Become a British Canoeing Raft Guide

British Canoeing Raft Guide qualifications are recognised and used throughout the UK and Internationally.

Within the UK, British Canoeing is the only recognised paddlesport Awarding Body, providing qualifications and awards for over 35 years. Due to our regulated status, we are able to offer high quality learning, as well as standardised assessment processes providing peace of mind for Raft Guides and deployers worldwide.

All providers of the Rafting awards have gone through a significant recruitment, training and moderation process, ensuring that high standards are followed, with compulsory updates yearly to ensure continual competence and delivery of the most current practices within Rafting.

Being a Raft Guide with British Canoeing, you will have continual support through our digital resources and highly regarded technical group, as well as ensuring both safeguarding practice and first aid requirements are up to date. Being a member of British Canoeing, SCA, Canoe Wales or CANI will provide you with appropriate insurance to operate as a Raft Guide worldwide, as well as access to waters in England and Wales that require a licence.

Your journey to becoming a Raft Guide

Aligned to the British Canoeing Educational Philosophy, the new awards provide choice in your development journey, as well as recognising and celebrating your existing experience.

You can access formal British Canoeing recognised training, which will support you in the development of the required skills. These courses typically cover leadership skills, and the associated personal skills, safety and rescue skills. As this training is delivered by British Canoeing Providers, they will also be able to help you identify an appropriate action plan to support your progress towards a successful assessment.

Alternatively, there are direct pathways to assessment, for experienced guides and qualified International Rafting Federation and Scottish Rafting Federation Guides. You can develop your own approach to gaining the skills, knowledge and experience, working with an experienced guide to upskill on areas specific to your development.

British Canoeing Raft Providers can also provide private tuition, in-house training through your workplace, designing bespoke training based on your requirements.

The choice is yours, to design the development journey to suit your existing skills.  We believe this individualised approach will be both cost effective, reduce travel, and broaden how guides develop their rafting practice.

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Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Course

This course was launched on the 4th January and aims to provide paddlers with the key safety and rescue skills required to operate safely and be able to deal with common problems in a sheltered water environment.

The course content focuses on rescuing from the paddlers specific craft and covers equipment, safety frameworks, as well as a range of rescues such as contact and towing rescues, self-rescues and deep water rescues.

Find out more about this course!

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Stand Up Paddleboard Instructor

This course was launched on the 4th January and aims to support Instructors running SUP taster/starter sessions and short journeys in very sheltered water environments.

The 2 day course helps to prepare candidates for their first SUP instructing role, ensuring they are ‘primed and ready’ to deliver safe and enjoyable sessions for people new to paddleboarding, within the safety management systems of clubs, centres or other organisations.

Find out more about this course!

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Inclusive Language eLearning

This eLearning was launched on the 11th January and will cover the importance of using inclusive language and the impact it can have on those around you.

This module provides an understanding of key terms, definitions and examples of inclusive language; supports learners on how to identify and tackle inappropriate or exclusive language such as banter and microaggressions; and how to challenge it when it happens.

Find out more!

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International Webinars

We have held several International webinars throughout the year the first being Paddling in France which was on 15th February 2023, this was then followed by the United States of America on 15th March 2023 we then had Nepal, Norway and the latest one Austria which was on 21st June 2023. 

If any resources were used in the webinar you can now find them on the BCAB Digital Library along with the recording of the webinars. Unfortunately Paddling in Norway wasn\’t recorded so that wont be on the Digital Library.

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Manual Handling eLearning

This eLearning was launched on the 31st January and will cover different types of manual handling, how we can consider and manage risk and shows the steps we can take when manual handling to better protect our bodies. 

Throughout paddlesport, there are many occasions when we are lifting, carrying and moving craft, as well as performing rescues.  It’s essential we reflect on current practice and consider whether we are putting ourselves and others in potential danger of damaging joints and muscles, particularly when moving or lifting equipment or people.

Find out more!

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Sea Kayak Safety and Rescue Course

This course was launched on the 2nd May and aims to provide paddlers with the key safety and rescue skills required to operate safely and be able to deal with common problems on the sea, in both sheltered and moderate conditions.

Find out more about this course!

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New eLearning platform

On the 14th June we moved over from the Sarola shop to our own new eLearning platform on BCAB. We made this change because learners have asked us to reduce the number of our websites they need to use.

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Inland Open Water Safety and Rescue

This course was launched on the 1st June and aims to provide paddlers with the key safety and rescue skills required to operate safely in a moderate inland open water environment.

All of the modules are interactive, practical sessions, discussing and using equipment, and exploring possible solutions to common issues. Modules include safety frameworks, clothing and equipment, self rescues, as well as rescue scenarios.

Find out more about this course!

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Euro Paddle Pass (EPP)

British Canoeing Awarding Body attended a meeting with other National Federations to consider the framework of paddle sport competency in all disciplines across Europe.  

The Euro Paddle Pass (EPP) as it is known has members from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Each National Paddlesport certification system maps across to the requirements of the EPP standard within a specific discipline and ranges from levels 1 to 5.

The BCAB relatively new personal performance awards (January 2019) have now been mapped, verified and agreed at specific levels within the framework.

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Pathway opportunities for Slalom Coaches

British Canoeing Awarding Body is pleased to announce that it has developed an alternative pathway for Slalom Coaches, and is now offering two regulated qualifications:

  • Slalom Coach (Grade 1/2) 
  • Slalom Coach (Grade 2/3)

During a review of the existing pathway for Slalom Coaches it was evident that many clubs do not operate within the environmental definitions of moderate water (Grade 2/3) and the need to provide opportunities for those coaching slalom within clubs to gain a regulated qualification.

Find out more!

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Surf Kayak Safety and Rescue course

This course was launched on the 1st July. This course replaced the Advanced Surf Kayak Safety and Rescue programme. Modules include beach management, safety frameworks, self-rescues, deep water rescues and more.

The Surf Kayak Safety and Rescue course has replaced the Advanced Surf Kayak Safety and Rescue programme and is a 6 and a half hour programme that consists of 7 modules.

Find out more about this course!

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