How are you preparing for your Sea Kayak Leader assessment? The assessment process can feel pretty daunting but much of this can be alleviated through good preparation, a clear understanding of what is expected at assessment and an action plan*.
Familiarise yourself with the assessment
It is useful to know that the award is primarily a leadership award, which means it is looking for you to lead a group and create a day on the water which is rewarding, inspiring and challenging whilst looking after the safety of the paddlers.
I’d recommend reading these documents in this order with a cuppa or three:
- Leadership principles and the standard expected when leading a paddling trip (fleshed out here Leadership in the Challenging World of Paddlesports)
- Assessment guidance – the criteria and standards expected
- Skills checklist
Make an Action Plan to suit
Depending on your readiness for assessment, much of this you’ll be doing anyway, so don’t panic. As a regular paddler, it is worth identifying any gaps using the skills checklist and making an action plan.
Practice
Go out and practice those gaps specifically, ideally with some willing buddies. This may include:
- Practicing your personal skills in moderate water**- manoeuvering your kayak, able to change speed and direction to move around your group with ease.
- Practising the rescue skills – read section C page 9 on the assessment guidance
- Leading trips – this doesn’t have to be by yourself, work with a trusted peer/mentor, start on easier trips and make sure you take an active role in the planning and decision making. There’s no substitute for gaining experience which will show at assessment.
Boats, kit and you
Additionally, check your boat and equipment is fit for assessment, have you got a First Aid, basic boat repair and some spares, kit to look after a casualty? These should be related to the most likely scenarios. You’ll also want to build extra fitness and strength for paddling, towing, rescuing in moderate conditions.
Check the prerequisites:
- Valid 2 day First Aid certificate
- Safeguarding: minimum level is Introduction to Safeguarding eLearning on BCAB
- Full National Association Membership
- Are you over 16?
- Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning or equivalent
Register with Paddle Scotland
Please contact me if you have any questions, and or looking for training or assessment.
*This award is administered and awarded by British Canoeing Awarding Body.
** Moderate sea: This includes a stretch of coastline with some areas where it is not easy to land but there will always be straightforward land points a maximum of two nautical miles apart, crossings not nexceeding two nautical miles, up to 2 Knots of tide (but not involving tide race or overfalls). Wind strengths do not exceed Beaufort force 4. Launching and landing through surf(up to 1 metre, trough to crest height).