IT'S the wettest, wildest and sometimes one of the weirdest ways you can spend a day in Oxford: taking to the Thames in a colourful kayak and trying to stay afloat.

Throughout this summer, Oxford Canoe and Kayak Club is offering complete landlubbers the chance to get their first taste of the open water.

And if just looking at these pictures gives you a sinking feeling, well – it happens.

On Wednesday, this group of brave boaters dropped into the club on Donnington Bridge Road to try their luck on the treacherous Thames.

They got wet, cold, and sometimes hit with a paddle, but at the end of the day had to admit they'd had an oar-some time.

Imogen Gorrel, 10, joined the fun with her big sister Maddie and said: "It's been really fun and we've done lots of activities.

"We tried paddle boarding on the 'up-tops' this afternoon and kayaking this morning.

"It's a challenge to get the kayaks going in the right direction; at the start we were going into the bushes and things, but we've mastered it now."

The canoe kids were kept safe the whole afternoon by coach Shane Clark.

The club was originally formed as Riverside Centre Canoe Club and was part of Oxford County Council youth service.

In April 2011 it separated and became the Oxford Canoe and Kayak Club, run entirely by volunteers.

The club remains affiliated to Riverside and retains its focus on providing paddling opportunities and coaching for young people but the adult section is growing.

It now has a fleet of some 50 closed-cockpit kayaks and open canoes, and has access to the sea kayaks, sit-on-top kayaks, and canoes owned by the Riverside Centre.

The club meets weekly from April to October and also runs trips to Scotland, Norway, and the French Alps.

Find out more at canoeoxford.org.uk