January 2024: Unfortunately, in the last couple of years we have had a steep increase in club membership numbers. Therefore, at the moment we are unable to accommodate new/inexperienced kayakers at our harbour sessions.
If you have recent canoeing/kayaking experience, we would like to see you! Read the further details below. Please email enquiries@bristolcanoeclub.org.uk with brief details of your kayak experience (courses/training, discipline (white water, racing, canoe polo, etc), previous club membership, examples of rivers etc. that you have paddled).
If you have no or limited kayak experience, please consider our beginners courses (see details for 2024 here) or use one of the many courses and training provided by local coaches and organisations. Note that we paddle with closed cockpit kayaks, so if for example your experience is just with stand-up-paddleboards, sit-on-top kayaks, or holiday paddling in large touring boats, it’s unlikely to be sufficient.
We are [normally] open to new members, both existing paddlers, and new paddlers. Joining costs £40 per year (adult membership).
All new members should attend one of our organised activities to introduce themselves to a committee member or the activity leader. After introduction, members can apply for annual membership at: https://webcollect.org.uk/bristolcanoeclub. Where new members wish to try out further club activities, we offer a temporary membership, for a small fee which is payable to the discipline or activity lead.
Visiting members from other canoe clubs can participate in up to three club activities in the Bristol Harbour as temporary members.
If you can already paddle (if, for example, you’ve previously been a member of another canoe club), please feel free to come along to one of our club evenings to say hello; these are on Thursday evenings at Bristol docks in the summer, or Wednesdays at Bristol South pool in the winter. You should email our club on enquiries@bristolcanoeclub.org.uk to verify when the next appropriate session will be. Note that we can get very busy, so unfortunately we cannot guarantee that any space is available on any specific session.
Beginners: [See above; we can currently only accommodate beginners via our beginners’ training courses]. If you are a beginner and you’d like to learn, first you should be aware that we are not a very organised club, and only occasionally offer proper tuition courses. You should email our club on enquiries@bristolcanoeclub.org.uk to verify when the next appropriate beginner’s course will be.
Please see our General Information page for prices, times and directions.
We accept youth members, subject to rules as described in our Youth and Child protection criteria.
We also accept family members, and associate membership for those who live away from Bristol. Please contact the club for further information about these.