Reviews of Westminster Boating Base. (Association) in London (London).

Westminster Boating Base

77 Reviews

76 Comments

Association

Charity

136 Grosvenor Rd, Pimlico, London SW1V 3JY, United Kingdom

Go to the comments

Description Map Open Hours Reviews Contact Photos

Description

Information of Westminster Boating Base, Association in London (London)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of Westminster Boating Base

Sunday

9:30am–5pm

Monday

9:30am–9pm

Tuesday

9:30am–8pm

Wednesday

9:30am–8pm

Thursday

9:30am–9pm

Friday

Closed

Saturday

9:30am–5pm

Reviews of Westminster Boating Base

P. F.

RYA Powerboat Level 2. The Base was absolutely correct when they told me that they would be good with participants as young as my 12-year old son. They were even better than their prediction or my wildest expectations. All the instructors had a wonderful way about them. Rolf, Georgi and John were totally on top of the subject matter, but I could see them getting points across to the audience in ways that the audience will never forget (and yet perhaps never remember being told). My son was so motivated and happy throughout the course and there is a significant 'after-glow'. We got lucky with the weather, but the facilities from the base itself to the boats were really well looked after and maintained. The tides really ebb and flow quickly but safety is paramount in everything the instructors do and I had real peace of mind knowing he was in good hands. Really great for children to have responsibility for a boat and crew and be able to head off up and down the river. My son's teachers and class-mates apparently now know all about the good work and good times to be had at the Westminster Boating Base. We will definitely be back again soon - probably for kayak or canoe. An excellent course and a brilliant experience.

S. P.

Started with a one star course in June 2016 and then went back every week since (or tried)! The Westminster Boating Base is great. I have really developed my kayaking skills there and was sad to be heading up Yorkshire way. The staff are friendly and welcoming. It's such a brilliant way to experience London. I know I'll head back whenever I can!

T. F.

A huge thank you to Cherie, Stan, Len and the whole team at Westminster Boating Base for making our wedding celebrations so special! From our first interaction, they took all the stress out of planning our wedding. They are extremely knowledgeable and experienced which helped us to create our own wedding with tips on what has worked before. They were also open to our ideas and worked with us to make our day personal. We didn't need to worry about anything on the day, they even set up the rooms for us which looked fantastic and made sure the whole evening ran smoothly. Nothing was too much to ask for. We went for the BBQ menu and had guests telling us it was some of the best wedding food they had had and no-one went hungry! Martin, the DJ, who came with the venue was open to our suggestions and kept the dance floor going right until the end. I would highly recommend this venue for a relaxed and fun wedding.

N. S.

Some feedback on the Level 2 Powerboat course I did at WBB at the end of July 2016. What an excellent course! From the impressive equipment and instructor/student ratio which was spot on, through to the instructors themselves who were great - knowledgeable, approachable, patient, good communicators and reassuring at all the right moments - the whole thing absolutely delivered. I learnt loads, and with lots of 'hands on' time got a good feel for handling the boats in tricky tidal flow conditions and felt genuinely comfortable and competent at the helm by the end. Just as important maybe, we also had a great time in the process both on the RIBs and the Assault Boats. I was delighted to get my certificate at the end and glad I picked Westminster Boating Base to do the course. Great to be able to do this on the Thames. So thanks - now I just need to build on my knowledge and experience!

K. B.

I've just attended a wedding reception at the Westminster Boating Base, and what an excellent venue it is. The whole wedding party were able to take a Thames river cruiser for a tour of the London sights before disseminating straight into the venue. There can't be another riverside venue in London that has its own private pontoon. The whole reception was very well organised, and the food was excellent. All in all a very lovely experience.

C. A.

Just completed my Power Boat Level 2 training over two days on the Thames. The staff were fantastic even thought the weather was bad one day, but the location was the best. Two days boating on the Thames, from Chelsea to Tower Bridge, just amazing.

