A big welcome to new and returning students of the University of Lincoln, and well done if you’ve just secured your place. With Freshers Week and moving in weekend fast approaching we’d like to let you in on some of the canoe & kayaking you can get upto in Lincoln during your study and what to look forward to!

Kayaking? Yes, kayaking.

While you might be loading the car full of stationery, books and the odd cheap bottle of vodka, you might of not thought of kayaking or canoeing. Whereas some of you might be paddle in the hand ready to arrive next month, whatever your situation we welcome everyone no matter ability into our team. This blog post we’ll give you some advice and tell you what’s happening if you want to get into this sport.

 

Who we are?

We are L.U.C.K, University team for Canoeing & Kayaking. We meet up weekly to paddle on open water in Lincoln and surrounding rivers, as well as weekly indoor pool sessions to learn skills. We also travel across the country to paddle different rivers and go surf kayaking on the cornish coast once a year. Kayaking & Canoeing is a great sport and it’s much easier to get into then you think. We as a club provide the basic kit to get you started and with a mix level of ability, you can learn skills from other members as we are happy to help each other out. It’s also cheaper as membership is just £55 for the academic year, covering all equipment use costs & Wednesday Session costs. We also have a thriving social side, from club nights to bowling.

You can see what we’ve been upto over the past year over on our facebook page. www.facebook.com/lincolnunikayak

 

Sounding good, want to get involved?

If this is sounding good, Fantastic. It’s really easy to get involved with L.U.C.K. Here’s how: Visit us at the Sports Faye on the Wednesday of Freshers Week we’ll have a stand where you can ask questions and speak to us face-to-face. Then we host 4 taster sessions, 2 on the 23rd Sept, and the 30th Sept, both 2pm & 3pm on those days pick a day to come down and have a go for an hour, free of charge. (More information will be updated on this blog soon) If you enjoy that then we encourage you to join up. We also want you to feel free to ask us as many questions as you need to. So you can e-mail us over at canoe@lincolnsu.com or message us on Facebook.

 

What should I bring from home?

If you are planning to pack we have some simple suggestions:

• Sports Kit: With so many sports on campus and wanting you to try out during the first couple of weeks, pack some sports clothing so you can have a go. For kayaking we recommend, lightweight t-shirts, tracksuit bottoms/shorts etc.. We don’t recommend fleece pants or denim as these can absorb water and be uncomfortable to paddle in.
• Thermals & Wet Gear: Got some thermals & baselayers, bring them if you want to join in. During the winter months it can get cold, these provide an extra layer to keep you warm when paddling. Wet Gear? Got a wet suit or some boardie shorts? These are great to bring along, as well as simple swimming shorts.
• Footwear: Let’s be honest, you might fall into the water in this sport, don’t worry everyone does. So be prepared to get your shoes covered in river water and the rest, so if you have a set of old shoes you don’t mind getting wet, bring those, no studs however.

 

This and some common sense (a towel) you’ll be ready to get paddling without footing a bill for stuff you already had at home.

 

Wait? What About that expensive kayaking gear?

Just like all sports, Kayaking & Canoeing has specialist kit, which can be very expensive. We do not need you to have any specialist clothing/kit to join in. As a club we provide members with enough of the kayaking gear to get started. A buoyancy aid (BA) CAG A waterproof overlayer, Decks a piece of kit to stop water getting into the boat  and helmets when needed. We also provide paddles and a boat.

 

Previous paddler, have you own kit already?

Then we welcome you to bring your own kit along. Each year members join with various amount of kits, We also can store your boat & paddle in our secure store with the rest of the club boats. If you thinking of bringing your own boat or paddle then get in touch and we’ll explain how to do this.

 

So what now until the Sports Fayer?

If you like the idea of joining us and giving kayaking a go that’s great, we already mentioned some things you can pack if you want to get involved about. But here is some things you can do in the meantime as well:

 

• Visit our Facebook page and see what we’ve been upto in the past year: www.facebook.com/lincolnunikayak
• Follow us over on Twitter for the latest updates @LincolnUniKayak

 

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail us canoe@lincolnsu.com

 

And we look forward to seeing you in September!

Happy Paddling.