Deal Walmer & Kingsdown Amateur Rowing Club is a coastal and river rowing club, located on a gorgeous stretch of water on the Deal seafront in Kent.
Founded in 1927, it is one of the younger clubs in the South East of England region, yet has already been filled with history. With around 40 active members, the club is small but close with a rich community and strong social side.
While the club may be small with numbers, it produces strong results and class rowers year on year. Having won the championship senior men’s title for the Coastal Amateur Rowing Association League several times in the past few years, the 2024 south coast championships saw Deal claim the championship senior men’s title for the South of England for the first time in over 25 years, winning the infamous ‘bowl’.
The women also have their share of strong results as 2023 saw them take the women’s senior championship title for the first time ever, with consistently strong results and many race wins.
Despite primarily being a coastal club, their river rowing has seen great success in recent years. In 2024, the senior men’s crew won their first round of the Wyfold at Henley Royal Regatta, the first time a Deal crew won a round at Henley.
Notable members for the river scene include Tyler Amos, who won the Brit at Henley in 2023 with Thames, Ben Smissen who represented Great Britain at the Junior World Rowing Championships in 2004, Will Dennis who has represented GB for several world coastal rowing events, and James Morgan who won bronze in the GB 2008 Paralympic 4+.
Any member will find any and all resources they may want or need at their hand. A good number of ergs, weights, and space allows for any training to be done by any size squad. A good plethora of boats also contributes towards the early morning sessions where a large group of rowers all go out together to enjoy a morning row through the sunrise.
At their river campus, they have a good store of river boats, including Empacher coxed and coxless fours, seen at Henley Royal Regatta in 2023 and 2024 respectively. With events for all ages, from J14 to 50+, the club resources can be used by all and help with the strong sense of welcoming and acceptance that is shared by all.
The club hosts a great number of social events, allowing for the club to be close in nature and have a real sense of community and care. The bar and function room allow for interesting socials to take place, with good imagination and spirit from the social leaders to build events for all to enjoy. It also paves way for more casual rowers to feel they have their place in the club, and for other members to have the bridge between what they do and what others do.
This club-wide ethos is always present at regattas as they show support through hugs, tears, and shouting that can be heard from France! Every win is celebrated, every improvement is validated, and every loss is felt by all. It’s a club for the people who still can get any results they set their heart out to achieve.
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