Where's Wally?

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By Mark Corti

More specifically, how can we spot the fabulous wildlife around our coastlines?  Where can we go to see the whales, dolphins and sharks in UK waters?  They're closer than you think!  Club member James Copeland is the local rep for Seawatch Foundation, and will be telling you all this and more at the Club on Saturday 20th November - see you there!

Paddlesport Instructor course - spaces

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By Mark Corti

Seapoint in Folkestone are running a Paddlesport Instructor course and have spaces left which they’ve invited MCC to fill.  Cost is £120 (MCC will reimburse this once you’ve run 2x beginner courses).  Please contact Helen to sign up - if you're not sure what this course entails, drop me a line and we can have a chat - there's lots of support for new coaches available at MCC!

Christmas Party and Breakfast paddle

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By Catherine Dacey

The Christmas party is on Saturday 18th December and the Breakfast paddle is Sunday 19th December.

The dates on the news update were incorrect, well done Norman for spotting this.

Both events are on the calendar for sign up.

Medway flow

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By Mark Corti

With the onset of wetter weather, river levels and speed have become more variable - as those who were paddling on Sunday discovered!  It's worth a timely reminder that our usually-innocuous river can be surprisingly powerful when it is moving.  Good practice includes:

• staying away from the orange booms above sluices.  They're there for a reason, and a capsize at this point on the river would be disastrous - they're not handy mooring points!  (This applies throughout the year, but particularly now)
• keeping clear of weirs and automatic gates.  They can open and close without warning and quickly change from a fun chute to a swimmer-retaining stopper.
• stay away from trees!  
• make sure your group stays together.  This applies to peer paddles as much as to "led" trips - make sure you know who is paddling with you, and where they are.
• faster water implies moving earlier.  Moored boats, trees and other obstacles will come up quicker than you expect - plan ahead and move early
• consider tagging on to a more-experienced group or paddler if the river is faster than expected.  If it's much faster or higher than you've paddled before, consider delaying your trip for another day.

Stay safe!

Last one!

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By Mark Corti

One final space has opened up on our last beginner course of 2021 - Saturday 9th October. First come, first served!

Div 4 Slalom?

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By Mark Corti

Harefield have invited us to their Div 4 Slalom on October 9 /10th.  Apparently suitable for those new to the sport - please contact them for details.

Sunday 26th September - no paddling at the club

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By Geoff Orford

Maidstone Invicta Rowing club will be holding their Small Boats Heads races on Sunday morning from Allington to Maidstone so we will not be able to paddle from the club. As an alternative for the ususal club paddle we will transport boats to Teston Bridge Country Park and paddle from there upstream and back, with an orportunity to shoot the canoe pass for those who want to do so. Please register your attendance on the club calendar, whatever level of paddler you are so we can judge the number needing boat transport. Thanks.

Autumn Newsletter 2021

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By Mark Corti

The Autumn Newsletter is here!  

And did you know that you can browse our archive of newsletters right here on the website?