Baldock and District canoe Club organise placid water paddles as well as white water.

For those who don't want to paddle rivers running down the side of a mountain, we run trips to local rivers.

These are usually during the summer months, starting with a paddle on one of our local rivers for Easter.

The last of the season is usually our Halloween Paddle, from Hertford to Ware, dinner in the Saracens Head and back in the dark. An evening paddle, spooky, but with others, good fun.

For those who don't feel the cold there is often a Christmas paddle the week-end before the big day.

Other recent trips have been on the Thames at Wargrave. A figure of eight trip down towards Henley and up to Shiplake. Either or both sections could be paddled depending on experience and enthusiasm.

The River Cam, through the Backs of Cambridge. The River Wye and the Great Ouse.

We regularly paddle the rivers around the Hertford area. These are the Lee, Beane and Mimram. This is usually on a Saturday or Sunday. There are some weirs that can be played on to add to the fun.

Boats and kit can be borrowed from the club. Arrangements for kit should be made via the club secretary. Less experienced paddlers should stay with responsible guides/coaches. Minimum people on a trip together should be three.

If you follow the link for Paddlesport at the bottom of the page you will find information about the Star Award system and coaching.

A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea Kayaks are longer than whitewater boats to allow for higher cruising speeds, easier straight line paddling and stowage for expedition equipment. Trips can last from a few hours to several weeks.

Club members use pool sessions to practise skills, especially in water rescue skills, as when at sea, going to shore to sort out problems is often not an option. 

Members paddle around various parts of the coast from Cornwall to the Orkneys as well as around the world.

Playboating is a discipline of whitewater  where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place, known as a playspot,. Specialised canoes or kayaks  known as playboats are often used, but any boat can be used for playing. The moves and tricks are often similar to those performed by snowboarders, surfers or skaters, where the athlete completes spins, flips, turns, etc. With modern playboats it is possible to get the kayak and the paddler completely airborne while performing tricks.

The competitive side of playboating is known as freestyle kayaking (formerly called rodeo).

Club members use the pool sessions to practise moves and then transfer the skills to moving water. Local play spots are Lee Valley, Nene Whitewater Centre and Hurley. Playboating is a great fun and an excellent way of improving your boating skills.

Well it was about time there was another three blind mice trip... With the threat of a severe weather warning issued for much of England and Wales, the scene was set – for once, a trip that I've organised might be in for some water!

The weekend took off to a great start when 5 of us met up at the old JJ's in Llangollan and spent the whole afternoon playing about in the river. Thanks to Craig's never ending enthusiasm [probably brought on by the Haribo sweets he'd bought at the services] we all got to body surf down a drop and glide across and back. Great fun!

The club's membership year runs from April.  Fees for new members include a one-off joining fee.

Full Adult Membership 

Adults aged 16 years and over currently in full or part time employment.

Unwaged Adult Membership

Adults and Juniors aged 16 years and over not currently in full or part time employment.

Country Membership

Previously Full Adult Members who have moved away from the club's geographical area but still wish to paddle on trips and/or compete for the club.

Student Membership

Students aged 16 years and over currently in full time education.

Junior Membership

Juniors under the age of 16 years may become members if one or both parents/guardians are active canoeists and paid members of the club.

Family Membership

A family is defined as one or two adults living at the same address and ANY biological child or legal ward (foster child, step child etc.) not necessarily living at the same address.

Download and complete the membership form attached below and post, along with a cheque made payable to BDCC, to the address below:

Baldock & District Canoe Club
c\o David Blyth
62 Bittern Way,
Letchworth,
Herts, SG6 4TL

Alternatively, please give your completed form and cheque to a committee member at the next Sunday pool session.  

You can also email your completed form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and pay by bank transfer or via PayPal.  Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Baldock & District Canoe Club is a friendly, relaxed club for anyone interested in any and all forms of canoeing and kayaking.  You could be 5 or 105 years old, an international mega star or somebody who has never stepped in a canoe or kayak before!  Whoever you are, you'll find a welcoming group of warm, open minded people here to help guide you in the right direction or for those more experienced, ready to huck off the next big thing!

The aim of this section is to provide the beginner to canoeing and kayaking with an overview of the techniques and terminology prevalent today.

As a beginner new to paddlesport, your objective, should you aspire to becoming a competent canoeist, is to have :-

1)  Tried some or all of the different disciplines and techniques mentioned in this section;
2)  Been on at least 2 river trips within the first year;
3)  Passed the 3 star test (an exam of technical ability).

The guides here are just some of the many teaching aids available to you within the club.  There are also DVDs to borrow, instructors at the poolside, and reports and photos of club trips.

Your progress is largely down to you - if you want to learn something, just ask!  These guides aim to provide you with just enough information to get you going.  Coaching within the club is, by necessity, an unstructured affair as people join throughout the year in different numbers.  The solution we have adopted to solve this problem is to organise and run coaching courses as and when people request them and provide adhoc coaching during pool sessions throughout the year.

Remember: If you want to know how to do something, just ask!

Happy paddling!