Getting Started

It depends where you live. There are clubs and watersport centres all over the country, and some clubs have slalom teaching for mixed groups or for novices.

If you haven’t canoed before, a starter course is a good idea. Or you can join a club. Paddle UK can help you find one. The Slalom Year Book lists clubs that are active in slalom .
Lots of clubs have a slalom night when their slalom paddlers practice. You can also get lots of practice at competitions – there’s always practice time there, and other people to watch.

What events are there?

There are races for one-person kayaks and for one-person and two-person canoes – Men’s K1, Women’s K1, Men’s C1, Women’s C1 and C2. A K1 is a one-seater kayak – you sit in it and use a paddle with blades at both ends. A C1, or Canadian, is a boat you kneel in, and use a one-bladed paddle. A C2 is for two paddlers, kneeling and with single-blade paddles.

Paddlers of all ages compete together, but there are usually special prizes for the best in each age group.

How hard will the course be?

Organisers try to use sites and set the gates at a level of difficulty to suit paddlers in the Division that’s racing.

In Divisions 2, 3 and 4 some races are “multi-divisional”. You can expect the course to be set for the higher division racing, so Div 3 paddlers can expect to find a 2/3 challenging. You may prefer to pick races that are for just your own division, or yours and one down, to start with – but if you like bigger water and enjoy a challenge, go for harder ones!