Bromley
Canoe Club have been paddling for over 22 years. It is an extremely
well established club, affiliated to the British Canoe Union, currently
having around 70 members. We meet every Monday night from 8.30pm till
10pm at West Wickham Swimming pool (except bank holidays) for training
sessions.
The Main emphasis of the club is enjoyment and leisure but SAFETY
AND RESPONSIBILITY are also very high on
our philosophy, both on and off the water. The club currently has over 15
Instructors (canoe and kayak) and we have our own pool lifeguards.
As the club has its own Instructors, once on poolside, all you have to do is ask
for help or tuition. Training is very important in the club and it is taken very
seriously along with safety.
We welcome new members (there is no need to join straight away). You will be asked to swim 50 metres and be shown how to exit a capsized kayak safely.
The British Canoe Union star tests are also taught and examined by
our own and other club Instructors. These can lead you to becoming an Instructor
yourself in the future.
Training is generally done in the pool but there are many day and weekend trips
organized to incorporate this. More serious trips are organized from September
to May to allow for White Water Training. Places visited in the last 12 months
include The River Dart, River Exe, Teesdale and the Treweryn. More recently
training trips have included the Nottingham and Nene Whitewater training
centers. Day trips include Cuckmere Haven, near East Bourne, The Rother Charity
paddle, The Medway, for training and Hastings (for fun). During the summer there
is a contingent that make their way to France for 2 weeks in the Alps.
In 1999, we ran a trip to Dartmoor for a walking weekend in which we did
letterboxing, hill walking and horse riding. This was attended by 24 members and
friends, 3 dogs and was enjoyed immensely by all that went.
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