Touring Award

Course Description

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.

Quotes from our learners:

“The award grew my confidence in canoeing massively. I had only previously completed my 2 Star and this worked on my skills and I’ve come out a far better paddler, with a larger understanding of touring in a canoe.

My next steps are to do my Paddlesport Leader Award to build on my foundation skills and to complete the Open Water Touring Award in a Canoe.” Ellie, Kent

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: Touring Award Description

If you are new to Touring, you may wish to look at the Paddle Explore Award first.

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

Course Content

During this award you will develop the skills and judgement making to have a successful journey. You will gain confidence in planning your journeys and develop the paddling skills to maintain control of your boat throughout.

This will include:

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

Course Assessment

The Touring Award has no formal assessment. Each day spent paddling will expand your skills and knowledge. With no two experiences the same, you will never stop learning. You and your Coach will work together after each session to identify where you would like to focus on next in accordance with your own personal goals. The award is then certificated when you are ready.

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