J. T.

We were looking for a different kind of club for our 13 year old daughter, not the usual netball/swimming/guides, where should could mix with others learn a skill and expand her friendships. When we found Westminster Boating Base we struck gold for her. She has been kayaking here every Wednesday after school since April and she loves it! To begin with she only wanted to go with her friends but now feels so confident she is happy to go along on her own. She is out on the water every week or theory if the weather prevents it. We are thrilled to have found such a great place for her in the middle of London. When she talks about kayaking on the River Thames in the middle of London people don't believe her - sometimes I find it hard to believe as well - but she does! Would highly recommend.

M. P.

I love the club. It provides a really fantastic and genuinely unique experience to people of all ages and backgrounds. Where else, on the magnificent River Thames, can you do all of these activities in one place? The staff are so helpful & friendly and the facilities, brilliant. Its a versatile venue from weddings & discos to teaching and sailing. I highly recommend it and use the club all the time.

H. M.

Went with my school many years ago and utterly loved it. The boating base gives you the opportunity to interactive with one of London's greatest natural attractions, The Thames. You get to see London from a completely new perspective. It's excellent exercise, really good fun and you are really well looked after. I have since been back as an adult and had an equally positive experience, will go again soon.

N. W.

Westminster Boating Base is the place to be! Kayaking and sailing are sports that you wouldn't usually associate as being easy to get into. But here its such a convenient and welcoming place that if you go once, no matter the age, there's something for you and you'll be hooked! Its also a good place to progress, with the amazing kayaking instructors you can go into nearly any discipline of the sport or if you prefer sailing you can be taught how to race.

C. M.

I don't know what I would have done without Westminster Boating Base. I have made some amazing friends, learnt three different sports (sailing, kayaking and power-boating), and learnt many other skills. The instructors are fantastic making you feel at ease as soon as you walk in the door and looking after everyone - there will always be someone there to help if you are struggling in any way. The venue is also beautiful - great for weddings, parties etc.

T. M.

The River Thames is, in my humble opinion, the most overlooked source of adventure in London. And if you want to properly explore this wonderful waterway, then you need to be able to canoe or kayak (and potentially drive a boat or stand up paddle board). So, I went and did my BCU 1Star with Westminster Boating Base in September. Coached by Toby Armley, by the end of the day I was confident in both a kayak and canoe. And for £50 - this was probably the best value for money course I've ever done! Thoroughly recommend them!

S. W.

Great place to learn both sailing and kayaking. Really friendly and helpful staff (the young kayaking instructors in particular) and they run some rally good away trips to a whitewater course in France and slalom events closer to home. I'd definitely recommend it!

A. H.

We had our wedding here in April on a glorious sunny day. The guests absolutely loved the views, wrap around balcony, the food, separation of 2 rooms and the amazing DJ skills of Martin. Cherie & Stan were on hand throughout and made sure the timings were all exact. They organised a fantastic Magician for us which the kids absolutely loved. Only hitch was that the taxi Marshall had a long queue of guests waiting for taxi's and didn't flag them down in time during a late night thunder storm! Would definitely use the venue again and highly recommend.

N. M.

I signed up for my Powerboat 2 certificate in July of this year. By coincidence, I chose one of the most gloriously sunny weekends of the year, so it was a joy to be out on the River Thames. Westminster Boating Base was impressively organised and all their kit in excellent working order. The course was very well planned, Derek and Andy were fantastic instructors, both in different ways. Derek gave us clear instructions imparting lots of important practical details and comprehensive theory. Andy was patient and considerate, often zeroing in when we had a particular problem to explain a manoeuvre, one on one. It was such fun and I loved every part of it. With such an introduction, it was easy to become enthusiastic and committed to a new activity. I would recommend WBB to anyone.

J. J.

Westminster Boating Base is a very lovely place, and throughout all my time there I have always had very rewarding and memorable experiences, and made many lifelong friends. As a London teenager, most activities/clubs cost a lot of money and are quite hard to find (good quality ones) and most sporting centres, (especially water sports) are either ridiculously expensive or quite far away from Westminster/hard to find. Since the day I started kayaking and discovered the Base (via recommendations from other friends who attended) I never strayed far, and to this day I frequently go on kayaking sessions, volunteer, and go on amazing trips such as the annual whitewater trip to France, and the newly annual trip to Devon. I am not normally one to partake in any "thrill-seeking" activities, yet with kayaking I have profoundly challenged myself and over-come a lot of my fears, and can definitely say I am far less of a scaredy-cat since I joined Westminster Boating Base. I strongly recommend that any person even vaguely interested in watersports tries out Westminster Boating Base, as I truly believe it is the best water sports centre out there.

