Complete newbie looking for advice.

[liamhutch89]

Hi, my only experiences kayaking so far have been short guided sea tours in Thailand and Vietnam. I'm a 28 year old living in Yorkshire, in good general fitness who is a climber. I've been looking into starting kayaking as another interest and my goals are working towards white water kayaking as well as in the future going on kayak tours/adventures that double as climbing and camping trips, e.g. Norway, Utah, and so on...

The only knowledge I currently have about kayaking is based on the top google search results and i'm hoping for some advice on recommended sources for learning about equipment, techniques, routes, and anything else that needs to be known before I decide to start buying and doing things.

Basically I just need steering in the right direction with regards to my goals!

Cheers,

Liam

[andypagett]

Best source for learning about kit, techniques etc if you have no other contacts in the sport would be a local club.

You don't say which bit of Yorkshire, but there's a club finder here - https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/go-c ... -or-centre

[GregS]

I'm a 28 year old living in Yorkshire [...] recommended sources for learning about equipment, techniques, routes, and anything else that needs to be known before I decide to start buying and doing things.

Depends where you live as Yorkshire is huge. Swaledale Outdoor Club in the North to Sheffield in the South, Halifax in the West to Kingston in the East. Others just over the border if you live nearer Lincolnshire, Lancashire or Cumbria.

[andypagett]

And to add a plug, if you're in very very south Yorkshire we (Ichthus Canoe Club Chesterfield) have a number of members who come down from Sheffield

[liamhutch89]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm in Leeds and have looked up the local club which looks to be a good place to start. I'm currently awaiting my request to join the facebook group to be accepted.

I have a general question, which might be a stupid one, but: whenever you go on a river trip more than a few miles long, how do you get back to the car with the kayak, is it just a hike back?

[G7AFM]

paddle back up stream to where you started.
easiest option 2 or more people cars at both ends.

[andypagett]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm in Leeds and have looked up the local club which looks to be a good place to start. I'm currently awaiting my request to join the facebook group to be accepted.

Might be worth contacting them be email / message too. I know a lot of clubs have 'members' groups on Facebook, which they don't allow non-members in to.

I have a general question, which might be a stupid one, but: whenever you go on a river trip more than a few miles long, how do you get back to the car with the kayak, is it just a hike back?

There is normally some sort of shuttle happens. If there's a small group of you one way is to meet at the end point (the 'take out'), get ready there, leave a car there with all the dry kit in it, then head to the start point (the 'put in') in another car with all the boats and paddles. Once you get to the end, get changed into your dry kit and head to the start to get the other car. There loads of variations of how to get the car back, meeting at the start, meeting at the end, using bikes/public transport. There is also "the club trip" which is an awe inspiring complication of faff, lost keys, too many cars etc, which I am sure you'll experience soon.

[Adrian Cooper]

Might be worth contacting them be email / message too. I know a lot of clubs have 'members' groups on Facebook, which they don't allow non-members in to.

Our clubs runs two Facebook pages, one public and one members only. It means the public can see what you get up to and what a vibrant and friendly bunch you all are, the other is for organising trips, meetings and club business.

[GregS]

Ok - White Rose Canoe Club is possibly the best option in Leeds for getting started... but Leeds CC is the dedicated WW kayaking club. If you want to pop down to us at Pennine you'll also be most welcome, and we should be able to help more with open canoeing. Other clubs local to you include West Yorkshire and Bradford & Bingley. Several others would also be credible alternatives with a Leeds base!

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