Coaching
Coaching is delivered by a team of volunteer BCU-qualified coaches assisted by other experienced members.
Paddler Development
In a typical session, paddlers will generally be divided into
groups of similar ability and each group will either be training for race or slalom.
Competition
Marathon racing is split into divisions, div7-9 for beginners is over 4 miles, div 4-6 for intermediates is over 8 miles and div 1-3 for elite paddlers is over 12 miles. The division the paddler races in is determined solely on ability, not age or sex. Paddlers race either in single boats or two man boats.
The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race starts in Devizes, Wiltshire and finishes just downstream of Westminster Bridge in London, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The race has been held annually over the Easter Weekend since 1948.The race is 125 miles long and has 77 portages. The first 52 miles are along the Kennet and Avon Canal, the next 55 miles are on the River Thames and the final section is on the tidal portion of the Thames, The race is a severe test of skill and stamina which produces a memorable sense of achievement for those successfully completing it. The non-stop version of the race is the longest non-stop canoe race in the world
The human character gains in confidence and self-reliance from the achievement of overcoming challenges like this. The D-W is a challenge that virtually every one can take up and succeed at. You don’t have to go to the Antarctic or pay someone to drag you up Everest, though you may gain more publicity doing so. The life-enhancing effects are the same. The services and Public schools probably know better than anyone how to develop human potential, and is no accident that they are the biggest supporters and participants in the race
Sprinting is over 500m and 1000m and there are 4 divisions for junior males, junior ladies, senior men and senior ladies. Paddlers race in single, two man or four man boats.
Whitewater Slalom is a competitive sport where the aim is to navigate a canoe or kayak through a course of gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible each slalom gate consists of two poles hanging from a wire strung across the river. There are 18- 25 numbered gates in a course and they are coloured as either green (downstream) or red (upstream), indicating the direction they must be negotiated.
Upstream gates are placed in an eddy, where the water is flat or moving slightly upstream; the paddler makes the 'breakout' and paddles upstream through the gate.
Slalom courses can take anything from 80 to 200 seconds to complete depending on the level of competition, difficulty of course, degree of water turbulence and ability of the paddler. Each competitor has two runs on the course and the final result is based either on the faster run (in smaller races or lower division races) or the sum of the two runs (in National and Olympic competitions).
If the competitor's boat, paddle or body touches either pole of the gate a time penalty of two seconds is added. If the competitor misses a gate completely, displaces it by more than 45 degrees, goes through the gate upside-down, or goes through it in the wrong order, a 50 second penalty is given