Most people are standing
within fifteen minutes.
Most people arrive at the car park with some version of the same question: am I going to be the one it does not work for? The answer, in thousands of sessions on this stretch of the Avon, has almost always been no. Around 98 percent of people are standing within the first fifteen minutes. For everyone else, we keep going until we get there.
The first thing most people notice when they arrive is the river itself. The quiet, the green, the way the water moves. That tends to settle things before we have even started the briefing. We chose this stretch of the Avon at Defford specifically because it is calm, private, and worth a morning of anyone's time.
Complete beginner or self-taught paddler who has been muddling along on your own, you will leave this session better than you arrived. More confident, more efficient, and with at least one technique you did not have when you showed up.
Any experience level.
The best-reviewed paddleboard school
in Worcestershire.
These reviews mean more to us than we can easily say. We read them on the hard days, and they remind us why we do this.
“The whole experience was so relaxing I had not felt so peaceful for a long time.”
Whatever your starting point,
you will leave better than you arrived.
A proper activity
for the whole family.
A Learn to SUP session is one of the best things you can do together on a summer morning or half-term afternoon. It takes 1.5 hours, everybody goes at their own pace, and most people end up paddling along a stretch of the Avon that feels completely removed from wherever they started the day.
Children aged 10 and over are welcome. Under 18s need an adult on the water with them, which most families take as the invitation it is. Sessions are capped at six people so there is always proper time and attention for everyone.
After the session, Revill's Farm Shop is right next door and paddlers get 10% off. Most families stay for lunch. The sailing club has toilets, changing rooms, and free parking on site.
Check dates and book →Simple pricing.
£45 per person.
One price for everyone.
£45 per person. Adults, children, beginners, returners. Solo paddlers always welcome. Sessions are capped at six so everyone gets proper attention on the water.
That is it. Nothing else to work out.
Choose a date and bookWhat the 1.5 hours
actually looks like
Sounds like your kind of morning? Choose a date and book →
Worried about
falling in?
Almost everyone arrives with something they are quietly worried about. Falling in is the most common. For others it is water quality, being out of their comfort zone, or not wanting to hold the group back. Whatever it is, we invite you to name it when you arrive and we address it before anyone goes near the water.
The Avon at Defford is around seventeen feet deep where we paddle. That might sound alarming until you realise what it means: clear water, no muddy bottom, no reeds around your ankles. Most people find the depth reassuring once we explain it. In summer the water reaches 17 to 24 degrees. All kit is sorted on arrival and we talk through what you will need on the day.
Everything on this course is invitational. You will never be asked to do anything you are not comfortable with. We encourage self-rescue practice because it builds confidence, but it is always your choice. The goal is that you leave feeling capable and safe to paddle independently.
Ready to give it a go? Book a session → · Or call 07850 938 255
In their own words
Ready to get on the water? Choose a date and book your session →
Any questions? Call James on 07850 938 255 · Or choose a date and book now
Wittering
SUP Yoga Instructor · Open Water Swimming Coach
James and Alex have been teaching paddleboarding on the River Avon since 2019. Between them they bring a range of qualifications you would not normally find in a small river school: James is an ASI Technical Coach, a qualified MBCT teacher, and a certified Blue Health Facilitator. Alex is a yoga and SUP yoga instructor, an open water swimming coach, and a SUP instructor.
In practice, that means even in a beginner session you are getting coaching informed by movement science, nervous system awareness, and years of watching exactly where people find it hard and what actually helps. Most people leave having learned more than they expected in ninety minutes.
Wittering SUP is award-winning and accredited, with more five-star reviews than any other paddleboard school in Worcestershire.
The river is doing
something while you are on it.
James is a certified Blue Health Facilitator and MBCT teacher. Blue health is the science of what proximity to water does to the mind: lower cortisol, restored attention, improved mood. The Avon at Defford is doing all of this passively throughout your session, before you have even noticed.
James weaves nervous system awareness into every session, including the moments when the body starts to feel uncertain on the water. Understanding what is happening and knowing what to do about it changes the experience significantly.
Every age, body
and ability.
If you or someone in your group has a disability, neurodiversity, or anything that might affect how the session works for you, tell us when you book. We have adapted sessions for wheelchair users, people with cerebral palsy, neurodivergent adults and children, and plenty of people who just needed things to go a bit slower.
We always find a way to make it work. If you are not sure whether something is a barrier, email or call and we will tell you honestly.
Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult on the water. Everyone needs to be able to swim 50 metres. Beyond that, come and talk to us.
£45 per person. Six places per session. Choose a date and book →
Everything you
need to know
10% off at Revill's Farm Shop next door. For paddlers.
Hot drinks, cakes, and a proper lunch after your session. Worth staying for. A lot of people do. Show your booking confirmation at the till.
A few things
worth knowing before you come
Ready when
you are.
Choose a date below, pick your time, and select your tickets. Sessions are capped at six paddlers. Any questions before you book, give us a call or drop us an email.
Solo bookings are always welcome. You do not need a group. Turn up on your own and leave with a new skill and probably a new favourite stretch of river.
Want to give this as a gift? Our experience vouchers work for any session and have no expiry date.
