Yeah, which works when you are talking to someone that has a clue. Otherwise your response will be ‘your certificate says Paddlesport Instructor’.
No idea. I’d be surprised if we were delivering any activities to CFAVs or cadets in advanced water though. Even if we are, it’s a fairly niche thing.
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I’ve looked at the published RAFAC courses for Windermere etc. Am I correct that there isn’t any courses they are doing for kayaking as an introduction/refresher? But there is the personal development award for canoeing.
Also, I’m slightly confused with British Canoeing’s courses all having names (Discover etc) and a clear progression but the RAFAC (and ACF AT centre) not seeming to following this or even saying, this course is similar in level to… With the exception of the instructor qualifications. Or am I just being stupid (it is Monday after all!).
Without looking, I think there is an ‘Intro to Paddlesport’ week which covers canoe, kayak and SUP.
Not quite sure what you are asking here but:
The Paddle Awards (Start, Discover, Explore) are broadly similar to 1* and 2* in terms of overall skill level - with the ‘Explore’ award meaning you are an independent paddler for a specific craft. The paddle awards are very paddler centred which is why they aren’t really compared to the old awards, because Paddler 1 with an Explore award could be really good in a canoe, and never touched a kayak, whereas Paddler 2 could be the exact opposite having focussed on Kayak.
Once you get into the Discipline Specific personal performance awards, there are clear progressions there in terms of personal skill and the environment you are able to apply those skills in. They don’t quite map across to the old star awards but if it helps you can think of them (very) roughly aligning with the personal skills aspects of 3, 4 and 5* awards.
Is this not the same as the old L1? or does Paddlesport instructor allow you to operate independently now?
It is, but an old Level 1 could extend their remit into Sheltered Water with suitable awards. That’s not a thing for Paddlesport Instructor given the much narrower scope of the qualification (taster sessions, rather than ‘true’ coaching).
uhh…
I didn’t know that…
I think I’m confused how the progression of a coach’s remit from very sheltered to sheltered is different under the new system from the old system
Just checked. There is indeed an intro to the 3.
I guess, I was thinking I’d be interested in just a kayak one as I’ve done a little bit of that before but it could be interesting to try the other 2 and SUP would definitely take me out of my comfort zone given my balance is awful! Does anyone know how this course maps across to other courses? Or what it means in practice. I.e could theoretically, I do the course and be a level where I could go out in any of the 3 crafts in say a gentle environment. I’m thinking of a local river I currently kayak in where I’m never that far from the bank and it is shallow and gentle enough to stand up in.
I think it’s been lost in the mists of time in terms of policy now Level 1 has faded, but I’m pretty sure (check Page 8 of the British Canoeing Environmental Definitions doc above) that with suitable 3* / PPA awards you could extend the remit to operate in sheltered water. Only applies to old school (UKCC) Level 1 or the ‘interim’ Paddlesport Instructor.
Simple answer is to progress your remit under the new system, you either need to step up to Paddlesport Leader or Coach Award.
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I would say it sounds ideal for you. The ‘intro’ course will be focussed around the British Canoeing Paddle Awards - and, I’d imagine, if you so wish you could choose to spend all week in a kayak, or mix it up a bit.
Whether you’d get to Paddle Explore standard in all 3 craft in a week depends on how much of each you’ve done before, but I’d imagine it would be a tough ask. One / two craft is probably more reasonable depending on your prior experience.
Choosing one to focus on, and then spending a bit of time in the others would set you up nicely to go for a Paddlesport Instructor award (once you complete your Foundation Safety & Rescue Training) where you choose your primary craft to be assessed in (e.g. Kayak) but need to know enough about the others to run taster sessions and then rescue people when they fall in.
Actually I lie. Look at the table in Annex A to ACATI 029. It’s described there.
Hi,
That is great thank you.
I’ll look at the dates and see if any work. It feels strangely liberating (although also terrifying) to have a whole week off to do something on my own and for me. Although I’m trying to convince my partner to become a CI so they are eligible to attend the courses too. This isn’t a serious request though as people who just join solely for their own benefit infuriate me no end!
Actually, I found the opposite was true. The people who don’t have a clue hear ‘level 1’ and don’t probe further, but when you try to explain the whole rigmarole they get confused and default to what the paddlesports instructor remit says now.
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Query for the Welsh AT staff here, I have to plan a weekend’s Level one Assessment in late August, we’re from Bristol, but South Wales has better assessment areas. Will we be able to use accommodation in Wales by then do you reckon? I was thinking of asking at Crickhowell. (Looking at using Llandegfedd and the Wye)
Forgot this thread existed. Not relevant to your question but to the thread; does anyone know if the new DIN that’s been put on SPOL regarding afloat training actually has anything in it worth knowing that isn’t already covered by the ACATIs?
I had a flick though but it’s got to be one of the bigger documents over seen on SPOL. It has enough annexes that they started going Z1, Z2, Z3!!
It also seemed to reference stuff that is only on Westminster…
Not that I’m Welsh, but I do keep abreast of their rules. Unfortunately it’s difficult to say. CWVYS has been particularly slow at issuing guidance following any change in policy; much slower than the NYA, and has generally been more restrictive. We might be able to infer something from what the NYA say but it’s quite difficult to tell at the moment.
It’s mainly there as a reference for the delivery of sailing activity within the RAFAC. It has a paddlesport section but it’s miles out of date having had a quick scan; I’d rely on our single service rules (ACATI) there but I was going to get Andy to try and clarify that.
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@redowling on the Paddlesport presentation you did there was a slide which showed how the 3 pillars of coaching, leadership & safety combine. Any chance you can share the image from that slide as I would like to plagiarise it please?
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