Kayakojacko

This top level performance award involves a high level of personal skill and leadership in advanced situations. It is a leadership award and the appropriate test for paddlers who wish to lead groups of paddlers on advanced river journeys in white water kayaks. The five star leader has the skills and judgement to select appropriate river trips for paddlers with a wide range of experience. At the end of the course you will receive a personalised action plan, designed to guide you towards a successful assessment.

The learning outcomes of this course are based on performance and leadership in advanced white water environment of grade 4(5). If you have an interest in the following development areas this course would have great benefits for you.

Personal Paddling Skills

• Performance training in varied areas of white water, volume, technical and steep creaking, including techniques and tactics to suit grade 4(5) white water environments that would enable the candidate to lead 20km in one day.
• Bank and river based scouting techniques to suit the imposed demands of the river and terrain.
• White water rolling and techniques.

Rescue Skills

• Demonstrate skilful application of appropriate boat and bank-based safety and rescue skills
• Incident management and first aid in the 5 star environment
• Effective team leader and team member in rescue / incidents

Safety, Leadership & Group Skills

• Skilful application of leadership principles e.g. CLAP
• Appropriate leadership strategies, judgement and decision-making
• Safety awareness and risk management
• Group control and management

At the end of your training we suggest a development phase. This provides time to consolidate your new skills. We will provide you advice and help you to construct an action plan to continue your development and measure your achievements.

4 Star standard would be the appropriate level of performance for paddlers to begin working towards the White Water 5 Star Leaders Award.

• The candidate must provide documentary evidence of a minimum of 30 varied, quality, advanced white water kayak river days in 3 different geographical areas.
• At least three days logged experience of formal training in personal skills, leadership, incident management, safety and rescue prior to assessment whilst three days is seen as the minimum requirement, five days would normally be more appropriate.
• First aid award (minimum 16hrs training including CPR).

If you would like any further information or to check your suitability for this course, please call our office on: +44 (0)845 0948276 or use our Contact/Booking Service and one of our team will get back to you.

Assessments are over two days with candidates leading throughout whilst demonstrating paddling ability, leadership, judgment skills on grade 3-4(5) white water environments. Candidates aged 18 and over can go for assessment and must hold a current first aid award and have BCU coaching membership or private insurance.

You will need the following to go forward for your assessment:

You must present evidence of 10 quality river days in each of the 3 different geographical areas, (minimum of 30 different rivers) rivers are expected to be at the appropriate/guide book or above level and predominantly of the grade 3-4(5) or above. (Experience should be a minimum of 2 years). It should be clear there is a verity of pool drop, continuous and big volume rivers.

Your log should also contain evidence of paddling Grade 5 with peers, and Grade 3-4 where the roll of leader is formalised.