White Water Safety (WWS)

Course Description

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 White Water Safety course (WWS) 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 2(3) white water rivers. Paddlers can access the course with their preferred craft which can include kayaks, rafts, canoes and stand up paddleboards.

The White-Water Safety course is a 2-day programme that consists of 9 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 replaced the White Water Safety and Rescue course (WWSR) on the 1st November 2023, however both the WWS and WWSR are recognised as pre requisites for the relevant qualifications e.g White Water Leader, Raft Guide Grade 2, etc.

White Water Safety and Rescue (WWS) Training Course Outline

• Motivations and Decisions
• River Trip
• Emergency planning & procedures
• Review and reflections
• Chase boating and equipment rescues
• Swimming and rescues
• Retrieving people and equipment
• Extracting methods

• 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: Sample Programme

You can look at the skills checklist here: WWS 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 2 water and be able to independently paddle your craft. Holding the White Water Award the Canoe Award, Slalom explore 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 White Water Safety Rescue (WWSR) 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 - Chase boating and equipment rescues

• Chase Boating
• Paddle Rescues
• Boat Rescues
• Reuniting

Module 6 - Swimming and rescues

• Swimming
• Rescue a swimmer from a craft
• Rescue a swimmer using a throwline
• Rescue a swimmer from a stopper

Module 7 - Retrieving people and equipment

• Wading
• Swimming
• Quick release buoyancy harness
• Support from the bank
• Extracting methods

Module 8 - Scenarios

• Setting the scene
• Scenarios

Module 9 - 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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