Sea Kayak Award

Your Sea Kayak Award gives you the skills and ability to have a safe, fun day out on the sea. It will give you the correct decision-making and personal skills with which you can plan an enjoyable and successful journey on the sea.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

You will look at the key environmental factors that will influence your decisions on where to paddle. Together, you and your Coach will work on getting you confident to paddle in winds up to force 3, tides up to 1 knot and in tidal or non-tidal environments.

This award can be taken in a sea kayak or a sit on top kayak. 

During this award you will look at how to keep yourself safe on the water by choosing the correct equipment and by having the rescue skills required to ensure that you, and anyone that you are paddling with, are safe. You and your Coach will work on the key paddling techniques that you will need to keep control of your craft whilst on the water. This includes forward paddling, negotiating confined spaces, maintaining or changing direction and moving sideways. 

After each session you will assess what went well and areas to work on. You and your Coach will discuss where you can go to gain other information to support your learning, such as watching other paddlers. 

Each day we spend sea kayaking further expands our skills and knowledge, creating a more enjoyable experience on the water. With no two trip experiences ever the same, we never stop learning. Continually evaluating the choices we make creates a natural evolution of decision making and sea paddling ability.

Coastal Sea Kayak Award

Your Coastal Sea Kayak Award is designed to progress your ability in appropriate decision making and paddling skills for an enjoyable, safe day out at sea. It should allow you to be confident in planning and undertaking journeys on the sea in a sea kayak or specific sit on tops.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

You will learn skills to paddle on waters that have winds up to force 4 and tides up to 2 knots. To have an enjoyable day out at sea you will need to make some key decisions to ensure you are at the right place at the right time. You and your Coach will consider how swell, the weather, the tide and the features of the location we choose will impact our paddle.

The skills to control your boat will be developed. You will be able to control your boat using effective positions and keeping your actions within your abilities. This includes extending your rescue skills to cover the different water conditions to help keep both you and any others with you safe.

After each session you and your Coach will determine where you will go next You will consider what you have learnt in the session and what there is to focus on the next time. This could include observing other paddlers to gain development in your own technique.

Each day we spend sea kayaking further expands our skills and knowledge, creating a more enjoyable experience on the water. Because no two trip experiences are the same, we never stop learning. Continually evaluating the choices we make creates a natural evolution of decision making and sea kayaking ability.

Advanced Sea Kayak Award

Your Advanced Sea Kayak Award will give you the personal and decision-making skills to have a safe and fun day out in a sea kayak in advanced sea conditions. 

This award will expand your experience of sea kayaking to include a wide variety of sea conditions. This includes winds over force 4 and tides over 2 knots. You will work in both tidal and non-tidal environments. In addition, you can travel coastlines and make open crossings in excess of 2 nautical miles. 

As the conditions are more advanced you will need to ensure that you are fully aware of the conditions around you. You will analyse the weather and other environmental conditions that could impact your paddle. You and your Coach will look at the etiquette and conditions that may govern the water you wish to paddle on. Looking out for and following buoyage is important when on water that is regularly used by larger craft.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVED?

You and your Coach will discuss what equipment will be best for each trip to ensure that you are safe and protected from the elements. You will need to consider what first aid and safety kit you could take with you. Your rescue skills will continue to be developed to deal with rescues in a more advanced environment, you will be asked to bear in mind where your help can come from should you get into difficulty and how you can communicate with them.

Your skills within a sea kayak will be developed to allow you to keep control of your sea kayak in advanced water conditions.

Open Water Touring Award

Your Open Water Touring Award will progress your paddling and decision-making skills to undertake fun trips on open water with a group of your peers. This includes open water, small bays, harbours and slow moving estuaries during neap tides. You will become comfortable paddling in force 3 winds or 2 if the wind direction is off shore. 

You will continue to develop your skills to make key decisions before and during your journey. This includes the weather, the water conditions and the level of those that you wish to paddle with. These will all influence where you choose to paddle. You will need to think about what methods you will use to navigate your journey and to plan the course your journey will take. 

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

You need to think about what equipment to take and how you will get it safely to the water. As well as how you would receive help should you need it. You will need to consider if the group size is suitable for both the conditions and the water you wish to paddle on. During the paddle you will need to ensure your group stays together and comfortable. Meaning you will need to consider ways to monitor your group and to communicate when someone is having difficulty or if they were to get separated.

This award will further develop your paddling skills. You will continue to work on different strokes to maintain control and the direction of your craft. This includes cross-deck strokes and the best strokes for paddling both upstream and downstream. You will further develop your journeying skills. This includes looking at “Future Water” and deciding how is best to get there. You will continue to develop your skills on moving water such as crossing eddy lines and flows. This includes how to affect the shape and speed of your track over the water.

Your rescue skills will continue to be developed. This includes how to rescue those in your group. You will consider how to set up rafting or towing systems and how to deal with a swamped raft.

Touring Award

Your Touring Award will give you the personal and decision-making skills to have an enjoyable and safe day out touring. It will give you the confidence to undertake journeys on a river or estuary.

Before paddling you need to ensure you know enough about where you are paddling to keep you safe on the water. You will look at what the weather conditions will be and the likely water quality. As well as ensuring you know of any hazards that there could be on your trip, such as whether you will be paddling on any water with flow.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

You will consider the equipment that you will need to take with you to keep you safe and comfortable on the water. As well as considering what food and drink you will need to take with you on your trip. You will also need to consider the best way to get your kit and your boat to and onto the water. This includes what access points are available and how to ensure you carry your boat without causing injury.

This award will take you through the skills required to ensure you can control your craft and direct it where you wish to go. You will look at how you can use the environment to help you paddle the craft efficiently. As well as considering the use of poling techniques, sailing methods and different paddle strokes to ensure you move the craft as efficiently as possible. You will look at how to steer around hazards and obstructions. As well as how to move through small gaps. Your Coach will also take you through how to enter and cross eddy lines and flows to prevent a capsize. As well as any skills to help you get out of any difficulty you may find yourself in.

Each day we spend paddling we further expand our skills and knowledge, creating a more enjoyable experience on the water. With no two experiences the same, we never stop learning. Continually evaluating the choices we make creates a natural evolution of decision making ability and skills.

Multi - Day Touring Award

Your Multi-Day Touring Award will continue to develop your own personal skills to allow you to undertake safe, multi-day paddling trips with your peers. This will be on a variety of waters including canals, lochs/lakes, estuaries and sections of rivers up to grade 2. 

You will learn what equipment you will need for several days out on the water. Depending on where you shall be spending the night, this may include camping equipment and food. You will need to consider how this can be kept dry and stored so that it can be easily accessed. This will make your craft heavier to carry to the water, you and your Coach will work through the correct lifting techniques to avoid injury or damage.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

Your Coach will take you through how to identify the best place to camp should you choose to. This will include identifying the best place to shield yourself from the weather. As well as the “Leave no Trace” principle to ensure that you make as little impact on the surrounding area as possible.

This award will further develop your paddling skills. You will need to consider what effect having a heavier craft will be on your ability to steer the craft. In addition, you shall be paddling in white water conditions. This award will take you through the techniques that will help you maintain direction and to give you enough time to negotiate a hazard effectively. Your journeying skills will also be advanced, you will consider the best way to use the environment to your advantage. As well as looking at when ropes or poling may be more effective than paddles. Your rescue skills will continue to develop to deal with more advanced water conditions. As well as the skills to keep your team together and communicating should the weather conditions change.

After the session you and your Coach will decide where you wish to go next. You will choose what area you wish to work on in accordance to your own personal goals.