- Do I have to be a University of Queensland student to join the club? No. The club is open to anyone over 18 years of age and older. As part of our UQ affiliation, we are required to have a certain percentage of members who are ordinary members (i.e. UQ students, UQ alumni, UQ staff, etc). Limits may be applied if this became an issue.
- How much does it cost to join?
Prices vary for students and non-students. Current costs are summarised here.
- Why is the club so cheap to join?
So you’ve noticed how cheap it is. The reason is that we are primarily affiliated with UQ Sport. There is financial assistance that comes through this affiliation – primarily covering costs of insurance. This is funded in part by the service fees students pay the university each year. This is one of the places that money goes, and is the reason students also have a substantial membership discount. Of course another reason is that many of the non-students were students once (yes we paid that service fee too) – so we understand…
- Do I have to become a member to be able to use the club equipment? Yes. For insurance and safety reasons you must be a financial member to use our equipment – also it’s pretty rude for the members if they are paying for it, volunteering to help the club, and maintaining it; yet other people (non-members) are are using it and/or damaging it so its not even available for members the members to use!
- Do I have to be able to swim?
Yes. from 2019 you must also complete a UQ Sport supervised swim test at the UQ pool. It’s not as hard as it sounds! You can do this before or after joining, but you cannot participate in on-water activities as a member until you have successfully completed the test. Details updated here.
- Where is the club located? The club boatshed is located on MacGregor Drive, Building 30, on the banks of the Brisbane River opposite the athletics track and right next to the dive club and water ski club. Maps are here.
- How much does it cost to take out a boat for a paddle on the river?
Nothing, Zero, Zilch, Zip, absolutely free.
- The Brisbane river looks horrible. Is it dangerous? The river has a lot of sediment which makes it look bad. It is also tidal (ie salt water) and lined with mangroves. It is normal/healthy for mangroves and the associated mud to smell (hydrogen sulphide is given off). The river is also frequented by Bull sharks. Attacks on swimmers for the entire river have been reported in the past 200 years, but are extremely rare (the last fatal attack was almost a century ago!). Of more interest is what you can’t assess visually. Since the 2010 floods, the city council has monitored the water quality. The club advises that paddlers should avoid local creeks and their mouths – particularly Oxley and Norman Creeks (and it is probably worth avoiding Toowong creek as well). Latest enterococci test results are available here. The biggest danger on the river is other boats (such as the citycats) – so keep to the sides of the river and follow the code of conduct (as explained in inductions) for getting around the city cat pontoons. Don’t forget that your biggest risk is probably how you get to/from the club shed (eg by bicycle or car).
- Do you hire equipment?
No. Please consult a canoe hire business. Members may borrow equipment for private trips. However, this is a member privilege, not a right of membership. Borrowing is subject to prior approval from the committee/committee approved members. Club events take precedence, and will render any private booking void, even if this is booked in advance of any club plans. Club approval is based on an assessment of potential risk to club equipment and NOT to the member(s). It does not look at the safety of, or take responsibility for, any member(s) on a private non-club activity. It also takes into account the track record(s) of member(s) adhering to borrowing procedures.
- Can I take a boat and equipment away for weekends or extended trips? Absolutely, but you must book (see the club rules) and you must follow club procedures. Email must be sent, and a written record of what was taken kept in the shed. If there is no record, the club may treat the equipment as stolen. If equipment is missing, the club will lodge an insurance claim which means a police report is made. Boats cannot be booked if they are required for a club organised activity which take priority. A contribution for wear and tear is required to help with the upkeep of the boats and equipment.
- If the gear is lost or damaged do I have to pay for it? If you sign out club gear and any of it is lost, you will have to pay for the replacement of that item.
If you sign out gear and it is damaged, you will not be required to pay if it is only normal wear and tear. However if the damage is major, especially if shown that the gear was used in a negligent manner, you will be required to contribute to the cost of repair or replace the item. Please contact the equipment officer or club secretary as soon as possible because time limits apply to any insurance claims (see below).
- What about insurance? Insurance is taken out via UQ sport as part of our affiliation. Details are available from UQ Sport. Note that there are time limits. Any incidents must be reported to UQ Sport and to the club committee. Please also contact the club secretary if you wish to make a claim or have any queries. You must be a financial member of the club.
- I want to paddle to/from the University in my own boat. Can I store my boat in the club shed? Can I use a club boat for this? Unfortunately this is not permitted. Space in the shed is at a premium, and we typically do not have space for additional boat storage. Only club boats are insured, and the club cannot accept responsibility for the loss or use of private equipment stored there by members. In addition, the club is not able to prevent use of the equipment by other members, or stop equipment becoming mixed up with the club’s.
You are encouraged to lobby UQ sport and/or the university to provide boat storage points if you wish to commute using your own kayak. It is also not permitted to commute to and from the University using a club boat.
- I found an event that I would like to participate in, but am not sure if my experience level is up to par, what should I do? We attempt to make most events things that the person with the least common experience can easily participate on, but some trips may require a more advanced level of boat handling.
Please see the particular event for the level of experience required to participate and make sure to accurately portray your level of experience at that particular event when signing up. This way, the organiser can better plan the trip to accommodate you. Please contact the organiser if you have any doubts.
- I have an idea for an event that I may or may not want to organise. Who should I contact? Great! We are always looking for new event ideas, whether or not you’d like to organise it. Since we are a club run entirely voluntarily by the members for the members, we always want to know what exactly you want to do. Contact the committee and discuss your idea with them.
- Can anyone organise an event? It depends on the event. Some activities need more expertise and experience than others. Please contact the discipline representative and/or suitable committee member to discuss it. Any club event must have prior committee approval and club procedures need to be followed well before the event. Events are posted on the club website.
- Can I lead a club trip? Unfortunately not everyone can lead club trips due to safety and experience, as well as insurance and liability issues. Trip leaders need to be approved by the committee (including what they can lead), and they need to be familiar with trip associated policies and procedures. This is for the safety of the participants. If you feel that you have adequate experience and/or qualifications and would like to lead some trips please contact the club committee. We will try to help you to become a club leader – or get a leader to back you up.
- How do I volunteer to help out with the club? It’s easy to help out. We keep our notice board (located inside the boat shed) updated with our current needs. Let us know how you’d like to help, and we’ll get you started. Express your interest to a committee member. Thanks for your interest!!! Remember it’s your club, the more people that contribute, the more enjoyable the club! 🙂
- Who do I contact if I want to take a boat out for a trip? If you are paddling on the river, you only need to sign the register by the door (as explained in your club inductions). However, if you want to take a boat away from the river for a trip, then you must follow the procedures. Your first contact after reviewing the procedures should be with the borrowing email. It is essential that club rules and procedures be followed.
- What if I don’t want to sign the club waiver? If you do not understand, agree to, or sign the club waiver, you will be unable to participate in club activities and events. This is for the club’s protection and safety, and we appreciate your hassle-free signature. Alternatively, look for another club 🙂 If you don’t wish to sign, please do let us know why.
- Where is the club constitution? The Current Constitution is located here. [The previous constitution is here]
- What if I have any questions? Feel free to contact enquiries or any of the club executives listed here.
LM: Aug 2019
