Seriously Though, What is Punting? - Cambridge River Tours

We'll tell you exactly what punting is and why you should experience it for yourself. In Cambridge. Don't try it elsewhere, ... SkiptocontentSeriouslyThough,WhatisPunting?PreviousNextViewLargerImageSeriouslyThough,WhatisPunting?Thatmightseemlikeastrangequestionforustobeasking,andwewilladmitthatwealreadyknowtheanswerbut,doyou?Ifyou’rearesidentofCambridge(or,darewementionit,theotherplace),thenyoualmostcertainlyknowwhatpuntingis.Ifyou’reasometime/regularvisitortothiscityandyou’vereadourdefinitivehistoryofpuntingthenyoushouldalsoalreadyknow(unless,ofcourse,youhaveaterribleshorttermmemory).However,ifyouhaveneverbeentoCambridgebefore,orperhapshavearrivedatthiswebsiteseekinganswerstothisveryquestion,fearnotbecauseweareheretogiveyoutheanswers.It’snotsportrelatedLet’sgetacoupleofthingssortedfromtheoff–ifyou’reanavidSuperbowlorAustralianrulesfootballfan(no,we’renotgoingtotrytoexplainthattoanyone),orsomeonewholikestheoccasionalflutteronthehorsesyou’reprobablyinthewrongplace.Puntingisgoingtomeansomethingentirelydifferenttoyou.However,thosediscrepanciesaside,ifyou’veevervisitedCambridge,orliveinthecity,orhaveseenpicturesofpeoplegentlypropellingupanddowntheriverCam,youmighthavesomesortofideaofwhatpuntsareinthiscontext.ThesearepuntsIt’sgotnothingtodowithVeniceWeneedtoclearonethinguprightaway.PuntsareNOTgondolas,nordotheybearmorethanapassingresemblancetothem.Therehas,occasionally,beentheoddice-creamsellingpuntontheCam(andwewereresponsibleforoneofthose,butthat’sastoryforanothertime)but,largely,theyareverydifferentpursuits.However,forthesakeofexplanation,wewillacknowledgethattheremightbesomesimilarities:bothareatypeofboatbothare(generally)madeoutofwoodbothtendtobepassengercraft,propelledbyapersonwhostandsononeendButseriously,thatiswherethesimilarityends.Puntsareflatbottomedboatsandpropulsionisdonebypushingofftheriverbedusingabig,longpole–ofaround15footinlength(5mifyou’reusingthemetricsystem).Theyaredesignedtooperateinfairlyshallow,slowmovingwater.It’sactuallyrelativelyeasytogetoutofyourdepth(literally)whenpunting,asanyonewho’sventuredontotheupperrivertowardsGrantchester,orevenstrayedtooclosetothe‘beach’atMagdalenecollegecanattestto.Magdalenecollegebeach,ontheright.HerebedeepwaterAsfordrivingagondola(gondoling?),Ican’treallycommentonitasI’venevertriedit,butitlookstricky.Forstartersyouneedtobeabletosing,andalsopossiblyspeakItalian,andIcan’tdoeitherofthosethings.Ithinkitinvolvessomekindofcrazypaddlingabitlikebeinginacoracle,butanyway…Idigress.Isitdifficult?LotsofplacesintheUKhaveriversorboatinglakesand,inthoseplaces,youcanoftenhirerowingboats;pedalos;thosecrazylookingplasticswanthings;occasionallymotorisedboats,etcandlarkaboutonthewater.Inmostcircumstancesyoucandothatwithnopriorexperienceordiscernibleskill,andnotonlysurvivetheexperiencebutactuallyenjoyit(althoughasIwritethisamIremindedofakayakingtripinthesouthofFrancewhichwasborderlineterrifyingforsomeofthoseinvolved)withoutfearingtheriskofharmorpersonalinjury.However,ifyou’veeverseenwhattheriverCamgetslikeonabusysummer’sdaythenyou’llknowthatnavigatingaself-hireupanddowntheriver(that’swhatit’scalledwhenyoutakeyourlifeinyourhandsanddecidetobethepunterinsteadofthepunted)canbeabitofawhiteknuckleexperience.Makesurethoseknucklesaren’tgrippingtightlytothesideoftheboatthough,oryoucouldloseafinger(seriously,I’mnotevenjokingaboutthat).Here’ssomevideoevidencefromanotparticularlybusydayatanarrowpointintheriver(notourpuntstationthough):Thepeopleinthesmallerboatsaremoreoftenthatnotthosedoingitthemselves.Now