Paddle Sport Instructor
2-day course
Day 1: Sunday 31st May.
Day 2: Sunday 7th June
31 May at 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
PSI the first step on the coaching ladder with Paddle UK (British Canoeing).
It is a 2-day course with minimal pre-requisites: Participants must be a Paddle UK member, have completed a Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Course (or FSRT) and register with Paddle UK (in addition to making a booking on this page).
The Paddlesport Instructor qualification is designed for instructors running paddlesport taster/starter sessions within the safety management systems of clubs, centres or other organisations in:
- Very Sheltered Water environments
- Craft deemed suitable for a first-time experience
Course Content
The qualification will support the instructor with practical skills such as kitting up a group and getting afloat, initial familiarisation activities, games and activities to support learning and how to use mini journeys to inspire adventure and exploration. This will be enhanced with support on how these sessions can be delivered in a way that is enjoyable, safe and rewarding.
The process of completing the qualification aims to help prepare candidates for their first paddlesport instructing role; ‘primed and ready’.
Getting your group ready & on the water
- Preparation, kitting up, manual handling
- Bankside briefings
- Paddling fundamentals
Supporting beginners
- Introducing basic skills
- Strategies for helping your participants fix common errors
- Games with aims
How we learn, how we instruct
- Understanding factors that promote learning
- Tools for facilitating learning on your sessions
Journeying & group management
- Purposeful journeys
- Activities to promote skills development
- Leadership styles
- Using the environment
Assessment
- Professional Standards
- Personal Paddling Skills
- Rescue Skills
Deployment matters & next steps
- Remit
- Further qualifications
- Personalised feedback and action planning
Assessment Criteria
Participants are required to demonstrate effective rescues from their chosen craft, in addition to professional conduct and competence in personal paddling skills (see here a full description of the assessment guidance). The rescue assessment includes:
Assisting swimmers
- Towing systems
- Recovering equipment
- Self-rescues
Self-rescues
- Assisted self-rescues
- Deep water rescues
Various craft from preferred craft
- Techniques for getting swimmer out of the water
- Multiple rescues
- Unconscious / unresponsive rescues
- Entrapped rescues
Group management
- Safety protocols
- Communication
Find out more on the British Canoeing Awarding Body website:
Do I meet the pre requisites?
To be accepted on this course, participants must:
- Be current members of Paddle UK
- Have completed Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Course (PSRC)
- Register on the Paddle UK portal
While the lower age limit for this course is 14, we are not licensed to deliver adventure training to under 18s unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Course & certification fees
This course is available at no cost to members of Hampton Canoe Club. Participants will just need to pay registration and an access fee (which enables us to use the lake).
The fee for all other participants includes all costs and fees except registration which is payable separately in advance to Paddle UK. Courses are weather-dependent and may be cancelled at short notice. In the event of cancellation, participants will be offered an alternative date or a full refund.
Places are automatically reserved upon receipt of fees, please choose an option below.
Venue
Click here to see the risk assessment for this course
As a Provider of British Canoeing Awarding Body courses, we follow all relevant provider policies as can be found here: https://paddlesuptraining.com/policies/
Questions? Queries?
Please get in touch with any questions or queries