Cambridgeshire has no coast, but it has a lot of water. There is England’s third largest reservoir at Grafham, a string of old gravel pits along the Great Ouse, the lakes of Ferry Meadows in Peterborough and three rivers that rowers have used for well over a century. Most of it is flat and sheltered, which makes the county a good place to learn.
This guide covers thirteen clubs, centres and hire spots across Cambridge and the Cam, Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse, and Ely, the Fens and Peterborough. We have kept to places with a current website or booking page, given prices only where the operator publishes them, and noted which ones close or slow down for winter.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Sessions, prices and seasons change, so please check each operator’s own website before you book.
Cambridge and the Cam
Cambridge is a rowing city first, but the Cam also takes paddleboards and kayaks, and the lakes at Milton give beginners somewhere calm to start. Licences matter on the river here, so read the rules before you bring your own board.
Paddleboard Hire to Grantchester, Scudamore’s Boatyard
Outdoor activity
- Scudamore’s hires stand up paddleboards from its boatyard at Granta Place for the upper River Cam towards Grantchester
- The route heads upstream and away from the colleges, so it does not pass the Backs
- Paddling times from the boatyard are about 10 minutes to Sheep’s Green, 30 minutes to Paradise Nature Reserve, an hour to Grantchester Meadows and an hour and a half to Grantchester village
- Hire starts from £16 for 90 minutes, £24 for three hours and £32 for six hours per board
- A buoyancy aid or life jacket is provided and must be worn, and every booking comes with a dry bag
- Each board is for one person, and dogs are welcome, with dog life vests available on request
- Scudamore’s suggests non-slip soles and clothes you could swim in if you fall off
- Paddlers bringing their own boards need no Conservators licence above the Mill Pit, but one is needed downstream through the city
Address: Scudamore’s Boatyard, Granta Place, Cambridge
Website: scudamores.com
Phone: 01223 359750
How to book: By phone or email through Scudamore’s; booking ahead secures a set start time
Paddleboarding to Grantchester is the gentlest way to see the Cam from water level without a punt pole. The river is narrow and slow here, with cattle on the banks and willows hanging low past Paradise, so you are never far from the edge if you wobble. The catch is that the outward leg is against the current, and a 90 minute slot only gets most people as far as Paradise and back. Book three hours if the meadows are the goal. Keep well clear of swimmers at Sheep’s Green and of the low branches on the bends.
Milton Country Park Paddlesport and Open Water Swimming
Outdoor activity
- The lakes at Milton Country Park, just north of Cambridge, are run by the Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust charity for paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing and supervised swimming
- The park is a British Canoeing Delivery Partner and a BSUPA paddleboard school, so sessions are led by qualified instructors
- Paddleboard and kayak sessions are for ages eight and over, with a minimum height of 1.3 metres, and a weekly Paddlesport Club runs for 10 to 14 year olds
- A 45 minute paddleboard taster costs £20, with board, paddle, buoyancy aid and leash provided, and tasters start again on Saturdays in spring as the weather warms up
- The 2.5 hour Ready to Ride course costs £65 and qualifies you for open paddling sessions, which start at £5 for an hour
- Winter open water swims run on Saturdays from 10am to 11am at Deep Pool, and the season began on 3 October 2026
- Every swimmer must complete an induction first, and swimming is only allowed during organised sessions
- Swims are booked through NOWCA using the ACTiO app
Address: Milton Country Park, Cambridge Road, Milton, Cambridge CB24 6AZ
Website: miltoncountrypark.org
Phone: 01223 420060
How to book: Paddlesport sessions through the park’s website; swims through the ACTiO app after an induction
Milton is the place to learn properly before heading for the river. The lakes are sheltered, there is no boat traffic, and the course ladder is clear: a taster, then Ready to Ride, then open sessions on your own. Children who catch the bug can join the Paddlesport Club and try a different craft each week. In winter the paddling quietens down and the Saturday swimmers take over Deep Pool in thick wetsuits, hats and gloves. If you are new to cold water, book the induction early and keep the first swims short.
