When you have a passion for a paddlesport, you truly never know where it is going to take you. This year I was privileged to be chosen as a #ShePaddles Ambassador for Paddle UK. My mission was to show women considering trying out SUP that no matter your starting point – you CAN take part.…
Read more
I have been white water kayaking since joining Durham University in 2021. Now in my 3rd year (studying mechanical engineering) I have been fortunate with the number of opportunities provided to me at Durham University Canoe Club the club. From integrating quickly into the club on social chill paddles, to chucking myself down rapids, trying…
Read more
I had worked at centres and had done a lot of flat water canoeing and got my three star in 2008 at Symonds Yat. So, when I moved to Llangollen to work, the Dee provided the perfect playground. I booked onto my moderate canoe leader training and at this point I could not really afford…
Read more
We meet five women from the Canal & River Trust who are empowering their communities get out on their local canals and enjoy the benefits of being out on the water. Jane, Sara, Vicki, Emma, and Hannah are on a mission to make paddling accessible to everyone. Each of them has embarked on a personal…
Read more
Essex Freestyle Community was set up alongside Colchester Canoe Club, with the aim of getting more people involved with Freestyle and experience the lovely warm community. We were struggling to get involved, as unless you know someone who does Freestyle or where to go, we didn’t know where to start. Alongside the club’s lack of…
Read more
I took the SUP Instructor qualification because I want to be able to introduce more people to the sport in a safe environment. I want to use my knowledge and skills to involve the disadvantaged groups in to the sport. As one of the admins of East of England Paddlesports, we promote safe and responsible…
Read more
I have recently moved with my family from South East England to Cumbria in order to work as an Outdoor Instructor. I am currently a Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor and start work in April with an outdoor company in the Lake District. As part of my personal and professional development, I decided to…
Read more
I help run a paddlesports group called East of England Paddlesports and I decided to take on the SUP Instructor qualification to aid in running the group and be able to provide lessons to spread the joy of SUP. As the only female admin, I wanted to be able to provide women only lessons as…
Read more
The trajectory of a life can pivot on the most unlikely of invitations. To give a college roommate a lift home from the east to the west coast of the USA, after which I moved there. To drive a friend down that west coast to the world’s second longest peninsula and tag along on some…
Read more
After identifying an ambition to further develop my coaching pathway, I commenced on the BCAB Performance Coach journey. After a number of sessions with my appointed mentor – Chris Brain, I decided to book a place on the next Community of Learning event. I had identified, through discussion and reading, insight into what I thought…
Read more
Hosted at Grafham Water Centre, Huntingdon, the weekend brought together 11 coaches with varied experiences for a thought provoking, discussion led weekend. A great weekend had by all. The Community of Learning event topics are driven by the areas that the group suggest, their areas of interests and their aspirations. The topics aim to stimulate…
Read more
Meet Daniela and Arthur, who recently became Sea Kayak Leaders (non-tidal) in Malta. Daniela (Lella) grew up in a small urban village on a tiny Mediterranean island, called Malta, where she was born and raised. She is also the only Maltese woman holding a Sea Kayak Leader in the entire country! Arthur (Turu) is an American-born…
Read more
Paddles Up Training would like to congratulate Dan for becoming a Performance SUP Sheltered Water Coach! Dan talks us through his paddling journey and why he decided to become a Performance Coach. Born in Hong Kong and having spent my teenage years on the Isle of Man, I have had the opportunity to engage in…
Read more
In March 2022, the first BCAB Performance Coach Community of Learning Event outside of the UK took place in Stonington Connecticut, USA with 14 candidates and 3 facilitators. The weekend was intense but enjoyable, with multiple learning opportunities for candidates and facilitators alike. The Community of Learning events provide opportunities to explore ‘Performance Coaching’ and…
Read more
The Wild Water Racing Coach Award launched in January 2018 and supports you to coach Wild Water Racing. We hear from Jamie, who recently become the first person to qualify as a NEW Wild Water Racing Coach, and Hannah, who ran the first Wild Water Racing Coach Assessment. Hear from Jamie, the first NEW Wild…
Read more
Rugby Canoe Club is an affiliated Paddle UK club based in the Midlands. The club turned 50 years old in 2020. Their coaching team was recently strengthened with the addition of two new Paddlesport Instructors. Billy (18) and Máiréad (17) became the club’s youngest ever Instructors after undertaking their FSRT and 2 day Paddlesport Instructor…
Read more
The Polo Coach Award launched in January 2018 and supports you to coach Polo. We hear from Lesley, who recently ran the first Polo Coach Assessment and Neil, who recently become the first person to qualify as a NEW Polo Coach. Hear from Lesley, who ran the Polo Coach Assessment Neil came with a background in…
Read more
