The Nile Canoe Club

From Junior Paddlers to Future Leaders

The Club

THE NILE CANOE CLUB

Junior Paddlesports • Adventure • Skills • Community

Jinja, Uganda | Kayak the Nile

The Nile Canoe Club is a year-round junior paddlesports club for children aged 7+ who love being outdoors, want to learn new skills and enjoy being part of a community on the Nile.

Based at Kayak the Nile in Bujagali, members get two coached sessions every week, a monthly river adventure, structured skills development, water-safety and first-aid education, and the opportunity to progress as far as they want.

Whether your child simply wants to have fun on the water, become a better paddler, or eventually explore coaching and leadership, the Canoe Club provides the platform to do it.

250,000 UGX / month

2,400,000 UGX / year when paid upfront — save 600,000 UGX

A CLUB, NOT JUST A LESSON

The Nile Canoe Club is designed to give children much more than an occasional kayaking session.

Members can learn and practise kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and sit-on-top kayaking, while developing paddling technique, water awareness, confidence and practical safety skills.

Some children will want to become highly skilled paddlers. Others will simply enjoy being outdoors, spending time with friends and learning something new.

There is no required pathway. Your child can take the club as far as they want.

TWO COACHED SESSIONS EVERY WEEK

WEDNESDAY | 5:30–6:30PM

Open Club Session

A flexible weekly session giving children the opportunity to practise skills, try different paddling disciplines and have fun on the water.

Sessions may include:

Kayaking
SUP
Sit-on-top kayaking
Games and challenges
Revisiting previous skills
Individual coaching
Skills practice and consolidation

SUNDAY | 2:00–4:00PM

Main Coaching Session

The Sunday session follows the month's primary Skill Focus, giving the club a structured coaching programme throughout the year.

Children of different abilities can train together, with each child working on skills appropriate to their own level.

A STRUCTURED YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMME

The Canoe Club isn't a collection of unrelated weekly sessions.

Our coaching programme follows a 12-month Skill Focus cycle, giving every major area of paddling development proper attention over the course of a year.

THE 12 SKILL FOCUSES

1. Forward Paddling & Boat Control
2. Turning & Direction Changes
3. Edging, Balance & Bracing
4. Current, Eddy Lines & River Reading
5. Eddy Entries, Exits & Ferrying
6. Stopping, Positioning & Micro-Control
7. Reverse Paddling & Recovery
8. Safety, Rescue & Water Awareness
9. Paddling Efficiency & Speed Control
10. Linking Manoeuvres & Boat Control
11. Rolling & Capsize Skills
12. River Skills, Decision Making & Application

The cycle repeats each year, but individual development does not. A beginner and an experienced paddler can work on the same monthly theme while tackling different skills and levels within the session.

TRACKING REAL PROGRESS

Alongside the monthly Skill Focus programme, children can work through the KTN Star Award system, our individual paddling skills framework.

Each skill develops through three stages:

Introduced → Occasional Success → Frequent Success

A skill is only considered achieved when a paddler can demonstrate it consistently.

This means children are not simply rewarded for attending a certain number of sessions. Their progress is based on what they can actually do on the water.

The Skill Focus programme provides the structure for coaching, while the Star Awards provide a way to recognise individual development.

LEARN IT. PRACTISE IT. USE IT.

THE MONTHLY RIVER RUN & FAMILY FLOAT

On the last Sunday of every month, the Canoe Club heads onto the Nile from Bungee Uganda to Kayak the Nile, travelling for approximately two hours on flat and moving water.

This is the practical application of the month's coaching focus, giving members an opportunity to use their skills in a controlled river environment.

It's also a family adventure.

MEMBERS GET:

The river trip
Water and sodas
A water-slide session at KTN after returning

PARENTS & SIBLINGS

Parents and siblings are welcome to join for 50,000 UGX per person.

It's a chance for the whole family to get on the river, meet other Canoe Club families and become part of the wider community.

MORE THAN PADDLING

The Canoe Club is also about developing useful skills beyond the boat.

WATER SAFETY

Children learn how to understand and manage their environment on the water, with practical safety skills built into the programme.

FIRST AID

Chris is a qualified first-aid instructor and leads practical first-aid sessions within the club programme.

Members learn useful basic first-aid skills as part of their regular development, with full first-aid courses also available separately at a discounted rate.

CONFIDENCE & LEADERSHIP

As children become more experienced, they can take on greater responsibility, help newer members and develop leadership skills.

DEVELOP AS FAR AS YOU WANT

The Canoe Club provides an optional pathway for children who want to take their paddling and leadership further.

STANDARD MEMBER

Participate, have fun and develop paddling skills.

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SENIOR MEMBER

Develop stronger skills and begin taking on more responsibility, such as helping with session setup or supporting newer paddlers.

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JUNIOR COACH

Suitable older and experienced members can begin helping younger paddlers, leading warm-ups or assisting with basic technique alongside the main coach.

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KTN TRAINEE

Gain supervised exposure to Kayak the Nile's professional paddlesports environment, including opportunities to shadow KTN sessions.

For suitably experienced older members, there may eventually be opportunities to participate under full supervision alongside Nile River Explorers rafting activities.

Progression is completely optional. Your child does not have to become a coach or pursue a career in watersports. They can simply enjoy being a member of the club.

WHO IS THE CLUB FOR?

Your child doesn't need previous kayaking experience and doesn't need to be particularly sporty.

