Sea Kayak Safety & Rescue
Join us for a packed couple of days developing your Sea Kayak Safety & Rescue skills on the beautiful Dorset coast. Whilst picking up vital Safety & Rescue lifesaving skills you will have fun in a supportive, empowering environment. This Sea kayaking Safety & Rescue course is a must for all sea kayakers. Working as a supportive friendly group you will have the chance to expand your knowledge, get wet and have fun. This British Canoeing affiliated course “will support you to explore and practice simple strategies and safe skills that provide you with the tools to solve common paddling issues on the sea, in both sheltered and moderate conditions, providing peace of mind when venturing out.”
What does the BC Sea Kayak Safety & Rescue course cover?
Pretty much everything you will need, to help keep yourself safe at sea. The BC course content is broken down into 8 modules. These range from Sourcing Information, weather tides etc.. Safety Frameworks choice of paddling location, land and afloat decision making/communication. Contact and Towing Rescues with of course Self Recues and Deep water rescues. We will also cover Dealing with equipment damage/failure. Right through to Landing plus first aid and personal Reflection. Before finalising with the BC Skills Checklist. Below are the British Canoeing definitions for this award, scroll down, or click here to download
What to expect on this Safety & Rescue Course?
With the wealth of information to impart, here at discovery kayaking we prefer to run this course over 2 days. On day 1 we will start with developing a mindset you can rely upon while making both land based and water based decisions. Following this we will then begin polishing and refining those basic Safety & Rescue techniques. This may include but not limited to: Heel Hook, bow to stern, bow to bow, deep water rescues, self rescues, assisted self rescues, cold water/big fish, assisted re-entry, cowboy re-entry, hand of god, scoop rescue and panicked paddler. Of course you might have 1 or 2 to share with us. Following this we will go Sea Kayaking where you will be able to develop these techniques to deal with real life incidents.
There will also be contact and inline towing. Which will range from: swim tow, toggle tow, hand/kayak contact tow, stern/bow carry or push and off course the long tow and inline tow. Both of these might include the rafted/supported and anchored options for additional Safety. Throughout our time together there will not only be plenty of practical practice but lots of space for discussion and questioning to deepen your understanding and decision making.
If the surfs up we will look at landing in surf with a casualty. Without surf we will run through options available and look at the pros and cons involved. Plus one of my favourites, rocky landings.
Day 2 of your Safety & Rescue course, whats next?
First we will meet in the morning and the group will use its decision making to select an appropriate venue for the day’s sea kayaking. Then stepping it up to the next level we will take your new found Safety & Rescue skills and go Sea kayaking whilst applying some manged pressure. This will allow you to practice your safety & rescue skills within a supportive group in appropriate yet challenging conditions. Developing a mindset that can work while stressed. This could range from but not limited to: rescues in gullies, caves, multiple swimmers, extractions from rocky outcrops or coves. In addition damaged or failure of equipment will be thrown into the mix, just like your average paddle.
Whatever scenarios we develop you will be picking up and refining those vital Sea kayaking Safety & Rescue skills to take away with you. Plus the beginning of a new mindset for dealing with the pressure.
Before the end of our time together you will get the chance to complete the BC Skills Checklist and have individual feedback and an action plan to take away.
2 day BC Sea Kayak Safety & Rescue £225pp.
Join us at discovery kayaking to develop your Sea Kayak Safety & rescue skills or please do look at our other courses and trips. Perhaps your preparing for your Sea Kayak leader assessment or thinking of the SKL training? Whatever you choose keep enjoying your sea kayaking and discovery kayaking looks forward to seeing you afloat soon.
Looking to have this course for a group of friends or a club? Then please do contact us to discuss your requirements. Two consecutive days is preferable for personal development but other options and locations are possible.
Extended BC Sea Kayak Safety & Rescue Course Description.
This is a mainly practical training course with no assessment. Your course will support you in keeping yourself and others safe whilst on the water, providing you with the tools and concepts to consider solutions to common issues on the sea, in both sheltered and moderate conditions.
The course will cover 8 key modules –
Sources of Information
Times of high and low water
Tidal ranges and streams
Weather
Swell and surf information
Safety Frameworks
Moderate water sea environment and choice of location
Personal clothing and group equipment
Means of attracting attention
Calling for help
Contact and Towing rescues
Towing systems
Self-rescues
Self-rescues
Assisted self-rescues
Deep water rescues Rescuing and emptying sea kayaks
Techniques for getting a swimmer out of the water
Multiple rescues
Unconscious / unresponsive rescues
Dealing with Equipment Damage/Failure
Lost day hatch
Flooded bulkhead
Skeg failure
Landing and First Aid
Landing a casualty through surf or onto rocks
First aid at sea and on the shoreline
Reflection & Skills Checklist
Reflections from the course
Reflections on own learning and areas for development
Skills checklists
Come and Join us at discovery kayaking for endless discoveries and to explore your potential. Please do look at our other courses and trips. Whatever you choose keep enjoying your sea kayaking and discovery kayaking looks forward to seeing you afloat soon.
