Last night was a beautiful – if breezy – evening for a classic SUP Club. With huge thanks again to the Willow Set at Paper Mill Lock for hosting, we headed two locks upstream to Stonham’s  before flying home with the wind and flow. This week’s naturewatch highlight was a trio of hares bounding through the field at halfway. Then another fine dinner and drinks at the always awesome Six Bells. Thanks everyone for a great night. 

Venue: Paper Mill Lock (CM3 4BS / w3w.co/encoded.narrating.switched)
Arrive: c.5.45pm (gates close c.6pm!)
Launch: after 6.15pm briefing
Finish: c.8.00pm
Level: all competent river paddlers

Good news first – because El has again negotiated us into the Willow Set at Paper Mill this week, with huge thanks to the twins for their continued support… So we’re essentially recycling last week’s arrangements, except with more south-westerly wind we’ll be heading firmly west into it this time.

So staying positive, it is forecast nice and dry and sunny this afternoon … drawback being we’ve got much more wind than last week. A very stiff south-westerly will no doubt back off by the time we’re coming back with it, but is going to feel like tough going at times on the way out as we work through the gusts. So please be prepared to properly dig it, wrap up sufficiently warm for the windchill, and remember that water’s still properly cold too. That said, as we’re ‘at home’ from the Willow Set at Paper Mill again, everyone capable and confident of stand-up paddling a couple of locks is welcome.

We’re just planning to go two locks upstream tonight: broadly upwind to Stonham’s via Mill House and back. The Willow Set are kindly allowing us in pre-season, charging £3 from 5.30pm onwards when you use the password ‘SUPsect’ or flash our logo at the gate. Please get there from 5.45pm (and comfortably before 6pm) – don’t be too early and please don’t be late, as 6pm is when when the gates are planned to lock, then we’re going to brief at 6.15, so do make sure you have time to pump up before that… (We’ve got a 19.55 sunset, so would aim to finish just after that.)

So, setting up from 5.45pm at Paper Mill Lock to gather at our ‘training zone’ by the entrance for a 6.15pm briefing ahead of a c.6.25pm launch. We’ll probably be going two locks upstream to Stonham’s and back tonight.

As always, please ensure you are licensed to paddle the river (renewals via www.waterways.org.uk). Everyone licensed, with their own kit (including leash!) who can stand-up paddle confidently is very welcome… But please, if you’re not yet competently steering, stopping and turning, a busy group at SUP Club isn’t the place to learn these essential skills – we offer lessons for that!

After, we’ll be going for dinner and drinks as usual – numbers via a show of hands at the briefing.