PREPARATION NOTES

Welcome to our preparation page. On this page you will find useful tips, like where we are located, what to wear on your canoe trip and what to bring with you. Please take the time to ensure that you and anyone coming canoeing with you, have read these essential tips.

LOCATION

We are located in the grounds of the: Paddocks Hotel, Symonds Yat West, HR9 6BL. However using the postcode sometimes takes you to the other side of the river!

SAT NAV

If you are using a SATNAV to find us please use either the Paddocks Hotel or Canoe the Wye as your destination as the postcode will sometimes take you to either the East side of the river or past us down to Ye Old Ferrie Inn.

Look out for the entrance to the Paddocks Hotel on the left as you pass through the village.  Shortly after you pass the Wye Knot Inn on your right, you will see the Paddocks Hotel entrance on your left.  Pass under the Green Paddocks Hotel sign and down the car park. We are at the rear of the hotel, through a gateway. There is a larger car park through the gateway right next to our wooden cabin.

WHAT 3 WORDS

The best way to find us is to use ‘what 3 words’. This really useful App is what is used by emergency professionals in remote locations. It enables you to triangulate any location in the world with just 3 words. Download the App in preparation for your canoe trip, so if you need us whilst out in the wilderness we can find you quicker.

Here are our 3 words airbase.informer.linked.  what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location. Download the App here what3words

HOTEL CAR PARK

The car park is pay and display, which needs to be paid at one of the ticket machines. The machine accepts cash, card and phone payments. Maximum tariff is £7 for all day.

Click here for a more detailed location page

TOILET

Usually the first question that we get when people arrive is ‘where can I find the toilet?’ Our toilet is attached to the Paddocks Hotel in a small building by the entrance gate, the code to access the toilet is C1234X then turn the handle to the left. It is a good idea to use the toilet before the whole kitting and briefing starts.

IF ‘WE’ NEED TO CANCEL YOUR TRIP

We tend to operate self guided canoe hire between March and October. Within these months the conditions are typically acceptable for canoeing on the Wye without any specialist equipment. However, sometimes conditions can be outside our operating perameters during these months and we may need to postpone or cancel your booking for safety reasons. Some of the factors we monitor are; water temperature, air temperature, river levels and wind speed. In the unlikely event that we need to cancel your booking due to poor conditions we will do so by text message initially. This is the quickest way to contact a lot of people. So please check your phone before setting out to us.

BOOKING DETAILS

Check that the details of your booking are correct. If they are not, either reply to your confirmation email and tell us what needs to be corrected. Or you can give us a call on 01600891100.

CONDITIONS OF HIRE

Ensure that all participants in your booking comply with the following conditions of hire:

• Each Canadian Canoe must have either 2 or 3 people.
• Participants under 18 will be supervised at all times, each canoe must have at least 1 adult (18+).
• Any participant 13 years of age or younger will be supervised by an adult on a ratio of 1:1.
• All participants will wear a correctly fitted buoyancy aid at all times.
• All participants can swim a distance of 25m in clothing, or to be accompanied 1 to 1 with a swimmer who can.
• No person under 4 years of age or under 15kgs is permitted.
• No person who is pregnant is permitted.
• No person with a chest measurement greater than 54 inches and no person over 130kgs (20stone) is permitted.
• No person under the influence of alcohol or drugs is permitted. Alcohol will not be consumed in a canoe.
• All participants with physical, medical, behavioural or mental condition or illness have informed us prior to the trip.
• All participants affected by sight or hearing impairment likely to affect safety have informed us prior to the trip.

We may cancel or curtail your booking or exclude individuals in your party who fail to comply with the above conditions. 

MEDICAL DECLARATION FORM

If anyone in your booking is affected by a physical, behavioural, medical or mental condition or illness, they must fill out and bring with them a medical consent safety & risk declaration form. This is so we are aware of it if we need to attend to a call out. The form can be downloaded HERE.

RAFTING OPTION

If you have a minimum of 4 people going canoeing you may want to link 2 canoes together to create a raft. Rafted canoes are ideal for families and for those who need extra stability whilst out on the water. When we raft 2 canoes together it forms a mini catamaran which is a very stable platform and is unlikely to capsize.

We also raft groups of friends together as it is a more sociable experience. It allows you to relax and enjoy the trip without the concern of getting wet. Sometimes if the conditions are poor we may deem it necessary to raft all canoes. If you would like to take advantage of our rafting option please let us know when you arrive, so we can prepare the necessary equipment.

ARRIVAL TIME

The time that you have chosen when placing your booking is the arrival time at the canoe centre. When you arrive we will ask you to familiarise yourselves with the finish point, so you don’t paddle past. Then get you kitted out with a buoyancy aid, paddle and dry barrel and talk you through the safety briefing. Please do not be late as we operate on a tight schedule and cannot always accommodate late comers.

WHAT TO BRING

Ensure that you bring both sun protection and waterproof jackets. Hats and sunglasses are very useful on sunny days. Sun protection lotion is essential during the summer months, but please apply this before arriving as it disrupts the kitting process and it stains our equipment. You also want to ensure that you have food and drink for a picnic. There are some nice green areas to stop off en-route. Please ensure you bring a bag for your litter and that you dispose of it correctly at the end of your canoe trip. We have a large black bin at the centre when you return. Make sure you have a mobile phone that can go with you, just in case you need to contact us whilst your on the river.

