International Webinars – Paddling in the States

During 2023, BCAB will be sharing a range of webinars aimed at those looking to paddle overseas or exploring places to paddle.

Each webinar will cover the opportunities to paddle throughout the country, including types of environment available and grades, visa requirements and byelaws, logistics of getting to and in and around the country, as well as local guide top tips.

Join our next webinar on 15th March, led by John Ozard and a whole host of guests, exploring paddling in the States. Book online here.

John Ozard

John began canoeing in the north eastern United States in the early 1970’s with a variety of whitewater and flatwater open canoe journeys. He purchased a touring kayak in 2003 and was instantly hooked. He began coaching paddlesports in 2009. John is a British Canoeing (UKCC) Level 2 Canoe and Kayak Coach, Paddle Explore Provider and Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Provider. John has paddled and coached in the north east and south east U.S., paddled on the U.S. west coast in Washington, as well as overseas in Wales and Portugal.

John will highlight logistics and entry requirements of paddling in the States.

Karrie Thomas, Executive Director, Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Karrie joined the Northern Forest Canoe Trail team in 2014. She is inspired by connecting people to the Northern Forest through outdoor recreation and appreciates the privilege of providing stewardship and access for paddlers today and into the future. She participates in local, state and regional partnerships from New York to Maine including the VOREC Steering Committee, Maine’s High Peaks Initiative and the Coos Outdoor Recreation Value Chain Project.

She grew up exploring the forests and mountains of the Northeast. Her passion for the outdoors ‐ and its capacity for recreation of the mind, body, and spirit – has its roots here. In college, she fell in love with kayaking and multi-day trips on remote waterways and has remained dedicated to rivers and river travel ever since. She enjoys combining work and pleasure exploring the northeast by paddle craft with her husband and two sons.

Karrie will cover North East U.S.

Sally Dewes, Kayaking and Rafting the Grand Canyon

Sally has been messing around in boats all her life and was introduced to whitewater paddling while on her first trip rafting in the Grand Canyon in 1994.  She jumped into a kayak during that first trip, swam a lot, bought a ww kayak when she returned home, and never looked back.  She has since paddled many rivers all over North America and returned to kayak the Grand Canyon five more times.  She has also taken part in other multi-day raft supported wilderness trips in the western part of the US, occasionally rowing but usually kayaking.  Sally is a level 4 ACA certified whitewater instructor. Sally also is a retired environmental engineer and musician.

Sally will cover South West U.S.

Gennifer Gatan, Sea Kayaking California Coast

Be it coastal touring, kayak-camping, rock gardening, or surfing a wave or three – Gennifer Gatan sees sea kayaking as a never-ending opportunity for learning. The better part, however, has been sharing the passion and process with fellow enthusiasts through instruction, coaching, and leadership. “Meeting them where they are,” guides the heart and hustle of Gennifer’s philosophy, as well as working together to craft an optimal learner-driven experience.

Gennifer has earned the British Canoeing Sea Kayak Coach and 5* Advanced Sea Kayak Leader awards. For American Canoe, she’s a L4 Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor. While she lives and works in Southern California (Los Angeles and San Diego), she also teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area, and enjoys collaborating with coaches all over.

Join us on 15th March, 7pm – 8.30pm GMT, to hear about paddling in the States.

Book online here

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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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