''a comprehensive list of rivers, canals & reservoirs where I can go'' canoeing. I think it is shocking that this has not all been done for me and that it is not available, free, at the touch of a button. After all, are we not in the entitlement culture?

No need to be sarky!! ;o)

But the very names "Canoe England", "UK Rivers Guidebook" do, to a degree, light the small fire of hope that it may really be that simple!! OK, best to join a club, or be a bit more persistent with the Googling, but an interactive map of the UK where stretches of river referred you to the appropriate page on this site when clicked upon would be great & very useful (and almost modern). Because, unless you know the area or the river, or have lots of time to browse the guides, it's not a quick & simple process & isn't very "Newby Friendly"...

C

[Mal Grey]

Its not totally comprehensive for the East Midlands, but Paddle Points is trying to help solve this problem. The more people who add to it, the better it will get.

http://www.paddlepoints.net/PaddlePoint ... on=matlock

[SimonMW]

Second Paddlepoints. Fast becoming one of the most useful on the web and probably the closest to being the sort of resource requested.

[SimonMW]

PS, The Matlock area and "canoes and kayaks" don't go together very well given the various signage put up along the river by the angling clubs. Unless they are referring to it being a bit more strenuous to paddle upstream? ;-)

[ChrisE]

Here is the flat water canals and rivers that you technically need a license for: http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers Joining BCU/canoe England will give you this license.
As for the other white water rivers all that has been suggested are good, I would also suggest maybe: http://access.canoedaysout.com/map (that map does also have the canals on it...).
However I think every source you try is dependent on people having contributed enough to put all rivers on there, and the very fact that there are a few suggestions, and none listed by all may well go some way to suggesting why we don't yet have complete maps...

[rogersavery]

thanks for all the replies - the paddle points site look pretty good - but seems to be missing some information (which some people might consider important) - there is no information on permission to kayaking the water. Some of the rivers it suggests I know have no permission for kayaking.

Scottdog007 - www.nwsnotts.com is the site I went to and I can't find any information anywhere on the site that talks about kayaking on the white water course - it almost looks like the are trying to keep it secret!

Adrian - I read your reply and couldn't decide if you where being sarcastic or not! I am not sure we live in an entitlement culture, and that is not what I was asking for. I was asking for information, and I think we do now live in an information rich age.

I might take this up again with Canoe England or the BCU - they should be promoting our sport and I'm sure not providing compressive list of places to go could seem a bit off putting to someone with an interest in taking up the sport.

[Mark R]

There is a slight irony to your original request...you posted it on the largest single source of free UK river information. This website is far from perfect, and we are some way from Star Trek stuff (type in a postcode and the website beams you there, etc) but there is a lot here to pore through. If you can't find what you want to know, simply ask a question here on the forum.

Hope the site proves useful.

[Mal Grey]

thanks for all the replies - the paddle points site look pretty good - but seems to be missing some information (which some people might consider important) - there is no information on permission to kayaking the water. Some of the rivers it suggests I know have no permission for kayaking.

I should declare an interest here, as I have been helping Ben with Paddle Points for a while now, adding points, river level gauges etc.

The access issue is a whole different conversation. Most paddlers take the view backed up by the Rev Caffyn's research that we have a historic right to navigate on all England's rivers which has never been removed. This should be done responsibly of course, and from public access points, not across private land.

Paddle Points takes the view that river users must make their own decisions regarding this. The rivers access map and website mentioned above explains the situation better than I can.

Mark is right, UKRGB remains one of the best resources for paddlers, especially kayakers, and is the best source for white water paddles with the various river guides.

[chriscw]

You could also try Icthus Canoe Club based in Chesterfield and Dronfield area but paddling often in the peaks. Darley Bridge down to Matlock on the Derwent is a nice run, mostly grade 1. Get in from the industrial estate access road beside the bridge, get out in one of the Matlock car parks or at the bottom of the slalom course. I know they paddle a lot of the other peaks rivers as well as the Irwel and a couple of local canals and lakes.

http://ichthuscanoeclub.co.uk/

[morsey]

You might find the Rainchasers site useful. http://rainchasers.com/

Rainchasers keeps saying "empty" for rivers that have water in them and are perfectly paddleable, floatable for entire sections!

[Jim Pullen]

You might find the Rainchasers site useful. http://rainchasers.com/

Rainchasers keeps saying "empty" for rivers that have water in them and are perfectly paddleable, floatable for entire sections!

Then put a fb comment about it on the appropriate page on rainschasers and someone will change the calibration! A resource is only as good as the information put into it!