THE PADDLE cafe

The Paddle Cafe is a red vintage fire engine located at the Kerne Bridge launch point. Here you can purchase drinks and sandwiches for your journey. If you are doing the 1 day trip it makes for the perfect stop off for lunch. Or if you are doing the half day or three quarter day trips, this is where we set you off from. So you can load up your snacks and take them with you. Restricted opening times during March, April, September and October, please check their facebook page for details The Paddle Kerne Bridge | Ross on Wye | Facebook.

CLOTHING

Normal clothing is suitable, but it is advisable to wear clothes that dry relatively quickly like synthetic layers/fleeces. Try to avoid clothing that gets waterlogged, try to avoid denim/jeans. We suggest that you bring a change of clothing and a towel in case you get wet. Which you can take with you in the dry barrel that we supply. If it is a rainy day we sell festival style ponchos for £1, that can easily be put into your bag just in case you need it.

If you have booked a trip that is at the beginning of the season (March/April) or at the end of the season (October) when the water temperature is colder, then we strongly advise you to bring and wear a wetsuit. Just in case you fall in. We monitor the water temperature daily, so just give us a call a few days prior to your trip and we can tell you if it is necessary. 

FOOTWEAR

Wear footwear that you do not mind getting wet (trainers with good soles). Be mindful that river banks can be muddy and slippery, so shoes with grip are recommended. Do not wear flip flops or wellingtons. Wellingtons fill up with water and make it difficult to swim and flip flops tend to fall off your feet and leave you barefoot on a sharp riverbed. Bare feet are not allowed.

MULTI-DAY TRIPS

If you are doing a multi-day trip, don’t forget to book your accommodation / camping in advance.

Visit the accommodation page on our website for our recommended campsites and guest houses.

If you are staying at a guest house in Ross on Wye, you have two options to store your canoe overnight. There is a small designated area by the public launch point which is free to use (our staff will talk you through this when you arrive) or alternatively you can store the canoe at the Ross Rowing Club, which costs £3.50, but it is the easier egress off the river.

Please bring a 1-2m bike lock that you can use for each canoe, or we can provide you one for a £10 refundable cash deposit. Here is the link to pay your overnight landing fee Car Park or Boat Landing Booking – Ross Rowing Club.

If you are camping overnight in Ross on Wye at the Rowing club then the boat storage fee is part of the camping arrangement.

When undertaking a multi-day trip it might be useful to bring a small first aid kit and some insect repellent for the evenings. 

The car park at our location is pay and display, which needs to be paid at one of the ticket machines on arrival. £7 per day. Please purchase and display a 2 day ticket in your car window.

SAFETY BRIEF

Ensure that all participants are aware that they enter into this activity at their own risk. You are expected to take care and precautions whilst on the river and use your own judgement to minimize the risk to you from hazards on the river. We will provide advice on issues of safety before you or members of your party start your trip. Please familiarise yourself with our safety briefing prior to your arrival, we will conduct a full brief before you depart on your trip.

FINAL PAYMENT

If the departure for your trip is more than 14 days away you will need to contact us no less than 7 days prior to your trip to pay your final balance 01600891100.  So if you need to make any changes to your booking, it has to be done before this point.

Please remember that any booking that has not been fully paid for 7 days prior to your trip date will result in the canoes you have reserved being made available to other people and you risk losing your deposit. 

ROUTE MAPS

Please follow this link MAPS to get access to the route maps for your trip. Which can be printed and brought with you. Some people even like to laminate them so they are waterproof. If you are unable to print the maps, don’t worry, we will make sure you get one.

CAN I BRING A DOG?

Some dogs are permitted. That is to say they must be well behaved and kept under proper control at all times. You also need to consider how a dog may affect the stability of the canoe. Remember that dogs with long coats are a lot heavier when wet. Something to think about if you have to lift one out of water. Therefore only dogs weighing less than 20kgs are allowed. If you have two dogs they must not weigh more than 20kgs in total.

Every dog should have a lead (but not attached while in the boat). At no time should a dog be tied to a canoe that is either in or out of the water. Dogs should be kept away from birds on the river and should not be allowed to splash around in shallow areas where young fish are growing. In all cases you are reminded to ensure that dogs do not cause a nuisance to any farm animal, wildlife or birds. Remember that a farmer has the right to shoot a dog in some circumstances. Irrespective of what we say you are responsible for ensuring that your dog is accepted at any accommodation, campsite, pub or any other location.

Whilst you are canoeing we recommend that you remove the collar and lead, so if the dog does go into the river it cannot get hooked up on a tree branch and not be able to free itself. Our advice regarding dog buoyancy aids is that it is a managed risk. We do not supply them and actually they are not ideal for river use as the design often has large loops on the back which can easily cause entrapment. Dog buoyancy aids are really designed for lakes and the sea, where there is a long distance to land and in non moving environments. We give you this advice as dog owners and lovers ourselves, keen to ensure that you have an enjoyable time on the river without it being marred by an unforeseen incident.

FAQ’S

If you have any questions regarding your booking, either visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for further information, size limits, alcohol and other topics or email us via our CONTACT US. 

Please ensure that everyone in your booking has seen the above preparation guidelines. They can be found at the bottom of all our pages on our website.

Check out our video of customers below.