Anyone! The event is open to public, Kayaks, Canoes & SUP are welcome. The level of competence for this trip is novices upwards, and you must be able to paddle 18 miles on flat water in your craft. Groups and individuals must be suitably equipped. 

Each person requires a ticket to participate, and is not a per-craft basis.

Dogs are welcome on the Doggy Paddle, but are the responsibility of the owner. Any pets must be well behaved as the route passes through private land, including Warwick Castle, Charlecote Park and grazing fields. There is also wildlife along the way, including like swans, ducks, which must not be harmed.

Whilst participant are free to paddle K1/K2 kayaks, the event is a social charity paddle and not a race.

We do not have any water craft that can be hired. Participants must bring their own craft, and must be river worthy.

No, participants must register at the beginning of the day.

• Participants will get wrist bands which must be worn throughout the event.

• Those without a wrist band will not be allowed to participate.

• We will check for wrist bands at all weirs throughout the day.

• Juniors with wristbands, preferable to have parent/guardian contact details written on them.

Unfortunately we cannot let participants start early due to key timings at locations, and ensuring that marshalls are at the weirs.

Unfortunately we cannot let participants start after the latest start time due to timings with Warwick Catle Events and other locations along route. 

We will contact all through emails and post on the Facebook group in case the event is cancelled due to bad weather. We will follow up with further information should this occur.

There is no refill station or opportunities to buy food along the way. Please bring sufficient water and food for the day. 

We recommend the paddle can take between 4-8 hours, depending how quickly the participants paddle. 

Participants do not have to run the weirs, all can be portaged, where event marshals will be able to direct and assist. Warwick Castle Weir cannot be run by any participants. 

The route consist of slow moving rivers (grade 1) with 4 portage-able weirs.

We request that every respect is shown to environment (nesting birds), fisherman and landowners. Do not land or stop for lunch at Charlecote Park or Warwick Castle. Do not leave any rubbish. Failure to observe will risk the future permissions. Always follow the directions given by the marshals. 

No ankle leashes should be used on Stand-up Paddleboards/SUP Paddlers, due to slow moving water featuring and potential snagging hazards being present along the route.

Buoyancy Aids are required to run weirs, helmets are recommended. There are Safety Marshals at each weir to provide assistance - Please listen to them, they are there to help you. 

It is highly recommended that buoyancy aids should be worn while afloat. Helmets are recommended if shooting weirs. 

Please dress according to the weather (hats, suncream), and bring sufficient water and food for the day. There is no refill station or opportunities to buy food along the way.

Please bring suitable footwear - Portage is on island rough grounds, stepping in the river is not uncommon, so flip flops are not recommended. Old trainers or water shoes are recommended to protect your feet. 

We do not have any repair stations/ pumps along the way. 

The Doggy Paddle shuttle is a morning lift service that lets groups with only one car drop kit at the start, move a vehicle to the finish, and ride back to the start so transport is ready at the take‑out.

We have limited shuttle capacity due to driver availability, it will also be limited to one ticket per booking. We encourage participants to organise their own shuttle on the day if possible. 

The shuttle will run between 6:45 and 7:45. 

We have limited shuttle capacity due to driver availability, it will also be limited to one ticket per booking. We encourage participants to organise their own shuttle on the day if possible. 

There is no organised shuttle after the event.

The shuttle cars will be located at Stratford-Upon-Avon Recreational Ground, near the parking entrance. They will have ‘Doggy Paddle Shuttle’ Sign in their windscreen, and will return you to the start location. 

No camping at the start field is allowed the night before.

No cars can be left in the start field. They will be locked in, and it will be necessary to contact Warwick Council to organise unlocking of the gate.

The Start field will be open at 6am. 

The following car parks are available near the start location:

Victoria Car Park

Adelaide Bridge Car Park - Short walk riverside to start location.

Stratford-Upon-Avon Recreational Ground has plenty of parking spaces available.

Please do not park on Edmonscote estate as this is a residential area and want to minimise the impact to those that live there.

No, all participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Paddlers will be allowed to leave at 8am. 

The latest launch time from the start field is 9:15.

All paddlers need to be past Warwick Castle by 10:30am (otherwise you become a life target for the trebuchet!)