My first “taste” of stand up paddleboarding was back in 2018 when I had a 45 minute taster on a Groupon deal for £7! I managed to stand up but soon fell off when a boat passed by, in St Ives Harbour. I always had an itch to get back on a board but living…
Read more
I started kayaking about 9 years ago when my kids first started at Falcon Boat Club. I sat in the car park for the first 2 months, until one of the coaches asked why I didn’t give it a try, so I did! I continued on and off for about a year and a half,…
Read more
I started paddleboarding over in Australia and just found it naturally came to me. I got my board last summer and used it mostly on the sea and few lakes. As I’m a Paddlesport Instructor and Paddlesport Leader, I wanted to improve my knowledge and experience so that’s why I took the SUP Inland Open…
Read more
I completed my Level 2 Coach Award in 2017 and used this to help out at my local club. Due to a combination of Covid and work pressures, I had not done much coaching during the last few years. In May this year I left my job in the Civil Service to spend the summer…
Read more
I’ve been paddling for over 40 years in kayak and canoe, and coaching for 30, but my experience on a SUP was virtually non-existent when I went for my Paddlesport Instructor Tutor Orientation. Understandably, this was an area that I had to become proficient in to become a Provider. So I got on the water with…
Read more
Paddles Up Training would like to congratulate Kostas for becoming the first Performance SUP Open Water Coach! Kostas takes us through his journey through coaching and why he decided to become a Performance Coach. I have been coaching and working as an outdoor educator for almost a decade now. I began my journey like the…
Read more
Like many, we began SUPing more regularly during lockdown and created a community stand up paddleboarding and wild swimming group to inspire others to join us. The water is our happy place and offered timely mental and physical health benefits. In May this year, we set up our business Moffat SUP hire to service the…
Read more
For both of us, paddleboarding is not just about the sport, it’s a way of life. Jo’s passion for paddleboarding grew over the last few years and knowing Hayley’s love for the outdoors and passion for well-being, she introduced Hayley to the sport and the water quickly became the place she felt at her happiest.…
Read more
Launched in January 2021, the NEW Paddlesport Touring Leader supports you to lead fun, safe and enjoyable mixed craft journeys, on moderate inland water. This new award is already proving popular and we hear from Grant, Emily and Piotr. Hear from Grant, who recently ran the NEW Paddlesport Touring Leader… It’s a really great award…
Read more
Hear from Dan and Paul who recently delivered one of the first online core coach training courses. Delivering the online core coach training course was really interesting. As providers, it gave us a new challenge – how to make the content as practical as possible whilst we were all in different physical locations. We managed…
Read more
Hear from Ronny who’s recently run the first NEW Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) Assessment in Norway. Paddle UK Awarding Body is continuously developing, and I’ve been looking forward to running the new Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) assessment on the West Coast of Norway. All the candidates had done official Paddle UK Awarding Body training, most…
Read more
Hear from Samuel, one of the first to become a NEW Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) in Norway… I remember when I started paddling, I think I was around 12 years old in a three-man canoe at the school camp. I did not really enjoy being in a canoe, but I felt a connection to paddling…
Read more
Hear from Darren, who facilitated the first Performance Coach Community of Learning event in England. At the start of the Autumn, I was privileged enough to be part of the facilitation team for Paddles Up Training’s first ever Performance Coach Community of Learning event, hosted at the Mount Batten Centre in Plymouth. What a weekend…
Read more
Landing page of the home of recreational paddling.
All you need to know to help you get on the water.
Discover and create your own paddling routes and launches.
Explore paddling on your favourite UK rivers and canals.
Discover paddling launches and routes on key UK lakes.
Look up paddling clubs, centres, hirers, paddle-ability, and more.
Landing page for Clear Access Clear Waters campaign.
Learn about the Clear Access Clear Waters campaign.
Show your MP you support us. Sign our petition.
All you need to carry out your own local campaign.
All you need to carry out your own river cleanups.
Welcome to the home of Paddle UK.
Discover the benefits of membership. Join Paddle UK today.
Learn about the licence, if your waterway is covered, and what the money goes towards.
Learn the latest updates from the world of paddling.
Login only. A dedicated space for Chairs, Treasurers, Safety Officers, and other volunteers in key roles in Paddle UK Affiliated Clubs.
Discover the world's largest paddling course provider.
Paddlesport Leader, Paddlesport Instructor and Coach Award courses
From sheltered water to white water find a course that's right for you
Interactive widgets to help you plan your development pathway
Focus on Stand Up Paddleboard. Courses for SUP instructors.
Contact details for the Paddles Up Training team
Sign in to, or check the status of, your Paddle UK Services Login account.
One login, many sites. Register here for a Paddle UK Services Login.
Paddle UK
Go Paddling
Clear Access Clear Waters
Paddles Up Training
Clubhouse
Services Login