Our Fleet & Facilities
You don't need your own boat and paddle(s) to join the club!
We own an extensive fleet of kayaks and canoes, with appropriate paddles, that are available for all members to borrow. Come along to a Bark Store Session or Taster Session and one of our instructors will be happy to help you find a suitable boat to try out.
We also have a collection of buoyancy aids, spray decks and cags that can be borrowed by beginners for Bark Store Sessions, as well as a new set of helmets for white water and surf trips.
Our kit is only suitable for children who are aged 8 and over.
Our Fleet
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Open Canoes
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Sea Kayaks
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White water / "general purpose" kayaks of various styles, including high volume "creek boats" and lower volume boats with planing hulls that are suited to surf kayaking.
Buying your own boat and kit
There are many options for buying (and selling) kit, including good quality second hand items, which are great if you are shopping on a budget, buying for kids who are still growing or just starting out and don't want to shell out loads of cash on something that might not be right for you in the end. If you are not sure what to choose then just ask other members, either in person or via our Facebook group. It's worth considering that your priority should be to get yourself kitted out with appropriate safety gear
(clothing to keep you warm and dry on the water, a correctly fitting buoyancy aid, spray deck and, if necessary, a helmet) before splashing out on more expensive items such as boats and paddles.
Buying new
There are numerous specialist canoe shops across the UK, many of which have great websites and competitive prices. It is a good idea to demo boats and paddles, or at least sit in them/handle them, before buying - you can do this locally at shops including Southampton Canoes and South Coast Canoes (and if you ask nicely they often offer a discount to UHCC club members on non-sale items).
If you want to demo boats on flat/white water this option is available at several suppliers nationally, including:
Buying second hand
Traditional online second hand sale sites like Ebay are an option for finding canoe and kayak items but by far the best place to find a steady supply of a wide range of second hand kit is Facebook. The advantage of this is that the community often flag dodgy items/vendors/prices in the comments section, so as well as seeing what is available you can quickly get a good idea of what other paddlers consider to be a good price/item if you are not sure yourself. Take a look on the following Facebook Groups and see if you can bag yourself a bargain!