A. H.

I went on the Adults' BCU 1 star kayaking and canoeing course. I really enjoyed it and it was very reasonably priced (especially compared to the prices charged by other clubs). I was a bit worried about being the only complete beginner on the course, but there were lots of people of varying abilities there, and I didn't feel at all out of place or intimidated. The instructors were very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend it!

B. P. A.

I love Westminster boating base! Living nearby, it was great to find such a place on my doorstep. Friendly and welcoming staff, who are keen to help and experts in what they do. Great fun, plus I learned some new skills! Really looking forward to my next visit!

c. s.

Fantastic centre, clearly the most well located of all the water sports centres in London. Sessions vary every time, you can be paddling from Tower Bridge & through the middle of city one week, then playing games of kayak polo in a dock the next. The staff are excellent, and the kayak instruction is second to none.

J. O.

Attended the Upper Deckers Thursday afternoon session today. Everyone was really friendly and all of the instructors were brilliant. Instilling confidence and making the whole experience enjoyable. Had a go at power boating and kayaked from the Albert Bridge back to WBB. Thank you to all for your help.

R. S.

Elaina was very friendly, articulate, careful and a whole lot of fun when she took me out on the speedboat on the Thames. Even when I felt nervous to manoeuvre around other boats, she gently encouraged me not to give up and her confidence gave me confidence. One of the best days out in London I've had in a long time!

H. T.

Such an exciting experience! Elaina was so friendly, helpful and professional! She showed my partner and myself how to drive the speedboat on the Thames - our unforgettable and the most beautiful moments in London! Elaina managed to encourage me to take the reins without any problems even though I was truly scared. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to have a taste of adventure, Elaina! Hania & Michal

C. A.

I completed my BCU 1 Star and had five Sunday kayaking sessions on the Thames during 2013. This gave me the skills I needed to kayak from Fort William to Inverness on the Great Glen Way. I wouldn't have made it without the support of the instructors at WBB. I'm looking forward to gaining more experience in 2013 and 2014.

T. H.

Had a brilliant experience doing my first nighttime paddle on the Thames over Halloween. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. The staff were organised and professional in their orientation, and helpful to me in finding my way around. Excellent!

T. S.

Doing the Powerboat Level 2 course, this was the best money spent! Extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff, made a very informative, educational and useful course in the most pleasant way possible. It has truly changed the way we do boating and left us begging for more!

J. B.

Really enjoyed our taster session - powerboat was fun. Instructor was kind and helpful, all the people at the Boating Base were friendly and we hope to come back for more activities.

J. H.

Having always wanted to learn to sail, and finding all other venues way above my price limit, I discovered this place. Not only did I learn to sail with kind, fully qualified instructors, but I also learned to sail in tidal conditions, something which is hard to learn, if you originally learnt to sail on non-tidal waters. All the staff were really nice, and I made some really good friends there. 10 out of 10

C. L.

I did the Beginners Sailing Course (RYA1). It was a great experience and have realised how fun sailing is (before I knew nothing) . All instructors were very good, patient and attentive and gave us the space to make mistakes and learn. Really fun weekend. Course was composed of a balanced mixture of theory and practical. Going for RYA2 in two weeks!

J. D.

The WBB has an amazing location on the Thames in central London. This provides the opportunity to sail within sight of the Houses of Parliament and kayak from Tower Bridge to Putney. The home team is professionally qualified and invariably welcoming. But, best of all, is meeting people of all ages sharing and enjoying the water sports.

C. F.

A must for anyone wanting to learn powerboating in Central London, and to gain their RYA and ICC certificates. Instructors were super knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and above all professional. Two days worth of course, with a mix of knowledge and (predominantly) practical. Definitely recommend he establishment.

