British Canoeing Sea Kayak Award

Course description

The Sea Kayak Award endorses your skill, judgment and the decision making required for a successful day on the sea. You will be confident in planning and undertaking journeys on the sea, in winds up to and including force 3 and/or tides up to 1 Knot, using sea kayaks or sit on tops, in tidal or non-tidal environments, with proficient skills to be in control throughout. Your award should be seen as a sound basis for building the experience and knowledge associated with Coastal Sea Kayak Award holders.

During this award you will look at how to keep yourself safe on the water by choosing the correct equipment and by having the rescue skills required to ensure that you, and anyone that you are paddling with, are safe. You and your Coach will work on the key paddling techniques that you will need to keep control of your craft whilst on the water. This includes forward paddling, negotiating confined spaces, maintaining or changing direction and moving sideways.
After each session you will assess what went well and areas to work on. You and your Coach will discuss where you can go to gain other information to support your learning, such as watching other paddlers.

Each day we spend sea kayaking further expands our skills and knowledge, creating a more enjoyable experience on the water. With no two trip experiences ever the same, we never stop learning. Continually evaluating the choices we make creates a natural evolution of decision making and sea paddling ability.