Slalom Explore Award

Course Description

Your Slalom Explore Award will help you develop a foundation in slalom techniques and skills to help you start your journey into slalom. It will help you develop your speed and agility to play on white water rapids.

To have an enjoyable slalom session you will need to consider some key factors. These are the weather, water conditions and the surrounding environment. You will work with your Coach to identify what weather conditions could affect your performance and how they can be dealt with. This will include choosing the correct kit for paddling. You will need to consider how you can get on and off the water and if there are any restrictions on the water you will be paddling on.

What is involved?

Before you get on the water, you will need to make sure you are ready. You and your Coach will work to identify the best warm ups to prevent injury whilst paddling. Ensuring you know what the purpose of each training session is will help you to get the most out of it. You will also need to take note of the positions of the gates to help you begin to choose the correct lines into and out of them.

You will learn the best techniques to steer your boat and to keep it under control. This includes the best strokes to help you deal with a gate that is upstream, you will look at the best way to approach the gate and the best way to steer the boat to the next gate. As well as those to help when approaching a stagger gate. You will look at recovery strokes and techniques to re-balance the boat and techniques to help you either self-right or reach the shore should your boat capsize.

After each session, you and your Coach shall look at where you improved and what needs to be worked on. You will consider where you can look for further information such as observing other paddlers. Where and what you would like to work on next will be decided in accordance to your own personal goals.

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

Ready to begin?

Use our finder to find a course or a Coach to start your journey today!

Want to know more?

Read the award description here: Slalom Explore Award Description

If you have never paddled slalom or white water before, then you may wish to look at the Paddle Explore or the White Water Award.

If you feel you already have the experience or wish to progress from this award, then you may wish to look at the Slalom Perform Award. Use our finder to find a Coach or a course now.

Course Content

During this award you will gain the key skills to identify appropriate conditions to paddle in and the correct kit to do so. You will look at how to keep control of your boat and to steer it to both upstream and downstream gates. This will allow for an enjoyable session on the water. p>

This will include:

• Location
• Getting Ready
• At the Water
• Pre-Session
• Slalom Skills
• Post Session
• Future Development

Course Assessment

There is no formal assessment for the Slalom Explore Award. Each day you spend in a slalom boat further expands your skills and knowledge, leading to a more enjoyable session on the water. With no two paddling sessions the same, you will never stop learning. You and your Coach will tailor each session around your personal goals. As such, the award is certificated when you are ready.

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