British Canoeing Awards

Paddle UK (formerly British Canoeing) Awards empower and recognise your ability to operate competently at different levels, from sheltered to advanced water environments.

Many of our Intermediate and Advanced sea kayak trails link with the British Canoeing (BC) Paddle award training and assessment dates.

British Canoeing Paddle Awards

Paddle UK (formerly British Canoeing) Start, Discover and Explore Awards are great for anyone starting kayaking and are designed to develop your confidence afloat in sheltered water. We’ll develop your skills and knowledge so you can explore the superb Jersey coastline. Read about these excellent awards.

Email us to arrange Paddle Award training and assessment dates.

Or, book online.

Sea Kayak Award Training & Assessment

The British Canoeing Sea Kayak (formally BC 3-Star Sea) award demonstrates that you can now consider yourself an able and improving sea paddler rather than a beginner.

The Sea Kayak Award can be in a sit-on-top or sit-inside sea kayak. Syllabus

At the end of the course, all candidates will receive an action plan.

All equipment and kayak are supplied -if needed-. You are welcome to use your kit and kayak.

2024 Sea Kayak Training or Assessment Dates

* Our 5-day Intermediate course includes Sea kayak training and the option to be assessed.

Or, you can book one day for an assessment on the last day of the course.

Custom assessment and training days dates can be arranged.

Email Derek for custom dates.

Coastal Sea Kayak

The British Canoeing Coastal Sea Kayak (CSK) award is a great way to assess your skills and competence in moderate water without having to lead groups as part of your assessment.

Over five days, we aim to explore the fantastic coastline of Jersey and its huge tide range while you tune up your skills.

Paddlers should be at around the intermediate level. (e.g. BC Sea Kayak award). Assessment can be in either a sit-on-top or sit-inside sea kayak.

Drysuits, VHF marine radio, flares and other assessment equipment can be hired in advance if needed.

Add an extra day for the Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning (CNTP) course.

Assessment for the Coastal Sea Kayak Award can be included during the week -if you are paddling at this standard- on our Jersey Kayak Trail or similar 5-day courses so long as we know in advance. There is an additional charge for the certificate.

We can also arrange a 2-day Coastal Sea Kayak assessment on custom dates.

British Canoeing Coastal Sea Kayak syllabus

Sea Kayak Leader Training

Note. The Sea Kayak Leader (SKL) award changed in January 2021, and it is no longer necessary for candidates to complete SKL training before your Assessment. Though formal training is not mandatory, if you choose our training course, you will have a great couple of days to develop your practice in a superb location with experienced sea kayak leaders.

Our Sea Kayak Leader training is a great way to prepare for the updated award. During the course, you’ll be able to develop your leadership, paddle skills and incident management in a range of sea conditions with a British Canoeing Sea Kayak Leader assessor.

The course will also give you an insight into the British Canoeing Leadership Model and what to expect when you book your Assessment.

All participants leave our training course with a detailed action plan to help them become better paddlers and sea kayak leaders. Mentoring is also available for those who book a Sea Kayak Leader Assessment.

Even if you do not plan to undertake the Sea Kayak Leader assessment, this course is a great way to develop your sea kayaking knowledge and experience.

Jersey, the island of the tides, has lots of paddling opportunities. Discover cliffs, caves, Atlantic-facing surf beaches, tide streams, overfalls and Spring tides of up to 12m.

Add extra kayaking days, sign up for our 5-day courses, Assessment for the BC Sea Kayak or Coastal Sea Kayak award, or complete the assessment prerequisites: Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning (CNTP) course, First Aid, Safeguarding and guide modules.

To get the most from the training, you should be able to kayak for 4-5 hours per day in winds of up to force 4 in moderate tidal waters. This may include overfalls, swell and tidal streams of about 3 knots (or more) off some headlands. You should be kayaking at the British Canoeing 3 Star/Sea Kayak/Coastal Sea kayak award (or a similar level) and are prepared to kayak in moderate water conditions.

Most of our training dates include the option to add the Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning as extra days of training. We also run online BC-approved CNTP courses.

Kayaks and equipment are included in the price.

Fly from UK regional airports to get more time on the water. Jersey also has good connections to European airports via Gatwick and Heathrow.

Learn more about the British Canoeing Sea Kayak Leader award: syllabus.

