Category Archives: Announcements

Announcements

White Water Training, Sat 22nd Mar

White water training this Saturday will be at Sowerby Bridge at the normal time of 12.30, meet in car park of first unit here:

Walton St, Sowerby Bridge HX6 1AN.

To get here head towards Sowerby Bridge, from the town centre drive over the river and turn immediate right and park in car park on left.

The river here is only a short section but has a few small drops each with a calm area after.

If anyone needs any info or gear etc. just message me and i will organise.

Andy W

Announcements, Trips

Swale cancelled – Washburn, Sun 16th Mar

Unfortunately due to a lack of water, all the rivers literally being empty and no rain forecast, the Swale trip has had to be cancelled.

As an alternative option, the Washburn is releasing this Sunday from 9am and runs until 5pm. The plan is to be there early on.

Please note that the Washburn is not suitable for inexperienced paddlers. If in any doubt as to suitability, please ask a club member for advice.

Announcements

Foundation Safety and Rescue course

For those that want it I will run a Foundation Safety and Rescue sessions over 2 consectutive weekends (Saturday/Sunday). The course is 8 hours minimum but I feel that 10 hours is more realistic (5 hours each day). I could run this any day between now and 23 Nov when I am away. If you are thinking of going on to coaching you need to complete this course to an acceptable standard. The course consists of 2 hours of theory and 8 hours of rescues covering swimmers, boat to boat rescues.

The purpose is to provide the paddler with all the necessary skills which will enable them to ensure the safety of themselves and others, also to equip each person with the appropriate rescue skill which can be used to help themselves and others.

This award will be registered with the BCU and is open to all persons over 14 years of age. You need to be 2 star paddling standard as you will be using a variety of craft. You also need to be able to swim in your normal paddling clothing.

For those younger than 14 I will run a junior version.

For those wishing to participate please contact Mike Robson. Tel 07721 362529 Email mike.robson23@ntlworld.com.

Regards

Mike Robson

Announcements, Trips

River trips added to the calendar

The schedule of club river trips for the new season has now been published on the Calendar.

Each trip has been classified as Beginner (generally Grade 2), Intermediate (Grade 3) or Experienced (3+). If you would like further info, e.g. you are unsure if a trip is suitable, please contact the organiser listed for the trip in question.

We would encourage our newer members to consider attending some of the beginner paddles as they provide a good introduction to river trips, get you some experience on the river and are most importantly, good fun!

General trip guidelines/tips

  • Club trips are only open to members.
  • If you would like to attend a trip, please ensure you let the organiser know by the last Thursday at the latest before the trip starts – this gives the organiser time to ensure sufficient safety cover is available.
  • If you need kit for a trip, let the organiser know well in advance of the paddle – we’ll try to accommodate a request where possible or arrange for you to collect kit.
  • You must wear suitable clothing for paddling and appropriate for the weather conditions – many of the trips are held over the winter months when it can be cold.
  • A change of clothing is a necessity (for the winter months, this also includes hat/gloves and possibly hand warmers).
  • On long trips in particular, it is a good idea to take food and drink (in cold weather, a hot drink).
  • Consider taking a dry bag (you can purchase suitable dry bags from RoHo) with personal medication, first aid kit etc – you can store your food, gloves etc in the dry bag too.
  • For the advanced trips, a throwline is a necessary item. Additionally, consider taking a knife in your bouyancy aid pocket.
  • Boats should be fitted with inflated air bags at all times – not doing so makes the rescue of boats particularly difficult.
  • If in doubt, ask the organiser or other experienced paddlers for advice.
  • Trips can change venue on the day due to last minute issues such as the weather or river levels – again, it is important to let the organiser know you are attending.
  • A lot of the previous trips have videos on our YouTube channel – check them out for an idea of what to expect.
Announcements

Club membership renewal is now due

Please note that club membership fees are now due from 1st October for the coming 2014 year.

Club membership entitles you to attend river trips, club holidays and lower fees for pool/Pugneys sessions. It also provides the opportunity to vote at the AGM in November, to help influence the direction of your club.

2014 Membership fees for the club are as follows:

£30 family
£20 individual

Membership fees should be paid as soon as possible and within 1 month of the renewal date.

Please ensure you fill in a new membership form with the payment (see below). Once completed, please hand the form and payment to a member of the committee at either Pugneys or one of the pool sessions. Alternatively, you can post payment along with the membership form to the address on the form.

If you wish to make payment via a Bank transfer, please contact Natalie Wilbond for further details.

Cheques should be made payable to West Yorkshire Canoe Club.

The updated membership form is available to download here.