Introduction to White Water Safety

Course Description

• Do you want to be a useful team member on the river?
• Do you want to learn practical solutions if you get into difficulty?
• Do you want to learn the tools to solve common paddling issues grade 2/3 white water (moderate)?

Then the Introduction to White Water Safety course is for you!

This course will support you to explore and practice simple strategies and safe skills that provide you with the tools to solve common paddling issues, in grade 2/3 white water (moderate) conditions, providing peace of mind when venturing out as part of a led group/ team of peers.

This course is open to anyone of any age.

Why take the Introduction to White Water Safety course?

First of all, this award is all about keeping safe in your craft on grade 2/3 (moderate) white water, suitable craft/disciplines include:

• White Water Kayakers
• Sit On Top Paddlers
• White Water Paddleboarders
• Canoeists (Traditional and White Water Spec)
• Slalom Paddlers
• Freestyle Paddlers
• Wild Water Racers

all will benefit from this practical course.

The course will focus on your needs and you will paddle your chosen craft through out the programme.

So, whether you are paddling with friends or your club, or working towards a leadership assessment, this practical course is packed with safe practical solutions. It doesn’t matter about your age or whether you’re relatively new to paddling in white water, this course supports your knowledge and raises your awareness of your personal safety.

If you need any more convincing, the course is completely based around training and raising awareness, with no assessment. Structured to support you, our experienced tutors will ensure you have plenty of time practicing, as well as understanding how you can develop skills and build experience after the course.

The course takes around 6 hours and will cover 9 modules:

• Motivations and decisions
• Clothing and equipment
• The White Water Environment
• Preparing for a trip
• Swimming techniques
• Choosing how to help a swimmer
• What to do when we swim
• Kit retrieval
• Reflection and skills checklist

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

To get the most out of your course, we would recommend holding an appropriate personal performance award, for example:

• White Water Award
• Stand Up Paddleboard White Water Award
• Progressive Canoe Award
• Slalom Explore Award
• Wild Water Racing Explore Award
• Freestyle Award
• or equivalent ability, due to the paddling environment and the boat control required to participate fully in the course.

You can read the sample programme here: Programme and the skills checklist here: Skills Checklist

• Why we paddle
• WW Hazards
• Intro to white water safety

Course Content

Module 1 Motivations and decisions

• Ours and others’ motivations
• Collaborative support
• Selection of river to match motivations

Module 2 Clothing and equipment

• Craft overview, safety considerations and features
• Clothing and equipment worn
• Additional safety equipment

Module 3 The White Water environment

• Understanding water features
• Recognising water features
• Hazards on the river

Module 4 Preparing for the river trip

• Appropriate clothing and craft for the river trip
• Safety protocols
• River brief

Module 5 Swimming techniques

• Defensive swimming
• Aggressive swimming
• Changing direction

Module 6 Choosing how to help a swimmer

• Supporting the swimmer
• Wading
• Reaching
• Receiving a throwline

Module 7 What to do when we swim

• Stay safe
• Roll up, push/move away
• Nudge
• Attaching a line

Module 8 Kit retrieval

• Paddle retrieval
• Assisting others

Module 9 Reflections and skills checklist

• Reflections from the course
• Reflections on own learning and areas for development
• Skills checklist

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