Meeting your Goals and Aspirations

"Excellent Quality Always"


The best pre-course preparatory materials to maximise your learning experience.

Creatively packaged programmes that are the most comprehensive available, delivered by staff at the cutting edge of course delivery.

Venues selected for their quality and impact on your training or assessment.

Training that packs more into the time and without a doubt improves your paddling across all disciplines and standards.

Relaxed and supportive assessments, renown for allowing you to show us all you can do without any additional stress, but still respecting the time and effort you have put into your preparation.

An established reputation for the best courses.

Candidates who previously shopped around for courses become regular customers.





Now is the time to set goals for 2016

We are keen to help you achieve your aspirations by offering you more support than most.

Decide what you would like to achieve and get in touch to discuss what we can do to make it possible. That is what we do; place gaining the key qualifications and skills within your reach.

We do this by making sure you get the highest quality, most comprehensive training and best value. These courses mean you meet your goals in the very best way possible.

New for 2016 are more linked opportunities that map a clear route through each qualification and/or group of qualifications. We have linked courses to ensure you get even more FREE days to add to your experiences. Get in touch, explain what you would like to achieve and we will help you plan your goals to achieve it.



Let us point you in the right direction and guide you through to the end.






What's recommended?

Kayak to Canoe Conversion Courses

Are you a keen, skilled and experienced kayaker with much to bring to paddlesport in general. This may be on the sea, in white water or touring.

We would like to give you a paddling experience in a canoe that takes all the possibilities for skills transfer,  respects your current ability, adds great coaching and empowers you to enjoy canoeing.

To do this we will use the 3 Star Canoe syllabus as a vehicle for development. Bonus, you get a certificate as well.



Creeking, Drops and Classic Moves for Kayak, C1 and OC1

We have now run a number of these courses. They go down so well we dare not leave them off our schedule! They are great for the grade 3/3+ paddler who wants to paddle in the more 3 dimensional environment and take their boating to a new level of adventure. Better still; we have scheduled them so you could extend your 5 Star Training. Many participants gain the confidence to become 5 Star holders; that is how effective it is. Look below for more details.

Fancy a Creeking Course followed by two FREE days of guiding to extend your experience? We are scheduling Creeking Courses just before 5 Star Assessments so you can join the led group.


Separate Training and Assessment for MWE, but linked....
.
Training and assessment for MWE are now separate, but we are sure this will allow you to prepare for the Assessment in a comprehensive way. You will not be surprised to know, however, that we will be combining the Assessment day with a day of Refresher Training to make your chances of success much greater. Add our well respected and effective pre-course preparatory materials and you should be coaching in the Moderate Water Environment before you know it!


Continue reading for more details.



Group Discounts
Do you know anyone else who wants a course? Perhaps you are a member of a club, or work in a centre where other staff also are looking for a great course? Could you ask around to see if anyone would like to join you to get some high quality training or a relaxed assessment?

Whatever the reason, if you are able to gather people together and book through one contact, onto the same course, we will offer you some great discounts. Ask for details; it can only save you money.




3 Star White Water Kayak and C1/OC1

Want to be able to break down all the skills to be able to further develop following the course?

Want to be able to understand the discipline to coach it in a better, more focused way? We can help if you are a Level 2 or 3 Trainee with coaching tips,  a greater technical and tactical awareness and benchmark examples of coaching practice.

We will do all of that for you!

You will need a great foundation on which to build your skills. This is it! Do not underestimate the value of good coaching at this level; it works and will influence your progress later in harder environments.

Just want the course to improve your boating? It does that too.

Carving on a stable edge, driving and accelerating, rolling and supporting, dynamic changes of direction, surfing small waves, blending your strokes, linking moves, developing attentional focus and tactical awareness; it’s all in there for you.

Need a little extra before your 4 Star? These are great for that.

4 Star Leader White Water Kayak and OC1



Is it time you moved forward and took the lead?

The very best training to prepare you for an assessment. We will cover the critical leadership skills and make the link between your personal skills and the requirements of the award. You will leave the course a better leader and paddler with a clear action plan for further improvement. You do not need your 3 Star for this course, just be at the standard. If you would like to gain your 3 Star we can offer you that too.

