British Canoeing Awarding Body Canoe Performance Award |
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Put the stick in the water and push or pull - it is that simple! There are three main elements to open canoeing technique - boat, body and blade. If you get the boat right, the body and blade will have to do less work. Once we get the body right then the blade falls into place. Open canoe paddling is the most diverse paddlesport discipline because we can explore a variety of environments from the seat of an open canoe. Performance canoeists have a good understanding of how to move a canoe in open water, in wind up to force three and on easy white water.
One of the joys of open canoe paddling is the fluidity and grace with which a 16ft craft can be guided, through the skill of a paddler, with one long blade. To attain this skill can at first be difficult, but at Wild River we can help you to begin mastering the art! We will teach you more than just strokes. We will show you good techniques and make sure you know when and how to apply them. Course Content We will cover all aspects of the syllabus helping you to acquire the basic skills for open canoeing. Like all our coaching we aim to give you straightforward options that will work in all environments. We will look at the following during the course:
We have a small but high quality fleet of open canoes that can be used on your course. Please see our equipment page for further details of this. You can attend our course as a training session or as an assessment, or perhaps both. You will receive two days of coaching in the skills needed for open water and white water paddling on grade two rivers. All candidates leave the course with a clear, precise and personalised action plan; safe in the knowledge that they have a range of techniques that are effective and safe. Venues During your course you will spend time on some of the idyllic Cumbria lakes as well as a section of white water. Likely open water venues include Derwent Water, Ullswater, Windermere. Possible river venues include the Lower Derwent, Eden and Lune. |
I have been paddling now on and off for a lot of years without any formal training, picking up bad habits and not really understanding anything. I then went on a WILD RIVER Coaching Assessment as a student and really liked Sean McGrath’s approach to coaching so I asked what he could recommend as a way of formalising my ability without becoming a Coach or Leader, hence the Canoe Award fitted nicely.The award itself was a no pressure, no exam way of receiving training, encouragement and correction in a non-judgemental format. There were 6 people on the course and I think it matched each of our own different, individual levels of ability. We never felt lacking and were always encouraged to try a new things or tighten up control to be more precise and were given skills we could take away and practice.I very much enjoyed the weekend and met new people all wanting the same thing, encouragement and guidance.I am negotiating with my beloved wife to see which award I could follow up with, possibly the Advanced Canoe Award. I will definitely use Wild River again, thank you Sean McGrath. |
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