Want to make a difference to your local waterways this year? In just over two months our #BigPaddleCleanup gets underway ♻️🙌
Join thousands of volunteers across the UK to remove litter and junk from our waterways from 23 May - 7 June. Whether you get on the water or help from the bankside, you can make a real difference this spring!💚
Tap the link in our bio to apply for your free kit* & download our free event toolkit!
As a thank you for your efforts, @decathlonuk are offering everyone who logs their cleanup on our map during May and June a £5 voucher! So don't forget to visit our website after your cleanup to add it to our map 🗺️
*Cleanup kits are supported by Paddle UK (England) membership income. Our kits are available to those based in England. If you're based in Scotland, please contact @paddlescot . For Wales, contact @paddlecymru .
#ClearAccessClearWaters #PlasticPollution #RiverCleanup #Beachcleanup
Paddle along the South Devon coast to a hidden cove with a fascinating past 🌊 It’s home to Britain’s first hot tub
Distance: 6km
⏰ Time: 2.5 hours
🚾 Toilets, coffee shop, pub & restaurant at Goodrington Sands
🚗 Park at Goodrington Sands Car Park (TQ4 6LN)
📍 Launch from Goodrington Sands Beach in Paignton, South Devon.
Paddle out past the breaking waves and head along the coast towards Elberry Cove.
Pass Oyster Cove and look out for the famous geological unconformity — where Permian and Devonian rocks meet with a huge chunk of time in between 🪨
💡 Elberry Cove was one of Agatha Christie’s favourite bathing spots — and it even features in The ABC Murders!
When you reach the Cove, surf in to the pebble beach and explore the ruins of Lord Churston’s bathhouse — an early version of the hot tub 🛁😄
Paddle back along the coast the way you came and use the waves to surf back into Goodrington Sands 🌊
We recommend going out with a qualified guide to explore safely — we paddled with Ash from @reachoutdoors , a Paddle UK delivery partner, who kept us safe and knew the route well. Always check weather and tide times, wear the right kit, and let someone know your plans.
📌 Plan your route on our PaddlePoints map: gopaddling.info/paddlepoints
The ICF SUP World Cup & Paddle UK SUPER Festival are coming to the English Riviera this June (24-28). Why not make a weekend of it? Paddle our route & enjoy world-class racing and a festival atmosphere 🙌 Find out more at superfestival.paddleuk.org.uk
#EnglishRiviera #Torbay #Paignton #SouthDevon #SeaKayaking
We're delighted to announce that Lee Valley White Water Centre will host the 2027 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 🌊
The world's best canoe slalom and kayak cross athletes will return from 13–15 August 2027 to one of the most iconic courses in international canoe slalom for the third World Cup in the series — a venue that is integral to the incredible achievements of the GB team, who train daily on the water 🇬🇧
This announcement comes at a milestone moment for Lee Valley White Water Centre, which celebrates 15 years since opening its doors as the only brand new London 2012 venue to open before the Games.
Since then, it has become the cornerstone of British paddle sport — hosting elite international competition, developing world-class athletes and introducing the sport to new audiences through extensive funded programmes for schools, clubs and communities 💙
It promises to be the perfect stage for our athletes as they build towards LA 2028. We can’t wait to see more extraordinary sporting moments delivered on home water.
We look forward to working in partnership with Lee Valley White Water Centre, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, GLL and UK Sport to bring this event to the UK for the fifth time.
Read more at the link in our bio 🔗
#SWC2027 #Slalom #KayakCross #LeeValley
Starting in Hackney Wick, this easy circular paddle with Anu from @mysupstories is one of the best introductions to paddling in East London 🛶 The Olympic Park Loop in Hackney Wick is ideal for paddleboarding or an inflatable kayak — no car needed!
Following the Lee Navigation and surrounding waterways on a loop around London Stadium and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, you'll pass street art, spot wildlife, and paddle past the iconic ArcelorMittal Orbit – a symbol of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
📍 Launch: Towpath by Olympic Park, Hackney Wick
🚆 Public transport: London Overground – Hackney Wick station (~5 min walk)
🛶 Distance: 2.5 miles (loop) – can be linked with Hackney Wick to Clapton for a longer route
⏰ Time: 1–1.5 hours
🌊 Waterways: Lee Navigation, River Lee, City Mill River, St Thomas Creek
🪪 Waterways licence: Required for all waterways on this route. Included with Paddle UK On The Water membership.
🚶 Portages: 2 (Old Ford Lock)
🚾 Toilets: Near Olympic Park
Head to Hackney Wick and walk past @moocanoes and the food boats. Launch from the towpath next to the Olympic Park.
Portage at Old Ford Lock (watch the drop!), then turn left onto the Old River Lee.
You'll pass colourful street art and plenty of wildlife – keep an eye out for kingfishers, herons, cormorants, coots and moorhens.
Take in the varied urban scenery that makes East London paddling so unique!
Keep paddling, and you'll soon see the ArcelorMittal Orbit come into view.
Continue along City Mill River for views of London Stadium, home of West Ham United.
Then on to St Thomas Creek before turning right back onto the Lee Navigation and heading back to the start.
Finish with a well-earned drink in Hackney Wick – there are plenty of food carts by the water 🍺
Don't have your own board or boat? You can hire equipment at Moo Canoes.
🗺️ To download the full route and plan your paddle, visit our PaddlePoints map: gopaddling.info/paddlepoints. Search 'Hackney Wick'
Thanks to Anu for the route! Keep an eye out for more London routes coming soon.
#EastLondon #LondonPaddleboarding #ThingToDoLondon #HackneyWick #London
📣 Positive access & environment news you might have missed this week
A big week for clean water and paddlers. Here's what's been happening 👇️
💧 A new Clean Water Bill has been announced in the King's Speech. The Bill includes some important wins. A new integrated regulator will replace the current fragmented system, and crucially, the Bill includes commitments to tackle pollution at source.
This is a positive step in the right direction, and we're encouraged by the reforms for healthy, pollution-free waters for all. We should be clear that at this stage we have only seen a summary of the Bill, and the details will be in the legislation itself.
Alongside the Clean Water Sports Alliance, we'll be engaging with Ministers as the Bill progresses through Parliament to make our voice heard.
🌊 13 new designated bathing sites have opened across England — including the first-ever on the River Thames in London, among others. More communities can now make informed decisions about when and where to get on the water.
♻️ And with just one week to go until the Big Paddle Cleanup 2026 (23 May – 7 June) kicks off, there's never been a better time to get involved.
Last year, over 4,200 volunteers helped clear thousands of bags of rubbish from our waterways — can you join them this year? You can help from the bankside or reach those areas on the water.
Why not invite your MP along like Wey Kayak Club, and show them the brilliant work you're doing in your community?
🔗 Full articles and details on how to get involved in the Big Paddle Cleanup are on our website. Tap the link in our bio!
#ClearAccessClearWaters #WaterQuality #EndSewagePollution #CleanWaterSportsAlliance #BigPaddleCleanup
We are supporting @ukantidoping during
#CleanSportWeek, which focuses on protecting young people’s
health and tackling dangerous misinformation online about Image and Performance
Enhancing Drugs.
True success is built, not bought. Train hard. Compete
clean. Be 100% you.
🔗 To find out more about Clean Sport Week and access resources, use the link in our bio.
