Whitewater Leader Assessment

• Recognised first aid award, minimum of eight hours including CPR
• Have attended a Whitewater Leader Award Training (or 4 Star Leader Award (WW) training)
• Evidence of having attended a white water safety and rescue training

Previous experience:

Provide documented evidence of a minimum of 12 river trips each a minimum of four hours in duration in four different locations. The experience must include at least:

• Six grade 3 river trips as a member of a group
• Six grade 2/3 river trips as an assistant leader

Candidates need to be aged 16 or over at the time of assessment and be a BCU member or have private insurance see syllabus notes for further details and restrictions.

Achieving your WW Leader Award is recognition of having the skill level and understanding to lead a group of 4 competent paddlers in appropriate locations up to moderate conditions.

The WW Leader Award  is an ideal award for those club paddlers who are leading club trips. The WW Leader Award is also a prerequisite to attending your level 2 coach moderate water endorsement. For full details of the WW Leader Award syllabus and relevant course guidelines, candidates should visit the British Canoeing Awarding website – Click HERE

The assessment will run over two days and most of the on the water activity will take place in a moderate environment. The assessment will focus on the following key areas:

Skillful application of boat handling skills to the moderate environment such as:

• Efficient and affective forward paddling
• Breaking in and out
• Ferry gliding in a range of flows
• Control on waves and in small stoppers
• Supporting, balancing and rolling

Safety and rescue such as:

• Efficient rescue of a swimmer – i.e. selecting the most effective way of dealing with a swimmer in a range of senarios
• Throwline rescues, including position, management of swimmer etc
• Safety equipment, including selection and application
• Protocol for dealing with an incident and being an effective team leader
• Ability to retrieve equipment including good risk assessing

Safety, leadership and Group skills such as:

• Leadership strategies, judgment and decision making
• Safety awareness and risk assessment
• Group control and management
• Use of maps for orientation orientation
• Duty of care and responsibilities
• Selection of suitable kit and equipment

This programme is aimed at those wishing to lead journeys in a moderate environment.

The 4 Star Leader Award is a pre-requisite for those Level 2 Coaches wishing to attain their moderate endorsement.

• White Water Safety and Rescue Training
• Step Up Alpine Whitewater Skills

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. 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 helmets. You should bring the following personal equipment with you: Footwear – wet suit boots, thermal tops, warm outdoor wear (fleece is ideal), hat, gloves, small first aid kit, vacuum flask, personal medication, notebook and pen.

Our equipment stores are by far the best around with a stock of over 100 boats from across the range of models there are plenty to choose from! If your thinking of buying a boat come along and ‘try before you buy’ and also get unbiased expert advise from our staff on the most suitable equipment for you.

Again participants are encouraged to bring any of their own personal equipment so they get the opportunity to be coached using the equipment they are most familiar with.

The course fee includes kit, equipment, in-course transport, coaching,  food and accommodation.