Lead safe, enjoyable paddlesport journeys on open inland and slow-moving water
The Paddlesport Touring Leader Award is for experienced paddlers who want to lead safe, enjoyable journeys in a touring environment. It is ideal for club paddlers, outdoor instructors, youth group leaders, centre staff and experienced recreational paddlers who want to take the next step into leading others.
At Southampton Water Activity Centre, we use our waterfront location to develop the judgement, leadership and practical skills needed to plan and lead paddlesport journeys. The course is suitable for canoe, kayak, stand up paddleboard or multi-craft leaders.
This is not just a personal paddling course. It is about leadership, decision making, group management, rescue capability and creating a positive experience for the people you lead.
What is the Paddlesport Touring Leader Award?
The Paddle UK Paddlesport Touring Leader Award supports paddlers who want to lead groups on touring journeys. The award is aimed at leaders operating on open inland water and slow-moving water environments.
A Paddlesport Touring Leader may work from their chosen craft, or in a multi-craft setting, depending on their skills, experience and assessment pathway.
Typical environments may include:
- Open inland water
- Slow-moving rivers
- Simple touring journeys
- Sheltered or moderate touring venues
- Group journeys where leadership, judgement and safety management are required
The emphasis is on leading safe, enjoyable and appropriate trips based on the group’s needs, ability and aspirations.
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for paddlers who already have solid personal paddling skills and want to develop as leaders.
It is particularly useful for:
- Canoe, kayak and SUP paddlers looking to lead journeys
- Club paddlers who support trips and group paddles
- Outdoor centre staff
- Youth group and school outdoor leaders
- Existing instructors looking to add journey leadership skills
- Paddlers preparing for Paddlesport Touring Leader assessment
- Leaders who already operate in sheltered water and want to move into a touring environment
You do not need to be a high-performance paddler, but you do need to be confident, competent and safe in the type of craft and environment you wish to lead in.
Course content
The course develops the practical skills and judgement required to lead groups on paddlesport touring journeys.
During the course we will cover:
Leadership and group management
- Planning safe, enjoyable journeys
- Understanding group needs and aspirations
- Leadership styles and decision making
- Briefings and communication
- Managing mixed ability groups
- Dynamic risk assessment
- Keeping the group together on the move
- Supporting tired, cold, anxious or less confident paddlers
Personal paddling skills
- Efficient paddling for journeying
- Boat handling in wind and moving water
- Positioning yourself as a leader
- Choosing the right craft for the job
- Managing yourself while looking after others
- Working from canoe, kayak, SUP or multi-craft settings as appropriate
Rescue and incident management
- Preventing incidents before they happen
- Simple, effective rescues
- Group rescues
- Towing and assisted paddling
- Dealing with capsizes
- Recovering swimmers and equipment
- Managing incidents calmly and safely
- Looking after the rest of the group during a rescue
Journey planning and environmental awareness
- Choosing suitable venues
- Weather and water conditions
- Wind, tide and flow awareness
- Access and egress points
- Escape routes
- Equipment choice
- Emergency plans
- Environmental impact and good practice
Preparing for assessment
For candidates working towards assessment, we will also look at:
- What to expect on assessment
- Evidence of experience
- Registration requirements
- Personal action planning
- Areas for further development
- How to build a strong logbook of leadership experience
Why train at SWAC?
Southampton Water Activity Centre is an ideal venue for developing paddlesport leadership skills.
Our site gives access to a range of useful training environments, including sheltered water, open water, tidal influence, wind exposure, pontoons, slipways and journey planning options. This allows us to create realistic leadership scenarios without immediately committing to overly exposed conditions.
You will work with experienced paddlesport and water-sports trainers who understand the difference between personal paddling, instructing and leading. The focus is on practical judgement, realistic decision making and building confidence as a leader.
Training or assessment?
The Paddlesport Touring Leader pathway allows candidates to develop through a mixture of formal training, personal paddling, leadership experience and assessment.
At SWAC we can offer:
- Paddlesport Touring Leader training
- Assessment preparation
- Personal skills development
- Rescue skills refreshers
- Journey planning and leadership practice
- Formal assessment, where available
Training is strongly recommended before assessment, especially if you have not previously worked in a leadership role or if you are moving from sheltered water into a touring environment.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for attending training, but candidates should have suitable personal paddling ability for the environment and craft they wish to lead from.
Before assessment, candidates will normally need to meet Paddle UK / British Canoeing Awarding Body registration and prerequisite requirements. These may include appropriate membership, award registration, first aid and safeguarding requirements.
Please check the current Paddle UK requirements before booking assessment, or contact us and we can help you understand the pathway.
What is included
Course duration
Paddlesport Touring Leader training is normally delivered over two days and assessment over an additional 2 day
Assessment duration may vary depending on candidate numbers, logistics and the assessment environment.
Location
Southampton Water Activity Centre
Mariners Wharf
Southampton
SWAC offers easy access to sheltered and open water training areas, classrooms, changing facilities, slipways and parking.
Booking
Book your Paddle UK Paddlesport Touring Leader course with Southampton Water Activity Centre and take the next step in your paddlesport leadership journey.
Whether you are preparing for assessment, developing as a club leader or building your professional qualifications, we can help you develop the skills, judgement and confidence to lead safe, enjoyable paddlesport journeys.
Book online or contact the team to discuss the best route for your experience level and chosen craft.