Become a safer, more confident paddler with a recognised skills framework
Whether you paddle for fun, travel with your kayak, or want a clear progression path, Paddle Level (Switzerland) and the Euro Paddle Pass (EPP) give you a shared language for paddling skills across Europe. The system is designed so paddlers can clearly communicate their competency, including when booking training or using facilities like rental stations and venues.
At Hightide, our coaches can run Paddle Level assessments and guide you through the certification process, from skill-building to the final assessment.
What is the Euro Paddle Pass (EPP)?
The Euro Paddle Pass (EPP) is a European competency framework developed by a network of national canoe federations to create shared standards for paddlesport skills. It defines Levels 1 to 5, with a simple, widely recognised colour system:
- Level 1 - Yellow
- Level 2 - Green
- Level 3 - Blue
- Level 4 - Red
- Level 5 - Black
EPP standards are discipline-specific (for example: touring kayak, sea kayak, whitewater kayak, canoe, SUP), and each level describes what a paddler should be able to do in that discipline, including safety and judgement.
What is Paddle Level in Switzerland?
Paddle Level is the Swiss national system run through Swiss Canoe. Swiss Canoe states that Paddle Level is based on the standards of the Euro Paddle Pass, using five levels to describe paddling competencies.
Paddle Level is not just technique. Swiss Canoe describes it as including:
- technical skills
- safety
- behaviour on the water
- legal topics
- environmental awareness
This is exactly why the system is valuable: it reflects real-world paddling competence, not just a list of strokes.
Which Paddle Levels exist (by discipline)?
Swiss Canoe publishes Paddle Level documentation by level and discipline (learning content and “paddler sheets”), including options such as:
- Level 1: kayak & canoe, SUP
- Level 2: kayak, canoe (assessment), SUP
- Level 3: whitewater kayak, sea kayak (assessment), touring, SUP River, SUP Distance
- Level 4: whitewater kayak, touring
- Level 5: whitewater kayak
At Hightide, we focus on the disciplines that match our coaching environment and expertise (lake touring skills, safety, rescue practice, and progression). If you have a specific discipline in mind, we will tell you what we can assess locally and what may require a different venue or partner setup.
How the assessment works with Hightide
1) Choose your goal level
We help you pick the right level based on your current ability, your paddling plans, and your typical conditions.
2) Prepare with coaching (optional but recommended)
Many paddlers do a short coaching block first to remove stress from the assessment day and build confidence.
3) Complete the Paddle Level assessment on the water
Assessments are run by trained assessors and follow the relevant standard. For example, the EPP Kayak Level 2 assessment is defined to take place on a flatwater journey of at least 2 hours, and requires appropriate PPE, including a buoyancy aid.
4) Registration and issuing
Swiss Canoe explains that successfully completed Paddle Levels are reported by the trainers/providers to Swiss Canoe, and Swiss Canoe then takes over the administrative steps. swisscanoe.ch
Why get Paddle Level certified?
- A clear progression path: you always know what to train next.
- A shared “skills language”: useful when joining courses, trips, or paddling abroad.
- Confidence built on evidence: demonstrated skills, rescues, and decision-making, not guesswork.
- Safer paddling: the system explicitly includes safety, judgement, and environmental awareness.
Contact us for details and to book a coaching or assessment session.