Pool Sessions, Thursday 6.30-9.00pm
Sessions are in the Stevie Pool, Oakfield Avenue. Just turn up and bring a swimming cozzie and towel!
Canoe Virgin?- don't worry, we have lots of friendly trained paddlers to teach you all you need to know, from how to get into a canoe, and basic eskimo rolls- to polo skills, and playboating tricks to impress your flatmates! If you can already pull flatwater cartwheels, then come down anyway and show us how!
Beginners will be taught basic paddling strokes and rolling technique by qualified coaches, and each person will have the chance to progress through BCU Star tests if they wish. Advanced paddlers have chance to learn freestyle skills in a separate area of the pool, dedicated to rodeo training.
Polo- We will have an introduction to polo for beginners, the last hour of the session. We host the SUSF polo championships in february. Advanced Polo training will take place in Stirling.
Social
Active Social Scene- Every Thursday after the pool session without fail, you'll find most members in the GU beer bar. After a couple of hours, we'll usually be taking over the podium in the Hive, and dancing the night away! The canoe club is a fantastic opportunity to make lots of new friends!
Activities- Aside from the Hive, we also have organised activities such as Pub Crawls, barbeques, dressing up etc. We will also be going to the GUSA ball, and have events planned with the sailing, and windsurfing clubs too.
Machrihanish- Every term we also travel to the Mull of Kintyre to a place called Macrihanish supposedly for the fantastic surf although it's a great social occasion as well. We descend upon the local pub and take over for the weekend! The nights usually ending in raucas Karaoke, and drinking games, with most people waking up with a sore head, dreading who they could have pulled!!!
If you want more information, or have ideas for a GUCC social event, contact Charlie Gates via the Committee page.
River Trips- We usually run one or two trips per weekend, to rivers around Scotland, varying from total beginner to advanced, and we will be doing slalom practice too. Meet us at the Main Gate (see map), usually at 9am, and get back around 6pm. Names are taken the Thursday before, at the pool (ask for Paul).
You need:
Whatever you'd wear to the pool: be that trunks, speedos or a bikini!
Footwear for when you're in the kayak: an old pair of trainers, maybe a pair of wetboots if you have them. Even socks if you're really stuck - but I guarantee you'll only ever use them once!
I know it seems obvious, but everyone's done it - and you will too, but try and remember it: a towel!
Perhaps THE most important thing to bring. Make sure you bring as many thin fleeces and warm NON-COTTON tops as possible! Cotton t-shirts are a big NO! Proper thermals are an extremely worthwhile investment if you really want to keep out the scottish weather!
To truly know delight, you merely need to have some kind of hot soup waiting for you when you get off a river - but anything edible goes. (there's almost always a food stop as we leave campus for anyone who's forgotten)
Money for fuel (usually a fiver) is collected when you put your name down for a trip, but you should always have some on you anyway.
And warm clothes for when you get off the river: Jackets, fleeces, jumpers, hoodies and hats...
Mach- We also run one trip per term to Machrihanish for the weekend, the surf capital of Scotland! We will also be jetting off around Britain for weekend competitions such as BUSA Polo, Slalom events and the Rodeo in Nottingham.
Alps- Each year we run a 2 week kayaking trip to the alps, guaranteeing you 2 weeks of heaven, paddling in some of the best white water there is! And you'll get a tan too.....