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EnglishCan Beginners and Juniors Join Dittons Skiff and Punting Club?
Updated
Yes. Dittons Skiff and Punting Club describes itself as a friendly local club that welcomes new members of all ages, and it runs a dedicated junior section for children from age 10 upwards. Beginners are explicitly catered for: the club invites people to "come along and learn to row in a skiff," and it offers a Learn to Row course. The main conditions are age (10+ for juniors) and, for junior punting, suitable summer river conditions.
Who the club is for
Dittons Skiff and Punting Club is a members-run club based in an idyllic riverside setting at Thames Ditton. It offers the traditional river sports of skiffing and punting, and frames skiffing as a sociable, low-cost sport "suited to all ages and abilities."
That means you do not need prior rowing or punting experience to get involved. The club's own wording is aimed at people who are "interested in trying" and at newcomers who want to "come and see what we have to offer."
Junior section: what children actually do
The junior section meets every Sunday morning from 9.45 am, and children from age 10 upwards are very welcome.
What juniors are taught:
- Rowing in traditional Thames skiffs (rowing boats)
- The skills needed to cox (steer) a boat
- River safety knowledge
Over the summer months, river conditions permitting, punting is also offered as an option to juniors on Sunday mornings. So punting for children is a seasonal extra rather than a guaranteed weekly activity — it depends on the state of the river.
Adults and beginners
Adults are covered by the same open invitation. The club runs a Learn to Row course (the site lists one starting Sunday 9 August, with enquiries made through the website), which is the natural entry point if you have never rowed in a skiff before.
Skiffs are hand-crafted traditional wooden sculling boats, built as singles or doubles and steered by a cox. Beyond social skiffing and longer-distance trips, members race at regattas through the summer. Punting is described as a traditional Thames summer sport: flat-bottomed, square-ended craft moved with a pole against the river bed, raced as singles and doubles.
What membership gives you
| Facility or activity | Detail from the club |
|---|---|
| Boathouse setting | Idyllic riverside location at Thames Ditton |
| Gym | Rowing machines (ergos), multi gym, free weights |
| Clubhouse | Own bar, kitchen suitable for mass catering, large club room, balcony with river view |
| Social calendar | Busy programme through the year; clubhouse available for private use by members |
| Competition | Regattas against other local skiff and punting clubs through the season |
| Juniors | Sundays from 9.45 am, ages 10+ |
How to start
- Decide who is joining — an adult beginner, a child aged 10+, or both.
- For adults with no experience, ask about the Learn to Row course; the club takes enquiries through its website.
- For children, plan around the Sunday 9.45 am junior session.
- Get in touch via the website before turning up, so the club can tell you what is running that week — especially for junior punting, which depends on summer river conditions.
The club does not publish joining fees, membership prices or payment details on the pages reviewed here, so ask about cost and any waiting list when you make contact rather than assuming either way.