A REAL SUP safari on the River Mole AKA the Amazon.
10 explorers braved the Amazon “AKA The River Mole” for an adventure climbing over and under obstacles with like minded people!
Having never joined a Dittons organised event before, I had no idea what to expect as I signed up to the ‘River Mole Safari’. Having frequently paddled this particular stretch with the children in the summer, I was a bit apprehensive about exploring it with a bunch of strangers in the winter! Well my fears were allayed almost immediately and everyone was friendly and non-judgemental from the start. The safety briefing was excellent and I felt like safety was paramount.
Communication beforehand was clear and concise and river flow-rates were monitored closely in the days prior.
I did stupidly ignore the ‘bring snacks and drinks’ part as I don’t usually eat when I paddle. But food FOMO quickly overtook me at our lunch stop and I gave in when the jelly babies, nuts and warm cider was generously shared round in the sunshine. My favourite bit!
Unfortunately the car park was packed due to a football tournament so by the time we’d all managed to get parked & pumped we set off across the field to our launch spot a bit later than planned.
We paddled downstream past varied riverside homes and stopped for photos in front of the stunning Wayneflete Tower which encompasses more than five hundred years of English history.
The Tower was the former gatehouse to William Wayneflete’s grand Esher Palace, and is all that remains today. Wayneflete’s Esher Palace was the precursor to Tudor architecture and later inspired Cardinal Wolsey’s Hampton Court.
Owners of the Esher estate include two Kings (Henry VIII and Edward VI), a Queen (Elizabeth I), and a Prime Minister (Henry Pelham), to name just a few! Former residents include an Earl, a Lady and three Spanish Admirals captured during the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and other visitors include Sir Francis Drake, Jane Austen and Anna Pavlova.
We paddled under passing trains bound for London. The river here is wide with well managed banks, if a little exposed to the wind – a real contrast to what was to come – we turned at the first weir to continue on up the Amazon!
The upstream route was fairly testing for the less-seasoned paddlers, with a few sunken logs proving difficult to get the fins over. This is where my expertise came in handy – I am always lifting the children over things so how hard could it be to lift the tail-end of 10ish moderately heavy adults on boards over a few logs? Well clearly fairly hard as my very sore thumb and bicep tendons are telling me the day after 😂😂😂.
There were 2 unfortunate fall-ins due to submerged debris and the water was COLD. Thankfully the guides had dry clothes & silver foil blankets at the ready and made sure the 2 paddlers were suitably dressed, wrapped up and looked after. They were both given the choice of paddling back or exiting the river close to a road and both were looked after until they were safely back at the car park.
All-in-all a great day out. Very chilled and relaxed with a lovely bunch of people from all walks of life. Looking forward to more!
Blog by Gillian Newey.
Limehouse Loop
12 intrepid explorers took to public transport to paddle the Limehouse Loop where they covered 5 canals in one day!
12 intrepid explorers used pubic transport to get to Hackney Wick to start our paddle in East London as there was no parking nearby. This was a first for quite a few having to carry their boards and equipment on the train but we all managed it. Our paddle boarding trips around our patch in West London and further west are mostly of greenery and countryside. The sights on this day around the East End was a day of greater contrasts.
We pumped up our boards and Moo Canoes very kindly offered to store our SUP bags and pumps on their boat which was a relief to us all as that meant we didn’t need to carry them on board with us.
We started off by the boats serving food and drinks on The River Lea Navigation near Hackney Wick heading off with the Olympic Park behind us down the Hertford Union Canal past Victoria Park. Our route took us almost to the River Thames then back up to the Olympic Park in a rough square shape.
Where Victoria park ends we met the Regents Canal which has come around from Islington. We turned left towards Limehouse, on this section was Mile End Park the first half was the greenest with the parks and also quite a few locks.
We paddled on to Limehouse Basin which is a marina with many mostly narrow boats and has the DLR passing on one side. Brett, Clare and Caroline carried on their quest to paddle on every inlet / piece of water in London. From Limehouse Basin there is a passage for boats to get onto the Thames but we turned left into the Limehouse Cut.
From the water you get a different perspective with a better view of what is on either side. It was interesting to see the old factory’s and industrial buildings, some of which have been redeveloped into housing along with many new blocks of flats. Canary Wharf from the canal was an amazing sight!
We spotted a heron on a fence and Swans were chasing after each other – its the season to find a mate.
Soon we were passing Three Mills Island – this was a very historic area with Oast Houses that were used for drying hops for beer, tall round brick chimneys and other historic buildings.
One of the most striking features of the day was the amount of creative graffiti. The highlight for graffiti lovers is the wide curved tunnel in The Bow area with strip lights by the water and over 100m of art to look at – if only paddle boarders would just stay still mid stream so i could get the perfect shot!
