Level 1 Intro to Kayaking Course - 3 Week Coached Blocks

This Level 1 - three week kayaking intro course gives participants the opportunity to learn the progressive kayaking skills from our professional instructor team.

Level: Grade 0: This means it is a flat paddle and should be within most people’s abilities.

Book for the next available dates or contact us for a private group booking
£115 for 3 weeks plus a free hire session

20th May, 27th May, and 3rd June 2026 plus an additional free hire session to practice
18.30 pm
Duration: 1.5 hours per week (90 mins)

Level 1 - Get into kayaking with our professional coaches, from novices to aspiring kayakers we can provide inspiring and progressive coaching sessions on the water.

Options: A 3 x 3 week intensive kayaking course with 3 blocks of progressive kayak coaching to develop your kayaking skills

What's Included

Craft
Buoyancy Aid
Bank Based Briefing
Dry Bag
Paddles
Professional Coaches
Certification Fee

What else we can provide on request

Waterproofs
Hire of Wetsuits
Hire of Drysuits

Book onto our 3 x 3 week block courses covering :

Level 1 - Intro to kayaking,
Level 2 - Intermediate kayak skills
Level 3 - Moving Water Skills at our white water venues

Each 3 week block (90. mins) of kayak coaching is designed to provide the stepping stones to become a more experienced paddler and include the appropriate National Governing Body qualifications, Personal Paddling Awards (PPA) covering Start, Discover and Explore PPA's.

Spend 3 weeks in 3 progressive blocks of coached skills developing and honing kayaking skills including forward paddling, turning, steering, safety and rescues as well as support strokes. This course includes the Paddle UK Start, Discover and Explore Awards. (Additional costs for certification)

Dates

20th May, 27th May and 3rd June 2026 at 18.30pm for 90 mins plus a complimentary hire session

Requirements

Suitable for ages 8+ Anyone under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult 21 years and over.

Timings

As above with options for evening or weekend private and group courses

Included

Opportunity to try a variety of kayaks
Buoyancy Aid
Dry Bag (if needed)
Instructor

What you will need to bring

Bring comfortable clothing such as gym wear, shorts, a t-shirt or wetsuit, along with a pair of water shoes, or old trainers. Bring a towel and a change of clothes. No special equipment or clothing is required.

Location:

We have the perfect river location for paddlesports such as canoeing, kayaking and SUPs on the River Great Ouse, at Kempston Outdoor Centre near Bedford. It is well situated just 30 minutes from Milton Keynes, an hour North of London and half way between Cambridge and Oxford.

3 x 3 Block Three Week Kayaking Course Format

Life is busy! So we have specifically designed this course to better fit into your busy lives.

The 3 blocks are designed to fit perfectly together to improve and progress your kayaking skills here on the river in Bedfordshire.

Level 1 - Intro to Kayaking (Includes the Paddle UK Start Award)

Week 1 Kayak Skills Coaching

Equipment and craft choice
Getting onto the water
Effective forward and backward paddling in kayaks
Turning your kayak
Correction strokes and kayak steering
Moving your kayak sideways

Week 2 Kayak Skills Coaching

Steering on the move
Edge control
Intro to support strokes
Simple river journeys

Week 3 Kayak Skills Coaching

Capsize drills
Intro to spraydecks
Self rescue
Peer rescue

This is followed by the free final session being a credit for our most popular trip, our half day paddle from Kempston. You can book in the final session at your leisure (via the website), anytime this season, allowing you to choose when it best suits you.

Progess Onto Level 2 - Intermediate Kayaking Skills - includes the Paddle UK Discover Award. See more here

Progress Onto Level 3 - Moving Water Kayaking Skills - includes the Paddle Uk Explore Award. See more here

Why not bring along a friend, just ask about our monthly offers and discounts for an even more affordable way to take to the water.

Session Details

We will run the initial kayak coaching sessions from our base at Kempston Outdoor Centre where we have over 300 craft and lots of different kayaks to sample.

Over the duration of the course you will be encourage to try different kayaks including cross over kayaks, touring kayaks, tandem kayaks.

The course will include access to our dedicated white water training venue where we can vary the flow from simple fast moving flows to more challenging white water allowing participants to consolidate skills.

We will also be exploring different sections of the River Great Ouse showcasing features and potential hazards allowing paddlers to become more independent kayakers.

We will include some classic journeys to allow participants to enjoy touring and exploring by kayak and also use our Bromham venue to tackle a short section of local rapids and paddle back to the centre.

The 3 week blocks of 90 mins per session allow paddlers to progress from introductory skills and ensuring the correct foundation is in place for power transfer, active core, strong forward paddling through to journeying and paddling well in more dynamic environments.

Suitable for ages 12+ Anyone under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult 21 years and over.

If you need a bespoke session such as a large group, youth club or school then please contact us to arrange a private booking.

What's Covered in the Course?

Theory – General elements of paddling
Safety – Staying safe and understanding the conditions
Access – where you can paddle
Equipment – Knowing how to use and look after your equipment
Skills - Personal Paddling skills, support strokes, performance strokes
Rescues - from self rescues to supporting others
Journeying - considerations to plan trips, the environment, and more
Moving Water Skills - Breaking in, breaking out, crossing the flow called Ferry Gliding and reading the water

What's Next and More Information?

Once you've learnt the basics, try one of the next steps!

Open sessions: book on to one of our open sessions to independently experiment, with instructors available for tips and tricks.
Book hire of canoes, kayaks or SUP's and paddle independently
British Canoeing Start Award - this syallabus will be covered and a certificate awarded
British Canoing Discover Award - A one day Paddle Uk personal paddling award, covered in this course with additional certification costs
British Canoing Explore Award A 1 or 2 day Paddle UK personal paddling award, covered in this course with additional certification costs
Paddle Sports Safety and Rescue (PSRC) The pre requisite for the PSI below (Paddlesports Instructor), this oen day safety skills and drills is fantastic to feel confident and independent on the water
Paddle Sports Instructor Paddle more, develop skills and share them with others as a fully fledged instructor

Hire FAQ's

What's the difference between a kayak and a canoe?

If you're not sure of what each craft is, then read our guide here.

Are the trips guided?

There are no guides or instructors needed for hire. This is simply a hire where you paddle out and back to our launch point. We recommend our preferred route, however, you are free-range and able to explore the river.

What if it rains?

Unless you hear from us then your booking will run on the day agreed. Canoe Trail runs watersports, paddling, and adventurous activities throughout the year with people enjoying the river and our woodland campsite during the different seasons. On rare occasions (it only happens a couple of times a year) we may move or change your booking. This will be in freak weather conditions such as extremely high river flows in spate or during heavy storms with lightning. You can read our full FAQ here.

How does the booking process work?

We use a live booking system that will assign you the relevant craft and resources. Once you have confirmed your booking date, it is not then transferable and non-refundable in the same way you book an airline seat. Bookings are to be paid in full at the time of booking and are non-refundable. There will be no refunds for early returns, poor weather, or non-usage as per our general terms & conditions.