NEW SUP Safer course from 1 July

British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB) has today announced the new SUP Safer course which is designed for anyone new to or relatively inexperienced in Stand Up Paddleboarding, wanting to gain knowledge and raise their awareness of their personal safety. 

This 4-hour programme will be delivered in a sheltered water environment and will encourage participants to explore safety themes in a fun, educational and engaging way. It will be suitable for all ages and great for individuals, families and groups wanting to expand their SUP safety practices when on the water.

The SUP Safer course is based on BCAB’s Educational Philosophy and focuses on ‘supporting the paddler’. On the course, individuals will be encouraged to consider:

• Where they paddle
• Equipment they use
• Planning their trips
• Practical solutions if they get into difficulty on the water

Over the last couple of years, membership of Canoe Wales has doubled, with many of our newest members focusing on SUP and paddleboarding on waterways such as Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), Llyn Padarn (Llanberis), Cardigan Bay and many other stretches of the Welsh coastline. The SUP Safer course is part of a wider programme of raising safety awareness within the paddling community, especially the SUP community – many of whom are new to paddling, and don’t yet belong to an NGB or membership organisation.

Canoe Wales Coaching & Development Manager, Pete Catterall, comments:

“We have seen a huge increase in people getting out on SUPs, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, we have also seen a large rise in accidents and RNLI call-outs, sadly involving a few fatalities. British Canoeing has now launched this great training course specifically for SUP – it’s a 4 hour practical training course that gives SUP users all the key skills and knowledge to be safer out on the water. Canoe Wales is really excited to be delivering this from July throughout the year.”

The Canoe Wales Delivery Centre is now busy training our providers throughout June to get ready to run the SUP Safer course. This course will be available to book from 1 July 2022 both across the UK and internationally.

Please note: You don’t need to be a member of British Canoeing or Canoe Wales to register for the course, and all course participants will receive a digital certificate upon completion.

Find out more about the SUP Safer course from British Canoeing Awarding Body:
www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/new-for-2022/