Canoe Wales is the national governing body for paddle sport in Wales. We:

  • Manage the National White Water Centre which is located on the river Tryweryn in Bala, North Wales
  • Represent the interests of our club and individual members
  • Advocate on behalf of the interests of the sport in Wales
  • Provide coaching and development programmes from local to international level
  • Stage national and international competitions.

BCU 4 Star Leader - Sea

Successful performance at this level indicates that you have the skill level required to lead a group of 4 competent* paddlers for short journeys (6-8 miles), up to "moderate conditions" (in the sea this is winds up to force 4 or sea state 4). The award shows that you can judge the conditions and the standard of the group to make appropriate decisions, understanding the need to modify plans when required.

*Competent = Paddlers who do not require coaching to be in/on that environment.

The 4 Star Leader Award is a leadership award and not a coaching award. It is not suitable for introducing beginners to the sport. If you wish to introduce people to moderate water conditions, you must get your Level 2 Moderate Water Endorsement.

In order to obtain the 4 Star Leader award, you will have to attend a training course which will last a minimum of 2-days, or with sufficient evidence of both personal paddling experience and leadership experience, you can use the APL process to apply to go straight to assessment (with all other pre-requisites in place). The assessment course lasts 2-days.

4 Star Sea Leader - syllabus summary

What do I need to do before the training course?

The only pre-requisite of the training course is that you are able to paddle to the standard of either the new BCU 3 Star Sea or the old BCU 4 Star Sea Kayak award - so if you meet that requirement, you can just book on a course. Check out up-coming courses registered with us using the online date list.

What will the training course involve?

The 4 star leader training course will introduce the basics of safe group leadership; such as identifying hazards, effective group communication, positioning yourself for likely rescue scenarios and so on. The course will look at safety and rescue techniques within the context of leadership, but it will not be the focus of the course, as you will have to attend a Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning course (or equivalent) prior to assessment. The course will also ensure that you have the personal skills to be a safe leader in moderate sea conditions, and where necessary the coach will help you to identify areas that need some work, providing you with an action plan on how to tackle those areas before your assessment.

For more on what to expect on a 4 Star Sea Leader training course, please see the trainer's notes.

What do I need to do before my assessment?

Before you can attend a 4 Star Sea Leader assessment, you must fulfil the following pre-requisites:
  • Be able to provide evidence of a minimum of 10 sea trips (minimum 4 hours duration). During 5 of these trips you must have acted as an assistant leader. (These sea kayak journeys should include a variety of coastlines, sea states, sea areas, periods of limited visibility, tidal waters up to 3 knots, wind up to and including force 4 / Sea State 4 and could include camping from a kayak)
  • Hold a recognised first aid certificate (minimum 8hrs / 1 day training including CPR) completed within the last 3 years
  • Have attended either 4 Star Leader Sea training OR ‘old’ BCU Level 3 Sea training within the last 3 years.
  • BCU Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning or equivalent (for a list of RYA courses that can be used in place of the CNTP, please click here)
  • Aged 16 years or above. (Candidates under the age of 18 can take the award, but cannot be deemed responsible for leadership by law until they turn 18 and must hold a current first aid award and have BCU coaching membership or private insurance.)
If you meet all of these requirements, you must then complete the Canoe Wales Leader Registration (LR Form), at least 2 weeks prior to your assessment. Leader registration is valid for 12 months, so it is worth doing it as early as possible to avoid worrying about it as your assessment approaches.

All that is left to do is to book on to a course! Check out up-coming courses registered with us using the online date list.

What is involved in the assessment?

To get an idea of what the assessors will be looking for, please check out the Assessor's notes.

Following assessment 4 Star Leaders must have comprehensive membership (in order to have 3rd party liability), knowledge of Child Protection guidelines and must remain current.