Paddlesports 2022

This year has seen the group offer paddlesports to all our members.

The season started back in April with pool sessions for the scouts and Explorers to learn the ‘getting wet’ strokes in the warmth of K2, before we moved to open water. We have had a great summer at Tilgate with our Wednesday evening training sessions along with river trips, finishing with the Explorers paddling the River Medway at the end of the October.

Along with the training sessions we have also took the Cubs to K2 in the Spring for a Kayak taster session in the warmth. Every Scout and Explorer had the chance to enjoy an evening on our new Stand-up paddleboards, at their meetings in the summer.

As always, we have a great number of Parents and siblings join us at Group Camp along with members from throughout the sections, in the Canoes and Kayaks, a chance for the young people to teach their parents for a change.

As part of the Explorer Summer Expedition to Bavaria the Group supported the unit by leading 6 days of canoeing.
During the Summer holidays the Beavers and Cubs had a great opportunity to be on the water when we offered Bell boating, another first for the group.

We also supported other groups out on the water, for some taster sessions.

One session left this year with our annual Boxing Day paddle.

This year we provided over 600 individual sessions on the water, a great success for the group and this is thanks to all our volunteers on the water, Damien, Keith, John, Adrian, Sarah, Lynn, Robert, Toby, Mark, Roberta and Mark. Also, thanks to our land-based team of Brian, Andrew and Diana for getting boats and kit to the water, supporting us at the bankside and getting the kit dried between sessions.

Now time to start planning for next year with the first trip planned in the Spring for some of our Explorers.