Sports, dance and activity clubs around Exeter that welcome newcomers, with their regular sessions. Outdoor clubs further afield are included when they need the landscape.
Sports, dance and activity clubs around Exeter that welcome newcomers, with their regular sessions. Outdoor clubs further afield are included when they need the landscape.
Exmouth · 11 miles from the centre · Watersports · See membership fees page; RYA Level 2…
Exmouth dinghy club with weekly racing, RYA courses and a Get Racing scheme for new racers. It runs taster sails and open days and has a Sailability programme for disabled people.
New here? Taster sails (20 minutes, free at past open days) and RYA courses; Get Racing programme for new racers; join via the website.
Flying depends on wind and weather, at sites from about 8 to 25 miles from Exeter
East Devon and Somerset coast and hills · 15 miles from the centre · Air sports · £25 a year (plus BHPA membership)
A hang gliding and paragliding club for qualified BHPA pilots with 17 sites from West Bay to Exmouth and inland, including Bickleigh and Beer Head. Learners train at a BHPA school first, then join the club.
New here? For pilots with the BHPA Club Pilot rating. Learners can join while training at a BHPA school, but fly with the club once qualified.
Club flies on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting
Honiton (North Hill, Sheldon) · 19 miles from the centre · Air sports
Gliding club on North Hill Airfield in the Blackdown Hills. Trial lessons give a 15-30 minute flight with an instructor, and the club trains new pilots.
New here? Trial lessons on flying days: 15 to 30 minutes in a two-seat glider with an instructor. Junior gliding too.
St Thomas, Exeter · Dance classes · £15 or £12 booked in advance; two £10…
A weekly 5Rhythms movement class on Sunday evenings in St Thomas: free, unchoreographed dancing to music, guided by a teacher. No steps to learn, so it suits complete beginners as well as experienced dancers.
New here? 'A welcoming class for both beginners and experienced dancers'; no dance steps needed. Arrive by 6pm; no entry after 6.20pm.
Exeter (city centre) · Dance classes · £8.50 per class (acro £15)
City-centre dance studio running weekly adult classes in ballet, tap, contemporary and commercial street dance, many of them drop-in with no monthly membership. Suits beginners and returners as well as experienced dancers.
New here? Many adult sessions are drop-in, booked online; the timetable includes Absolute Beginners Ballet and Adults Beginners Tap. No monthly memberships.
Boutique reformer Pilates studio in a listed building on Cathedral Close, with 45-minute instructor-led classes and self-led on-demand reformer sessions. Newcomers start with an orientation session.
New here? An orientation session (£10) is required before joining group classes; it covers health and safety, studio housekeeping and a reformer taster. Intro offer: 3 classes for £30, usable in instructor-led and on-demand classes. Grip socks are required.
Free beginner-friendly meditation sessions at Exeter Phoenix, with short talks, videos and guided practice, sitting on chairs with no mat or special clothing needed.
New here? Everyone welcome, no experience needed; the current 10-week course runs on Monday evenings.
BSAC diving club based at the Haven Road water sports site, training new divers in the pool at Riverside and diving off the Devon coast all year. It suits complete beginners, lapsed divers and qualified divers from any agency.
New here? 'If you can swim, then come and talk to us.' Complete beginners and people who haven't dived for years are welcome at the Friday social; try dives run on Tuesday evenings (book in advance).
Rowing club on the Exeter Ship Canal and River Exe. Adults new to the sport start with a four-week Introduction to Rowing course, with coaching in small boats.
New here? No previous experience needed: start with the four-week adult taster course (£40). Juniors aged 12 to 16 get two free trial sessions. A British Rowing membership number is needed to join.
Trains on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with volunteer patrols on summer Sundays
Exmouth · 11 miles from the centre · Watersports
A volunteer surf life saving club on Exmouth beach training lifeguards and running summer beach patrols. New adult members are welcome with no previous experience; juniors join via a waiting list.
New here? New senior members welcome, no previous experience needed; adults can visit the beach to see the club or get in touch. Juniors (Nippers 7 to 12, Graduate Lifeguards 13+) via a waiting list form.
Regular rows at weekends and in evenings (light permitting)
Exmouth · 11 miles from the centre · Watersports
Cornish pilot gig rowing off Exmouth beach, open to all ages with no experience needed. New rowers do about three intro sessions before deciding to join.
New here? Intro sessions for complete beginners, open to all ages; first session includes launching the boat, a briefing and a 45-minute row; up to two further sessions before joining. Run on safe, slack tides only.
Exmouth · 10 miles from the centre · Watersports · Two free trial rows; then a pro rata…
Friendly community rowing club on Exmouth seafront, rowing stable coastal boats on the estuary and at sea, recreationally or in regattas. It suits adults of any age with no experience.
New here? Two free trial rows during Sunday club sessions before joining; new starter inductions roughly once a month, with an indoor rowing machine lesson then a trial row in a quad with a 'buddy'.
