Paddling - The First Strokes in the Lake District

The potential in the Lake District for anyone wanting to take to the water in either a canoe or a kayak is immense - after all the area's known as Lakeland. Those in the know have been enjoying the area's flat and moving water for many years, but for those new to paddle sports then the range of possibilities can be as daunting as they are inspiring.

So - Where do you start, how do you go about taking to the water and what equipment do you need?

The first thing to say is that you need to take a gradual approach and that it's not sensible to start off on the moving - and at times white - water of a river. That can come later if that's the way you want to go. For many there's as much fun to be had in paddling the flat water of a lake - and as had been previously mentioned there's no shortage of lakes in the Lake District! While it also makes sense to acquire the skills you need on a training course - which is to be recommended if you want to take on more serious types of water - given common sense and some basic safety principles there's no reason why you can't get yourself independently afloat fairly quickly.

Then there's the equipment - which can be expensive to buy, but can be easily hired on a daily, or even an hourly basis, to get things started. As a prospective paddler you'll have two basic options for the type of craft you'd like to paddle - either a canoe or a kayak. There's often some confusion around these names as they've become interchangeable. A canoe - perhaps more easily remembered as a Canadian canoe - is an open top craft, pointed at both ends and is usually paddled by two people with single bladed paddles. If used correctly, they're paddled from a kneeling position, but on calm water it's fine to paddle them in a sitting position on the built in seats. This type of craft's lineage is traced back to the Birch Bark craft of the First Peoples of north eastern America and Canada - think Ray Mears and Last of the Mohicans!

The kayak traces it roots back to the-seal skin covered craft of the Inuit - or more popularly if inaccurately the Eskimo - of Greenland and the High Arctic of Canada. They are a covered craft, paddled from a sitting position with a double bladed paddle. As with a canoe they're also pointed at both ends.

Both craft, once some basic paddle skills have been mastered are very manoeuvrable craft and are efficient at coping with demanding water conditions - if needs be. Some people are put off the kayak because they feel they could become trapped by the covering deck should they capsize. While they can - and you probably will at some stage - capsize, getting out is actually very straightforward, although it does help if you don't mind having your head underwater. A canoe doesn't have a deck and tends to be more stable - so they are immediately more accommodating - but can be more vulnerable and can be become less easy to control if a wind picks up.

The basic safety precautions, which should always be observed are: always wear a buoyancy aid; make sure all the party can swim for at least 100m in their clothing; wear warm protective clothing; always have an understanding of what the weather and water conditions will be when you want to paddle - life's great on a warm summers day, but can turn serious if there's a storm on the way and never set out on a paddle which is beyond the capability of the party.

This shouldn't put you off, for many thousands of people, safely take to the water each year and have a great time. If you want to take on advanced water or even undertake major trips then the potential is there and there are many of organisations who will teach you the skills, but also check out the British Canoe Union website - www.bcu.org.uk

Article by Robin Ashcroft.