LEVEL 2 KAYAK SKILLS

Course Details

Dates:

● Tuesday May 19 th – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

● Thursday May 21 st – 6.30pm – 8.30pm

● Tuesday May 26 th – 6.30pm – 8.30pm

● Saturday May 30 th – 10:00am – 3:00pm

The course will be run at Bunclody Adventure Hub, on Ryland Road, Y21 XY77. The course will be facilitated by our experienced instructors, Lorraine and Collette. The cost of the course incurs a registration fee of €40. All equipment will be provided, kayak, paddle, wetsuit, buoyancy aid and helmet are all covered in the registration fee. Just bring along swimwear, a towel and closed toe footwear that you don’t mind getting wet – and more importantly a good attitude and a strong sense of adventure!!

What gets covered in the Level 2 Kayak Skills Course

In the Level 2 Kayak Skills Award, you will develop a solid foundation in the core areas needed to become a competent, safe, and independent paddler on Grade 1 water. The award builds on your Level 1 skills and shifts focus toward working effectively as part of a group. There’s strong emphasis on safety, awareness, and learning through experience. Each session invites you to build confidence on the water while becoming an active, responsible member of a paddling group.

What You’ll Cover:

Kayak Strokes & Boat Control

In the Level 2 Kayak Skills Award, you will develop a solid foundation in the core areas needed to become a competent, safe, and independent paddler on Grade 1 water. The award builds on your Level 1 skills and shifts focus toward working effectively as part of a group. There’s strong emphasis on safety, awareness, and learning through experience. Each session invites you to build confidence on the water while becoming an active, responsible member of a paddling group.

Rescue Techniques

Safety is central. You’ll learn and practice both self-rescues and assisted rescues. That includes capsize drill and wet exit, deep-water self-rescue techniques, and T-rescues / X- rescues as both swimmer and rescuer. You’ll also cover towing a fatigued paddler and basic use of safety kit like throwlines. By the end you should be able to assist others confidently in calm conditions.

Peer Paddling & Group Awareness

Level 2 is where you start functioning as part of a team on the water. You’ll practice group communication, spacing, and line-of-sight paddling. Sessions cover leadership roles within the group, looking out for other paddlers, and making decisions together. You’re moving from “being led” to “being an active group member”.

Trip Planning & Environment

You’ll get an introduction to planning simple trips on Grade 1 water. That means understanding weather and water conditions, access/egress points, hazards like strainers and weirs, and the Canoeing Ireland Leave No Trace principles. You’ll also cover basic navigation, personal equipment checks, and what to carry in a buoyancy aid or boat for a day trip.

Safety, Awareness & Experience-Based Learning

Every session reinforces dynamic risk assessment – reading the environment and making good calls. You’ll build water confidence through progressive challenges, debriefs, and reflection. The course is hands-on: expect to spend most of your time on the water, learning by doing.

By the end of Level 2, you should be a capable Grade 1 paddler who can control your kayak, assist in basic rescues, contribute to group safety, and help plan simple trips. It’s the stepping stone to Level 3 Kayak Skills and to leading your own peer paddles.

Participants will be able to demonstrate the following on completion of the course:

● Kayak Safely and competently on Grade 1 water as part of a group being led.

● Have an understanding of the safety rules of kayaking

● Assist in basic rescues

● Be able to enter and exit a kayak safely

● Forward, reverse and stopping strokes

● Forward sweep, reverse sweep and combination sweep

● Draw Stroke, low brace, edging and edging on the move.

● Capsize Drill

I am aware that my or my photograph or video image may be taken whilst attending or participating in activities connected with the Bunclody Paddle Sports Club and I consent to it being used by the Club for items like event reports or on the Club website or social media channels.