What can you expect from our 4 Star White Water Courses?

A wide range of leadership strategies to offer you all the tools you need to keep a group safe on the river. You get the chance to practice and get expert feedback throughout your training.

A decision making model on which to build your leadership skills.

A key focus on making the connection between your personal skills and leadership. To this end we will build on your foundations to raise your performance in simple boofing, surfing waves, side-surfing friendly stoppers, driving your boat, tactical understanding, using river features and paddling simple sections on grade 3. All of our candidates leave us with a greater skills level.

Excellent venues and rivers. We have the very best venues for these courses and our selection is carefully managed to ensure you develop both as a leader and paddler. The Tees, Swale, Upper Wear and Upper South Tyne are all high quality runs.

Training: 
17th to 20th March 2016 (FULL)
8th to 11th November 2016

Refresher
21st and 22nd March 2016
22nd and 23rd November 2016

Why this Refresher?
Getting to know the other candidates helps a great deal with eliminating the cold feeling you get at the start of an assessment. We will make sure you understand exactly what is expected of you during the assessment and get you ready for the paddling and leadership.
 
You will receive a breakdown of the syllabus to base your development on before you arrive at the Refresher Training. Our job is then to fine tune your performance prior to a relaxed and supportive assessment.


Assessment:
23rd and 24th March 2016
24th and 25th November 2016







Advanced WWSR and 5 Star Leader White Water Kayak and OC1

This would be an excellent development following your 4 Star Course (see above). We will cover the critical leadership skills for advanced water and make sure your skills are profiled against the requirements of the award so you can best develop towards an assessment. You will leave the course a better advanced water leader and paddler with a clear action plan for further improvement.

Don't leave it until you think you might be ready. Get in the loop and develop with guidance.

AWWSR
25th and 26th February 2016 (1 place available)
25th and 26th May 2016
(Creeks, Drops and Classics Course option 23rd and 24th May 2016 add to AWWSR for 4 great days)
19th and 20th November 2016


5 Star Training 
3rd and 4th May 2016 (chance to stay on and be led on the assessment 5th/6th). 3 candidates booked; grab the last place fast!
27th and 28th September 2016
(Creeks, Drops and Classics Course options 7th and 8th May, 24th and 25th September)


5 Star Refresher 
3rd and 4th May 2016 (candidates booked so it will run)
27th and 28th September 2016


5 Star Assessment 
5th and 6th May 2016 (candidates booked so it will run)
29th and 30th September 2016


Try putting the Creeking and 5 Star Training together for a great package. 

Almost ready for the assessment; use the Refresher and move seamlessly onto the relaxed and supportive assessment.

 



There are good reasons why our 5 Star Courses always run; our candidates are very committed to the quality, the Scottish venues offer options in all water levels and because the courses are that good we get plenty of people booking. Had your 5 Star course cancelled; perhaps you may just consider booking with us. If you do, we extend a warm welcome.


Creeks, Drops and Classics Moves



Come and get a comprehensive introduction to more three-dimensional rapids. You will develop key skills for enjoying these types of rapids. It can be a head game though: we will empower you with some of the most effective psychological tools to make your paddling highly effective in these steep environments.

Building to boof and boofing for success,
Dynamic changes in direction, trim and edge,
Paddling dry lines and staying on the high water,
River tactics and group safety,
Developing power generation and transfer,
Setting the boat and body up to achieve an outcome: reducing the reliance on the blade,
Flares and rock slides,
The Psychology of paddling white water.
This is an excellent course to prepare for your 5 Star Award.

Dates 
7th and 8th May 2016 (additional FREE day of coaching 9th) (Full)
23rd and 24th May 2016
24th and 25th September 2016 (free day of coaching on the 26th) 

Your Canoe Development






3 Star Canoe
(incorporating kayak to canoe conversion)

2  days of great coaching to  inspire your canoe paddling!

18th and 19th June 2016
18th and 19th July 2016
6th and 7th October 2016

Come and join us for the best canoe coaching you can get and we will make sure you enjoy yourself to the maximum by achieving your performance goals. We will cover the 3 star syllabus, but will also lay down some foundations for a more successful boating experience when you leave us. You will go away with a clear idea of where you need to further develop to meet your personal aspirations and the tools to do it.

