Frequently asked questions

PHCC pool coaching sessions FAQs

Where are they held?
Ferndown Leisure Centre, Cherry Grove, Ferndown BH22 9EZ

Any Access/ parking guidelines?
Please use the Leisure Centre car park to the left as you approach. There is a height restriction barrier at the entrance so users of taller vehicles may have to park on the entrance road. If you’ve been in the past you may have parked in the school parking area but the gates to this are now closed during our sessions.

What previous experience do I need?
Your coach will ask you about your paddling ability and experience and tailor your training sessions appropriately. Ideally you will have spent at least some time paddling beforehand but everyone comes away having learnt something whether they are new to the sport or have been doing it for years and just want to improve their skills.

What can I learn?
Generally these are courses designed to help you to learn one or more style of roll to enable you to self-right your kayak without exiting the boat. This is normally the driest, quickest and most effective self-rescue technique in the event of a capsize in a closed cockpit kayak.
You can however learn various other skills such as the wet-exit if you feel rolling is beyond your ambitions, learn the high and low brace techniques to avoid capsizing in the first place… and then there are several different rolling techniques that can be taught as well as those using a Greenland style paddle. We can also teach the re-entry and roll technique but that assumes you have a good reliable roll to start with.

Do I need my own kayak?
PHCC have a fleet of boats stored at the poolside ready for our use. These are shorter boats of various designs to cater for the vast majority of paddlers. If you have special requirements and want to use your own boat, that is sometimes possible by prior arrangement but for normal coaching sessions it is much better for you to learn in the club boats before progressing to other designs that may be more challenging as well as taking up a lot more of the pool space.
If you are a particularly large paddler, we do have two boats with lots of cockpit room and buoyancy to cater for you, please request this when you book on and I can pre-allocate you one of these boats.

And if I do bring my own boat?
It must be scrupulously clean inside and out to keep the leisure centre happy, having sand and mud float out of your boat the first time you roll is at the very least rather embarrassing! Also worth bearing in mind is physically getting your boat from the car to poolside… there are several doors, corridors and steps to navigate, not terribly easy with a 17ft boat on your own!

What kit or clothing do I need to bring?
Again PHCC have loads of paddles, buoyancy aids, spray decks and helmets as required so you shouldn’t need any paddling kit.
It’s a heated indoor pool, so you don’t need to dress like you would out on the open water in winter! Generally something a bit more than swimwear such as beach/ general watersports kit is ideal along with a pair of water shoes is a good setup. You may also want to bring goggles/ face mask and or a nose clip as being able to keep your eyes open underwater can help massively when learning to get yourself orientated.

What time do I arrive?
The timings for your session are on the WebCollect entry but will normally be confirmed shortly before the first session of your course by email. The key thing to do, especially if you’ve not been before is to arrive in plenty of time to find the pool. This way you can find your coach, get your kit and a boat set up and adjusted beforehand so you don’t lose coaching time getting organised. PHCC have the pool for the hour before these coaching sessions for the juniors, so you don’t need to worry that you’re going to turn up during a public swim session. If you’re attending the later time slot, there’s no reason why you can’t arrive for the early session and observe from poolside… it’s surprising how much you can learn by watching and listening to others being coached.

Are there opportunities to use the pool for my own practice?
There are several open nights in between the blocks of coaching sessions that you can book onto and use the pool for your own practice. There are also regular opportunities for members to use the unused deeper end of the pool for un-coached practice alongside the regular coaching nights. This assumes you are self-sufficient and don’t need supervision (although we obviously won’t stand by and let you drown!).
All of these will normally be announced by email and made available to book by WebCollect.

Anything else I should know?
As part of the training, it is sometimes useful to take video footage of students in action. By taking part in these sessions, you agree to being filmed either directly or indirectly unless you expressly request otherwise beforehand.

What if I have other questions?
I’m more than happy to answer questions so feel free to email me… dave.goddard@phcc.org.uk

Yes - refer to “Join us on Facebook” where they will appear.

Both locations have taster sessions during the summer months. Look under - Training - Start Award - look out for the next one advertised and apply to book your place, there is normally a small charge for this.

Annual memberships commence from the 1st of April, but you may join in March when the memberships rates are published.

There is a 6 Monthly reduced rate with effect from the 1st of October

The club has a wide range of memberships from single children or adults to whole family units at very attractive rates.

All are coaches and leaders are highly qualified and DBS holders.

Yes the ACL rate is ....£xxxx

Yes

No, however boats are available to members once they have received basic training.

Yes

Yes, the club is a great place to meet new people and explore different places.