White Water Safety and Rescue Training Course WWS&RT - 16 -17 Oct 10

White Water Safety and Rescue Training Course , delivered for Stroud Valley Canoe Club.

What a really fantastic club to be involved with. Thanks to Jeff Tyndall for organising it all behind the scenes and getting everyone out of bed nice and early on both days. We had exceptional weather , but less so with the water.

A great deal of time was spent using the dry skill as revision and mock river beds, to ensure that when the time came to get wet , things were pretty autonomous.
Like all practical training courses, there are many ways to achieve a suitable, efficient outcome to most common scenarios, so lots of ideas and scenarios were practiced and practiced again on day 2. Looking at the most likely events and perhaps the less hazardous. A fantastic couple of days.

White Water Safety and Rescue Training Course WWS&RT - 2 & 3 Oct 10

A real struggle to get this off the ground, despite lots of advertising. Whata contrast a day makes, especially in Wales and the river Usk.We all set off from Bristol on the Saturday expecting monstorious levels , having watched the Ryder Cup and weather forecast. After a quick check on the Wye-Usk Cams we decided to head off and have a look.

Great conditions for day 1, with the levels just at the gauge ensuring sufficient water for the more practical elements of day 1. Some interesting aggressive swimming to be done.

Day 2 began much the same as day 1, although how differently things can change. Although the levels were a pushy grade 3 on the upper Usk, it was decided through some miss judgement that we would abort the wet sessions and boat Chase to Brecon and beyond for the day. All good stuff and a real time situation.
Eventually re grouping thanks to a Turkish Market Man, and an offer of £20  to take me back to Aberbran Bridge to meet most off the group.

Successful outcomes all round, all safe and lots to think about. C.L.A.P.Thanks to Brendan for making the team up for day 2.At least you got a paddle in mate.

UKCC Level 2 Transfer Course - 30th Sep - 1st October 10

I ran this course over 2 consecutive days from Bath Canoe Club, so thanks to Jon Brown for sorting that out for me at last minute dot com.

A great venue with challenges all of its own. The two day transfer course gave us all plenty of time to go through the requirements for the transition phase and also ample time to have a look in depth, into the portfolios. We spent valuable practical time out on the river Avon, practicing coaching delivery and styles (new style) and we even had the opportunity to look at some dubious skills.

A great couple of days, in spectacular settings. Orsam feedback, and hopefully three more coaches coming on line with the new system.

3 Star White Water Training and Assessment 27 -28th September 10

A closed course for Manor Adventure. We spent two days on the river Wye, and Irfon, really tremendous conditions, blue sky and water, in Wales , yes.

UKCC Level 1 course - CCAT - 25/26 Sep - 9/10 Oct 10

Like all Level 1 courses , a huge variation in competencies and backgrounds from the start, so really key to get the course structured to the audience.Candidates ranging from Police officers and prison catering tutors to Higher Education teachers, a real mix, but all with the same expectations.

A really great course with a mixture of tutors. Kevin Edwards joined me for the first weekend of the course before jetting off on expedition to the Himalayas,joined on the second weekend by the open boat guru that is Jules Burnard. So a really great team, with lots of experience to share.

The course went without any hitches although not all candidates were successful first time around, due a mixture in incorrect pre course info and skills to the more common lack of skills in the alternative craft. Despite trying to make up some additional time on the course to , coach the personal skills, it is hard to get someone to 2 star if they have only had NO time in a open boat. So it begs the question, how/who is giving out the new 2 Star awards, as it is really unfair on candidates who think they are at the right level, when clearly they have been miss lead.

Foundation Safety and Rescue Training Course - FSRT 24th Sept 10

A lead in FSRT course to the 4 day UKCC level 1 course, so ensuring all candidates are up to date. Despite being bitterly cold, but sunny all candidates managed to get the syllabus completed, although a struggle as always, with the time limitations.

Good use was made of the location, and despite the River Lune , running pretty high into Lancaster we manged to work well with the environment, and had some pretty speed open boat recoveries.

White Water Safety and Rescue Training Course WWS&RT - 16 -17 SEP 10

A fantastic safety course run as a closed course for a individual company. The conditions were near perfect and very warm, just struggling for some good old H2o on day 2 of the course. A mixture of candidates who wanted Canoe and Kayak skills, so lots of variation.

UKCC Level 2 Assessment - North Wales 11 -12 September 2010

I have recently completed a 2 day level 2 assessment for CCAT. The overall conditions were fantastic and all students had a very fair opportunity to express there abilities over the two days. We used Llanberis for the whole course, and real mock students were provided by a visiting Army Cadet unit, so a very big thanks to them.

From the 8 on the course, 4 were successful , 2 were deferred on skills and 2 on coaching on the move and incomplete paperwork and pre-course admin.

The general feedback was very positive and it is always nice to get the results from the students, although we all like to pass first time i am sure those that need additional work will come back and be far better coaches for there work. So see you soon................

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