Where to get your canoe license from? BCU!

Did you know:

1. you need a license to take your canoe onto the water?

2. you can get different types of licenses from different institutions?

3. they costs different amounts of money, and only give you limited access?

Option 1:

so you could get your license from the Environment Agency, which has ownership of 2000km of water in the UK. This is really tailored towards motorised boats, and would cost, theoretically for a canoe, £150.

Option 2:

Alternatively, you could get your license from British Waterways, which has ownership of the other half of the water; 3220km to be precise...again, tailored for motorised boats, and would set you back about £375...

The smart option:

The British Canoe Union, does a combined license, which not only gives you access to the rivers and canals looked after by the EA and the BW, but, for good measure, they also throw in the access to the non-tidal part of the Thames....and all this for only £32.75. Now...call me a cynic, but that sounds like a tremendous good deal to me, especially as it actually includes the stretches of water I practise on, and will be doing the big race on.

You fill in your details online, and within 5 days you receive in the post a sticker for your boat, and a little creditcard sized ID to carry on your person. You also get a welcome pack, including a bi-monthly magazine and other useful information.

So..now we are legal on the water; all 4500km!

here is an extract from their website:

• Licenses to paddle on 4,500km of Britain's navigations and canals
• 3rd Party Liability Insurance (up to £10 million)
• Canoe Focus magazine delivered every two months
• Great rates on boat insurance

Special discounts including:

+ 10% discount at selected canoe and kayak retailers!
+ 15% discount on all Cotswold Outdoor products
(with £5 of every £100 spent going back to the Young People's canoeing)
+ Save £7.45 (over 20%) when subscribing to 12 issues of Canoe & Kayak UK magazine!