To help us meet your needs, we ask all participants to complete a Sea Kayak Leader Skills Checklist to meet your specific requirements.

Please see our online booking page or Contact us for dates.

Email Derek for custom dates.

Sea Kayak Leader (Tidal/Moderate Water) Assessment

The Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) assessment demonstrates you have the experience and skills to lead a group of paddlers on short, single or multi-day journeys on the sea in moderate tidal waters.

Note. The Sea Kayak Leader (SKL) assessment changed in January 2021. The award now offers two routes: a tidal and non-tidal waters assessment option. The Sea Kayak Leader tidal waters assessment is the best option for most sea kayakers because it allows you to lead in a broader range of conditions and sea areas.

You can now go directly to assessment without attending a training course. I would only recommend you go straight to the examination if you already have a lot of sea kayak leadership experience. Please read the Sea Kayak Leader Assessment Guidance to know what the assessment involves.

If you need advice about booking an assessment, please download, complete, and return the Sea Kayak Leader Skills checklist to me.

You can now be assessed in one day, allowing you to book a custom date. Some may find a one-day assessment quite intensive, and I’d only recommend this for experienced paddlers.

We will continue offering a two-day assessment because it allows candidates more time to be evaluated in various conditions.

Jersey has large tides and a coastline ranging from cliffs, surf beaches, caves, rock gardens and offshore sea kayaking opportunities. This makes the island ideal for the sea kayaker who wants to pack a range of paddling experiences into their assessment.

Fly from regional and European airports (Easyjet, BA, Blue Island) to get more time on the water. There are lots of travel and accommodation options available.

Sea kayaks and paddle kit is included in the price.

Drysuits, VHF marine radio, flares and other equipment can be hired in advance.

Add extra paddle days to prepare for the assessment or complete British Canoeing Guide training modules.

Custom 1:1 assessment dates can often be arranged. Email Derek.

2024 Dates

Please see our online booking page or Contact us for dates.

Sea Kayak Guide modules

British Canoeing Guide module courses are available for all kayakers, so you do not need to be a coach or sea kayak leader. These one-day modules are an excellent way to develop your knowledge.

British Canoeing recognises the Guide Modules as Continuous Professional Development (CPD) (1 module = 18 months CPD).

We offer one-day British Canoeing Guide modules;

Camp-craft and expedition skills.

Trip Planning and organisation.

Customer experience.

Details of the content of each module are in the Guide Module Outlines.

Advanced Sea Kayak Leader Training

Note. In January 2021, the British Canoeing Advanced Sea Kayak Leader (SKL) award changed. Going directly to an assessment without completing an Advanced Sea Kayak Leader training course is also possible. The award now has a tidal or non-tidal waters assessment option.

Though we do not offer the British Canoeing Advanced Sea Kayak Leader training course, our Advanced Jersey Sea Kayak Trail 5-day course will enable you to experience paddling in advanced tidal waters around Jersey. If conditions permit, this may include offshore trips and night paddling.

The Advanced Jersey Sea Kayak Trail 5-day course is a great way for sea kayakers to paddle in areas where tide races, headlands, open crossings, swell and challenging coastlines will be encountered. Some use the course to develop their leadership skills (if this is arranged in advance).

Five days. Kayaks and kit included.

Please see our online booking page or Contact us for dates.

Custom dates can also be arranged. Email, Derek.

Add Extra Days to your Sea Kayak Course

Consolidate your skills and get more experience in sea kayaking in Jersey.

While it’s possible to cover the sea kayak leader training syllabus in two days, many paddlers like to add extra days so they have plenty of time to enhance their skills.

You can also add courses such as Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning (CNTP), VHF and First Aid. Email or call me if these options are not showing on your required dates.

Many kayakers select this option to add extra trips to their logbook.

Email Derek for other dates throughout the year.

Paddle UK Coach Courses

Benefits of the Coach Award:

The Coach Award content is delivered through the Core Coach Training (online options are available) and practical Discipline Specific Training (usually 2 days) in the paddle craft of your choice.

Direct entry to the training course is possible. The only prerequisite to join this training course is to be a British Canoeing member.

You can select a specific pathway for training, e.g., a sea kayak coach in sheltered, moderate, or advanced tidal waters.

Coach Award. Core Training

The Core Coach Training explores different approaches to coaching, understanding and enabling learning, and some core coaching skills. You will also be supported in evolving your coaching development plan to enable you to take your learning into practice after the course. The Core Coach Training can be done online through a series of modules.

