FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ's
Important: Please arrive 30 minutes before your booking start time.
If you arrive late for your booking, we may be unable to proceed with the hire of your craft. You must bring a mobile phone as it is required to be on the water with your paddle party as per our T&Cs, we will provide a dry bag to keep your phone safe.
​
Where are you based and where can I park ?
​
Grove Ferry Site
​
Postcode - CT3 4BP. Parking is available at the site: £2.00 weekdays, £3.00 weekends.
​
Fordwich Site
​
Postcode - CT2 OBW. Free public parking is available on the main Fordwich Road or the side road; Marlow Meadows, please park responsibly.
​
The postcode above takes you to Marlow Meadows (circled). From there you will need to head to the beginning of the red arrows by walking along the main Fordwich road, located here there will be a town boundary sign and our Canoe Wild sign, follow the arrows (down the dirt track) to reach our site where you will be greeted by our staff.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
If you are walking from the opposite direction, with the George and Dragon pub on your right, proceed over the bridge and make an immediate right turn when you reach the bollards. There will be a white house at this turning.
​
What are your Opening Times ?
​
March to November, we are open from 9:00am to 6:00pm, 7 days a week.
Last Hour Hires at 4:30pm and last Fordwich to Grove Trip 3:30pm April - September.
​
What is the difference between a Canoe and a Kayak ?
​
When kayaking, the paddler uses a double-bladed paddle, on alternate sides to move the craft. When canoeing, the paddlers use single bladed paddles and paddle on either side of the craft.
​
Is everything provided ?
​
Yes, we provide all safety equipment ​for you which includes Buoyancy Aids, Paddles, Dry Bags and a Route Map. Your Buoyancy Aid must be worn at all times. We stipulate that you must wear the Buoyancy Aid we provide and not your own - we will fit you with the correct Buoyancy Aid when you arrive.
​
How do I get back to my car ?
​
We offer a free lift back either at the beginning or at the end of your paddle. The lift is only available to those paddling from Fordwich to Grove Ferry. On a busy day, our lifts will be organised on a first-come, first-serve basis. We endeavour to return you to your cars as quickly as possible.
​
Can I get to you by bus or train?
​
Yes. To reach our Fordwich Site, you can either take a 4 minute train from Canterbury West to Sturry Train Station or any 8 or 6, or Triangle bus from Canterbury Bus Station to Fordwich Road or Sturry train station which is then a short walk to our site.
To reach our Grove Ferry site you can take the 8 bus from Canterbury Bus Station and get off at Upstreet, Grove Ferry Hill followed by a short walk down the hill to our site.
​
What should I wear?
​
Lightweight clothes and waterproofs are ideal as we all know how unpredictable our British weather can be. Old trainers or clothes you wouldn't mind getting wet are also a good idea. We recommend a change of clothes just in case.
​
Are there any changing facilities and/or toilets on site?
​
Yes, at our Grove site there are changing rooms and a toilet block on site. At Fordwich, there is a small eco toilet.
​
Is there anywhere we can leave our belongings?
​
We kindly ask you not to bring too many belongings as we don't have a designated area for them however you're more than welcome to bring a small bag that will fit into one of the provided dry bags so you can take it with you on your paddle.
​
Do I need to book?
​
We prefer you to book so that we can ensure we have your preferred craft ready and available for you. We do our best to accommodate walk-in bookings but we cannot always ensure that we will have availability. Please book through the buttons on the home page or call us on 07947 835688. Payment is required on booking over the phone or via the website.
​
Do I have to be able to swim?
​
No, it is not a requirement as we provide everyone with a correctly fitted buoyancy aid upon arrival. We still recommend that you have at least one person in your party that is water confident.
​
What is your cancellation policy?​
​
CANCELLATION BY US: We have the right to cancel or re-schedule bookings at our discretion if adverse weather or water conditions deem it necessary, even if that is on the day of your booking. In these circumstances, 100% of your booking cost will be refunded or an opportunity to move your booking will be offered. CANCELLATION BY YOU: If you cancel your booking, we reserve the right to charge you according to the notice you have given us:
a. More than 24 hours notice - your booking will be refunded or rescheduled.
b. Less than 24 hours notice - 100% of basic hire cost will still be charged. c. For booking parties of 15 participants or more, we require 7 days’ notice of cancellation for a full refund or reschedule. If less than 7 days’ notice is given, we will retain your deposit. If less than 24 hours’ notice is given, 100% of basic hire cost will still be charged.
​
Are there any age restrictions?
​
No, all ages are welcome including toddlers and babies. Children have to be 12 years old to paddle in/on a single craft (Single Kayaks, Paddleboards) with an adult on the water in a separate craft.
​
Are there any places to eat/drink near you?
​
Yes, both our Fordwich and Grove Ferry sites are a short walk from local pubs. Fordwich: The George & Dragon, CT2 0DB is located on the opposite side of the bridge to Canoe Wild. The Fordwich Arms, CT2 0DB is a short walk around the corner from The George & Dragon. Grove Ferry: The Grove Ferry Inn, CT3 4BP is a short walk through both car parks from Canoe Wild. Plucks Gutter: For the longer trips, the Dog & Duck, CT3 1JB is a short walk over the bridge.
​
Can I bring my dog?
​
Yes, we are super dog friendly! We recommend your dog will be best suited in a Canoe with you, we ask that you do not tie your dog to yourself or the Canoe and the dog is of a medium size.
​
Can we drink alcohol?
​
No. Alcohol and drug consumption are not permitted.
​
What personal information do you retain ?
​
Canoe Wild Ltd are fully compliant with GDPR and the Data Protection Act. We operate a secure online booking system www.checkfront.com.Your card details remain within the secure booking system and card processing information details are kept for the purpose of refunds or as deposit security.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS &
CONDITIONS OF HIRE CONTRACT
CANOE WILD LTD TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
​
GENERAL. - The Booking Terms and Conditions and Hire Contract apply to the booking of any Canoe Wild Ltd hires and courses and any ancillary products at the locations set out in Canoe Wild Ltd’s booking confirmation. These Booking Terms and Conditions contain important information concerning participation by you and members of your party and, accordingly, you acknowledge and agree that you shall accept these booking and hire terms and conditions. No variation to these booking terms and conditions shall be binding unless agreed in writing by Canoe Wild Ltd. Any typographical, clerical or other error or omission in any booking confirmation or other documentation issued by Canoe Wild Ltd (including any electronic documentation) shall be subject to correction without any liability on the part of Canoe Wild Ltd. Canoe Wild Ltd reserves the right to make changes to the activities whether to conform with any applicable safety or other statutory requirements or otherwise.
​
1. HIRE AGREEMENT. Before the commencement of any Canoe Wild Ltd activity, each client must have read and signed our Conditions of Hire Contract. The signatories are responsible for ensuring that each and every member of the party is fully aware of the risks and health and safety issues involved including any children within their care. Each member of the party aged 18 years and over must sign in their own right. Where any member of the party is under 18 years, a parent, guardian or responsible adult must sign on their behalf.
​
2. LETTING. We are letting, and you are hiring, the goods detailed on your booking form together with any accessories described (the Goods) for the period of hire shown. Goods are anything owned by Canoe Wild Ltd including but not limited to, craft, buoyancy aids, paddles, dry bags, maps etc.
​
3. YOUR OBLIGATIONS. On your acceptance of the terms of the Hire Contract and its Obligations you shall:
​
3.1 USE AND LOCATIONS. Keep the Goods in your possession and under your control at all times and use the Goods only within the area of, and for the purposes of, your trip agreed with us at time of booking.
​
3.2 INSPECTION. Permit Canoe Wild Ltd access to the Goods at all times, for the purpose of inspecting, repairing and removing the Goods.
​
3.3 LOSS OR DAMAGE. Be responsible for loss or damage to, the Goods caused by your own fault and compensate us appropriately.
​
3.4 PROHIBITION AGAINST SALE ETC. Not sell, underlet, or dispose of the Goods, and will indemnify us against all losses, costs, claims, damage and expenses howsoever occasioned by your breach of these conditions.
3.5 THE ACTIVTIES REQUIRE SOME PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. If participants have medical concerns, they are advised to consult their doctor in advance. Participants will be required to certify that they do not suffer from any medical condition which would make it more likely that they would be involved in any incident which could result in injury to themselves or others. Due to the physical nature of the activity, Canoe Wild Ltd recommends that pregnant women should take advice before booking. Pregnant women who still wish to undertake the activities do so at their own risk.
​
3.6 SWIMMING ABILITY: All participants taking part in a Canoe Wild Ltd activity are equipped with buoyancy aids or full life jackets; therefore, an inability to swim will not exclude you from taking part. However, we do ask that all adults have a suitable level of water confidence and be accompanied by at least one adult that has an ability to swim at least 25 meters.
​
3.7 WEIGHT: Canoe Wild Ltd Canoes take up to a maximum weight restriction of 40 stone. Single sit on top Kayaks have a maximum weight restrictions of 20 stone, Double Kayaks maximum weight restriction is 40 stone. 10’6” Paddle boards have a maximum weight restriction of 15 stone and 18 stone for a 10’8” board. Weight limits of other craft are adhered to in line with manufacturers guidelines. You are obligated to inform Canoe Wild Ltd if you perceive your weight to exceed the restrictions.
​
3.8 RIGHTS OF ADMITTANCE: Canoe Wild Ltd reserves the right to refuse admittance to the activities or to remove a participant from the activities should we deem it necessary to do so. This includes participants who do not comply with the safety rules and advice and who is deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. All participants are required to act responsibly and courteously at all times and to respect other participants and members of the public including other river users and anglers. Canoe Wild Ltd is entitled to prevent any person from undertaking or completing activities in the event it deems the behaviour of any participant unsuitable. Participants must be dressed appropriately and Canoe Wild Ltd reserves the right to refuse any participant who is not appropriately dressed.
​
3.9 SUPERVISION OF UNDER 18’S: A participating adult must accompany under 18-year-olds. Any Children under the age of 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult in the same canoe or double kayak. Children of 12 and over can operate a canoe, kayak, or paddle board however an adult must remain within the group and on the water at all times. Participating adults (18+) must sign a Conditions of Hire Contract stating that they will accept responsibility for the safety of (under 18’s) and for supervision of children in their care.
​
3.10 RESCUE: Never enter the water to rescue someone, encourage them to swim across to the bank side, reach using a paddle or untie the rope and throw this to pull them to safety.
​
3.11 RIVER RULES: You agree to follow the rules of the river, including.
a. Under no circumstances are customers allowed to enter the tidal lake, moor or exit craft at Port Farm unless it is an emergency.
b. Clients must only enter and exit at the designated points on the river and could be open to prosecution through trespass by landowners. Clients should not moor at any boat moorings along the river unless agreed by owners of the land or moorings.
c. Respect all river users including wildlife, giving them space, and particularly avoid swans and fisherman giving them a wide birth and avoiding their lines. d. Paddle on the right-hand side of the river. In the need to overtake craft do so on the left.
e. If you meet motorboats, move to the right, STOP and let them pass. If it is too late to action this stay safe where you are and let the boat pass you.
f. If paddling as a group, ensure all under 18’s are in sight of an adult who is responsible for them at all times.
g.Avoid overhanging branches and river debris.
​
4. MAINTENANCE. It is our full obligation and forms part of these Terms and Conditions to maintain all goods hired so they are in a full working condition, provided you have abided by all your Obligations (section 3, above).
​
5. CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE ETC. We accept no responsibility for consequential loss or damage howsoever arising from the letting evidenced by this agreement unless it arises from our negligent act or default.
​
6. BREACH. Should you commit any breach of the Conditions of Hire Contact, Canoe Wild Ltd may terminate the agreement and your continued possession of the Goods will be without Canoe Wild Ltd’s consent. You will also forfeit your hire fee in the case of a breach of contract.
​
7. DEPOSITS & PAYMENTS. Canoe Wild Ltd requires full payment on general hire activity at time of booking. Mult-Activity Bookings require 50 % deposited at time of booking with the remaining balance due two weeks after the booking date.
​
8. CANCELLATION BY US. We have the right to cancel or re-schedule bookings at our discretion if adverse weather or water conditions deem it necessary, even if that is on the day of your booking. In these circumstances, 100% of your booking cost will be refunded or an opportunity to move your booking will be offered.
​
9. CANCELLATION BY YOU. If you cancel your booking, we reserve the right to charge you according to the notice you have given us:
a. more than 24 hours’ notice - your booking will be refunded or rescheduled.
b. less than 24 hours’ notice - 100% of basic hire cost will still be charged. c. For booking parties of 20 participants or more, we require 7 days’ notice of cancellation for a full refund or reschedule. If less than 7 days’ notice is given, we will retain your deposit. If less than 24 hours’ notice is given, 100% of basic hire cost will still be charged.
​
10. DISCLAIMER. Canoe Wild Ltd will not be liable for any death, personal injury, or loss of or damage to goods arising from the hire of any items by them unless that death, personal injury or loss of, or damage to the goods arises directly from an act of omission on the part of the company, its servant or agent.
CONDITION OF HIRE CONTRACT:
-
I am 18+ years old and wish to hire or take part in a Canoe Wild Ltd activity including paddling a canoe, kayak, and paddle board (SUP).
-
I declare that if I am not the parent or guardian, I have the authority of the parent or guardian to sign this condition of hire contract for any children within the party booking. I will ensure that the children in my care understand and follow the instructions set out by Canoe Wild Ltd.
-
I understand that paddling a canoe, kayak or SUP is an assumed risk activity and is physically demanding and that there are certain dangers involved that are beyond the control of Canoe Wild Ltd. These may include but not be limited to capsize, drowning, injury, damage to property, accident, hypothermia, or death.
-
I certify that I do not suffer from any medical conditions which would increase the risks to injury or death during my paddle activity. All pre-existing medical conditions must be declared prior to going out on the water.
-
I agree to follow all instructions set out in the safety brief as well as all instruction given to me by Canoe Wild Ltd staff at all times.
-
I acknowledge that in the event of an accident, loss or damage to my personal affects or myself or the children in my care, that Canoe Wild Ltd will not be liable. I waive all and any claims against Canoe Wild Ltd in this respect, both for myself and/or for the children in my care.
-
I understand the importance of following the government guidelines regarding Covid-19 and will follow all control measures Canoe Wild Ltd have put in place to mitigate against the spread of Covid-19.
-
I accept that Canoe Wild Ltd reserves the right to refuse admittance to its activities or to remove a participant from the activities should it be deemed necessary to do so.
-
I understand that I am required to WEAR A BUOYANCY AID AT ALL TIMES, REFRAIN FROM BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS AND CONDUCT MYSELF IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER.
-
I understand that Canoe Wild Ltd requires my personal information in the case of an emergency and accept that this personal data will be managed correctly. (see full T&C’s and privacy policy).
DECLARATIONS:
​
-
I have read the information and understand the implications of Leptospirosis (Weil’s disease) and accept the risks.
-
If I am attending a course, taster session or guided tour I agree to the terms and condition of that hire.
-
I understand that Canoe Wild Ltd activities are outdoors and with that it carries several hazards which may include but not be limited to, heavy rain, cold temperatures, prevailing winds, lightening, fallen trees etc.
WEILS’S DISEASE (Leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagiae)
Weil’s Disease is a rare bacterial infection which contaminates water and wet riverbanks on some river courses in the UK. The Disease is carried in rat’s urine but does not survive for long in dry conditions. It can occur in any water, although the risk of infection is greater in stagnant or slow-moving water. Weil’s Disease is rare, but it can be a serious illness requiring hospital treatment. It is caught by absorbing the bacteria through the skin and mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes, or any cuts in the skin. If within 3 – 19 days after a Canoe Wild Ltd activity you feel ill with a temperature, influenza-like illness and/or joint and muscle pain and possibly jaundice, you should see your doctor immediately and tell him/her you have been taking part in water sports and where you have been paddling.
CANOE WILD DATA AND PRIVACY POLICY.
Canoewild.co.uk is a domain name of Canoe Wild Ltd. We aim to provide the highest standard of customer service and to do this we may on occasions need to collect personal information from you. In doing so, we are committed to protecting your privacy and adhering to the principles of the General Data Protection regulations (GDPR) 2018. Canoe Wild Ltd is committed to protecting consumer credit card data in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Our alignment with this standard is reflected in the people, technologies and processes we employ, and we attest to our PCI compliance annually. We only collect personal information via the Checkfront booking system that you choose to provide voluntarily when using the website and booking via telephone.
This Privacy Policy explains what happens to any personal data that you provide to us.
Information we collect.
In operating our website, we may collect and process the following data about you:
-
When you make a booking via a Canoe Wild Ltd team member or website, we request your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, credit/debit card details.
-
We also ask for any pre-existing medical conditions. We use this information to process and make your booking.
-
In providing this information, you are giving your explicit consent for Canoe Wild Ltd to collect, process, disclose or transfer and store your personal data for the purposes of fulfilling your requirements or for safety reasons.
-
You will receive 3 forms of correspondence from Canoe Wild Ltd on completion of booking:
​​
-
Booking Confirmation Email
-
Reminder Email – Sent out 3 days prior to your booking.
-
Thank you email.
How we use the information we collect.
We use the information that you provide in the following ways:
-
The administration and fulfilment of any contract between us in order to satisfy your requirements.
-
We may periodically send promotional emails about paddling with Canoe Wild or special offers which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided, so long as you have given us consent to use.
Disclosing your Personal Information.
Your personal data will not be disclosed to any third parties except:
-
To the extent and the purpose that Canoe Wild Ltd may be required to do so by any law, legislation, enactment, or safety reason.
-
During the period of any hire where in the sole judgment of Canoe Wild Ltd it is considered to be for the safety or wellbeing of you or any people that we know to be accompanying you.
Image Consent.
Canoe Wild Ltd requires your consent to take photographs and images of activities in which you are taking part for media and marketing purposes.
Use of Cookies.
We may on occasion gather information regarding your computer whilst you are on our website. This enables us to improve our services and to provide statistical information regarding the use of our website for marketing purposes.
Storing your Personal Data.
We may transfer data that we collect from you to locations outside of the European Economic Area for processing and storing. Also, it may be processed by staff operating outside the
European Economic Area who work for us or for one of our suppliers. For example, such staff maybe engaged in the processing of your booking, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We will take all reasonable steps to make sure that your data is treated securely and in agreement with this Privacy Policy.
Data that is provided to us via Checkfront is stored on our secure servers. Details relating to any transactions entered into on our site will be encrypted to ensure its safety.
Security.
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
Third Party Links.
You might find links to third party websites on our website. These websites should have their own privacy policies which you should check. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for their policies whatsoever as we have no control over them.
Access to Information.
The GDPR 2018 gives you the right to access the information that we hold about you. You also have the right to request that we remove your details from our records.