On this final stretch with the Olympic Park on our right taking us back to our start point, we could hear the cheers of the crowd from West Ham’s game with Everton at the Olympic Stadium.
The weather was gloomy with no sign of sun but the day anything but dull with 12 of us out seeing such a variety of sights. We went at a very leisurely pace taking just over 4 hours in all.
A lovely day was had by all that culminated at drinks at the White House before we boarded our trains home.
Thanks goes to Anu Aladin from My Sup Stories for being our amazing guide for the day, Moo Canoes for storing our luggage and Dittons for organising an amazing trip!
Blog by Stephen Ingall
Dudley and Netherton Tunnels
24 paddlers ventured into the Dudley and Netherton Tunnels for an amazing trip through history. This was going to be an experience to remember!
Unfazed by the early morning start and the slight chill in the air, 24 enthusiastic paddlers gathered in the car park of the Dudley Canal and Tunnels Trust. Clare, from Dittons Paddle boarding Club, lead the safety meeting and the group introduced themselves. We soon discovered that this trip was on many people’s bucket list, and the distances that paddlers were prepared to travel to join this trip was testament to that, with some of our group travelling from as far away as Southampton and North Wales.
With paddle boards pumped and kayaks packed, we headed down towards the first set of tunnels. Enthusiastically kitted out with helmets and head torches (as well as the odd set of fairy lights), we embarked on the canal ready to follow Brian and his barge into the Dudley Tunnels. Once deep inside the caverns, we stopped and switched off our lights in order to hear about their fascinating history and geological wonders, as well as to enjoy the light show.
The first set of tunnels stretched out for an impressive 2888 metres. Paddling through these tunnels was a surreal experience, blending the thrill of exploration with a sense of awe for the people in the past who regularly worked down there. With the exception of the occasional turn, the waterway stretched out for a long way in front of us, with light at the end of the tunnel always seeming like a pinhole in the distance.
Inside, the light was limited but the hilarity was nonstop. It was wonderful to see familiar faces from Dittons Paddle Boarding Club and meet new friends from Dave Paddles and beyond. The diversity of skill levels added to the charm of the event. Beginners received tips and encouragement from more experienced paddlers, fostering a sense of community and shared learning.
Dave promised to bring the sunshine to our paddle and, as if by magic, once we were out of the first set of tunnels, the weather couldn’t have been better. The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over the canal.
With a brief interlude at Parkhead Conservation Area to rescue Brian and his barge from the shallow waters, we carried on our way around a set of locks and to meander along the canal towards Bumble Hole Nature Reserve. Along the way, we encountered lots of friendly fishermen, dog walkers and cyclists who were curious to see so many paddlers out and about on the waterways.
At Bumble Hole, we were delighted to find that the café was still open and took this as the perfect opportunity to refuel. The sun continued to shine on us, the swans paddled up and down and Cobbs Engine House provided the backdrop to our relaxed lunch break.
Keeping to our time schedule, we were met by one of the Canal Trust’s volunteers who ushered us through to Netherton Tunnel. This stretch of tunnel was only marginally shorter than the first, at 2768 metres, but it was wider and taller, meaning that we could stand up all the way.
Coming out the tunnel, we clambered out of the canal and carried our crafts up to Tividale Aqueduct to continue our journey back towards the Canal Centre along the Birmingham Canal. Once again, we were greeted by lots of families out walking who happily waved us on our way. As we arrived back at the Canal Centre, we realised that we were backing on to the Black Country Living Museum and the Peaky Blinders fans amongst us were quick to get their selfies in before they got off the water.
Once all crafts were cleaned and packed away, some paddlers headed off back down the motorway, happy and tired after a fun day of adventures. Around 16 of the group, decided to sample the wares of the locally revered Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory for a well-deserved meal. Over humorously named pies and drinks, stories from the day’s escapades were shared and plans for future outings were hatched.
Reflecting on the day’s events, it’s clear that this outing was about sharing adventure and the joy of being on the water.
A special thanks goes to Claire E for her amazing efforts in pulling this whole trip together.
Written by Liz Jackson
Canterbury Adventure – Taking a board for a walk
Going for a little paddle to Canterbury and having a look around the Cathedral sounded like a fun idea. It was just going to be me and Ewa. It had been a while since we had just paddled together.
I read up on Paddle Points where to paddle and what to avoid. So I was reasonably confident we would have a fun and relaxing time. However, one wrong turn and the gentle paddle turning into a whole different adventure.
We were advised on Paddle Points to either park at Sainsburys or the Toddlers Grove Park. We got that bit right. The Toddlers Grove Park is the best location as there is plenty of parking, although it is not cheap. Sainsburys has 2 hours free, but I will come to that later.
After walking through a small park we came to a sluice. I decided to carry on downstream to see where the Sainsburys Car Park and Launch point was. The river downstream of the sluice was a lot shallower and was going to be a “Wet Launch”, we had to wade into the middle of the beautifully clear water to get enough depth for our touring fins, (error #2), a river fin would be much better for this paddle.
After pumping up, and launching under the main road bridge, we headed downstream (first error). The Great Stour was running fast and we surprised a few ducks, who shot off into the sky, just ahead of us. Under some low bridges we were having a great time, flying along with wind and stream behind us. Eventually we came to Causeway Bridge and the Mill beyond. There was no way through so we had to paddle a little way back upstream to where we had notice a launch point. Paddle Points had mentioned a portage might be needed. This was it I thought.
It was great fun going down the fast flowing, if shallow river, over small rapids with the fin bouncing off the bottom, with us on the nose of our boards to keep them moving. We realised we wouldn’t be able to paddle back the same way we had come, so when we were met with another Mill and Sluice, we stopped to see if we were going to have to get a taxi?? Horror of Horrors!
After a little investigation, the original branch of the river we had been on, looked deep enough to paddle back upstream. It was narrow, fast-flowing and beautifully clear. Whilst Launching, I threw my board in and inadvertently, splashed Ewa with a large wave of water from my board. She was just bending down on her board to get her phone to maybe capture me slipping down the bank and falling in. Karma, hey. I did apologies and was “accidently” splashed later on 😂
This was a Proper Adventure now! We had to wade in parts, climb over small weirs, use the boards as small bridges to get over obstacles. Eventually, we could go no further, the river was too shallow and we had to walk. After some consolation of the map and clarification that a taxi wouldn’t be needed, we hiked off through the parks of Canterbury back to the original sluice where we had launched downstream. This time we were heading the other way.
If only I had looked over the otherside of the bridge the first time, we would have had an easier paddle, but missed out on the adventure.
We had an easy launch and paddled upstream through the heart of Canterbury, passed the punts and guided pleasure boats taking tourist sightseeing. Under the very low bridges and past the ancient buildings of the City. It was great fun, waving at tourist and being photographed by many.
Finally out of the built-up area and into the fields and back to the Toddler Grove Park. Here you can paddle a long way upstream and this is where we should have gone first. There is also a closer launch point to the car park by a footbridge.
Once changed and boards packed away, we then visited the amazing Canterbury Cathedral. Regardless of your beliefs, it is an amazing and beautiful building and one we will be going back to. The entry price gives free re-admission for a year!
My advice is forget the Sainsburys Car Park and paddle from the Toddler Grove Car Park, into the fields first before heading into the City. But don’t let me put you off your own adventure. But please keep yourself safe.
What3Word Locations
Toddler Grove Car Park – https://w3w.co/option.pinks.blues
Closest Launch Point – https://w3w.co/leaned.flash.vote
Dittons does ‘All the Wey’
Twelve Paddle Boarders from Dittons paddled the whole of the Wey Navigation Sunday 10th September 2023, which has become an annual event on the calendar. This is the 4th time Dittons have hosted this event and it has become very popular indeed! A 32km trip along the canal navigating 14 locks starting at Godalming Wharf and finishing on the Thames at Elmbridge Canoe Club.
It was a nice early start 8am and a lovely morning, we were in the September heat wave! It was going to be hot, hot, hot so lots of sun cream applied, hats adorned and lots of water taken on board our SUPs.
We kept the pace slower than previous years to adjust to the heat and every lock was a delight! It was great to meet new members and we all moved around to talk to different people, it also helps take your mind of the distance you are doing!
As it was hot we had a few swim stops to cool us down. Most on purpose but a few accidental! We made our half way point to the New Inn at Send around 1pm which meant time for a rest, refuel and toilet break. Two people finished the safari here which is always an option if you only want to paddle half the Wey.
After 40 minutes we got back on the water for 2nd half of the journey. It had become very muggy so a few more dips in the canal were required.
We had the water to ourselves near enough, as Paper Court lock was closed for repairs, so no barges or boats, it was great!
We got to the Anchor in Pyrford and a few of us stopped for a well deserved ice cream before we paddled the longest stretch of the Wey without a lock which is roughly 5K.
We finally reached New Haw lock and then it is only a short distance to Thames Lock, the home straight to Weybridge on the Thames.
We arrived at Elmbridge Canoe Club about 6pm and then a few had a much deserved swim!
Thanks to everyone who joined the Safari. Great company and great weather, what more could you ask! If you want to join us next year look out for the date in the calendar, it is usually the 1st/2nd week of September.
Bit of Karaoke always makes the Safari go quicker!
