Our free Wednesday evening SUP Club runs throughout British Summer Time, so the 2023 season will get started as soon as the clocks go forward – weather and conditions allowing! Provisionally Wednesday 29th March 2023…
All competent paddlers (by which we mean comfortable and confident standing-up and paddling non-stop for 90-minutes, able to steer, stop and turn around effectively, ideally reverse-sweep) are very welcome. SUP Club is completely free if you have your own kit and know how to paddle it – we occasionally offer hire kit to graduates of our Learn to SUP courses when conditions and routes are suitable.
Every week, we’ll post a ‘heads-up’ on our social media (and below on this web page) on Monday or Tuesday, then the ‘final call’ as an event on Facebook @SUPsectUK (details also below on this page) confirming all details by Wednesday morning when we can be absolutely sure of the weather forecast. Venues, routes and timings will change week to week depending on tides, weather and likely conditions.
SUPsect SUP Club meets every Wednesday night throughout British Summer Time, from when the clocks go forward in spring to when they go back in autumn – if you have your own kit and know how to paddle it, it’s completely free of charge and you’re very welcome to just come along and join us. Of course – we’d always prefer that everyone coming to SUP Club has done a lesson, or are demonstrably capable of stand-up paddling strong for 90+ minutes. If you aren’t yet completely comfortable standing, and/or don’t know how to stop or turn effectively (ideally reverse-sweep) you really do need to learn properly before coming to club: lessons are available via Learn to SUP. If you don’t have your own board, limited hire kit is available when conditions and route are suitable – as long as you have completed our Learn to SUP course or can prove competence on a stand-up paddleboard (email duncan@supsect.com to secure yours…)
We go every week throughout BST, whatever the weather, so conditions will dictate how tough / easy the evening will be and how long / short the route. Some weeks, particularly when it’s warm, sunny and still, we’ll call an ‘all-comers’ night that will be very relaxed and suitable for everyone. But other weeks, often when it’s windy and/or cold, we might call it a ‘challenging’ or even ‘hardcore’ night that will demand some experience and paddling strength / confidence to keep up with the group and therefore won’t suit first-time SUP Clubbers.
We paddle at various Essex SUP spots depending on tide times and conditions: some of our favourites launches include Two Tree, Chalkwell and Thorpe Bay on the Thames Estuary, Hullbridge on the River Crouch, and Mill House, Papermill Lock (where we teach our paddleboard lessons) and Hoe Mill Lock on the River Chelmer. After the paddle, which usually lasts from 90 minutes to 2-hours covering c. 6-9km, we generally fit in a post paddle pint – and often dinner at a pub or curryhouse too (although that’s absolutely not compulsory, everyone is very welcome to join us for either, both, or neither!)
While we try to keep SUP Club as relaxed as possible, in order for it to work safely and effectively we do need to operate within a few simple rules:
• Leashes are compulsory for all paddlers at all times.
• No late launching (especially if you’re pumping up, please arrive in plenty of time to make the published launch time).
• No chewing gum on the water.
• Respect the turning time / place (as per the call and/or briefing) so we all get back broadly together as a group.
• Please paddle responsibly and courteously – don’t endanger yourself or other water users by paddling unsafely.
Full details of SUP Club, which vary week to week depending on weather, tides and wind, are published Facebook page @SUPsectUK. (And below!) As the forecast develops we’ll give a heads-up of the likely location via Facebook on Tuesday evening, before calling the event for sure by Wednesday lunchtime.
