BCAB PP Coastal Sea Kayak Award
EXPAND YOUR SKILLS
If none of the scheduled dates work for you, please feel free to contact us and organise an alternative.
What to expect on a BCAB Personal Performance Coastal Sea Kayak course
This British Canoeing Awarding Body course is designed for fully independent paddlers who want to expand their skills into a moderately challenging coastal landscape. The Pembrokeshire coast is so much more than a beautiful backdrop for your learning: it provides a phenomenal versatility of environments in which to apply your aptitude and nurture your existing skills.
Over the course of either 2, 3 or 4 days, your judgement, decision making and practical skills will progress in response to a diverse landscape and a variety of sea conditions. We’ll aim to broaden your comfort zone and expect you to come away with a greater depth of understanding of trip planning and navigation; a greater degree of control and paddle proficiency; and a more relaxed and adaptable approach encountering situations as they arise at sea, including the application of rescue techniques.
Over the duration of the course, we will observe your capability and help you grow your skills. If you are at the appropriate level, then we will award you with the Coastal Sea Kayak Award.
BOOK YOUR COURSE
BOOKING WIDGET GOES HERE
MORE ABOUT THE COURSE
COURSE DURATION AND PRICES +
2 days – £210
3 days – £300
4 days – £380
TIMINGS +
09:00-17:00
AGE RESTRICTIONS +
This course is suitable for ages of 16 and above.
COURSE CONTENT +
- Trip planning: tide, currents, weather and other environmental factors.
- Developing a higher degree of situational awareness and well-informed decision making.
- Paddling your kayak efficiently: development of more complex paddling techniques and coping strategies for moderate conditions.
- Rock hopping, kayaking in wind up to Force 4, surf of up to 1m and tidal flows of up to 2 knots (conditions dependant).
- More complex rescues, towing, self-rescues and rolling in moderate conditions.
- Map and chart reading skills including deck-top navigation.
Download a detailed syllabus here.
EXPERIENCE LEVEL +
This is a ‘direct entry’ course, meaning it is up to you to decide the appropriate level course at which to enter. We are more than happy to help you decide which level you’d be best suited to; please do get in touch. You do not need to show proof of previous achievement.
Joining this course, you should:
- Hold the BCAB Sea Kayak Award or be kayaking at that level.
- Demonstrate a high degree of control manoeuvring your kayak at sea.
- Have plenty of experience kayaking at sea.
- Have the ability to roll (from a sat-upright position) in flat conditions.
- Be confident to plan and undertake coastal sea kayak journeys in winds up to and including force 4 and/or tides up to 2 knots in a sea kayak or specific sit-on-top kayak, in tidal or non-tidal environments.
- Be able to navigate situations responsively as they arise.
- Have experience planning trips with consideration for weather, currents, swell, tides and coastline.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR? +
You may be part of an organised sea kayak club, a group of friends, an adventurous family or you may be a solo paddler.
You may have completed the BCAB Personal Performance Sea Kayak Award, though this is not a compulsory prerequisite.
If you feel you are at the appropriate experience level (as laid out above) and are ready to travel into some more challenging waters as an independent paddler, this is the course for you.
If you feel you are still in the process of developing these skills, we recommend booking onto one of our longer intermediate courses and letting us know you wish to cover the Coastal Sea Kayak Award syllabus as part of the course.
QUALIFICATIONS GAINED +
We will assess you for the BCAB Personal Performance Coastal Sea Kayak Award throughout the course. A small admin fee is involved to register the award with the British Canoeing Awarding Body.
WHERE? +
You’ll meet at our base near Solva to get kitted up (exact location will be shared in your confirmation of booking) and we’ll head to a nearby harbour which we’ve chosen to best suit the conditions on the day.
KIT PROVIDED +
- The use of one of our fleet of high quality P and H custom sea kayaks
- Touring paddling jacket
- Personal Floatation Device (PFD)
- Spraydeck
- Paddle
- Drybag
- Long John wetsuit
WHAT TO BRING +
In your confirmation of booking, you’ll receive a full list of basic items to bring on the day e.g. bathers to wear under the wetsuit, a water bottle, a towel etc.