Beginners Welcome!

Sorry, some links on this page aren’t working yet! 

New to water sports or already love outdoor thrills? Phoenix Canoe Club and Outdoor Centre has plenty of beginner-friendly activities to help you dive into your next adventure. Our friendly instructors will look after you every step of the way, providing a safety breifing, kitting you out with appropriate equipment and introducing you to the skills needed. Once on the water and used to the movement of the craft, they will get you moving around the reservoir with some new skills, confidence-boosting games and a short trip to show you the reservoir from the water.

Taster Sessions

Try something new with a 90-minute Taster Session, where our experienced instructors will guide you through a fun and supportive time on the water. These sessions are suitable for young people over 9 and adults and where possible, will be led in similar age groups. These are a great way to test it out and see if it’s right for you. Click through on the Taster buttons below to find out more.

• Kayak Taster Sessions
• SUP Taster Sessions
• Open Canoe Taster Sessions
• Sailing Taster Sessions

Introductory Courses

You can also book onto one of our introductory courses which are suitable for absolute beginners or those with some experience. These courses take you through the basic skills meeting the requirements of the Paddle UK or RYA awards scheme. These courses are suitable for all adults and the paddlesport courses are also open to young people aged 9 upwards. (Youth sailing courses are available through “Camp Phoenix”). With one of these courses under your belt, you can progress through to more courses or just take time to paddle or sail for pleasure through our Club Member Day or river trips (paddlesports) and Supervised Sessions (sailing or SUP).

• Introductory Paddlesport Courses
• Introductory RYA Sailing Courses

Young People

We run “Camp Phoenix” activities and courses during the Easter, Spring, Summer and Autumn school holidays for young people from 9-16 years. As well as Paddle UK and RYA 2-Day courses, we also run half and 1-day fun sessions in paddlesport and sailing and some off-site river trips. Get your children off the sofa and onto the water for some fun and games! Young people can also take part in the Taster Sessions and Introductory Paddlesport Courses above! Once they have a Level 1 or Stage 1 award, they can also join the Canoe Club or take part in Supervised Sailing or SUP.

• Camp Phoenix

Paddle Parties

Celebrate your special day with your friends on the water taking part in either Kayaking, SUP’ing, Open Canoes, Bell Boating or Raft Building. We fit a lot of fun into a 2-hour session and you can add some time on at the end if you want to enjoy some food afterwards. All activities are suitable for ages 9-99.

• Paddle Parties

Custom Courses & Private Tuition

We can provide a custom activity or private tuition for any of our watersports at a mutually convenient time. From one-to-one tuition up to a group of friends, we can help you acheive your aims for a bespoke course.

• Custom Activities