Scotman’s Flash is now part of Be Well Outdoors - the new outdoor adventure arm of Wigan Council’s Be Well leisure and wellbeing movement.
Our mission is to stimulate, challenge and inspire, and to connect more and more people to the beauty of nature and the physical and mental benefits of getting active... outdoors.
We offer a range of exhilarating water sports experiences for individuals and groups of all abilities - including bespoke half-day and full-day packages for schools and businesses.
About Scotman’s Flash
Scotman's Flash is just 10 minutes from the centre of Wigan featuring a huge lake and lots of exciting experiences for everyone to enjoy.
Scotman's Flash is the perfect place for water sports, whether you’re brand new to canoeing, sailing and kayaking or want to get your game on with courses and qualifications to match your skills.
Our activities
All of our activities are suitable for beginners. Before you go on the water, you will be given a demonstration and brief of how to use your craft.
Our activity offering includes a range of water sports, coaching and courses for people of all abilities delivered by our fully qualified and friendly instructors.
Some of our activities / courses include:
- Stand up paddleboarding
- Kayaking - single and double
- Rafted canoeing
- Funboat sailing
- RYA stage 2 sailing
- Level 2 powerboat courses
- Windsurfing.
We also do:
Sessions are limited to a maximum number of participants, you cannot add anyone else on the day.
How do I book an activity?
Booking in advance is essential. See below to book an activity and check prices and availability:
Payment is taken at the time of booking and you will receive a booking confirmation email. We cannot take card payments on site.
If you or someone in your group needs to bring a support worker, please email the Scotman’s Flash team before booking.
Parties and group bookings
Looking to do something special for an upcoming birthday? Or maybe you want a fun day on the water as a group? Choose from our exciting activities (or combine them if you can’t pick just one!) to make the perfect day, tailored to you.
We have lots of groups coming to us such as schools, sports teams, community and voluntary groups, gyms and work place teams.
What you need to bring
Please avoid wearing heavy clothes such as a hooded jumper. If they get wet they will make you cold and weigh you down in the water.
On the day, please bring with you:
- A towel and change of clothes (include something warm in case you get cold)
- Swimsuit / swim shorts
- Your own wetsuit (only if you have one and want to use it!)
- You can also hire wetsuits for £3 if you don't have your own
- Spare shoes / trainers that can get wet (no flip flops please)
- Hat and sun cream if hot weather
- Water bottle
We provide buoyancy aids / lifejackets on your arrival as part of the hire price. We also provide boxes where you can leave keys and phones.
Can I bring my own equipment?
- You can bring your own paddle board, canoe and kayak. We do allow inflatable kayaks but they must be a reputable brand and purchased from a specialist outdoor supplier, you will need third party liability insurance for your craft.
- We ask that you have third party insurance which can be bought from British Canoeing
- We do not allow personal jet skis or powerboats on the flash due to wildlife restrictions. We operate powerboats ourselves for health and safety reasons.
Before you set off…
Remember to:
- Arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before your allotted session
- Park only in the parking bay allocated to your booking
- Vacate the site within 15 minutes after the end of your session
- If you’re allocated a parking space, please wait in your vehicle until your allocated waiting zone is clear, then stay in the waiting zone until the start of your session.
On-site etiquette
- Only attend site if you are taking part in the session or to drop a participant off, no spectators are allowed at this stage
- Please follow all instructions, failure to do so may result in being asked to leave and no refund will be given
- Children can sit on a paddleboard if its your own paddleboard (at your own risk), and they are wearing a buoyancy aid
- You may bring your dog on site but they must be on a lead. They can go in the water but this is at your own risk
- Food must not be consumed on site. A personal water bottle is fine
- You may be asked to carry and move equipment around a little more than normal under the instruction of a Scotman’s Flash team member
- Adapted sessions have age restriction’s, please ensure this is adhered to
- Do not attend a session if you or a member of your household feels ill or has symptoms of COVID-19
- Please advise a member of staff if you or a member of your household feels ill during your session.
Parking and facilities
Please note the following:
- We may not be able to offer a parking space for 1 person bookings. We advise that you walk or cycle to site if possible as parking is limited
- Please wait in the allocated waiting zone until the start of your session
- Boat house toilets will be available on a 1 in, 1 out basis
- Changing rooms will not be available, please bring towels to change by your vehicle if you need to change.
What are the age limits?
- Age 10 for paddle boarding but must have an adult on site
- Age 8 to go in a kayak but must have an adult on the water with them or age 10 plus to be on the water alone
- Age 6 to go in a double kayak with an adult or age 10 plus if no adult on the craft or water
- Age 4 to go on a rafted canoe with two adults
- Age 5 with an adult accompanying on the funboat. Children aged 10 and above can sail without an adult on the boat.
Refunds and cancellations
We offer a refund if you cancel at least 7 days before your booking.
We may be able to transfer bookings to another day if it is 5 days or more before the booking.
If there is thunder, lightning or high winds on the day of the activity, we will cancel the session and reschedule. If it is safe to operate then the session will go ahead.
Outdoor education for schools
We've helped thousands of pupils from schools across the north west to enjoy the thrills of being out on the water in a safe and supervised environment.
Our outdoor adventure courses and challenges bring out the best in everyone, using excitement to drive achievement. We offer
- Nationally recognised qualifications and courses
- Exciting activities and events
- Educational courses linked to the curriculum
- Activity programmes to suit your needs.
Find out more about outdoor education for schools and prices (external link).
Our partners
The Outdoor Education Team is approved as a provider by the following organisations:
- Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA)
- RYA training centre.