,don’tgetmewrong,I’mnottryingtoputanyoneoffhavingago–ifyou’veeverstoodandwatchedtheprofessionalsgoingupanddowntheriveryoucouldbeforgivenforthinkingthatit’seasybutitwouldbeirresponsibleofmenottopointoutthepotentialpitfalls.Firstofall,thesmallerboats,thatarehiredouttomembersofthepublic,arebytheirverynaturemoredifficulttodrivethanthe‘ferries’thatyou’dtypicallybesatinifyoutakeachauffeuredtour.Theyarenarrower,whichmakesthemwobblier.It’saverystrangeexperiencefortheuninitiated–standingonthebackofapuntandtryingtogriponwithyourtoes,butyoumaywellfindyourselfdoingjustthat(withoutevenrealising)asyoustruggleforbalance.Don’tbetemptednottostandonthedeckthough.Ifyoustandinsidetheboat,infrontofthedeck,it’smuchmoredifficulttomoveyourfeettocorrectyourbalanceifyouneedto.PlusyouwouldbedoingadisservicetotheladiesofGirtoncollege,who,madetheCambridgestyleofpuntingfashionablebystandingonthereardecktoshowofftheirankles(allegedly).Butenoughofthat,thisisn’tintendedtobealessononhowtopunt,we’llcoverthatanothertime.Fornow,justremember,ifyouseesomeonemakingitlookeasy,itdoesn’tnecessarilyfollowthatitiseasy.This.Is.Punting.Haveweansweredyourquestionyet?Let’sjustrecapandmakesurethatIhaven’tmissedoutanythingimportant:punt=boatpunting=beinginboat,goingalongtheriverpunter=persondoingthepuntingpuntee=possiblynotarealwordpole=toolbywhichpuntispropelledisitdifficult?Yesisitfun?Yesisitconsideredasport?Nobutthereareoccasionalpuntraces.NotyetfeaturedintheOlympicsthoughHopefullythat’saddressedallofthekeypoints,butifyouthinkthatanythingpertinenthasbeenmissed,thenpleaseleaveacommentbeloworgetintouch.Ifyouwouldliketodosomepunting,thenthatisofcoursesomethingthatwedoandyoucanbesurethatyou’resafeinthehandsofaprofessionalpunter,andifIhaven’tentirelyputyouoffdoingityourself,youcanprobablypersuadeyourchauffeurtoletyouhaveago–underhisorherexperttutelage.BuildYourOwnPunt?Nowthatyouknowwhatapuntisand(possibly)howtodriveone,ifyou’refeelingreallyadventurousyoucouldusetheseplanstobuildyourownpunt.Goodluck,maybewe’llseeyouontheriversoon…justmakesurethatyou’restandingontheproperend.TimCampbell2017-02-05T17:50:32+00:00ShareThisStory,ChooseYourPlatform!FacebookTwitterRedditLinkedInTumblrPinterestVkEmailRelatedPostsTop15romanticthingstodoinCambridgeGalleryTop15romanticthingstodoinCambridgeOurtoptipsforgettingthebestoutofgoingpuntinginCambridgeGalleryOurtoptipsforgettingthebestoutofgoingpuntinginCambridgeGoodplacestoeatinCambridgeGoodplacestoeatinCambridgeCambridgeduringlockdownGalleryCambridgeduringlockdown19ReasonstoVisitCambridgethisYear(whenit’soktodosoagain)19ReasonstoVisitCambridgethisYear(whenit’soktodosoagain)[titlesize="3"content_align="left"style_type="default"]OneComment[/title]CharshineJanuary23,2018at4:13pm-ReplyNiceLeaveACommentCancelreplySavemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment.ΔSearchfor:RecentPostsTop15romanticthingstodoinCambridgeOurtoptipsforgettingthebestoutofgoingpuntinginCambridgeGoodplacestoeatinCambridgeCambridgeduringlockdownThereisnoPunting–CoronavirusstatementRecentCommentsAmionOurfavouriteTripAdvisorreviewsof2017DKMadanon19ReasonstoVisitCambridgethisYear(whenit’soktodosoagain)CharshineonSeriouslyThough,WhatisPunting?WilliamKinzieonTheCambridgeBacksQuaysideinWinteron19ReasonstoVisitCambridgethisYear(whenit’soktodosoagain)ArchivesAugust2021July2020May2020March2020January2020March2018January2018December2017November2017October2017March2017February2017December2016September2016July2016February2016CategoriesCambridgeCRTNewsHistonHornetsHistoryPuntingThingstodoCloseproductquickview×TitlePageloadlinkGotoTop