Beginners



		BEGINNERS


Learning to canoe/kayak
	No previous experience is necessary - all levels of paddler are welcome, whether you have never been in a boat before or have done a little bit while on holiday many years ago... In the summer months, the club holds regular Wednesday evening sessions to help paddlers of all levels gain more confidence and skills, usually through teaching in small groups practising skills to start with, and everyone coming together at the end to play in friendly group games such as canoe polo.
Free taster session
	You are allowed one free 'taster' session with the club to see if you like canoeing. There is no payment to make for that one session If you want to continue after that session, you have a choice - whether to pay-per-session, or officially join the club. See the section on 'How To Join' for more information. Easy :-)
What is provided by the club
	As a beginner, the club will provide you with: qualified instructor(s) at every session one kayak one paddle a buoyancy aid a spraydeck a helmet (if on whitewater)
Where to meet
	On Wednesdays, we meet at the CERN Canoe-Kayak Club House just at the entrance to the CERN site. You need to be there by 6pm for you to select your equipment, help load it on the trailer, before we relocate to Peney to start on the water at 6.30pm
What to wear
	It's usually quite warm in the summer evenings, and the water is not cold (around 17-20'C). Obviously it depends on the weather, but on warm summer days the following is usually sufficient: swimming trunks and t-shirt (or a swimming costume) a pair of shoes to wear in the kayak which you don’t mind getting wet. It's also a good idea to bring a lightweight thermal garment (a Helly Hansen/Odlo type is ideal) to bring in the kayak to put on if you start to cool off too much. On less warm days, it's useful to bring a lightweight windproof to protect you from windchill. Don't forget a towel and warm dry clothes to change into at the end of the session.
Who to contact
	You can e-mail club.kayak at any time for more information. One of the instructors will reply back to you as soon as possible. Additionally, every week an e-mail is sent out from our club-kayak-infos mailing list, detailing which instructor is in charge of which session for that week. You can self-subscribe to this list via e-groups, and be in immediate contact with club members and instructors.
Need to know...
	You do need to know how to swim 50m in clothing. If you can't swim, please let us know before you get on the water so we can make the appropriate arrangements. Additionally, if you suffer from asthma, epilepsy, are diabetic or have any other condition which could cause you difficulties, please let the instructor know. It certainly will not stop you from canoeing, but the instructor just needs to be aware for your own safety. Naturally, as with any water sports, there is a chance of briefly going underwater. It's nothing to be afraid of, and your head is underwater for usually no more than 3-4 seconds. You need to be comfortable with this; however if the idea of this is causing you some anxiety, just quietly mention it to the instructor before you get on the water.