Bristol SU recognises that the costs of participating in student groups can be prohibitively expensive for some students. The Activity Hardship Fund was created to support those students who wouldn't otherwise be able to participate in their chosen activity due to the cost.
About Us
We're a busy and active club with lots of paddling including whitewater, canoe polo, playboating, and stand-up paddle boarding, alongside weekly socials to get to know each other better off the water.
We welcome anyone to join whether you've never been kayaking before or have more experience, we are a club for all!
Most weekends are filled either with whitewater river running or canoe polo tournaments. We are a Gold Balloon Accreditated club and a Club Evolution performance sport club. Despite our name, we actually kayak not canoe!
We play canoe polo at our very own polo pitch down at the docks, take frequent trips to Cardiff Whitewater Centre, as well as beginner weekend trips to various rivers in Dartmoor, South and North Wales and even an annual trip to the Alps.
Welcome
Welcome to the University of Bristol Canoe Club — we’re so glad you’re interested in joining us! As a Golden Balloon accredited club for the last 9 years running, we are proud to be one of the most engaging, welcoming, inclusive — and above all — fun clubs around! We run multiple club sessions each week, accompanied by regular weekend activities, trips and socials, so there really is something for everyone regardless of ability or experience.
If you would like to see what we’re about, sign up to one of our Give it a Go! sessions on our events page, which will be running until October 6th, 2025.
Alternatively, come along to one of our regular pool sessions and try the sport out for free before committing to membership. If you have any questions, drop us an email or DM us on Instagram!
Membership Prices
1 year - £45 (£5 discount if you join our club by 06/10/2025, the end of our Give it a Go! season)
1 term - £25
SUP Term 1 Membership - £20 (can be upgraded to full member for £25)
Pay As You Go SUP Sessions - £7 each (+£3 membership for first session (for insurance reasons))
All kit is supplied that you need to get you on the water - yes everything!
In order to attend pool sessions, you need a basic #WeAreBristol sports pass in addition to the club membership. This will be applied automatically at checkout.
Times & Information
Wednesday: 2pm - canoe polo training - docks (Meet at stores, consult polo sec before attending)
Thursday: 8.45-10.30pm - Whitewater skills - pool session (Richmond Building)
Sunday: 6:45-8:30 pm - Canoe polo training - pool session (Richmond Building)
Sunday: 2:00-5:00 pm - Stand up Paddleboarding - docks (Meet at stores)
Our pool sessions take place in the SU Richmond Building. We will have someone in the lobby to greet you during the Give it a Go period!
Our docks sessions take place at the Brunel Lock Pitch on the Avon. Meet at the canoe stores to walk down together
Weekends usually consist of trips either to go whitewater paddling, kayak surfing, canoe polo tournaments including BUCS.
What We Do
WHITEWATER
Whitewater kayaking is an exciting sport that gets better the more and more you do it. Whether you’re already a pro or only just heard of it, come and give it a try at our club!
It’s a fantastic way to get outdoors with our many club trips to places like Wales and Dartmoor. We love paddling whitewater rivers like the Exe, the Dart, the Usk and the Dee which you will be able to do throughout the year on our day and weekend trips!
Some of our most exciting trips include an extended weekend trip to North Wales during Easter and a 2-week trip to the French Alps in the summer.
To help you become a confident paddler, we have weekly pool sessions on a Thursday where we will teach you all the skills you need. This ranges from boat control and paddle strokes to safety training and the kayak roll. Everyone in our club is very friendly and always keen to help people learn and improve.
The sessions are very relaxed and also an opportunity to socialise, as well as have some fun playing games.
Training & Development Officer - Freddy Millar (He/Him)
CANOE POLO
Canoe Polo is a fast-paced competitive team sport played in kayaks!
We have three teams for you to be involved in; Open, Ladies & Non-binary, and Development (beginner). We play in many tournaments throughout the year, including in Cardiff and Nottingham (for BUCS). We also play at the Bristol Docks in SWUPL (South West University Polo League) where we have regular fixtures throught the year.
At the end of the last academic year, all three of our teams competed at BUCS. Each team finished in the top ten, with the Ladies team especially placing at an incredible 4th place.
Polo is great fun and all abilities are welcome - come along and give it a try!
Polo Officer - Cameron Pryde (He/Him)
SUP (Stand-Up Paddle Boarding)
Our weekly stand up paddleboarding sessions are a great way to get into paddle sport. They’re a fun and sociable activity and an excellent way to improve balance and co-ordination. We meet every Sunday at the back of the Richmond building where our canoe stores are located. We gather up our kit before heading down to bristol docks.
A normal paddle boarding session will include practicing some skills in the shelter of the docks as well as short trips up and down Bristol harbour.
Our paddleboarding sessions are open to everyone, including complete beginners. Hope to see you there!
SUP Secretary - Sam Seager-Edwards (He/Him)
SOCIALS
We're Kieran and Morgan, this year's social secretaries for the canoe club. We both joined last year as complete kaykaing beginners and found the club welcoming, freindly and a great way to meet new people and make friends.
Our job is to plan the weekly socials every Wednesday, with something for everyone - whether is is a pub night, fun activity, club night, or a relaxed sober social. The socials are always fun and we encourage everyone to get involved. We can't wait to get started and see you all there!
Social Secretaries - Kieran Newman (He/Him) and Morgan Halsall (He/Him)
The Committee
Sponsors & Partners
(Click on the icons below to find out more)
Contact Us
Send us an email or drop us a DM on our instagram. (Click on the icons for our club communication sites)
Instagram 
Gmail
LinkedIn
FacebookIf you have any specific questions, do not hesitate to message any one of our committee members.
Gallery
Playing Polo in the Alps
Surfing Trip to Woolacoombe
Other Resources
UoBCC Equality Statement
We are committed to providing a friendly and safe environment for all students to be able to participate and excel in kayaking. We will stand up against any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation that occurs within our club sessions or externally.
We want to make kayaking accessible for all and if you have any suggestions about how we can improve this, please do not hesitate in letting our committee know. As UoBCC, we aim to remove any actual and potential barriers against kayaking and provide equal opportunities to all to enjoy our sport, improve their skills and have fun.
UoBCC Sustainability Statement
Here at UoBCC, we know sustainability is not just about recycling, its about making the world a happy and healthy place; both now and in the future. We try to do our part in minimising the pollution in our waterways to minimise UoBCC's mark on the local area. We are committed to reducing our social, economic and environmental impact both locally and globally. This is why sustainability is one of our core values.
UoBCC Health & Safety:
At UobCC we endeavour to keep our health and safety procedures up to date to minimise the risk of various potential hazards. Our risk assement for 2024/25 is attached below:
Waterborne Disease- If you are at all concerned about having caught a waterborne disease, there is some guidance below on some common signs and symptoms (if you are at all worried make sure you contact your local GP);
Waterborne Illnesses; UK rivers- Clean Rivers Trust
Democracy is important, so:
- Our Captain (or available committee members) will attend Student Council/Annual Members Meetings on behalf of the group
- You can read our Constitution
- Here are our AGM Minutes 2025
- Any member of UoBCC can request the minutes from the weekly committee meetings from Ciara Scott as we aim to be transparent in what decisions the committee are making.
Trip Literature
-
Copy of our trip policy
