White Water Leader Training

Our White Water Leader Training course is run over 2 days and will provide a solid foundation to help you in the process of leading kayakers on class 2(3) safely and to help those in the group have an enjoyable trip based on their needs and aspirations.

The making of a competent Leader does not happen overnight and will require time spent on a river leading groups of white water kayakers.  Plus with help and practical advice from our years of experience leading kayakers not only here in Austria but around the world throughout the Training Course you will find various ways of leading kayakers on white water.

The intensive 2 day White Water Leader Training course will cover subjects such as:

• Participant Focused Leadership Skills

• Personal Paddling Skills

• Rescue Skills

• Background knowledge, understanding and experience

A more in-depth look at each topic can be found further down on this webpage.

Participant Focused Leadership Skills

During the White Water Leader Training course with us at Kayak School Arlberg, we look at and apply the principles of Leadership within the British Canoeing award scheme.  This will include areas such as:

Judgement and Decision Making

Decision making is an essential skill for river leaders, be it slow-time decisions or in-the-moment real time with potential pressure these decisions will have a significant impact on the safety, enjoyment and performance of the group of white water kayakers.

River Selection

Of course river selection has a huge impact on the group and their needs, understanding grades of river, river levels and how these impact our mission as a Leader are huge!

Safety

Designing and implementing effective safety frameworks through the day such as using risk assessments, hazard awareness both on and off the water and looking at practices for the group to try, aspire, challenge and achieve are all part of this model.  Working on a communication within the group on the river and involving the group to makes for a safer and more enjoyable time!

Vision

Being positive, smiling and a good role model will inspire others as well as an enthusiasm for white water kayaking will project a good image with the group of kayakers you will be leading.

Support and Challenge

While Leading we look for empathetic support in a positive atmosphere, understanding and recognising individual needs, differences, strengths and abilities.

Leadership Style and Behaviours

Of course, there is more than one way to lead!  What we are looking to develop are different styles of leadership being applied to the group, task or environment.  Though we try to work on a Leadership style of being more open and accessible, sometimes there will be times when the Leader must take a more controlling style, especially to ensure safety and group management.

Equipment

Of course having the correct equipment is a must for the river, be it personal, within the group or individually within the group.  Making sure essential safety equipment is suitable for the planned journey or river which can include type of kayak, kayaking apparel and extra resources to provide a safe and enjoyable river trip.  We explore, our personal and rescue kit such as how much to take, what we require for duration of the trip.

Environmental Impact

Understanding our impact as a group of kayakers is extremely important.  Thinking more about how we affect the local community living by the river, other kayakers or rafters on the water and making sure we reduce any negative impact to the above and the environment.

Personal Paddling Skills

As a Leader you should be able to show technical and tactical skills when on or beside the river.

There is a strong emphasis on the ability to effectively and efficiently control their white water kayak in real situations, with consistency in a white water environment.  We like to say that you should be a solid kayaker at one grade above what you will be responsible for leading a group!

Throughout the White Water Leader Training course, we work on your personal paddling skills as well as the tactics behind kayaking and leading on white water.  There is a list of personal skills that the Leader should be competently and consistently achieving on the British Canoeing website.

Physical and Mental Awareness and Wellbeing

Understanding and responding to the physical demands associated with leading is an important way of maintaining group safety and ensuring everyone has a great time on the river.  Making sure you know your own limits is extremely important.

With the group a Leader can work on a plan so that the group stay hydrated, fed and stay warm throughout the day is important.

Rescue Skills

To ensure the Leaders own safety and the safety of others, we work on a range of rescue situations or scenarios relevant to class 2(3) rivers.  We spend time going through scenarios, slowly at first, that show the Leader to have accurate judgement of personal skills and can be an effective leader, not only looking after themselves but also others while kayaking on the river.

We will also explore how to call for emergency help, where our location is, access for emergency services and keeping the group warm and safe.

We will go through scenarios such as

Recover a swimmer and their equipment from the river

Rescue and stabilise an unconscious paddler

Stabilise an entrapped kayaker in white water either being pinned in their kayak or on a submerged obstacle in the river.

We offer a 2 day White Water Safety Course that spends time going through different rescue scenarios, how we can avoid them and how we deal with them in real time.

For more information about our White Water Safety Course just follow the link