White Water Skills & Leadership - Canoe / Kayak

Who Is This Course For?
This course is a follow on for those who attended our relevant  ‘Sheltered Courses’ or have similar experience. It will take place in moderate conditions – on grade 2/ 3 rivers experience. This course is ideal for those wishing to apply and develop their boat handling and river journeying skills.

Suitable for those working towards the New BCU 4 Star Award.

If you know the basic moving water skills or achieved 3* or have similar experience than look no further. This course will help you develop the skills to journey safely as a member of a group. The weekend will be pitched at a similar standard to that of 4*.

Course Aims

-          Develop and apply relevant boat handling skills in a positive learning environment.

-          Develop a level of confidence and independence through greater knowledge.

-          For our staff to provide an individually tailored coaching experience.

Skills Covered
When the staff meet the group and discuss aspirations and previous experience, they will decide on a more accurate structure for the Weekend.  This will ensure that all participants will have the opportunity to learn new skills at a pace that suits them.  They will also bring course participants into the planning process, looking at the current weather, water levels, equipment required…. 

A variety of skills will be covered over the weekend, including:

-        Planning simple journeys

-        Boat handling skills such as breaking in and out in fast flows

-        Surfing Waves and playing in small stoppers – kayak

-        Setting, lining and tracking, poling - canoe

-        Skills necessary to be an effective member of a group,

-        Develop White Water safety and rescue skills,

-        Equipment appropriate to this environment

These are some of the essential skills required to journey on a river. These skills are relevant to those planning on journeying on rivers. All of these areas will be covered in a practical way during the course and reinforced on the evening sessions, giving you the opportunity to learn from the staff and other course participants alike.

Outline Programme

It is important to note that the above outline programme is a guide.  Times may vary due to weather conditions or other reasons.

Our Staff
The instructor(s) who will work with you are all highly experienced and qualified.  Tollymore prides itself in the knowledge and experience that its full time and part time staff bring to its courses.  Our staff are all keen canoeists who know all the local ‘hot spots’ enabling them to choose the most suitable site to run your course.  You may well have met them on the water in the past, if not you’re  sure to bump into them in the future on days when they are not working!

All are obliged to attend annual staff updates and training courses

What do I need to bring?
The following list is of equipment we recommend you bring.  All essential equipment is available from our extensive stores.  We advise you not to rush out and buy kit for the course, but use it as a chance to find out what would best suit your needs. But if you do have any of your own equipment do bring it along our staff will be required to vet for suitability equipment such as buoyancy aids and helmet.  You should bring the following personal equipment with you:

Tollymore Information
Tollymore Mountain Centre, on the edge of the Mournes, is Northern Ireland’s National Centre for Mountaineering and Canoeing Activities.  It is funded and managed by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland as a National Centre. The Centre is an attractive, purpose-built facility of log construction with accommodation for 30 people in 2, 4 and 6 berth bedrooms.  Quilts, pillows and bed linen are all provided.  The Centre is well appointed with toilets, showers, modern kitchen, lecture room, workshop and drying room.  Outside there is ample parking space, a ropes course and a floodlit granite-climbing wall.  A modern indoor climbing wall is open year round.  The centre is ideally situated on the edge of the Mournes, with quick and easy access to the hills.

The Central Council for Physical Recreation opened Tollymore Mountain Centre in 1969.  In 1974, it passed to the newly established Sports Council for Northern Ireland Trust.  In 1995, Tollymore achieved the management standard BS EN ISO 9001:2000 for the quality systems it operates.   However, as part of Sports Council for Northern Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the development of the National Centre, Tollymore will be undergoing a major redevelopment, commencing in 2007.  The facilities will be improved and expanded, to ensure that Tollymore remains as an example of best practice in the provision of mountaineering, hillwalking, climbing and canoeing courses in Northern Ireland.

Accommodation
Accommodation is included in your course fee.

Catering
Your course is fully catered, so all you will need to bring some additional snack food.

What next?
The White Water Skills course provides you with an introduction to the skills required to safely travel and ‘play’ in a grade 2/ 3 river environment.   The logical next step are courses such as Learn to roll – pool course, One day White water Rescue and Safety or the River Barrow canoe expedition or the relevant ‘Rough Water’ course.

You may choose to join a canoe club, or join the governing body, The Canoe Association Of Northern Ireland (CANI). A full list of clubs is available from CANI

Useful Books

Recommended by and available from Tollymore
British Canoe Union Handbook, published by Pesda Press.

Useful contacts:

Canoe Association of Northern Ireland

Unit 2 Rivers Edge

13 – 15 Ravenhill Rd

Belfast

BT68DN

Email: office@cani.org.uk

Web: www.cani.org.uk

Tel: 0870 2405065