Before your Visit
Useful Information
It is important to us that every client has a good time, so this page includes all the info you may need to know before your visit, including documentation that group leaders may find useful in obtaining approvals for your visit.
Be assured that everyone on our staff and instructors over the age of 18 years has a valid DBS check and has completed safeguarding training.
All Paddlesports Instructors are required to complete safety, rescue and first aid training.
Activity Joining Instructions
Please arrive no more than 15 minutes before your session. We will meet you at the green gate at the Nomad Kayak Club entrance which is futher round just past the big grey BLYM building, Please wait outside for your instructor to invite you in.
We are located within the Bury Lake Young Mariners site at the Rickmansworth Aquadrome (Satnav postcode WD3 1NB) and you should park in the free main car park (the carpark can be very at weekends, so allow extra time).
Here is a summary of the items you should bring:
- Clothing to get wet in, this could include thermal leggings or shorts and a polyester sports shirt.
- Spray tops can be supplied if rain or high winds are predicted.
- Water shoes or old trainers are ideal for feet, they must have closed toes (sandalls, flipflops, sliders and crocs are NOT suitable).
- A towel and a change of clothes to wear home.
- Drink, sun cream and hat depending on the weather.
- Emergency medication such as asthma inhalers, epipen auto injectors etc.
To maximise your time on the water please arrive changed and ready to get wet.
We provide buoyancy aids which must be worn whenever you are close to the water or afloat.
We reserve the right to remove anyone from a session without refund or warning if their behaviour does or could cause risk to anyone else’s health or equipment.
We are really looking forward to welcoming you, and we hope you have an enjoyable time.
What if its windy or raining on the day? We can run in all condtions except lightening an high winds. If we have to cancel, we will contact you to rearrange your booked session.
Can I bring my own SUP, Canoe or kayak on Bury Lake? Local Bylaws forbid swimming and the use of unregistered craft on the lake. For your activity, all equpment will be provided.
Below are a number of documents which can be downloaded that you may find useful.
Documents and Manuals
The Directors are committed to the health and safety of all persons who are involved in the delivery of activities and those participating in our activities.
Overall responsibility for health and safety lies with the directors with day to day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice residing with the Managing Director. To ensure health
Paddlesport activities have variable risk of falling into the water, which is why wetsuits are mandatory October to March, outside of these months, we consider the water temperature and activity planned and if deemed a bit on the cold side can provide wetsuits. You are of course welcome to bring your own wetsuit, or one can be provided.
Normal recommended attire is a sports top like a football shirt and nylon or polyester shorts, cotton trackies and hooded tops are inappropriate and become very heavy when wet impeding your ability to swim. Water shoes are a site requirement and if you don’t have these, old trainers suffice. Full joining instructions can be read and downloaded here.
If you are attending for more than one activity (4 hour or an all day visit) you should consider multiple changes of clothing which will ensure you have something dry to change in to, should the need arise.
CST is an AALA approved Paddlesport provider, this means our processes and methods of delivery have been assessed by the Health and Safety executive to provide you an assurance that we know what we are doing. All activity is delegated by L3 Coaches to L1 qualified Paddlesport Instructors who have been assessed to lead and supervise paddlesport activities on inland waters such as lakes and canals.
All instructors have safety and rescue training, maintain their first aid qualifications and have undergone safeguarding training.
The Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) came into existence in April 1996. The Health and Safety Executive is currently designated as the AALA.
Adventure activities licensing ensures that activity providers follow good safety management practices.
These should allow young people to experience exciting and stimulating activities outdoors without being exposed to avoidable risks of death or disabling injury.
There are four broad groups of activities that are covered by licensing that include Caving, Climbing, Trekking and Watersports, watercraft specifically deployed by the Canoe Sports Trust include:
- Canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boards propelled by paddles.
- Rafts which are improvised from various materials.
The most familiar watersports activities include canoeing, kayaking, dragon boating, wave skiing, white-water rafting, improvised rafting, sailing, sailboarding and windsurfing. For any of these activities to be licensable, they need to be done on ‘specified water’ – this is the sea, tidal waters (eg estuaries), inland waters more than 50 metres from the nearest land excluding any island or on turbulent inland waters.
You can be assured that any organisation in possession of an AALA licence certificate has been checked to ensure their equipment, processes and allocation of instructors to different activities adhere to government recommended guidelines.
