What the Role Entails

By delivering the Open Water Touring Award you will help paddlers progress their skills in touring. You shall help them with their journey planning and decision making to allow them to have safe and fun trips on open water.
The Open Water Touring Award is paddler-focused.
At Paddles Up Training we want you to help paddlers take charge of their learning by:
- Supporting your paddlers to become independent.
- Helping your paddlers to be clear ‘what’s next’ for them.
What does the development process look like?
As long as you meet the minimum requirements, you can become a Provider at any time, by completing the following steps:
- Complete the Personal Performance Awards Provider eLearning
This fun eLearning guides you by subject, through the design of the awards, why we made those choices and will give you some useful hints and tips.
Development Phase
You do what you need, this might involve:
- Co-delivery of Open Water Touring Awards with other Providers.
- Reflecting on your own development.
- Discussing with your Mentor.
Once you feel ready to run the award independently, the final step will depend on your existing qualifications, in some cases you will be able to straight away! It’s a self managed process.
Open the Minimum Requirements tab for more info.
Alternatively, you may need a Final Recommendation.
This must be from a current Open Water Touring Award Provider.
Final Recommendation
You will work with an existing Provider of the Open Water Touring Award. When you are both happy you fully understand the Open Water Touring Award and the requirements of being a Provider, they will then send us their Final Recommendation. You will then be given the Provider role.
Further information about the final recommendation can be found in the Final Recommendation Guidance Document.
Want to know more?
You can read more about the Open Water Touring Award here.
Ready to begin?
Click here to access the Personal Performance Award Provider eLearning or use the finder tool to find an existing Provider to work with.
Minimum Requirements
To provide the Open Water Touring Award you must have completed the British Canoeing Awarding Body Personal Performance Awards Provider eLearning.
To automatically be able to provide the Open Water Touring Award Award, you must hold one of the following British Canoeing Awarding Body qualifications:
- Canoe and Kayak Coach (Sheltered Water)
- Canoe Coach
- Sea Kayak Coach
- White Water Kayak Coach
- MWE Canoe Coach
- MWE Sea Coach
- MWE Touring Coach
- MWE White Water Kayak Coach
- BCU Level 3 Placid Water Coach
- BCU Level 3 Sea Coach
- BCU Level 3 Canoe Coach
- BCU Level 3 Inland Coach
- 4 Star Touring Leader
- Paddlesport Touring Leader
- Paddlesport Leader
If you hold one of these awards you can work through a personal development plan and when you feel ready approach a Open Water Touring Award Provider for your final recommendation.
Once your Personal Performance Awards Provider Recommendation is complete please return it to [email protected] .
Further Instructions
There is no application process for becoming an Open Water Touring Award Provider. You just need to complete the eLearning and then ask a current Provider for your final recommendation when you are ready.
If you would like to begin your journey, then the Personal Performance Awards Provider eLearning can be found here.

What the Role Entails
By delivering the Open Water Touring Award you will help paddlers progress their skills in touring. You shall help them with their journey planning and decision making to allow them to have safe and fun trips on open water.
The Open Water Touring Award is paddler-focused.
At Paddles Up Training we want you to help paddlers take charge of their learning by:
- Supporting your paddlers to become independent.
- Helping your paddlers to be clear ‘what’s next’ for them.
What does the development process look like?
As long as you meet the minimum requirements, you can become a Provider at any time, by completing the following steps:
- Complete the Personal Performance Awards Provider eLearning
This fun eLearning guides you by subject, through the design of the awards, why we made those choices and will give you some useful hints and tips.
Development Phase
You do what you need, this might involve:
- Co-delivery of Open Water Touring Awards with other Providers.
- Reflecting on your own development.
- Discussing with your Mentor.
Once you feel ready to run the award independently, the final step will depend on your existing qualifications, in some cases you will be able to straight away! It’s a self managed process.
Open the Minimum Requirements tab for more info.
Alternatively, you may need a Final Recommendation.
This must be from a current Open Water Touring Award Provider.
Final Recommendation
You will work with an existing Provider of the Open Water Touring Award. When you are both happy you fully understand the Open Water Touring Award and the requirements of being a Provider, they will then send us their Final Recommendation. You will then be given the Provider role.
Further information about the final recommendation can be found in the Final Recommendation Guidance Document.
Want to know more?
You can read more about the Open Water Touring Award here.
Ready to begin?
Click here to access the Personal Performance Award Provider eLearning or use the finder tool to find an existing Provider to work with.