PaddleSport Leader Assessment – Info for Candidates 

(Please read these carefully)

Assessment Overview

  • Each candidate must lead a group and demonstrate leadership skills within the ‘sheltered water’ environment (see definition below).
  • Your plan must include some time in Beaufort Force 3 conditions to show you can lead at the top end of the remit.
  • Although assessment can happen over one day, because the remit for appropriate conditions for the open water part of the assessment is quite tight (Beaufort Force 3), we find it more successful if we set aside/schedule two days.
  • Up to four candidates can be assessed on the same day for one of the two parts of the assessment – open water & moving water.   This means up to four candidates can assessed for ‘open water’ one day, and up to four candidates can be assessed on ‘moving water’ on another day.  As only the open water part of the assessment requires force 3 conditions, the assessments can be run successfully even if only one of the two days planned provides Beaufort force 3 conditions.

Students (participants)

  • Once we have confirmed your date to be assessed, it’s up to you and other candidates to find at least 4 students / guinea pigs [ It is suggested you have have at least 5 in case one pulls out ].  These can be the same students as for the other candidates being assessed
  • If the assessment and qualification is for multi-craft (i.e inc Kayaks, Canoes and SUPs) then there needs to be at least one student in each kind of craft.  If it is purely a kayak assessment, the group can all be in kayaks.  
  • Students should be of a suitable standard to benefit from the day (not be too experienced in their craft of choice).  An experienced kayaker could be considered a suitable guinea pig if they are a novice Paddleboarder and choose a paddleboard as their craft for the day(s).  At the other end of the scale, relative beginners are possible as students but perhaps ideally would have been in a boat one or two times before.  
  • It’s your job as a candidate to assess the students suitability and keep them updated and feeling reassured that they are in good hands.  This means both before the trip/assessment, while on the trip, and after – until everyone is on the way home feeling happy after a great day out on the water 🙂  

Your Plan for the Day / Trip 

  • It is up to you – the candidates – being assessed to come up with a suitable plan for the day keeping to the environment defined as ‘sheltered water’ (definition below) and to keep students and the assessor(s) up-to-date with the plan.  Students should be aware that they may be asked by the assessor to do some exercises so that the candidates can demonstrate the skills necessary to be a PaddleSport Leader.  
  • It should be communicated to students that there is a chance the day may be cancelled if unsuitable conditions are forecasted (either winds that are too strong, or will not provide wind speeds at the top end of the remit (Beaufort force 3).
  • The route planned by each candidate cannot be a reverse of the other candidate’s route, and must include a section at the top end of the remit (Beaufort Force 3) to show your ability to lead in these conditions.

Logistics 

  • The usual meet point for candidates and the assessor is the club stores at Balloch at 9am, and 9:30am for students.  With agreement of the assessor you may change /amend the start time if the plan or venue needs to be amended to find conditions at the top end of the remit (Beaufort force 3).  In this case it’s your responsibility to update students. 
  • If weather conditions appear to be unsuitable you will need to agree with the assessor to postpone or cancel the event and let the students know.

Information & Signup

  1. In order to claim your Paddle Sport Leader qualification, you must be an individual member of Paddle Scotland for at least one year (the year you qualify in) and also have registered on their portal for the Paddle Sport leader Award.
      1.  Here is the page to sign up to Paddle Scotland >>
      2. To register for the Paddle Sport Leader Award: log in to JustGo and click on the menu top left and then ‘Registrations, Check In and Forms’
  2. Information for students can be found at this webpage 👉 www.dckc.co.uk/psl-students 
  3. You and your students will need to complete the DCKC PaddleSport Leader form which can be be found here 👉 www.dckc.co.uk/psl-signup  

Notes:

  1. the sign up form asks people if they are going to take their ICE card to provide emergency details.  For data protection purposes it is easier if everyone uses ICE cards, but if you answer ‘no’ to this, then the form offers the opportunity to enter emergency details.  If someone answers ‘yes’ to bringing an ICE card, then the form will not collect ICE details. 
  2. ICE cards are primarily for emergency details. If you have a medical condition that may affect the day, you should still communicate this  when asked, or in private, to leaders/assessors at the start of the day, and not assume that because it is on the ICE card.    

‘Sheltered Water’ Definition

Ungraded sections of slow moving rivers where the group could paddle upstream against the flow (not involving the shooting of, or playing on,
weirs or running rapids). Areas of open water (e.g. lakes and lochs) where the paddlers are no more than 200 metres offshore and the wind
strength does not exceed Beaufort force 3, avoiding the group being swept/blown out of the safe working area. Slow moving estuaries (less
than 0.5 Knots).


Examples: Small enclosed bays, enclosed harbours where there is minimal possibility of being blown offshore, defined beaches with easy
places to land throughout, no tide races, overfalls or surf.
Note: The definition implies normal conditions and care is advised when water and air temperatures are low.