Join the club!
Come find us in the sports hall at the Sports Expo from Monday to Thursday of Week 2 between 10am and 5pm. Pick up a leaflet, hear about the club in person, sign up and pay €20 membership for the year. Can't make it to the Expo? Email our New Members Liaison (ucdcanoeclub@gmail.com) and she'll let you know when and where our next pool session or social event is happening so you can come meet everyone! Since we use pool sessions to run basic safety checks it's important that all new members attend a pool session before coming on a river trip.
As a club member you will be: insured while you're kayaking, able to use club equipment (boats, paddles, buoyancy aids, helmets, cags, wetsuits, spray decks, airbags, ropes) eligible to represent UCD in kayaking competitions for the year and have the opportunity to do kayaking skills assessments.
Fresher tip - starting out
Joined at the start of the year but missed the first couple of pool sessions or social events? Don't let that stop you for a second. Everyone's a beginner for the first month or two, so you'll fit right in! After that, let us know you're new and we'll do our best to bring you up to speed in the pool. When it comes down to it, it's not when you start but how long you stay.
Pool sessions
We run training sessions at the UCD Swimming pool twice a week! Wednesday and Thursday night training sessions will run every week from 21.00 - 22.30. Keep an eye on the forum for details of events. Starting off all new members must complete a basic swim test (mostly to check you won't sink) and a capsize drill (safe exit from a capsized kayak, instructed one-on-one on the night). With the formalities out of the way, pool sessions are the perfect place to learn basic skills (low brace, t-rescue, rolling) in a low risk, warm, indoor environment. Weekday pool sessions cost just €2 (half the normal pool price) and last for just over an hour.
Fresher tip - pool party
Bring togs (that's a swimsuit for any Erasmus students!), towel and toiletries for the shower. On Thursdays we'll head to the new campus bar for a bit of a social night or maybe even a full blown party, so bring a few extra euro in case you get thirsty. We'll all be coming from the pool, so no need to worry about having wet hair or being a bit scruffy!
Saturday Trips
Get paddling on a real live river! Meet at the club's boathouse on campus at 10:00, bring €10, get your gear on the trailer and head off for the Liffey, Boyne or more exotic locations further afield when the rains come! Get a chance to try out skills you've learned in the pool and learn new skills and techniques for moving water. Each group of beginners will be led and instructed by a qualified instructor and accompanied by a group of experienced club members, both to offer support and have a bit of fun getting to know each other.
The €10 club trip fee includes the cost of the bus for the day, remaining costs are subsidised by the club.
Fresher tip - boathouse
Before leaving campus for a river trip you should make sure that there's a boat with airbags, paddles, buoyancy aid, helmet and spray deck on board the trailer for you. This takes time, so arrive early for best results, and after we get back you should make sure they all get hung up again! The committee and older members will be on hand to help you pick out gear for river trips at the beginning of the year, but the earlier you arrive the better!
The boathouse is located here.
Fresher tip - keeping warm
Ireland is not known for its fabulous weather and while rain is a welcome thing for paddlers, cold is not. If you have a wetsuit, bring it with you, and/or find yourself old pairs of tights, fleeces and non-cotton or wool based clothes in general. Inexpensive to buy and readily available, keep an eye on the board for alerts on special deals in various shops.
Maryanne, who some might say has a superhuman ability of dissapating heat (mostly Maryanne), wrote this guide on our forum to kepping warm on the water.
Keep in touch
Integrate UCDCC into your social networking habits!
Like the UCDCC Disco Paddlers on Facebook...
Read all about us on our Blog...
Fresher tip - the forum is where it's at!
Most new members know their way around Facebook, Twitter and blogs and can find us there easily enough, but the club forum is where the real fun is! Back in the old days before Facebook or even Bebo, the club forged a path in social networking and created its very own forum, or "the board". A mixture of official announcements, kayaking chatter, general banter and good humoured abuse, this is the place to sign up for Saturday trips, plan a trip to the cinema for after and post a quote from the post-movie portion of the night that had everyone in stitches.