Courses FAQ's

What do I need to bring/wear?
Have a look at the below link for details of what to bring and wear for introductory sessions and courses. For more advanced courses this information will be sent to you on booking, or give us a call for questions related to specific courses. For more information please click here

What equipment is provided?
We can provide boats, paddles, buoyancy aids and waterproof tops for all courses, as well as spray decks and helmets where they are required. You are, of course, welcome to bring any of your own equipment if you have it.

Is there a minimum or maximum age?
We offer children’s courses and parties from age 6 up at Leamington, and age 8 up at Warwick. This is because at Leamington we have a small shallow lake to start off in, whereas at Warwick we go straight onto the river.

For our adult sessions and courses, the minimum age is 14. There’s no maximum age at all!

Do I have to be able to swim?
No. Because everyone wears a buoyancy aid, we do take non-swimmers. However we do need to be informed on arrival at the centre if a non-swimmer is participating, so that your instructor is aware.

Where are the centres?
We are based in the West Midlands, a few minutes’ drive from the M40.

Leam Boat Centre CV31 1BE
Click Here for directions

Warwick Boats CV34 (Banbury Rd for sat navs)
Click here for directions

Where can I park?
Leam Boat Centre
Unfortunately, as we are in a park, we don’t have a car park, but on road parking is available nearby. The best places are Mill Road, Leam Terrace, Willes Road and Newbold Terrace. Parking on all these roads is free, but do be careful as some of the parking is restricted to 2 hours (these parts are marked out and signposted).

Warwick Boats
There is a dedicated pay and display car park for our visitors as we are part of St Nicholas Park, which is well signposted form the nearby roads.

What if the weather is bad?
Very rarely do we need to cancel activities. (Only as a result of extreme flooding in the past). Sessions are not cancelled if it is raining - paddling in the rain is fun!

What if you cancel my course?
We try very hard not to have to cancel courses, but occasionally if we haven’t got enough people for a course to run, or if the weather or river levels are against us, we may need to postpone it, or in extreme cases cancel it. We will tell you as soon as possible if this is the case, and offer you the option to move to the new dates, or to get a full refund of course fees paid to us.
Full terms and conditions are available here.

What else is there to do in the area?
If you are coming a long way, why not make a weekend of it?! Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Warwick are both lovely towns to spend a day in, and both of our centres are located in the town parks, which are well worth a visit on a summer’s day. Warwick Castle is next door to Warwick boats, Kenilworth Castle is 15 mins away, and its only 15/20 mins to Shakespeare’s Stratford upon Avon where there are lots of visitor attractions.

Where can I stay if I have a long way to travel?
There are lots of Bed and Breakfast establishments in both Leamington and Warwick, and quite a few hotels.
For those on a budget, there is a youth hostel & campsite in Stratford, about a 20 min drive away from us.

Do I need a consent form for every course?
Unfortunately yes, but you can download one here and will it in before you arrive click here

Anything Else?!
If you have any questions that we haven’t answered, or that you think should be here, please contact us:
E-mail: info@canoekayaktrader.co.uk
Tel: 01926 889928 option 2