Open Water Touring Award

Course Description

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. In addition, you will also consider the mental strategies needed to stay calm during high pressure rescue situations.

After the session you and your Coach will reflect on what went well and what you need to continue to improve. You will choose where you go next and the focus of your next trip. Each day we spend paddling further expands our skills and knowledge, creating a more enjoyable experience on the water. With no two experiences ever the same, we never stop learning. Continually evaluating the choices we make creates a natural evolution of decision making ability and skills.

Ready to begin?

Use our course finder to find a course or a coach to begin your journey today!

Want to know more?

Read the award description here: Open Water Touring Award Description

If you are new to touring then you may wish to look at the Touring Award first.

If you feel you have enough journeying experience and would like to progress further, then you may wish to look at the Multi-Day Touring Award. Use our finder to find a course or a Coach today.

Course Content

During this award you will develop a good understanding of touring on open water or estuaries. It will look at how the environmental conditions will impact your decision on when and where to paddle. You will continue to look at your own personal skills to maintain control of your craft. As well as developing your rescue skills to include rescuing others within your group.

This will include:

• Location
• Getting Ready
• At the Water
• Touring Skills
• After the Session
• Future Development

Course Assessment

The Open Water Touring Award has no formal assessment. Every day spent on the water will further develop your skills and knowledge. This creates a more enjoyable experience on the water. With no two experiences ever the same, you will never stop learning. You and your Coach will work together to steer your learning to suit your personal goals. The award will be certificated when you are ready.

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