MCC Marlins (Junior Slalom)
The Marlins is a sub-section of Manchester Canoe Club dedicated to helping junior paddlers to develop in the sport of Canoe Slalom. It is a very friendly group with members across a range of ages. Many of our juniors are in the Canoe Slalom England Talent Programme and have regular on-site sessions with the regional coach.
If you are interested in joining the Marlins, please contact Steve Holmes ([email protected]) initially, or book onto our Slalom Start course - this usually runs from April and takes young paddlers from complete beginners to competing in Div 3/4 races.
Training
On-Site Weekly Sessions
The Marlins meet every Monday and Tuesday at the club site. Most paddlers come to one session a week, but they are welcome to come to both sessions (this is particularly helpful for those training in both kayak and canoe slalom).
The training sessions are run by our qualified coaches and designed to be appropriate to the age and abilities of the paddlers - the emphasis is on having fun, especially for the younger paddlers. Sessions typically last about an hour to ninety minutes, though many of the kids decide to stay on the water to play at the end of the session.
- Mondays: 6pm onwards (please be ready 10 minutes before)
- Tuesdays: 6.30pm onwards (please be ready 10 minutes before)
Off-Site Sessions
We also run regular off-site sessions to give our paddlers experience on different rivers, or to try bigger water at specialist facilities such as Holme Pierrepont. These are arranged ad-hoc according to coach availability and we make no extra charge for them.
Marlins Fees
Marlins must be members of Manchester Canoe Club, either as a Junior (Full) member if they are the sole family member wishing to paddle, or as an add-on Junior (Family) member if other family members have full club membership.
On top of this, they pay a Marlins subscription which covers the full year. We aim to make slalom as accessible as possible to young paddlers, so Marlins fees include use of a boat, paddle, helmet, buoyancy aid and spray deck. Marlins members do not need to pay any further kit hire fees to use slalom boats either at the club or off-site.
Please refer to our Membership Fees page for details of current membership and Marlins subscriptions.
Note: The Slalom Start course fees include club membership and Marlins subs for the rest of that year, so paddlers who continue with Marlins after the course have nothing further to pay until the following January.
Marlins Kit
Each paddler will need suitable clothing and equipment, including:
- Paddling shorts and/or strides: Normally these will be neoprene. Most of our paddlers wear separate tops and bottoms rather than wetsuits - if a wetsuit is preferred, we recommend a long-john type rather than full-body wetsuit to allow more freedom of movement for the arms.
- Paddling shoes: Slalom boats do not have a great deal of foot room so thick shoes, like trainers, are inappropriate. Neoprene boots are normally used, though Decathlon sell a rubber slipper that is popular with some paddlers.
- Thermal base layer: This needs to be quite tight fitting and can be worn under a wetsuit or a cag. Any synthetic base layer will be adequate. Tops made from a thicker material are also available from specialist retailers for the colder weather.
- Paddling cag: At first any waterproof coat will do, but soon a purpose-made paddling cag will be needed as they stop water from going up the sleeves and down the neck. The cheaper cags are not designed to keep the water out, more to keep the spray off and prevent wind chill, but these are adequate for paddlers starting out. Most paddlers then progress to a cagdeck (all-in-one cag and spraydeck) and these are available both with and without integrated buoyancy aids.
- Pogies / Open-palm gloves: Pogies (mittens attached to the paddle shaft) are specialist kayak equipment designed to protect the hands and are essential if the paddler wishes to continue kayaking through the winter. For canoeing, we recommend open-palm neoprene gloves instead.
There is a strong second-hand market for kit, and we highly recommend this to keep costs down. There is usually plenty of good quality used kit available for sale at slalom races and there is also a dedicated Facebook group for selling and buying used kit and equipment.
Useful links for buying new equipment and kit include: