COLCHESTER
CANOE CLUB

Welcome to an unforgettable adventure with Colchester Canoe Club.
Based at the old open air swimming pool on Colne Bank Avenue with everything you need to either get started or progress, from leisure paddling, open canoeing, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking or playboating. We're very friendly ,inclusive, welcoming and have experienced and  knowledgeable instructors ready to help you on your journey to a fantastic sport, hobby or whatever level you want to achieve.
The world's waterways are waiting to be explored...
What are you waiting for?

British Canoeing Quality Club
British Canoeing Affiliated Club
Clear Access Clear Water Affiliate
Champion Club for Talent
Champion Club Junior
Essex Freestyle Community
Kent Canoes
Squarerock

Probably the friendliest canoe club in the world...

Personal and fun, not forced

Colchester Canoe Club has been around since 1980 and has a reputation for being open and friendly. Whether you are 10 or 100, if you feel you would like to have a go, we will welcome you. The club has a myriad of boats to suit all levels, shapes and sizes, so you don't have to own your own and can try different types to see what suits you best.

We do not push people and we allow you to develop at your own pace rather than having specific groups and timeframes to adhere to. We believe you will progress further and faster the way you want to with just gentle encouragement,  support and the appropriate mentoring from experienced instructors when required.

We cater for groups as well as individuals (although if there is a group of you please contact us first as we may be able to accommodate you on a separate night). Don't feel you cannot come down on your own - there are lots of people of all ages and backgrounds who are already members, ready to welcome you and help you on your journey to endless fun on the water.

Very proud winner of the coveted 'Pride Of Essex' Award

Colchester Canoe Club are very proud winners of the coveted 'Pride Of Essex' award in the 'Highly Commended' category during the 2023 awards ceremony which was held at Anglia Ruskin University on 14th November

Pride of Essex ceremony
Pride of Essex award

Types of canoeing / kayaking we do

Whatever you're in to, we probably are too!

Leisure paddles
Freestyle
Freestyle
Freestyle
Freestyle
Freestyle
Freestyle
Sea paddling
Extreme
Extreme
Extreme

WHATEVER TYPE OF KAYAKING YOU ENJOY

Whitewater trips Sea trips

REGULAR TRIPS BY OUR MEMBERS

Our instructors often plan trips and/or events for training and our members regularly organise peer paddles to meet up and explore.
You can keep up with what's being planned on our facebook page

Liam's World Record 2023

Colchester Canoe Club member and coach, Liam's World Record

Guinness world records Logo

Longest Duration Kayak Bow Stall

The Bow Stall is a difficult freestyle trick to master which involves forcing your kayak to stand on-end vertically with the front end (bow) in the water while you balance it and one of our members (and coach) achieved the Guinness World Record on 16th August 2023 for the longest duration kayak bow stall with an amazing time of 24 minutes and 5 seconds. WOW! The previous record was for just 6 and a half minutes!

Сhoose your
level and activity

At Colchester Canoe Club we believe that everybody should be able to enjoy the water to the level they want to, whether that be just for the occasional leisure paddle with friends, regular paddle trips away, whitewater and adventure or competitive. We'll support whatever you want to do, after all, we're all different and the club has a wide variety of talent and interest.
So long as everybody has fun, you are free to enjoy or progress however you want and we will help you to achieve it.

We're for canoeists, by canoeists and that will never change.

Immersive fun for all, whatever ability and experience you have. We want everybody to enjoy the water.

Weekly Club Sessions

We have weekly club sessions on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm. These sessions are informal and involve play, instruction, practise, weir play, games, barbeques and discussions. Perfect for anyone starting out or progressing.

Parking

The club has lots of free, safe, off-road parking on riverside, next to the clubhouse. If you require help to unload/load your boat(s) there's always somebody willing to assist.

Training / Instruction

The club has experienced instructors for whatever type of paddling you want to do. Some courses are also arranged where certification is required. 
Most instruction is informal and at your pace as required/requested.