Learn to Row at Cantabrigian Rowing Club
Indoor and outdoor
- Cantabrigian Rowing Club, known as Cantabs, is a volunteer-run town club founded in 1950 with its own boathouse on the Cam
- The adult Learn to Row course runs over four weekends, with two sessions of about two hours each weekend
- The course costs £100
- Training starts on rowing machines, moves to the club’s indoor rowing tank and then goes out on the river with experienced rowers
- You must be able to swim at least 50 metres to take part
- Taster sessions are requested through the same interest form as the full course
- Separate junior days are held for secondary school age students
Website: cantabsrowing.org.uk
How to book: Fill in the Learn to Row interest form on the club’s website
Cantabs is a good route into rowing for adults who want to be on the Cam without joining a college. The indoor tank is the big difference from most clubs, because it lets beginners get the stroke right before they ever sit in a boat that can tip. Weekend sessions suit people who work office hours. Expect early starts once you are on the water, as the river is shared with the college crews.
Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse
The west of the county has the biggest water in Cambridgeshire. Grafham Water fills the clay valley near Perry, and the old gravel pits beside the Great Ouse between St Neots and St Ives now hold sailing and ski lakes.
Grafham Water Sailing Club
Outdoor activity
- A sailing club on Grafham Water at Perry, a few miles from the A1 and A14, whose members sail dinghies, windsurfers, keelboats, small cruisers, catamarans and wingfoilers
- The club is an RYA Training Centre running sailing, windsurfing and powerboat courses, and new wingsurfing and foiling courses this year
- Taster sessions and full RYA courses are open to the public, not only members
- Adult and youth coaching runs on Saturdays, racing on Wednesdays and Sundays, and more relaxed sociable sailing on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
- In April 2026 the RYA recognised the club as a British Sailing Pathway Club for its work with young sailors
- Club boats can be hired by members who hold RYA Level 2, or Stage 2 for under 18s
- A winter membership offer runs from 31 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, and the club sails all winter
- A duty coxswain is on site whenever the water is open, and the office is open from 10am to 3pm, six days a week, closed on Tuesdays
Address: Grafham Water Sailing Club, Perry, Huntingdon PE28 0BU
Website: grafham.org
Phone: 01480 810478
How to book: Courses and taster sessions through the club’s training pages; membership through How to Join on the website
Grafham is where serious sailing happens in Cambridgeshire, and the club has produced sailors who have gone on to the Olympics and the America’s Cup. Do not let that put you off. The Saturday coaching and sociable sailing days are set up for people still learning, and new members can be paired with a mentor for their first few weeks. The reservoir is big and open, so the wind can build quickly, which is exactly why it is such a good place to learn. The club also warns members about a very shallow patch marked by a large blue buoy near the Halfway buoy.
Grafham Water Centre
Outdoor activity
- An outdoor activity centre on the shore of Grafham Water at Perry, with its own courses separate from the sailing club
- Courses run through the year, and the booking portal lists RYA Level 1 Start Sailing, Level 2 Basic Skills, Level 3 Better Sailing and Seamanship Skills for adults
- Families can book an Introduction to Sailing, an Introduction to Paddlesports or a Family Water Activities session together
- Windsurfing courses include RYA Start Windsurfing and Intermediate Windsurfing, and wingsurfing courses run for beginners and improvers
- Youth sailing runs in RYA stages, and the Stage 3 Youth Sail course is a two-day course for ages 8 to 15
- The centre also runs Sailability, an accessible sailing club, and community clubs for adults
- Prices are shown on each course page of the booking portal rather than on the main website
Address: Grafham Water Centre, Perry, Huntingdon PE28 0GW
Website: grafham-water-centre.co.uk
Phone: 01480 379500
How to book: Online through the centre’s booking portal at grafhamwater.cinolla.com
The centre is the better choice if you want a structured course rather than club life. A family introduction session is a good way to find out who actually enjoys being on the water before anyone spends money on a full RYA course. Adults can work up through the RYA levels on the same reservoir the sailing club uses. Teenagers who want a regular weekend slot are covered too, as our teenagers guide explains. Bring a full change of clothes, as getting wet is part of the deal.