The club is for children who:

Enjoy being outdoors
Want to learn something new
Like being around water
Want a regular active hobby
Enjoy being part of a group
Want to improve their paddling
Would like to become more confident around water
May eventually be interested in leadership or coaching

Minimum age: 7 years

Children must already be comfortable swimming a short distance unaided and putting their face in the water without distress.

The Canoe Club is not a swimming school.

Children under 7 or those who need closer individual supervision may be better suited to our Kids Coaching Sessions.

BUILT AROUND SAFETY

We know parents want to understand exactly what their child will be doing on the water.

Our regular club programme:

Takes place on the flat water of the Bujagali reservoir, the calm stretch of the Nile between Owen Falls Dam and Bujagali Dam
Uses properly fitted PFDs for every water session
Operates at a maximum ratio of 6 children to 1 coach
Adds additional coaching or safety support as group numbers increase
Includes regular water-safety education
Includes practical first-aid education
Only progresses older, suitably experienced members beyond flat water following individual assessment and under direct supervision

The Canoe Club is operated by the same experienced team and to the same professional standards as Kayak the Nile's wider paddlesports operation.

MEET THE COACHES

DAN

Canoe Club Coach

Dan is the club's primary coach on the ground, leading both Wednesday and Sunday sessions and working with members throughout their development.

CHRIS

Programme Leader & Senior Coach

Chris oversees the Canoe Club programme and is also a qualified first-aid instructor, leading the club's first-aid education.

The wider Kayak the Nile coaching and safety team can support the club as required, allowing us to maintain appropriate coaching and safety ratios as the club grows.

MEMBERSHIP

250,000 UGX / MONTH

2,400,000 UGX / YEAR

Save 600,000 UGX with annual membership

YOUR MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES:

Two coached sessions every week
Kayaking, SUP and sit-on-top kayaking
12-month Skill Focus coaching programme
KTN Star Award skills progression
Monthly River Run & Family Float
Water and sodas on the monthly float
Water-slide session for members
First-aid and water-safety education
Progression opportunities
One Canoe Club T-shirt every membership year
One club sticker every membership year
Access to the kids' menu at Nile River Explorers before/after club sessions
10% off Kids Coaching Sessions
10% off Kids Camps
5% off eligible Kayak the Nile activities for the member and family

BUILT ON 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Kayak the Nile has been introducing people to the Nile since 2005.

The Nile Canoe Club itself was established in 2023, originally to introduce local children, particularly girls, to kayaking and SUP.

Those original members have developed their skills over time, and some are now able to take on greater responsibility within the programme.

The new Canoe Club builds on that foundation, bringing children from different backgrounds together through a structured programme of paddlesports, adventure, skills and community.

Your child isn't simply joining a new activity. They're joining a club with a history already underway.

A CLUB WITH A PURPOSE

Alongside our paid memberships, the Nile Canoe Club maintains a limited number of sponsored memberships for local children from the Bujagali area who would otherwise have limited access to paddlesports.

The programme began with local girls in 2023, and we want to continue creating those opportunities as the club grows.

Sponsored members participate alongside the wider Canoe Club community, while the number of sponsored places is deliberately kept limited so that the programme remains sustainable and meaningful.

By joining the Nile Canoe Club, your family becomes part of a paddlesports community that is also creating opportunities for children in our local community.

THREE WAYS TO GET YOUR CHILD ON THE WATER

Kayak the Nile offers three complementary junior programmes.

KIDS COACHING SESSIONS

One-off half-day or full-day paddlesports coaching

Ideal for children who want to try kayaking and SUP, develop specific skills or enjoy a single day on the river.

NILE CANOE CLUB

Ongoing junior paddlesports membership

Regular weekly coaching, structured development, monthly river adventures and a community of young paddlers.

YOU ARE HERE

KIDS CAMPS

2–5 day residential adventure camps

An immersive experience combining paddlesports, outdoor activities, accommodation, meals and adventure.

Canoe Club members receive discounts on both Kids Coaching Sessions and Kids Camps.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What age is the club suitable for?

Membership is open to children aged 7 and over.

Does my child need previous kayaking experience?

No. Beginners are welcome.

Does my child need to be able to swim?

Yes. Children must already be comfortable swimming a short distance unaided and putting their face in the water without distress.

What happens during school holidays?

Membership runs year-round rather than following school terms. This keeps the programme simple for families and works across Jinja's different school calendars.

Can parents and siblings join?

Yes. Parents and siblings can join the monthly River Run and Family Float for 50,000 UGX per person.

Does every child have to progress through the club pathway?

No. The Standard Member → Senior Member → Junior Coach → KTN Trainee pathway is completely optional.

Children can remain members simply because they enjoy paddling and being part of the club.

What if we are away for part of a month?

Monthly membership continues through the month and payment is due at your child's first session of that month. If you do not wish to continue into the following month, simply don't make the next payment.

Can we try the club before joining?

Yes. We will hold regular Canoe Club Open Days, giving prospective members the opportunity to try the activities, meet the coaches and see how the club works before joining.

What happens if we choose annual membership?

Annual membership runs for 12 months from the date of payment. It is paid upfront at the discounted rate of 2.4 million UGX and is non-refundable if you leave early.

COME AND TRY THE NILE CANOE CLUB

Not sure if it's right for your child?

Come and experience it first.

Our free Canoe Club Open Day gives children the chance to: