Paddleboarding on the Avon.
Quiet, patient, and properly taught.
Wittering SUP is based at Arden Sailing Club on the River Avon at Defford, near Pershore, Worcestershire. We run paddleboard lessons, guided river safaris, and 1:1 coaching on one of the calmest and most secluded stretches of water in the Midlands.
James and Alex have been teaching on this stretch of the Avon since 2019. The school is ASI-accredited and award-winning. Sessions run from spring through to autumn, for complete beginners through to people who have been paddling for years and want to do it properly.
Every session is capped at six people. Nobody gets left behind. Solo bookings are always welcome.
The best-reviewed paddleboard school
in the Midlands.
We ask for a review after every session. Not because we have to, but because honest feedback from real people on the Avon matters more to us than any other kind.
Three ways to get
on the water.
A 1.5-hour beginner session on a calm stretch of the Avon at Defford. Most people are standing within fifteen minutes. We promise. Maximum six paddlers, all kit included, solo bookings always welcome.
A 2.5-hour guided paddle from Defford to The Swan's Neck near Birlingham. Beginners welcome. Kingfishers, open skies, and a place most people never find. Your morning on the Avon. You won't want to come back.
A private session built entirely around you. Nervous beginners, people with specific goals, technique work, or anyone who wants undivided attention on the water. 1.5 hours, one instructor, one paddler.
Not sure which session is right for you? Drop us an email or call 07850 938 255 and we will help you work it out.
In their own words
Other sessions
worth knowing about
A regular evening session for adults who want to paddle independently with company. No instruction, no agenda. Just the river.
Find out more →Weekly sessions for children and young people on the Avon. Active, supervised, and good fun. Good for confidence on the water.
Find out more →Alex leads yoga practice on the board on the Avon. Morning sessions in a beautiful setting. Suitable for all yoga levels.
Find out more →A four-week programme on the water exploring what rivers do for the mind. Evidence-based, practically delivered. Four Sunday mornings in July.
Find out more →A private session on the Avon for groups who want to celebrate, connect, or just have a good time on the water. Tailored to the group.
Find out more →Team sessions on the river, designed around what water does for the mind. A day away from screens that people actually talk about afterwards.
Find out more →
Wittering
SUP Yoga Instructor · Open Water Swimming Coach · ASI Accredited School
James and Alex have been teaching paddleboarding on the River Avon at Defford since 2019. Between them they cover more ground than most school-sized operations: James is an ASI Technical Coach, a qualified MBCT teacher, and a certified Blue Health Facilitator. Alex is a SUP yoga instructor, open water swimming coach, and SUP instructor.
In practice, that means every session is informed by movement science, nervous system awareness, and six years of watching exactly where people find it hard and what actually helps. People often leave having taken in more than they expected from a morning on the water.
Wittering SUP is award-winning, ASI-accredited, and has more five-star reviews than any other paddleboard school in Worcestershire.
Give a session, not more stuff.
Experience vouchers for any session, no expiry date. Wittering SUP vouchers are redeemed at checkout. We also accept Virgin Experience Days, BuyAGift, and most third-party providers.
10% off at Revill's Farm Shop next door. For paddlers.
Hot drinks, cakes, and a proper lunch after your session. Show your booking confirmation at the till. Worth staying for. Most people do.
On the River Avon
at Defford, Worcestershire.
Wittering SUP is based at Arden Sailing Club on the River Avon at Defford, near Pershore, Worcestershire. The site has free parking, toilets, changing rooms, and hot showers. Revill's Farm Shop is next door.
The Avon at Defford is calm, private, and one of the most peaceful stretches of water in the county. It is easy to find, well signposted from the B4080, and takes around 30 minutes from Worcester, Evesham, or Cheltenham.
Full directions and what to expect on arrival →