Southlake Waterpark, Little Paxton
Outdoor activity
- A watersports site with three freshwater lakes on the Great North Road at Southoe, near Little Paxton and St Neots
- Waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding and wakeskating are towed behind the boat, with lessons lasting 15 minutes dock to dock
- A visitor lesson costs £40 on weekdays and £45 at weekends and bank holidays, and everyone must book in advance
- The boats run every day from May to September and on Wednesdays and weekends from October to April
- Paddleboards can be hired on the North Lake at weekends for £15 per 50 minute session, or £22 for a double session, with buoyancy aids included
- Children must be over 10 and able to swim 50 metres to take a board out alone, and children aged 6 to 10 can share a board with an adult
- Sub Zero cold water swimming runs on the South Lake from 26 October 2026 to 12 April 2027, at £8 for a swim or £15 with the sauna, with no more than 15 people per session
- Swimming is not allowed outside booked sessions, and there are showers, toilets, changing areas and free parking
Address: Southlake Waterpark, Great North Road, Southoe PE19 5YF
Website: southlakewaterpark.co.uk
Phone: 01480 216966
How to book: Online through the park’s website; non-members make a booking enquiry for boat sessions
Southlake is the place in the county to learn to waterski behind a boat, and it keeps going through the winter on Wednesdays and weekends. Fifteen minutes does not sound long, but it is plenty on your first go, when most of the lesson is spent learning to get up out of the water. The paddleboard lake is sheltered, a good halfway house between a lesson and the open river. The new Sub Zero sessions bring a sauna and deck to the South Lake for the cold months. Sign the online waiver before you arrive to save time at registration.
Hunts Sailing Club, St Ives
Outdoor activity
- A family sailing club on a lake off Harrison Way in St Ives, open all year round
- The club is an RYA Training Centre and runs regular beginner and improver courses for adults and young people
- Racing takes place on Sundays through the year, with Wednesday evening races in summer
- Classes raced include Solos, Enterprises, Phantoms and Lasers, plus an all-comers handicap fleet
- The November Horn races run on 1, 8 and 15 November 2026
- Winter membership went on sale in October 2026
- Around 50 visitors came to the club’s taster day in June 2026
- Young Hunts sailors took part in the first RYA Junior Club Championships at Northampton Sailing Club in September 2026
Address: Hunts Sailing Club, Harrison Way, St Ives PE27 4YA
Website: huntssc.org.uk
How to book: Courses and membership through the club’s website; email info@huntssc.org.uk
Hunts is the friendly small-lake option, and it describes itself as a club where several generations of the same family race against each other. A lake is easier to learn on than a river, with no current and no cruisers to dodge, and this one is in St Ives itself. Summer evening racing makes it easy to sail after work. Keep an eye on the club calendar for the next taster day, which is the simplest way to see if the sport is for you.
St Neots Rowing Club
Indoor and outdoor
- A volunteer-led rowing club on the Great Ouse at Priory Lane, which has been part of St Neots for more than 160 years
- Learn to row courses run each year for adults and juniors, taught by qualified coaches with volunteer helpers
- Adults must be over 18 and in reasonable health, and there is no upper age limit
- Juniors can start from age 12 or Year 8, and must be able to swim 100 metres
- Adults confirm they can swim 100 metres in light clothing, and a swim test is arranged after the course
- The first sessions are on rowing machines, followed by wide beginner boats and then quads from about the fourth session
- You can register interest at any time, and the club emails details of the next course about six weeks before it starts
- The boathouse is also home to the St Neots Dragon Boat Club
Address: St Neots Rowing Club, Priory Lane, St Neots PE19 2PZ
Website: stneotsrc.co.uk
Phone: 01480 472302
How to book: Email learn@stneotsrc.co.uk to register interest in the next course
St Neots is a proper town club, and the stretch of the Great Ouse here is wide and calm enough for beginners. The course moves people into quads quickly, which means rowing in a team early on and learning to keep time with others. The club raised money in 2025 for new learner boats and rowing machines, so newcomers are clearly a priority. Commit to the full course if you sign up, because the club points out that missed sessions make it harder for everyone.
Ely, the Fens and Peterborough
North of Cambridge the Great Ouse runs dead straight through the Fens, and Ely’s rowers have miles of it to train on. Peterborough has the sheltered lakes of Ferry Meadows and a purpose-built rowing lake, while a cable park near Stretham brings wakeboarding to the edge of the Fens.