Imagine pulling up to the lake in blustery conditions and seeing the wind as a way of enjoying the day! Imagine being able to make those eddies on the river that you usually only look at, perhaps driving your boat across the flow or holding it on edge comfortably. We will do this for you.

What can you expect from this course?

The theme of our canoe courses at all levels is setting the boat up to achieve an outcome. So you will leave with a deep understanding of how trim not only affects the boat in the wind, but also its general performance in all environments. This is the beginning of your journey to much harder conditions; it is the basis on which you build your paddling skill. Working with the boat will increase your skill level.


 We will make a link between your connection with the boat and stability. Stability is the bedrock on which you build your confidence on the river and in the wind.

Generating power, transferring it, driving and accelerating the boat towards your objectives and the tactical application of power are key elements of a good performance. We will make sure you understand this concept fully.

Edge transitions, switching direction, active body rotations, deep water strokes, wide and tight turns, dynamic sideways moves and cruising strokes are all key features of our 3 star courses.

If you are a Level 2 Trainee and want to develop your technical understanding these courses are excellent. You can grab some really clever coaching tips as well. Imagine the look on your assessor's face when you know this much about coaching Canoes.

Invest in some coaching to improve your enjoyment of paddling canoes and use it as a springboard to future success.






4 Star Leader Canoe



Are you wanting to lead others? Would you like the very best training to prepare you for an assessment? We can do that for you. We will cover the critical leadership skills and make the link between your personal skills and the requirements of the award. You will leave the course a better leader and paddler with a clear action plan for further improvement. Not sure whether you are ready; try the 3 Star Course above where we can raise your skill level to the necessary standard.

What can you expect from our 4 Star Courses?

A wide range of leadership strategies to offer you all the tools you need to keep a group safe on the river and open water. You get the chance to practice and get expert feedback throughout your training.

A decision making model on which to build your leadership skills.

A key focus on making the connection between your personal skills and leadership. To this end we will build on your foundations to raise your performance to achieve all the necessary outcomes; surfing waves, driving your boat, tactical understanding, using river features and paddling with ease in stronger winds. All of our candidates leave us with a greater skills level and a full understanding of how they will continue to develop later.

Excellent open water venues and rivers. We have the very best venues for these courses and our selection is carefully managed to ensure you develop both as a leader and paddler. The Tees, Swale, Upper Wear and Ellerton Park are all high quality.

Training: 
18th to 21st April (with 2 FREE days guiding 16th/17th)
10th to 13th October 2016

Refresher Training
14th and 15th April 2016 (with 2 days FREE coaching 12th/13th)
1st and 2nd December 2016 (with 2 days of FREE coaching 29th and 30th November)

Why this Refresher?
Getting to know the other candidates helps a great deal by eliminating the cold feeling you get at the start of an assessment. We will make sure you understand exactly what is expected of you during the assessment and get you ready for the paddling and leadership.
 
You will receive a breakdown of the syllabus to base your development on before you arrive at the Refresher Training. Our job is then to fine tune your performance prior to a relaxed and supportive assessment.


Assessment:
16th and 17th April 2016





5 Star Leader Canoe



We understand how serious you are about the step up to 5 Star and share your enthusiasm for paddling on advanced water.

If you are unsure of your ability to make the step, consider the training if you have paddled on grade 3 and are comfortable in force 4 wind; after all if you are not developing your paddling in the context of the 5 star award how do you know that you are doing the right things? We then invite you to paddle as part of the led group on assessments to deepen your experience.

This would be an excellent development following the 4 Star Courses above. We will cover the critical leadership skills for advanced water and make sure your skills are profiled against the requirements of the award so you can best develop towards an assessment. You will leave the course a better advanced water leader and paddler with a clear action plan for further improvement.

