Step 8 of 9Part of Kayaking and rafting: from first paddle to coachSee every step →
- What you need first: Nothing formal. Paddle UK points you to a club, and every discipline page has a club finder.
- Cost: Coached time usually costs £35 to £60 an hour.
- What's next: Racing track: the Personal Performance Awards for your discipline in Paddle Awards. Coaching track: Coach Award.
The disciplines
- Slalom and Kayak Cross: in slalom you race through gates in order. Two runs, and your best counts. Time penalties for touching or missing a gate. In kayak cross, four paddlers launch off a ramp and race head to head, and pushing is allowed.
- Sprint: Olympic flat-water racing over 200 to 1000 metres, with up to nine boats in lanes. Local regattas for beginners, Mini Sprint (under 12s) and Intermediate (under 14s) series, and usually four national regattas a year at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham.
- Canoe Polo: two teams of five score in raised nets, in pools or on flat water. Helmets, faceguards and body protection are a must.
- Freestyle: tricks on standing waves, holes and eddy lines.
- Marathon: endurance racing on rivers, lakes and canals. The Hasler system puts you in an ability division, and you move up as you improve. Over 70 events, with over 12,000 racers.
- Wildwater Racing: timed runs down rapids. Classic races last 10 to 60 minutes; sprints cover 200 to 600 metres.
- White water rafting: see Raft Guide and rafting races.
Paddle UK also lists ocean racing, SUP racing, surf kayak and paracanoe. For 2027 dates and how to enter, see British competitions 2027.
Source: Slalom/Kayak Cross, Sprint, Canoe Polo, Freestyle, Marathon and Wildwater Racing and home page, Paddle UK, checked October 2026.
Governing body: Paddle UK. It sets the safety standards and training awards for paddlesport in England, so it's the official place to find out more.
Typical prices, checked October 2026. The club or coach sets and bills the price.
The club map lists some of the UK clubs for this sport. It is a starting point, so check with the club before you travel. To have a coach found for you, use the enquiry form.