Sailing and racing programme April to September, tide dependent (roughly two hours either side of high water)
Lympstone · 9 miles from the centre · Watersports · Adult £70 a year, joint adult £95…
Family-friendly sailing club on the Exe estuary at Lympstone with dinghy, day boat and cruiser racing from April to September, RYA training for members and a busy social calendar.
New here? Describes itself as 'family friendly and great for meeting new people'; members help with training, race and safety boat duties, which 'makes it easy for new members to meet people'. RYA training courses are for members.
Racing on Sundays and other programmed days, tide dependent
Starcross · 9 miles from the centre · Watersports · Subscriptions on the club's price…
A dinghy, catamaran and yacht club on the west bank of the Exe estuary with year-round racing, training for members and a junior section. Membership has no waiting list.
New here? No waiting list for membership; visitors are invited to come along on a race day.
Topsham · Watersports · Membership fees on the club's…
A friendly sailing club on the Exe estuary running dinghy, yawl and cruiser racing plus a social calendar. It welcomes new members who simply want to sail.
New here? Welcomes new members; 'all that is needed is enthusiasm for sailing'. Prospective members can visit on race nights or events to meet the Membership Secretary.
Last Wed7:30pm
Woodbury Common (East Devon) · 9 miles from the centre · Air sports
A radio control model flying club (aircraft, helicopters, boats) flying from Woodbury Common, with a beginner training scheme leading to the BMFA A certificate.
New here? Training scheme starts with ground school, then flying tuition to the BMFA A certificate; temporary membership available; guests can fly with permission via the contact form.
Exeter (city centre) · Dance classes · £6 to £7 per session (sources differ)
Weekly adult jazz dance classes in Exeter, including a beginners and improvers class for those new or rusty, plus a low-impact fitness class. Join at any time and pay weekly.
New here? Adult classes are ongoing so you can join at any time; the Thursday class is for beginners, improvers or those feeling rusty.
Classes most days
Exeter (Quayside) · Yoga & pilates · See…
Hot yoga in inflatable pods on the Vulcan Estate, bookable class by class or on a membership. Suits all levels.
New here? Timetable listed as suitable for all levels; passes available without membership.
Free outdoor yoga on Sunday mornings in summer at Cowick Barton Playing Fields and Heavitree Pleasure Ground, part of the national Park Yoga scheme. All levels are welcome.
New here? Free sessions; look for the large Park Yoga flag. The Cowick Barton instructor says all levels are most welcome.
Woodbury Business Park (east of Exeter) · Yoga & pilates · Intro offers 5 mat classes £45 or 5…
Reformer and mat Pilates studio at Woodbury Business Park, between Exeter and Exmouth, also running hot Pilates and barre. Mindful Motion is the recommended starting class for people new to the reformer.
New here? Mindful Motion welcomes all levels and is the recommended starting point for anyone new to reformer Pilates; arrive a little early and tell your instructor it is your first visit. Intro offers: 5 mat classes for £45 or 5 reformer classes for £70.
Free groups for adults run by the Step One charity from the X Centre: an easy-paced walk of about 3 miles along the Exe from the Quay, and an eight-week Yoga4Wellbeing course for any ability or health condition.
New here? Walk-ins welcome on the walk (registering helps). The yoga course is open to all abilities and health conditions; sign up through BeWell (course 222).
Reformer Pilates studio run by Vyve Gym on North Street, with group classes and private sessions. Every class except Elevate is suitable for beginners, and one-off drop-in classes can be booked.
New here? All classes apart from Elevate are suitable for beginners. A drop-in credit lets you enjoy a class as a one-off, and a 5-day trial gives unlimited reformer Pilates and gym classes.
A friendly outdoor fitness class in Haldon Forest, with a coach giving exercises for strength, flexibility and fitness. No circuits experience needed, just a basic level such as gentle walking.
New here? No booking: just turn up. Suits a basic fitness level such as gentle walking; no previous circuits experience needed. Bring comfortable clothes for the weather and a bottle of water.
An official Hyrox training club in Marsh Barton with a sled track and coached group classes in Hyrox conditioning and strength, for anyone from beginners to people training for a race.
New here? One-week free trial with no commitment: sign up, then book as many classes as you like through the PushPress app. A coach introduces themselves, checks you're comfortable and explains the session; you're welcome to drop in just to look around.
Classes run several times a week at Southernhay Hall and Isca Academy
Exeter (city centre and St Loyes) · Fitness · New Customer Trial £29 (2 weeks…
Jazzercise franchise classes mixing dance cardio with strength work, at Southernhay Hall in the city centre and Isca Academy's dance studio. Low-impact and sculpt-only formats suit beginners and all fitness levels.
New here? Jazzercise says its classes are for all levels. A New Customer Trial gives single-class visits and unlimited workouts for 2 weeks with no commitment, described as perfect for those new to Jazzercise.
Pole fitness studio at Exeter Phoenix with beginner, intermediate and advanced pole classes, pole flow, floorwork and heels choreography on weekday evenings. Pay as you go, with free taster sessions.
New here? Complete beginners can join a taster session (held every four weeks) or book straight onto a regular beginners' class; all classes pay as you go. 16+ (under-18s need adult consent).