Course tutor: Phil Hadley. The Coach Core Training module is completed via online learning.

Dates: Contact us.

Course outline.

Sheltered Water Coach Training

This 2-day Sheltered Water Training teaches you to coach Kayak and/or Standup Paddleboard skills in a sheltered water environment..

You will learn to plan and deliver safe, enjoyable, and progressive coaching sessions.

The course will also cover specific aspects of coaching.

This training course is suitable for paddlers at approximately the level of any of these awards: Touring, Sea Kayak, Explore, or SUP Sheltered Water Awards.

2024: May 23-24

Please visit our website for further information.

Sea Kayak Coach (Moderate Water) Training

We have teamed up with Phil Hadley, a very experienced British Canoeing coach assessor, to run Sea Kayak Coach Moderate Water Discipline-Specific training courses in Jersey over two days.

Holders of the Sea Kayak Coach (Moderate Water) award have demonstrated they can plan, deliver and review a series of progressive paddlesport coaching sessions in a moderate water environment.

The Sea Kayak Coach (Moderate Water) training takes two days.

To attend the Sea Kayak Coach (moderate water) training, you must have the Sea Kayak Leader (Moderate Water) award by the date of this course date.

2024 May 21-22

Read more about this fantastic opportunity on our website.

Further information about the Sea Kayak Coach (Moderate Water) training, assessment and the coach Core module are on the British Canoeing website.

Sea kayaks and all equipment can be supplied.

Email Derek to discuss dates.

Ensure you read the relevant documents for the Sea Kayak Coach (moderate water).

Sea Kayak Coach Moderate Water Assessment

The Sea Kayak Coach Award is for competent paddlers who want to coach sea kayakers.

Course Content

All candidates need to read and understand the course outline.

Preparation:
Candidates are responsible for ensuring they have the prerequisites.

Read the “Coach Award Assessment day pack” and ensure you have practised all the key elements!

Prerequisites

This one-day assessment is only open to paddlers who have completed the prerequisites:

Note. Coaches who have already completed British Canoeing Awarding Body Coach Training or Assessments with similar content can bypass the Core or Discipline Specific training if they wish. If you plan to use this option, you must have got approval from British Canoeing.

Before your Sea Kayak Coach Award Assessment, you must complete several prerequisites. The Coach Award Course Guide provides specific details (and acceptable alternatives).

Here is a summary of the requirements:

Registration;
Coach Award eLearning;
Coach Award Core Training;
Coach Award Discipline Specific Training;
Relevant Leadership Award (for this assessment, you need the Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) award).

The following minimum standards of deployment:

In-date First Aid Training;
Safeguarding Training;
Full National Association Membership;
Aged 16 or over at the assessment time (18 for Advanced Water options).

Once all prerequisites are in place, you need Delivery Centre approval to proceed to assessment. Further details are available from your Delivery Centre.

You MUST bring the following paperwork to your assessment:

1. Completed Assessment Discussion Task;

2. Logbook of experience;

3. Evidence of your Delivery Centre approval for assessment

You must register for the coach award, which gives you access to the e-learning.

Complete the e-learning module; then you can do the online check-in – Phil Hadley (your assessor) needs a copy of the confirmation email.

Complete the Assessment Discussion task – this needs emailing to Phil.

Get your coaching logbook up to date.

On the assessment day, you need some willing volunteers to coach. Contact Derek if you have difficulties finding any!

The British Canoeing website has several resources to help you do this via their e-Learning pages. You are welcome to contact us in advance for further information and advice.

Notes

Loaned equipment will be assessed as if it were your own, so ensure you know how it works.

If you combine a training course with an assessment course, it is important to understand that attendance on a training course does not imply that you will have reached the required standard to pass the award at the end of the course. Much depends upon your level of paddle skills and experience. Ensure you have read and understood the syllabus for the relevant awards.

Anyone planning to link the SKL training and assessment within a short time of each course should discuss this before you book.

Leadership Registration (LR) Form. A copy of your completed LR form (for SKL assessment) is required when you book/pay (no later than 14 days before the assessment). If you arrive without a valid LR form, we cannot assess you for the leadership award, and your course fees will not be refunded. If you need advice or assistance, contact us in advance.