Advanced White Water Safety course (AWWS)

Course Description

Available from 2nd January 2024

Do you paddle on moving water? Do you want the skills to stay out of trouble? Want to know what to do if either you or others get into trouble on the river? Then the Advanced White Water Safety course (AWWS) is for you!

Your course will support you to consider safe practices, provide practical solutions to common issues and appropriate responses to incidents, providing peace of mind when venturing out onto the rivers.

This 2 day course is aimed at those paddling as peers and covers a range of topics that include emergency planning & procedures, chase boating, equipment rescues and scenarios and much more.This course is designed to support paddlers to be independent participants on grade 3 & 4 white water rivers. Paddlers can access the course with their preferred craft which can include kayaks, rafts, canoes and stand up paddleboards.

The Advanced White-Water Safety course is a 2-day programme that consists of 12 modules. This can be delivered in a weekend or modular, over a maximum of an eight-week period to suit you.

Please note, this course will replace the Advanced White Water Safety and Rescue course (AWWSR) on the 2nd January 2024, however both the AWWS and AWWSR are recognised as pre requisites for the relevant qualifications e.g Advanced White Water Leader, Raft Guide Grade 4 etc

Advanced White Water Safety and Rescue (AWWS) Training Course Outline

• Motivations and Decisions
• River Trip
• Emergency planning & procedures
• Review and reflections
• Craft Based Rescues
• Bank Based Rescues
• Moving Around Steep Ground
• Stuck Craft
• Stuck People
• Casualty Management
• Scenarios

• Review and reflections

There will be opportunities to develop and progress your own paddling skills and meet like-minded people during the course. Many of our course candidates develop long lasting friendships, connections and contacts.

You can read the course guide here: Course Guide

You can look at the skills checklist here: Skills Checklist

You can also find a range of free resources here: Safety Resources

There is no need to register for this training course, by using the ‘find a course’ function you can book  course.

However, to get the best from your course you need to feel comfortable swimming in and being around grade 3 (4) water and be able to independently paddle your craft. Holding the Progressive White Water Award the Progressive Canoe Award, Slalom Perform Award etc would put you in a position to fully engage and enjoy your course.

Course Content

This is a mainly practical training course with no assessment. Your course will support you in keeping yourself and others safe whilst on the river, providing you with the tools and concepts to consider solutions to common issues on moving water.

We have chosen to provide the British Canoeing Awarding Body Advanced White Water Safety (AWWS) Training course for two reasons:

• Firstly, British Canoeing Awarding Body has a longstanding reputation of providing industry leading qualifications that are recognised internationally as well as closer to home
• British Canoeing Awarding Body has over 40 years’ experience in safety training and we have every confidence in the robustness and procedures that underpin the course design and delivery.

Module 1 - Motivations and Decisions

• Understanding motivations to participate
• Selection of river to match motivations
• Practical matters

Module 2 - River Trip

• Pre checks
• Collaborative support and vision
• Settling in
• River running strategies
• Equipment considerations

Module 3 - Emergency planning & procedures

• What additional equipment do we take
• Locating your position
• Calling for assistance
• Walking out

Module 4 - Review and reflections

• Reflections on your own learning and areas for development

Module 5 - Craft Based Rescues

• Chase Boating
• Paddle Rescues
• Boat Rescues
• Reuniting

Module 6 - Bank Based Rescues

• Rescue a swimmer from a craft
• Quick release PFD/ BA harness
• Rescue a swimmer using a throwline
• Rescue a swimmer from a stopper

Module 7 - Moving around steep ground

• Decision making around steep environments
• Rope management
• Tactics for descending, ascending and moving around steep ground

Module 8 - Stuck Craft

• Pull and vector
• Mechanical advantage

Module 9 - Stuck people

• Initial assessment
• Access options

Module 10 - Casualty management and calling for assistance

• Protecting from the elements
• Casualty information
• Moving a casualty

Module 11 - Scenarios

• Setting the scene
• Scenarios

Module 12 - Review and reflections

• Reflections on own learning and areas for development

Course Assessment

This course is a training course so it has no assessment. However if your working towards a leadership or coaching qualification your tutor will provide you with more detailed feedback and support you to decide what further development you need for those assessments.

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