RELATED TOPICS: NENE WHITEWATER CENTRE | NENE VISIT 22 AUG 2004 NENE WHITEWATER CENTRENene is a man made pumped whitewater course on the outskirts of Northampton and is the perfect venue for those seeking small whitewater in a safe, clean(?) environment. For the hardened play boaters Nene is woefully small with only one feature worthy of attention, still, that said, in the heat of summer it can be worth stretching those muscles and blowing off some cobwebs! HOW TO GET THEREI won’t give comprehensive instructions of how to get to Nene as these can be found on the Nene website (http://www.nenewhitewatercentre.co.uk). All I'll add is; after Junction 15 on the M1, head towards Northampton and look for signs with a little man paddling his kayak; they’re very scarce but do point in the right direction. When you get to the Whitewater Centre turn there’s no right turn so you’ll need to drive straight past, round the roundabout and back on yourself! THE COURSEHere's my simple guide to the Nene Whitewater Course; totally my own 'personal' opinion! Pump PoolThe whitewater course is 300m long and runs in a circular direction therefore it’s a short walk from the bottom of the course back to the top (unlike the epic hike at Nottingham). All paddlers start in the pump pool at the top of the course. The pump pool is feed by up to 3 electric pumps. Where these pumps discharge into the pump pool a small stopper is formed which can be side surfed (mind you don’t get your paddle blades stuck in the railings, it's a bummer when they do!) or, if your boat is short enough (my last boat always hit the bottom), you can do some cartwheels. The pump pool also has a strong rotating eddy therefore keeping a group together, particularly a large group is near impossible! 
Pool 1The Pump Pool spills out into a small drop into Pool 1. This drop produces a nice ickle wave that can be surfed. I recommend breaking out to the left1 as you drop into Pool 1 as the right eddy is darn annoying and can feed you straight into the wave! Pool 2
At the end of Pool 1 is another smaller drop that descends into Pool 2. Pool 2 is a smaller version of Pool 1 with more agreeable eddies. The wave is also much smaller than that in Pool 1 and may be a better choice for those only wanting to dip their noses in!
Pool 3Pool 2 concludes with another little drop into Pool 3. As before, Pool 3 is just a smaller version of Pool 2, but make sure you break out in Pool 3 as the exit is the biggest drop of the course. Invariably the stopper at the bottom of this drop is the most likeliest place you’ll find someone! Make sure it’s clear before you proceed and when you do go, straight down the middle, preferably not sideways! 
Pool APool A tends to be the focal point of the course for the more experienced paddlers and spectators, probably because it hosts the primary feature on the course! For people in longer boats this is prime pop out and looping territory. For the smaller boats we’re talking cartwheels, blunts and air loops etc. There are breakouts on both the left and the right but the right side breakout is the bigger and is easier to access. The main current here can be quite turbulent, even after the stopper, so those with shaky roles watch out! Still, you’ll be amazed how shallow the water is and a punt of the bottom may help! After Pool A the course turns back on itself and there is a narrow section leading to Pool B. Throughout this section are eddies which are good for practising break ins and outs. In some water levels there is even a small wave that can be surfed just before Pool B. Pool B
Pool B is a large circular bowl with the main jet of water squeezing through the middle. Rotating eddies form on both the left and right. Here the left eddy is less powerful and more spacious. The right eddy is tighter and flows quickly at the edges. There is also a concrete wall here and if judged right you can nicely splat on this wall then depart into the main current still facing skyward (stern stalling)! The course here is deep enough to allow loops, cartwheels and stern dips so it’s worth sticking your nose in to see what happens! For the less adventurous the jet is excellent for practising ferry gliding, edge control, break ins and break outs. There is also plenty of room to recover when things don’t quite go as planned and because of this, this is my preferred coaching location on the course. 
The exit from Pool B is a narrow(ish) drop and slot into a wave. For a challenge there are two very tight eddies to the left and right just beneath the drop. Cheaters can access these eddies by paddling backward over the drop and ferry gliding into them. It’s worth the excursion because the wave, although small, can be surfed and it’s even possible to flat spin! After the wave there’s a few white bouncy bits before the water pours into Pool C. Pool CPool C is a repeat of Pool B with the exception of the right eddy being larger. The final run leads from Pool C to Pool D with some interesting features on the way. The first are a number of small eddies which can accommodate most boats but no more than two paddlers in each. Thereafter is a series of small stopper waves that run almost the full width of the course (which isn’t that wide!). These waves can be surfed but watch out for the sides (did I say it’s narrow?). 
Pool DFinally the course pours into Pool D, the final pool. In moderate to high levels of flow (best with 3 pumps on) there is a purpose built splat rock. At lower flow rates the water isn’t moving enough for splatting. There is once again another small pour over in Pool D, formed by the water exiting the course. As before looping and semi-pop outs is the most common move practised here. The eddy on river left is the smaller and tends to push you straight into the pour over. From Pool D you can disembark and carry the boat the short distance up the hill to the pump pool or (if the dam isn’t there) paddle out of the course across the river Nene to the jetties next to car park. Recently a temporary dam has been built across the exit to the river to maintain higher water levels at the bottom of the course (this appears to be coming more permanent). REMARKSFor novice whitewater paddlers I recommend walking the short distance to Pool A as the top section can be a little daunting to the uninitiated! However, that said, most novices I’ve taken to Nene have been happily paddling the top section by the end of the day. The course is small and narrow and on busy days can be extremely frustrating when there is an endless stream of boats running through, but on quieter days is quite enjoyable. It’s possible to privately hire the course but I feel the fees are quite prohibitive for moderate group sizes. I’ve always paddled the casual paddling sessions (around £8). If you get yourself a Nene card you can save yourself a pound (you can spend that later on a Kit-Kat chunky). There is also a café on site which is useful for valuable cholesterol top ups. Occasionally (mainly at weekends) an impromptu paddling shop appears where paddling gear can be purchased. It’s also possible to hire a selection of boats for use on the course. This is ideal if you’re thinking about buying something new and can’t decide. They have a moderate selection but don’t expect the latest boats to be there! If you’re planning an official group trip to Nene then I recommend phoning the centre on the morning to ensure that the course is actually open. The BCU coaching qualification for this level of water is inland level 3 or higher (maximum of 6 per instructor). The course requires paddlers to be of BCU 3 star standard or higher but I’ve never been asked. My only gripe about Nene is that every time I’ve been there my kit and car comes back a luminous orange/red colour, the same colour as the soil in the cark park: why didn’t they tarmac it? SUMMARYAll in all Nene is good fun and is an ideal venue for up and coming whitewater enthusiasts. The more advanced paddlers may not get as much from it but hey, when all the other courses were closed in 2003 due to water shortages and Nene was on, guess where they ended up! 1. Updated 6 Jan 2005, They've moved some bits around and the eddies into pool 1 have now swapped around! |