Adventure Dolphin - General Canoeing Information Contact: Gill Goodchild Tel: 0118 984 3162 River Grades   Knots   Boat Parts   Weils Disease Basic Canoe Safety - Points to Remember Canoeing - is a recognised Risk Sport. You should be able to swim 50m in light clothing. Medically fitness - make sure you inform the centre/ instructor of any medication/conditions. A personal buoyancy aid must be worn (CEN 50N). Practice best/ safe practice in terms of lifting, carrying, paddling and rescues. Wash/ Shower after each session on the water. Watch for green blue algae/ avoid immersion in stagnant water. Always wear suitable footwear. Wear suitable clothing to prevent hypothermia/ sun stroke/ eye damage. Check all equipment prior to use. Report any damaged items. Never paddle in groups of "less than three there should never be" Stay with the boat if you capsize. (Rescue the person then the boat.) Seek local knowledge of the water. Check access agreements/ licences required. Inform someone of your trip and when you expect to return. Have a basic knowledge of First Aid. Carry a phone card/ money and/or a mobile(if it works in the area you are paddling. Access to Inland/ Non-tidal Water (England & Wales) Many inland waters, especially smaller and upland rivers, are privately owned and to canoe them without permission could constitute an act to trespass. Where there is no public launching point, or public footpath to the water’s edge it is necessary for the paddler to get permission to cross private land to access the water. You can paddle on common law navigation such as the Wye below Hay-on-Wye and the Severn below Pool Quay near Welshpool. BCU membership includes a British Waterways and Environmental Agency licence to navigate that enables you to paddle on Britain’s many canals and statuary navigation including the river Thames. Problems for canoeists and others who want to navigate along the waterways or even wade them, can be said to have started in 1066 when William the Conqueror gave the land to less than 200 of his favourite barons. England and Wales are different from the rest of the world, where navigation rights are not vested in the riparian owner. Did you know? There are over 200,000km of public rights of way we can walk along There are more than 65,000km of rivers in England and Wales 98 percent of the rivers system has no public right of access along the water Whoever owns the land along a river (the riparian owner) also owns the property rights to the riverbed. They dont own the water itself, only the land it passes over If a river doesnt have a public navigation and you havent got consent from the riparian owner, you are committing an offence by paddling on it. Nearly all of the most beautiful and interesting rivers are not accessible to you How do I find out? Before planning to go paddling it is important to contact the relevant BCU Access Officer. See BCU Yearbook for details or click here to go to the BCU web page. Click here to read about the latest rivers access campaign
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