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.

Guidance for site specific training for BCU UKCC Level 1s

In order for the BCU (UKCC) Level 1 coach to work independently in very sheltered, sheltered, or sheltered tidal water they are required to have completed appropriate site/session specific training appropriate to the risk assessment for the session. The risk assessment for the session must be completed by a more qualified BCU coach. The BCU (UKCC) Level 1 coach can work independently only within the management structure of a club or centre.

The BCU (UKCC) Level 1 coach has good coaching skills and paddlesport knowledge to enable them to deliver quality coaching sessions. However they do not necessarily have the experience to work independently in unfamiliar venues, types of group, session objectives, or craft. Therefore it is important that they receive appropriate site/session specific training (that needs to be documented), and includes:
  • An induction to the risks and risk management strategies associated with the given environment and session. For example:
    • Specific rescues or towing techniques relevant to the session and craft
    • Local weather tendencies, associated problems, and forecasts
    • Requirement for the use of buoyancy aids, spraydecks, or helmets for the session
    • Leaders equipment required
    • Use of skegs
    • Specific risks associated with chosen games or activities (i.e. rafted canoes, highlighting shallow spots where to avoid when capsize is a risk)
    • Etiquette regarding other water users
    • An active introduction to the local operating procedures. For example:
    • How to fit and size buoyancy aids and helmets used
    • Boundaries (e.g. the area of a lake which can be used)
    • Weather / Water Level restrictions for the session
    • Session ratios
    • Checking in procedures at the end of a session
  • An active induction to the session plan: BCU UKCC Level 1 coaches can be expected to replicate a session plan, but may not be able to design a suitable one themselves, especially if faced with an unfamiliar venue, type of group, or session objective.
  • An active induction to the club or centre's safety policies. For example:
    • The policy for reporting damaged kit, or hazards
    • Child protection policies
    • Incident and near miss reporting
    • Emergency evacuation procedures and Accident Procedures
    • Parental Consent and Medical Declaration
    • Policy on non-swimmers
    • Policy on dealing with disruptive behaviour
Please note, boat-based BCU (UKCC) Level 1 coaches are required to have good personal skills equivalent to good BCU 2 Star Standard in Canoe and Kayak. The local operating procedures need to reflect this, alternatively a higher personal standard maybe required. As an example, the local operating procedures for a centre operating canoes on a lake may set different boundaries for a boat-based BCU (UKCC) Level 1 coach with 3 Star canoe than a boat-based BCU (UKCC) Level 1 without any additional star awards.