Trips / Events

The club and its members regularly organise trips and events, including pool sessions - from suitable for all to more specialised for experienced paddlers and technical abilities.
Keep up with them on our facebook page for details.

Past Trips and Events

We regularly get together for paddles and events.
Keep up to date with them on the events tab of our facebook page

Colchester Duck Race

ANNUAL

•  The club helps with this local event to raise vital funds for local causes

Colchester Duck Race

River Clean

PERIODIC

•  A subject very close to our hearts as watersports enthusiasts is the cleanliness of our rivers, so we regularly organise social river cleans

River Cleans

Fireworks paddle

NOV 5TH

•  A club favourite! Every year we organise the fireworks paddle where we paddle to the mill pond at the bottom of the park and watch the fireworks.
Then we have a barbeque afterwards.

FIREWORKS PADDLE

Lee Valley club trip

OFTEN

•  The club often(sometimes in conjunction with Maldon Canoe Club) arrange a club trip to the Olympic whitewater venue at Lee Valley where our members can learn and practise whitewater skills in relative safety. The club hires the course, so it has exclusive use for the duration. No LV assessment required.

Lee Valley Whitewater Centre

Unfortunately we do not provide wetsuits

We often get asked if we can provide wetsuits, but this is something we can't do for several reasons, including hygiene. It's also a matter of suitability and durability. All people are different shapes and sizes and a wetsuit needs to fit you properly to be effective, so it is important to get the right one for you and not practical from a club perspective. Wetsuits are also a consumable piece of kit. They will wear out at some point and can be costly depending on the type required, so it is not a viable expense for the club because we like to keep our fees as reasonable as possible for everyone.
If you need advice on the different types of wetsuit available and suitable for kayaking you can ask any of our instructors and they will be pleased to discuss it with you. 

Our instructors

Instructor: Liam

•  Liam
Interests: Freestyle / Whitewater / Extreme

Instructor: Vicky

•  Vicky
Interests: 
Open canoe

Instructor: Justin

•  Justin
Interests:
All-round

Instructor: Amanda

•  Amanda
Interests: Groups and Introduction to paddle sport

Instructor: John

•  John
Interests:
Sea / All-Rounder

Instructor: Tiff

•  Tiff
Interests:
Groups / Paddlepower 

Instructor: Kev

•  Kev
Interests:
Sea / Whitewater 

Instructor: Tim

•  Sara
Interests:
Freestyle

Instructor: Podge

•  Podge
Interests:
All-round

Instructor: Tim

•  Tim
Interests:
Sea / Freestyle

Instructor: Dave

•  Dave
Interests:
Freestyle / All-rounder

Instructor: Ian

•  Ian
Interests:
Freestyle

Instructor: Duncan

•  Duncan
Interests:
Touring

Map to find us

How to Find Us

The Club House is situated on the banks of the River Colne in Colchester. At the site of the old Open Air Swimming Pool.

Directions:

From A12 Northbound take A133 turnoff to Colchester Town Centre Road: (Avenue of Remembrance)
Straight over into Colne Bank Avenue
First left into Belle Vue Road
Access to Club at end of road and down the track on the left

From A12 Southbound take A1232 turnoff and head to town centre Road: (Ipswich Road)
At the first roundabout take the second exit (straight over)
At the second roundabout take the third exit (right) 
At the next roundabout take the second exit (straight over)
First right into Belle Vue Road
Access to Club at end of road and down the track on the left

Postcode to help with Satnav's CO1 1XA

Club night fun
Launching at the club
Club night
North Station Road Brisge
Lee Valley fun
Colchester boater X
Colchester boater X
Colchester boater X
Weir fun
Weir fun
Weir fun
Weir fun

Follow the news on our facebook pages

Contact

  • The Old Pool Pump Room, Colne Bank Avenue, Colchester, Essex. CO1 1XA

  • EMAIL US
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COLCHESTER CANOE CLUB

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