Please read all the details below before registering to do the course. 

The new British Canoeing Discipline Specific Awards are designed for paddlers who want to progress beyond sheltered water in their chosen discipline/craft.  

Each discipline has three award levels. 
1.     Discipline Award (e.g. Touring Award)
2.     Progressive (e.g Progressive Touring Award)
3.     Advanced (e.g. Advanced Touring Award)

The awards provide appropriate milestones and acknowledgement of personal skills, developing paddlers towards taking British Canoeing Coaching and Leadership qualifications.

If you already hold a British Canoeing 2 Star or Paddle Explore qualification and want to develop your skills in touring or white water, this is the course for you.

The Course
The course comprises ten sessions.  A number will take place on Tuesday evenings at the Riverside Centre in Bungay, when we appreciate participants arriving close to 6pm because they must be ready to get on the water by 6.30pm. 

Other sessions may take place at other times and elsewhere – your coach  will discuss these with you during the course.  

Pre-requisites
Participants should already have achieved a level of skill and experience equal to a British Canoeing Paddle Explore or 2 Star Award.  If you are not already competent paddling kayaks on sheltered water, this course is not for you. Instead you should undertake our Paddle Discover or Paddle Explore course. 

If you are training towards the white water award, you must be prepared to travel to attend the sessions at other venues as you cannot train on moving water at the Riverside Centre.

Equipment
Participants may use their own equipment (boat, paddle, personal safety equipment etc.). Alternatively you can use the club’s boats, paddles, buoyancy aids and helmets. The club does not supply wet or dry suits, boots/shoes, cagoules or other clothing:  so you need to come suitably dressed to go on the water in whatever weather conditions prevail.

Achieving the Awards

The Discipline Specific Awards have been devised so that paddlers develop a sense of ownership for their personal development.

When a paddler feels they have achieved their goals, they need to ask their coach to advise them in finding an assessor with the requisite qualifications to assess them. There may be an additional cost for undertaking the assessment.

If the assessor considers the paddler to have achieved their target skills, knowledge and experience, for the Touring Award or White Water Award, the assessor will register the paddler’s achievement (on-line) with British Canoeing.  

There is an administration fee of £20 (£10 for BC members) which the paddler has to pay before the assessor can register their achievement.  British Canoeing will subsequently issue the paddler with the appropriate certificate.