CUMBRIA CANOEISTS
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      • SKE10 Sea Kayak Gathering - Oban
      • SKE11 Sea Kayak Gathering - Moray Firth
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      • SKE13 Sea Kayak Gathering - Luce Bay
      • SKE14 Sea Kayak Gathering - Mull
      • SKE15 Sea Kayak Wild Camp - Treshnish
      • SKE16 Sea Kayak Gathering - Anglesey
      • SKE17 Sea Kayak Gathering - Bass Rock
      • SKE18 Sea Kayak Gathering - Lleyn Peninsula
      • SKE19 Sea Kayak Wild Camp Long Weekend - Cuan & Garvellachs
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      • SKE21 Sea Kayak Trip - Blackpool Illuminations
      • SKE22 Sea Kayak Gathering - St Bees or Ravenglass
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Where to Paddle in Cumbria

Cumbria has some of the most beautiful places to paddle in the UK, whether you are interested in the most extreme or the more sedate end of the sport! 

​Have a look at some of the information and links below to see what’s on offer….

Lakes

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Most of the large lakes in the Lake District are accessible.  You do need a permit for Bassenthwaite, Buttermere, Crummock Water and Ennerdale water.  

Rivers

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We have a variety of rivers to suit most paddlers.  Whether you’re looking for something at the lower end of the scale, where rivers like the Eden or Lower Derwent could be an attraction, or slightly more challenging white water consider the Greta, Leven, Lune, Kent and others, or the extreme end of creeking where Aira Beck or Langstrath Beck and many others could be your thing!
Check out Stuart Miller’s “Canoe and Kayak Guide to North West England” as a first port of call in your planning.  But remember we had extreme flooding last winter which has changed the features and risks on some of our more challenging rivers – so it is worth checking on the various paddler Facebook pages, the latest hazards section of this website, as well as on sites such as  UK Rivers Guidebook or UK Whitewater Kayak Guides.

Sea

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There a number of places where you can enjoy the sea in a kayak on the west coast of Cumbria.   Whether it is surfing at St Bees Head, or on the Solway or Arnside bores, or coastal trips around St Bees and Whitehaven or Maryport, or further south around Walney and Roa Island, or more challenging trips from our coast to Scotland or the Isle of Man you can find something here to suit you.  First point of call is Jim Krawiecki’s “Northern England & IOM – fifty great sea kayak voyages” and the UK Sea Kayak Guidebook.

Canals

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Although not strictly in Cumbria, just south you can also have a great paddle out on the Lancaster Canal and on its Glasson branch down to the Lune estuary.

Access

You can find the position statement on access to non-tidal waterways from British Canoeing here. 
​You can find details of local Cumbria Access Arrangements and links to other British Canoeing access advice  here.

Contact Us:

  • Home
  • News Blog
  • Paddling in Cumbria
    • Regional Events
    • Clubs
    • Commercial Providers
    • Where to Paddle >
      • Lakes
      • Rivers
      • Sea
      • Canals
    • Access Arrangements >
      • Ennerdale Lake
      • Greta & Middle Derwent
      • River Lune
    • Latest Hazards >
      • Reporting Hazards
  • Events & Booking
    • Coaching
    • Novice & Introductory Events
    • Open Canoeing
    • Polo
    • Racing
    • Sea Kayaking >
      • SKE1a,b,c Planning, Navigation & Weather Workshops
      • SKE2 VHF Course
      • SKE3a,b,c,d Sea Leadership Development Group Events
      • SKE4 Sea Kayak Demo Day
      • SKE5a-h Sea Kayak Coaching
      • SKE6 Sea Kayak Gathering - Kircudbright
      • SKE7 Sea Kayak Day Trips - Allonby
      • SKE8 Sea Kayak Day Trip & Wild Camp - Skye & Small Isles
      • SKE9 Sea Kayak Gathering - Farnes
      • SKE10 Sea Kayak Gathering - Oban
      • SKE11 Sea Kayak Gathering - Moray Firth
      • SKE12 Sea Kayak Long Weekend - Arisaig
      • SKE13 Sea Kayak Gathering - Luce Bay
      • SKE14 Sea Kayak Gathering - Mull
      • SKE15 Sea Kayak Wild Camp - Treshnish
      • SKE16 Sea Kayak Gathering - Anglesey
      • SKE17 Sea Kayak Gathering - Bass Rock
      • SKE18 Sea Kayak Gathering - Lleyn Peninsula
      • SKE19 Sea Kayak Wild Camp Long Weekend - Cuan & Garvellachs
      • SKE20 Sea Kayak Peer Trip - Brittany
      • SKE21 Sea Kayak Trip - Blackpool Illuminations
      • SKE22 Sea Kayak Gathering - St Bees or Ravenglass
    • Slalom
    • White Water
  • RDT Resources
    • Officers & Reps
    • Bursaries & Funding
    • Coach & Leader Directory
    • Meetings
    • Paddler Registration
    • RDT Equipment Loan
    • Reports, Procedures & Policies >
      • Event Safety & Organisation Procedures >
        • Sea Kayaking Event Safety Procedures
        • Open Canoeing Event Safety Procedures
        • Incident Reporting
    • Wildlife Access & Environment >
      • Policy on Environment & Access
      • BC Position statement on Access & Incidents