South Cambs District Council are advertising paddle boarding quick start sessions and courses in Milton Country Park from 7 May.

Paddle boarding involves standing on a large surfboard and paddling along on water. If you have water confidence and are at least 1.3m tall, you’ll be able to take part in sessions run by South Cambridgeshire District Council, in partnership with Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust, from next Saturday (7 May) until the end of September.

Fully qualified instructors are on hand at all times to guide paddle boarders. Quick start sessions are one hour long and cost £14 per person and will take place every Friday from 13 May to 23 September, 4.30pm to 5.30pm, and every other Saturday from 7 May to 24 September: 10am to 11am, 11am to 12pm and 12pm to 1pm.

The press release says: “If you’d like to reach a standard that allows you to hire a board and paddle independently at Milton Country Park and other venues, our British Standing Up Paddle Boarding Association (BSUPA) qualification courses are for you” but it also states “prior arrangement” is necessary and dates of open evenings are TBC.

Three-week ‘Ready to Ride’ ­­courses for adults and ‘Born to Ride’ courses for 12 to 18 year olds cost £50. They start on 12 May and 16 June, running from 5.30pm to 6.45pm. Under 18 certificate holders will still need to have a qualified adult with them to paddle without an instructor.

An intensive three-hour ‘Ready to Ride’ course is also available for over 18s who already have some paddleboarding experience. Costing £40, the course will run on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm on 14 and 28 May, 25 June, 9 and 23 July, 6 and 20 August, 3 and 17 September.

More information at https://www.scambs.gov.uk/paddle-boarding