J. R.

WBB provides fantastic low-cost and equal opportunities for all - youngsters, school groups, adults and silver surfers - to learn and improve personal and instructional skills in paddlesports, sailing and powerboating, as well as forging new friendships while participating. All this takes place on stretches of the Thames ranging from Kew to the Barrier, steeped in traditions of boating, and still busy with diverse watercraft. Kayak and sailing trips in the UK and abroad expand what's on offer from the professional staff. The events team provide delicious catering in premises overlooking the river and make a huge contribution to the operation financially, while volunteers are very important helping with instruction, boat maintenance and social events such as summer BBQs and stalls at the Thames Festival.

C. C.

First found out about the base when a friend gave a present to our son, a very dyslexic ten year old. He learnt to kayak, had a ball, made lots of great friends by most of all, started to feel really good about this skill and it really helped his self confidence. It also helps on so many other levels, physical co-ordination, brain wiring, working on building neural pathways, through lots of left/right paddling, teaches kids and adults about facing their fears on the open water. There are so many really great teachers, almost all are volunteers, trained to a very high level. I would never hesitate to recommend to anyone, especially children. So many live in "digital cages" these days, the base offers real experiences involving some supervised danger, getting cold and wet, what more could we ask for? Oh, and almost forgot to say if you over 50 you qualify for free membership of the UPPER DECKERS who meet on Thursday afternoons - yee hah!

D. M.

As Upperdeckers at WBB we always have a great time on Thursdays. White water at Lea Valley is always fun. Paddling at night and on various challenges is normally a wonderful time, except when the weather catches us out. As a member Monday to Wednesday and Sunday is kayaking, canoeing or if weather is right sailing. A wonderful place to sit and just relax on the varanda.

A. M.

Great Place, great people... I had a great experience kayaking with very cool instructors and kids doing amazing freestyle.. coming back for more... well done to all people involved over the weekend.

J. S.

As an Upperdecker, or person over 50, I have enjoyed kayaking for the last 3 years. The staff are friendly and supportive, the facilities are great, and I've met some lovely people.

T. B.

A huge thanks to Adam and Jon for putting on an impeccably run course!

J. L. C.

My daughter has always had tremendous fun whilst learning to sail, make friends and take huge strides towards independence. In her own words "WBB has an amazing atmosphere, is such fun and brilliant value"

L. M.

Had the best christmas party we have ever had here! Cherie was amazing, the food was great, the DJ was great, all over a fantastic experience and we will definitely be booking again!

A. E.

Excellent kayak excursion to Woolwich Thames Barrier. A bargain at £28 for a full day with a qualified tour guide.

O. C.

Owe so much to this place! Been attending sessions as a youth member for the last 7 years - they've taught me everything I know about sailing, powerboating and kayaking. So grateful for everything!

J. L.

An amazing facility to have in central London - my daughter used it after school and through the summer to learn to kayak and sail a dinghy, and as a place to meet friends who live on the other side of London.

A. A. B.

Really really nice and friendly people. Staff are star. I would recommend this place to everybody who thinks of giving paddling a try. Thank you so much and please do keep up with amazing work Xx

J. T.

Did my RYA Powerboating level 2 course here at the Base, my teacher Pippa was great. Excellent venue and would highly recommend.

A. F.

Great instructors, welcoming environment and a unique location to learn to powerboat or sail. Highly recommend

J. W.

We did a BCU course here - the day was very professional and we had an enjoyable time. Highly recommended.

R. Z.

Great instructors made for a very good experience. Always felt safe but also challenging in a good way.

T. G.

Did the BCU One Star in a day course. Great instructors, good crowd, and brilliant location.

E. M.

Fantastic weekend doing RYA level 1 - staff are great teachers and a lot of fun, and great facilities. Thanks Kevin, Pippa et al!

A. H.

Awesome friendly staff! Amazing location for learning a watersport or hiring for a party/conference/meeting!

r. s.

Staff both fun and serious. I can't believe such a wonderful place exists. Everyone with a child aged 10+ should check this out.

E. F.

Great place, friendly group of people, loads of activities for all sorts of people, young and old. Great value for money too, especially for kids. See you there!