GENERAL QUESTIONS

Q- Can I (commercially) rent a kayak gear without being a member of Trulle?

A-    No. Trulle is a sports club and not any commercial player. If you are an occasional tourist visiting Tromsø, Trulle is most likely not what you are looking for.

Q- I just moved to Tromsø. How can I get out sea kayaking?

A-    Join Trulle for a Wednesday paddling event or take a basic sea kayaking course. You have to be a member to join on either of these activities

Q- Do I have to take a course to go kayaking?

A-    No, you are welcome to join for (most) Wednesday paddling events without previous knowledge of sea kayaking or the basic course in sea kayaking. However, if you would like to get access to the boathouse at other times, go paddling on your own, or join more advanced Trulle activities, you have to either have taken a basic sea kayaking course (have the Våttkort (wet card)), have taken any international equivalent, or take the “key test”. The latter being a demonstration that you can do a self-rescue, buddy-rescue, and paddle safely in the Arctic.

The pool activities require no previous kayaking experience, and can therefore be a good starting point (especially during the winter).

Q- I want to paddle over the summer break (mid June- July), is this an issue?

A-    The boathouse (where the kayaks are) is open year-round. However, the Trulle board is not on duty for issuing keys, renting dry suits, or fixing boats during the summer. Your emails will likely go unanswered, no matter how desperate you are, so please plan ahead.

Q- Can I paddle during the winter?

A- Yes, the boathouse is open all year (24/7). However, fewer (outdoor) Trulle activities are arranged between October and April (due to little daylight, cold weather, and water). Please make sure you have the skills to be paddling safely during the winter, and always (!!!) bring a lantern from the boathouse.

MEMBERSHIP

Q- How do I become a member?

A-    To be a member of Trulle you don’t need to know how to kayak but you do need to pay a fee. See our membership page for the two-step process.

Q- Can non-students be members?

A- Yes! Trulle is open to anyone from the age of 15 and up. Anyone can join.

Q- I purchased my membership in the middle of the semester, how long is it good for?

A- In Trulle we want you to enjoy maximal paddling joy, so we have decided to offer membership in 6 and 12 month blocks. The membership is valid for 6 or 12 months from the date you sign up depending on the period you choose and you will be invoiced in 6 month blocks as long as are a member of Trulle. You can withdraw yourself from Trulle whenever you wish like this.

Please note that you must also be a member of TSI and here the only possibility is to join for each calendar year (1 Jan-31 Dec) as decided by Norges idrettsforbund. We agree this could be more flexible but please don’t complain to your friendly Trulle board about this because we don’t have the possibility to change it.

ACTIVITIES

Q- Will there be more basic courses this season?

A-    Trulle normally holds 4-5 basic courses each semester in May/ June and August/Sept. Basic courses are not normally offered outside those times due to cold water and air temperatures. Courses fill up fast. All courses are posted on our website (https://www.trulle.no/courses) and in the Spond group. Check with other course holders in town, you can be a member of Trulle even if you take your course somewhere else.

Q- How do I know if Trulle has any activities planned for the near future?

A-    Check our Spond group for events like pool sessions, Wednesday paddling, and other activities.

You can download Spond on your phone through the App Store or Google Play.

To join the Trulle group in Spond use this link: https://group.spond.com/YYYPC

Q- How can I get more involved in Trulle? Be part of the board or be a kayaking instructor?

A-    Come to Wednesday paddling and meet a Trulle person. Send an email to say you are interested in being more involved. Come to a Dugnad or pool session. Trulle is a volunteer group but we have resources to educate paddlers and can pay for you to take courses and then lead trips for Trulle. You can influence the decisions on gear, trips, and activities.

BOATHOUSE and KEYS

Q- Where is the Trulle Boathouse?

A-    It is south of the Airport across the street from Plantasjen. See our Boathouse page for a map. It is the biggest and most southernly boathouse in the neighborhood. The closest bus stop is “Sjølund” by bus 33 or 34.

Q-How can I get access to a key for the boathouse to be able to rent a kayak?

A-    You will need to purchase a boathouse key from our website to get access, assuming you have a basic course in sea kayaking or have taken the Key test. 

Q- I ordered a key but I haven’t gotten it yet but I really want to go paddling this weekend. What do I do?

A-    You should write a plea in our Spond group to ask if someone who has a key wants to go paddling with you.

Q- How do I actually take the “key test”?

A-    You should show up to Wednesday paddling and demonstrate your ability to paddle safely in the Arctic, rescue yourself and rescue a buddy. Bring your dry suit and be ready to swim. Youtube the techniques in advance if you are a little fuzzy.

Q- My key doesn’t work, who do I talk to?

A-    You can send an email to medlem@trulle.no with your updated membership receipt and the number printed on your key.

Q- I have a kayak I want to store, can Trulle help me out?

A-    For sure (as long as we have space)! Trulle has an awesomely large boathouse and we have space to store your kayak for just a small price! Send an email and we will arrange a place to put it. It is a good idea to lock your kayak so that curious paddlers don’t take it for a spin.

SITUATIONS

Q- Do I always need to have a drysuit to paddle in Tromsø?

A-    The water is always cold at 69 degrees North, which means that a dry suit is recommended in most situations. Therefore, most people paddle in dry suits year-round, but Trulle only requires that you always wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) (life vest) whenever you paddle. Dry suits are required for Wednesday paddling, for beginners, and later in the season.

 Q- Can I borrow kayaks for a long trip or transport them with a car?

A-    Yes! Tromsø is a great jumping-off point for awesome paddling. Any kayak rental over 24 hours costs 50 NOK / day. Please pay for that in our online store (or via Vipps, via the QR code in the boathouse). Be very careful strapping kayaks on the roof of a car, as they can wiggle loose and turn into huge flying projectiles. Also, make sure that items in the cockpit and hatch covers are VERY secure.

Q- Does Trulle have a kayak trailer I could borrow to transport many kayaks at a time?

A-    Trulle does have a trailer that we use for courses and activities. We don’t normally lend it out to members. Someone from the board should be involved in an activity you need the trailer for.

Q- Me and a friend would like to join TSI Trulle. My friend has the basic course (Våttkort), but I don’t. I’ve paddled a bit over the past 10 years, but never taken the course since my family has kayaks. Could I still join? 

A-    Great that you would like to join Trulle! Since you haven’t taken the basic course (i.e., have a Våttkort), please join for Wednesday paddling (see our Spond group for the event each week) and take the “key test” where you show that you can rescue yourself and a buddy and paddle safely in the Arctic:) Both you and your friend must be members of Trulle to join Trulle activities and use Trulle gear (kayaks, dry suits etc).

Q- I broke / damaged / lost some Trulle gear but I am poor student so I am afraid to say something. What should I do?

A-    Trulle has budgeted for this. Please report it immediately via email so that we can fix it or replace it as soon as possible.

Please also share your experience of how it happened so we can give tips to avoid it happening again or come up with other solutions. Paddling gear is annoyingly expensive, and replacing lost/broken gear affects our ability to buy new/fun gear :(