Canoe rentals in England?

[sasquatch]

Hi everyone, I've got some time off in August and want to canoe/camp with a mate. The only problem is I haven't got a canoe... Does anyone know of anywhere I could rent one for 2 or 3 days in England? If they can be rented would I still be better off spending the money buying a canoe?

I've wanted a canadian canoe for some time but I'd need to keep it at a mates or change my back window to get it into my backyard. I know this is the wrong time of year to be buying and I'd be on a tight budget if I did. That's why I'm curious about rentals.

Any advice on a good destination? I'm in the midlands so I'm fairly central, I'm willing to travel but the less time I spend in a car driving the better. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated...

Cheers, Chad

 

[TeeDee]

Hello mate , Ring up your closet canoe shop and tell them you are thniking about buying one and wonder if you can take a demo model out for a few days and be charged a pro rata rate.

 

[bri66]

The Wye is a good place to start,I think it was Symonds Yat Canoe Hire,they deliver you up river and keep your car as a deposit,even took our dogs with us,Brian

 

[DavidJT]

Try "The Canoe Man" if you fancy The Broads, he's a nice guy and quite Bushcraft orientated. They offer camping etc too.
Otherwise try posting the same request on Song of The Paddle and I'm sure you'll be snowed under with suggestions.

 

[Leezo]

Ask a local outwards bound centre

 

[sasquatch]

Thanks guys! There is a place where I live I could rent one, but I'm after renting one and getting away for 2 or 3 days while I camp somewhere I haven't been.

I've been lurking on sotp for some time but haven't signed up yet. I'm not really after any tuition if I rent one, I think this question was my backwards way to justify buying a canoe! When I searched for places to rent one they mostly focus on tutorials for beginners and don't mention camping. When I look at prices for rentals and camping I'm thinking I'm better off buying a used canoe.

Perhaps the title for this thread should have been 'anyone got a 16' disco or similar going cheap?' I don't mean to sound like I'm wasting your time, any suggestions will be looked into. My mate I'll be going with has never been canoeing, so perhaps the tuition would be a good thing. I do think I'll be checking the classifieds on sotp for a beater though!

Thanks again everyone, keep the suggestions coming. Cheers, Chad

 

[AntoninoRusso123]

Why not try an inflatable canoo/ kayak, goto http://www.outdoorstuff.eu/ have a look they have some realy nice styles that are suitable for most things and when you have done with them you just let out the air and put it in a bag. No big thing on the roof of the car that falls off if you forget to tie it down properly, (speaking from experience)

 

[sasquatch]

Why not try an inflatable canoo/ kayak, goto http://www.outdoorstuff.eu/ have a look they have some realy nice styles that are suitable for most things and when you have done with them you just let out the air and put it in a bag. No big thing on the roof of the car that falls off if you forget to tie it down properly, (speaking from experience)

I have toyed with the idea but I've never used an inflatable canoe and have no idea how good they are. They don't look like they'd hold a lot of gear once you get a couple people in them and I'd be looking at about £300 for a new one. I was hoping to spend about £300 to £400 on a used canoe and I know I'd be alright putting my gear and family into it. I drive an estate so securing it to the roof won't be a problem...

I suppose I could be swayed if I knew an inflatable was worth the money, I can see the advantages of having one. Do you own one or have any experience with them? If so how do they compare and what do you think?

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Variant 13]

I used a Grumman inflatable canadian in Australia a few years ago.
At first I was somewhat dubious but we had six boats and spent five weeks on the Snowy river and the boats handled everything we threw at them, including grade four rapids.
Suffice to say I would would recommend them highly.
Cheers,
Graham

 

[RedFrame]

Hi everyone, I've got some time off in August and want to canoe/camp with a mate. The only problem is I haven't got a canoe... Does anyone know of anywhere I could rent one for 2 or 3 days in England? If they can be rented would I still be better off spending the money buying a canoe?

I've wanted a canadian canoe for some time but I'd need to keep it at a mates or change my back window to get it into my backyard. I know this is the wrong time of year to be buying and I'd be on a tight budget if I did. That's why I'm curious about rentals.

Any advice on a good destination? I'm in the midlands so I'm fairly central, I'm willing to travel but the less time I spend in a car driving the better. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated...

Cheers, Chad

You could try Hereford Canoe Hire.. http://www.herefordcanoehire.com/ (I have no relationship with them)

There's a couple of nice sites on the Wye that are fire friendly.

If you're definately going there let me know and I'll send you a copy of the Wye Guide and more info on the camp sites.

If you've not already signed up to Song, then you should, we're a friendly bunch, and this question, asked there would provide an immense amount of feedback..

Cheers
Red.