Hannam’s Wake Hub, Stretham
Outdoor activity
- A cable wakeboarding park on farmland at Stowbridge Farm, beside the A10 at Stretham between Cambridge and Ely
- The main lake has a five corner Rixen cable with UNIT Parktech obstacles, and a separate straight-line System 2.0 cable is used for coaching
- The coaching cable is driven by a coach for one rider at a time, and runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:30pm to 4pm
- School of Wake sessions for ages 8 to 16 last two hours on a slower cable, with equipment hire included, on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am to 1pm in school holidays
- Booster Sessions on a slower cable run at weekends from 10am to noon for riders moving on from the coaching cable or coming back after a break
- In October the park opened on Fridays from 2pm to 5pm and at weekends from 11am to 5pm, and the season closes for winter around the end of October
- Full season memberships for 2027 cost £975, payable in three instalments of £325
- The same site runs open water swimming and Cambridge Aqua Park, an inflatable course for families
Address: Stowbridge Farm, Cambridge Road, Stretham CB6 3LU
Website: hannamswakehub.com
Phone: 01353 523969
How to book: Online through the park’s website
Hannam’s is the place to try wakeboarding without a boat. The cable pulls you round the lake at a steady speed, and the straight-line coaching cable means a beginner gets the coach’s full attention instead of falling off in front of a queue. The park says beginners on the coaching cable should be up and riding in their first session. More experienced riders head for the obstacles on the main cable. The park is closed for the winter, so plan a first visit for next year and look out for school holiday sessions if you have children aged eight or over.
Isle of Ely Rowing Club
Outdoor activity
- A community rowing club founded in 2004, with its boathouse off Kiln Lane on the Prickwillow Road side of Ely
- The club rows on the Great Ouse near the Queen Adelaide Straight, with about 40km of river between Denver Sluice and Bottisham Lock
- The 5km straight near the club hosted the Boat Race in 2021, and the club shares the water with the Cambridge University Boat Club and the King’s School Ely
- A seasonal Learn to Row course for complete novices teaches sculling in stable beginner boats
- Adult courses usually run in spring and summer, and you join the waiting list to hear about the next one
- Novices who finish the course are invited to join as members and move on to progression sessions on Saturdays at 10:30am
- The club has a junior section and runs schools outreach rowing for children at local state schools
- Members raced at the 2026 British Masters Rowing Championships and the Cambridge Town Bumps in July 2026
Address: Kiln Lane, Prickwillow Road, Ely
Website: elyrowingclub.org.uk
How to book: Join the Learn to Row waiting list through the club’s website
Rowing at Ely means long, straight, empty water with the cathedral on the skyline behind you. That straight is why the Boat Race came here in 2021, and why the university crews still train on it. For a beginner, the lack of bends and traffic is a real advantage. Courses fill quickly, so get your name on the waiting list over the winter if you want a place in spring.
Nene Outdoors, Ferry Meadows
Outdoor activity
- Nene Park Trust’s watersports centre on Gunwade Lake in Ferry Meadows, Peterborough
- Kayaks, paddleboards and other craft can be hired on the lake, and the centre describes them as suited to families and beginners
- Accredited sailing courses run for adults and children
- The centre is open to the public from March to October, and outside that season it only takes school, group and corporate bookings
- An annual launch package gives unlimited sailing in centre hours, free Ferry Meadows parking and membership of Lakeside Sailing Club, which races on the lake
- Paddlers and sailors can pay to launch their own craft for the day, but must bring third party liability insurance and a buoyancy aid
- Packers Canoe Club meets at Nene Outdoors on Wednesday evenings from late April to early September
- Car parking charges apply to every vehicle in Ferry Meadows
Address: Nene Outdoors, Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk
Phone: 01733 234193
How to book: Online through Nene Park Trust’s ticket site, or at reception
Nene Outdoors is the obvious first stop for watersports in the north of the county. Gunwade Lake is sheltered and has no current, so a half hour on a board or in a kayak is a gentle introduction for children. Adults who catch the bug can do a sailing course and then use the launch package to keep sailing with the Lakeside club. The centre closes to the public between November and February, so this is one for spring. Plan for parking costs, as the car parks charge every vehicle.
