Kayak

Are you looking to join a sports club that offers you something just a little bit different than football, rugby or hockey? Well, why not give kayaking a try? We meet most Saturday afternoons for pool training. The pool we use is in Musselburgh, however we meet at our lock up which is next to the NSA building at 12 Merchiston Place.

If you’ve never paddled before, don’t worry. The club has Scottish Canoe Association approved instructors that will take you from the basics right through to paddling some of Scotland’s best whitewater rivers (if you dare!) We have a comprehensive training plan which is designed to teach you everything you need to know to enable you to get out on some rivers within the first few weeks. In fact, we have already had some trips away already this year. Rivers that we have paddled within the last year include: Tay (at Stanley & Grandtully), Tummel (Upper & Lower), Lyon, Etive, Roy (upper, Roy Gorge & lower), Spean & Spean Gorge, Garry, Morriston, Doon, Nith and Tweed. We usually try and have 2 or 3 organised weekend trips per semester, however, there is usually someone going paddling most weekends. So there are plenty of opportunities to get out and about.

AAs well as paddling rivers, we also have a canoe polo team that competes in the Scottish Division 2 league. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of canoe polo before, neither had I until 2 years ago! The game is like a cross between water polo and basketball, played with canoes. The league is aimed at beginners, so even if you’ve never sat in a boat before, once you’ve mastered some basic paddling techniques (forwards, backwards and turning!), then you can contribute to the team. As well as playing in the league, there are several competitions throughout the year. Probably the one that’s most fun is the Scottish Universities Championship, which is held in Glasgow every February. We travel through on the Friday evening and have a weekend of playing and partying, they even put everyone up for the weekend!

We welcome anyone to the club, staff as well as students. And once you graduate, we won’t kick you out like some other clubs do! We recognise the valuable experience that some of our more long-standing members have gained over the years. We try to tap into the knowledge by getting them to run training sessions, lead river trips and generally encourage them to stay active members in the club.

The club provides all the kit you need to get started. All you need to bring to pool sessions is your swimming kit and a towel. The only kit the club does not provide for weekend trips are shoes. However, an old pair of trainers usually does the trick or proper wetsuit shoes can be bought for about £10. Club membership costs £20 for the year and each pool session costs £3. You don’t need to join the club straight away. We offer you the chance to come to a pool session to see if you like it before you need to join the club. After our pool sessions we go back to the Golf Tavern for some food that they very kindly supply.

We have a packed programme of events lined up for the coming semester. So go on, come and give kayaking a try. See Scotland from a different perspective, whilst paddling a river, and amaze yourself! If you would like more information about who we are and what we offer, please visit our website or drop us an e-mail.

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