Irish Whitewater Forum

Hey Guys,

I'm currently living in Arklow and I'm interested in taking up Kayaking. Where is the best place to do this? Any club in the Wicklow area would do really, because I have a car. The most important thing really is the cost, so I don't mind driving a little further if I get a good deal on the price of the lessons and club membership. Also how much do I need to spend on a Kayak as a beginner or do these clubs supply the equipment? If I do buy a Kayak do I need some specific attachments to secure the kayak to the roofrack or do people just secure it in what ever way seems safe?

Many thanks for any advice.

The season for beginners courses at most clubs is closed now, the water is getting a bit cold. That said there might be one or two still going on around the place. For a complete list of clubs, check out the link below.


https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B1BGF3 ... h&hl=en_US

Dave

There are many clubs which run swimming pool sessions for beginners over the winter months and it is also possible to learn on slow moving rivers during the winter, don't let the cold put you off! Water in Ireland is cold all year round so a long john wetsuit is a good starting point. Many clubs have boats and some gear to help begginers until they decide whether or not to purchase their own. Wildwater kayak club are one of the biggest and run plenty of courses. They are based in Chapelizod though so a bit of a trek for you maybe.

Boats on roofracks are generally secured with simple roof straps and some foam on the roof rack helps stop it sliding around.

Have a look at the Irish Canoe Union website they have lots of useful information.

http://www.canoe.ie

Hi I have a beginners course running this weekend in the Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny area not too far from Arklow, If your interested feel free to send me a mail and ill fill you in on all the details.

Patrick
[email protected]
www.irishcanoekayak.com

Hi All,

Thanks for all the info. Patrick I'll give you a shout soon. I'll be away for a few weeks now but I'll contact you when i get back. Looking forward to it.