5 Star Training
15th to 18th November 2016
3rd to 6th January 2017

5 Star Refresher

25th to 28th March (Bank Holiday)
1st to 4th November 2016
6th to 9th December 2016
(Our now very well known and respected refreshers. The best way to prepare for a successful assessment! All the principles from the 4 Star Refreshers above, but a little longer)

5 Star Assessment
29th and 30th March 2016
5th and 6th November 2016
10th and 11th December 2016

Almost ready for the assessment; use the refresher training to move seamlessly onto the relaxed and supportive assessment phase; we have an unbeatable success rate with this model.

 

Your Safety and Rescue Development




White Water Safety and Rescue

2 days of great coaching to improve your awareness of all the safety and rescue principles
12th and 13th May 2016
23rd and 24th June 2016
6th and 7th July 2016
6th and 7th August 2016

Also available by arrangement.

Come and join us for the most fun you can have on the river. We will make sure you enjoy yourself by deliberately throwing yourself into the river! 

This is a pre-requisite for 4 Star, but is open to all paddlers with some white water experience. Look after your friends, fellow club members and paddling buddies with the training you get from this course.


What can you expect from this course?

More confidence around white water!

Safe Swimming and Self Rescue strategies. To make sure you can make those critical swims into the eddy and across the flow.

Skilled use of Reaching and Throwing Rescues.

Boat based rescue in Canoe, OC1 or Kayak.

Wading, in-water techniques and dealing with foot-entrapment.

Strategies for removing trapped/pinned boats.

Live bait rescues and the use of the PFD Harness.

You will leave with a clear idea of where you need to further develop to meet your personal aspirations and the tools to be safer on the river.



Advanced WWSR

Following the WWSR this is the next logical step if you paddle on advanced rivers (Grade 3 and 4).

The ropework is a bit more technical, the water a little harder, the rapids a little steeper, but we will again build on the appropriate principles to keep you safe and make rescue a logical chain of thinking.

These courses make an excellent package of 4 days when put together with a 5 Star White Water Training. For dates see Kayak and OC1 Section above. 






Advanced White Water Safety and Rescue for Canoe

The BCU do not yet have an AWWSR for Canoes. This is not stopping us recognising that there are those of you who paddle on grade 3 in canoes who would like to get some great training in the safety and rescue techniques essential for advanced conditions!

So if you would like to up your game for the grade 3 environment, but perhaps do not want to step up to 5 Star yet, we can help.


What are we including?

Using the boat as a rescue platform. V-Hoists, tracking and rafts. There is much less need to be in the water on a line when paddling Canoes.

A broached boat is hard to remove at the best of times. We include a range of technical ropework, but put the emphasis on being clever with its application rather than just applying force.

Stabilising and extracating an entrapped paddler. Preacher-pins, trapped legs and boats folding are all hazards. We look at the essential kit, techniques and outfitting your canoe to deal with these.

Skillful use of the self-rescue/swim-line. Get slick and quick and make self rescue look cool!

Moving boats around on difficult terrain, in gorges and safely managing the group on steep river banks.

Safe Paddling Strategies. Options for negotiating complex rapids safely and preventing the problem in the first place. The canoe offers options other craft do not; we will maximise these and send you away with a range of useful possibilities.

Casualty management.

Like the AWWSR, we would normally expect you to have completed the standard BCU WWSR, but you are free to chat it through to ascertain how suitable this course is for you and we welcome questions.

14th and 15th December 2016
Also available for groups on request.

The September 28th to 30th September Course is extended to include added river running strategies. It is great for those paddlers who are keen to be safer on advanced water, but are not interested in 5 Star. If you are a 5 Star Trainee looking for extra support this could be just the thing. 


 

Free Coaching and Guiding

As part of our 4 Star, 5 Star, MWE and AWE Courses we can offer you the opportunity to come along as a student or led group member for some free coaching and/or guiding.

Keep your eyes open for dates either on Facebook or through these network emails.

4 Star and Moderate Water Endorsement Students
You should be able to paddle your kayak or canoe on grade 2(ish) water

5 Star and Advanced Water Endorsement Canoe Students
You should be able to paddle in good force 4/4+ winds if it is Open Water, and/or on grade 2/3 if it is the River.

5 Star and Advanced Water Endorsement White Water Students
You should be able to paddle grade 3/4.

If you think you are the right standard, or would like to discuss whether you are, get in touch kenhughescourses@aol.com