Peterborough Sailability, Ferry Meadows
Outdoor activity
- A registered charity that gives people with disabilities the chance to sail on Gunwade Lake at Ferry Meadows
- Sailing runs every Tuesday and Thursday from April to the end of October, and the 2027 season starts on Tuesday 30 March 2027
- Challenger boats go out in 40 minute slots, with six boats on Tuesdays and eight on Thursdays
- A Lugger boat carries up to four people including the helm, with one hoist user per launch, on Tuesdays
- You do not need to be able to swim to sail
- The sailing fee is £10 a session for the 2027 season
- Bookings for 2027 opened on 6 October 2026, and every sailor fills in a new registration form at the start of the season
- Sessions can be cancelled at short notice if too few volunteers are available, and cancellations are posted on the website
Address: Gunwade Lake, Ferry Meadows, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: peterboroughsailability.org
Phone: 07948 262919, on sailing days only
How to book: Email p.sail@hotmail.co.uk, phone on a sailing day or book in person at the lake
Sailability is run by volunteers and built around the idea that a disability should not keep anyone off the water. The Challenger is a stable single-handed boat, while the Lugger and its hoist suit people who need more support. Arrive 15 minutes early on your first visit so there is time to get settled. Volunteers are always welcome.
Learn to Row at Peterborough City Rowing Club
Outdoor activity
- Peterborough City Rowing Club is based at Thorpe Meadows, beside its own 1,000 metre rowing lake
- The sheltered lake has no current and no boat traffic, which suits beginners
- The adult Learn to Row course runs over eight two-hour sessions and is open to anyone aged 16 and over
- Courses usually start in April, June, August and October
- Teaching follows British Rowing’s Learn to Row handbook, with most of the time spent on the water in stable boats
- Junior Learn to Row courses run separately
- The club also has a rowing programme for blind and visually impaired people called Row the Rhythm, and adapted equipment for accessible rowing
Address: Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough
Website: peterboroughcityrowing.co.uk
How to book: Sign up through the Learn to Row pages on the club’s website
A dedicated rowing lake is a rare thing, and it makes Peterborough one of the easiest places in the region to learn. There is no current to fight, no cruiser coming round a bend and no other river users to dodge, so beginners can concentrate on the stroke. Thorpe Meadows is also a pleasant place to watch from, with a path along the lake and the Nene close by. With four start dates a year, you rarely have long to wait for a course.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: Nene Outdoors reopens to the public in March, Peterborough Sailability starts its 2027 season on 30 March, paddleboard tasters return to Milton Country Park on Saturdays, Peterborough City Rowing Club starts a Learn to Row course in April and Ely’s adult rowing courses begin.
Summer: Southlake’s boats run every day from May to September, Hannam’s runs School of Wake sessions in the school holidays, Hunts Sailing Club and Grafham Water Sailing Club race on Wednesday evenings, and Packers Canoe Club paddles at Nene Outdoors on Wednesday evenings until early September.
Autumn: Hannam’s closes for winter around the end of October, Nene Outdoors closes to the public at the end of October, Southlake’s Sub Zero cold water swims start on 26 October, and Hunts Sailing Club races the November Horn on 1, 8 and 15 November 2026.
Winter: Saturday open water swims carry on at Milton, Southlake’s boats run on Wednesdays and weekends and Sub Zero runs until 12 April 2027, Grafham Water Sailing Club’s winter membership runs to 31 March 2027, and the 44th Grafham Grand Prix is on 3 January 2027.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
We wrote this guide because so many people in the county drive past Grafham or Ferry Meadows every week without ever getting on the water. Most of these clubs and centres are run by volunteers or charities, and they want beginners.
If you run one of these places, or you have been out recently and something has changed, please let us know. We will keep the guide up to date ahead of the 2027 season.
Before You Go
- Most operators in this guide expect you to be able to swim, and several set a distance: 25 metres at Southlake’s aqua park, 50 metres at Cantabs and 100 metres at St Neots Rowing Club
- Buoyancy aids are compulsory on hired boards and boats, and most centres provide them in the price
- Bringing your own board or kayak onto the Cam needs a Conservators licence downstream of the Mill Pit, or personal Paddle UK membership with your number on the board
- Many sites close to the public or cut their hours between November and March, including Nene Outdoors and Hannam’s Wake Hub, so check before you travel in winter
- Wear old trainers or water shoes with grip, and bring a full change of clothes and a towel, as you will get wet
- Cold water swimming needs proper preparation, so book Milton’s induction before your first swim and keep your first winter swims short
- Learn to row courses fill quickly, so register interest with the club a few months before you want to start
- Avoid swimming in rivers after heavy rain, when water quality is at its worst
