Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills

1.00 General aims

This award is designed for sea kayakers wishing to develop advanced paddling and rescue techniques appropriate to moderate/rough sea conditions (Douglas Sea Scale).  It is an appropriate award for sea kayakers who paddle with others of similar ability on moderate/rough sea journeys.

The Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Award aims to enable candidates to:

1.01   Develop the necessary skills, group awareness, and group management to kayak as a member of a peer group safely and competently on moderate/rough seas (Douglas Sea Scale).

1.02   Proactively prevent rescue situations occurring and deal competently with any rescue situations which might occur on moderate/rough seas (Douglas Sea Scale).

The course also aims to provide the candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to help develop sea kayaking and help promote awareness of safety procedures.

2.00         Training Course

2.01   The Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Award requires that a candidate attend a training course prior to assessment.  The course for the Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills should be held over a minimum of one weekend.

2.02   The training course aims to provide the candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to help develop sea kayaking and help promote awareness of safety procedures within the peer groups they paddle with.

3.00         Applying to attend a training course

Before applying to attend a Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Training Course a candidate must:

3.01         Hold the Level 4 Sea Kayak Skills Award.

3.02         Have unrestricted access to a fully equipped sea kayak, personal equipment, and additional equipment as listed for a Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Assessment.

3.03         Be at least 18 years of age.

4.00         Requirements

To obtain the Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Award a participant must successfully explain and demonstrate the following knowledge, competence and skills at a level higher than that required for the Level 4 Sea Kayak Skills Award.

A Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills candidate would be expected to:

4.01         Demonstrate an efficient and effective forward paddling technique.

4.02         Demonstrate an ability to manoeuvre and control a kayak in a variety of different situations. (These skills are the same as those outlined in the level 4 sea kayak skills award but displayed in moderate/rough seas.)

4.03         Pack a sea kayak with suitable equipment for an overnight camp in preparation for a two-day journey.

4.04         Navigate a sea kayak in hours of darkness.

4.05         Access flares easily and be conversant with the procedures for firing them.

4.06         Demonstrate an ability to keep a compass course on open water and make good a course across a tide stream using transits.

4.07         Demonstrate an ability to take bearings on known features.

4.08         Demonstrate an ability to plan from a chart an alternative route to a safe landing whilst afloat on a journey, in the event of a change in weather or emergency, taking into consideration tidal streams.

4.09         Demonstrate the ability to effect successful landings and launchings in a variety of situations.  The ability to handle a kayak competently in 1-2 metres of surf including the full range of turning manoeuvres and rolling in either breaking waves, tide races or overfalls.

4.10         Capsize and exit from a kayak followed by a successful solo re entry and retreat to calmer water to bail out.  Rafted assistance may be given to empty out the kayak.

4.11         Demonstrate an Eskimo Roll after capsizing to the left and to the right and be able to roll on both sides.

4.12         Tow a capsized casualty and kayak from an area of disturbed water into a calmer area for a rescue using single or multiple tows. The participant should be aware of the need for flexibility in towing and be able to drop and pick up the tow with ease.

4.13         Show sufficient leadership skills under a variety of situations.

4.14         Repairing a holed kayak whilst afloat.

4.15         Produce spare paddles whilst afloat.

4.16         Towing an incapacitated person (e.g. dislocated shoulder).

4.17         Safely landing an injured paddler.

4.18         Demonstrate an approved method of resuscitation.

4.19         Produce whistle, emergency food, and bivvy bag or preferably KISU whilst afloat.

4.20         Deal with likely emergency situations or incidents.

4.21         Exercise peer group control/management and show concern for the general welfare of other peer group members.

Theory

4.22         Knowledge of repairs and maintenance of sea kayaks.

4.23         General knowledge of sea kayaking, its history, kayak design and equipment.

4.24         Sea conditions and the effects of wind, particularly on: Shelving Bottoms, Lee Shore, Rips, Overfalls, Tide Races, causes of tides and tidal streams, how to allow for them, and the cause and effect of clapotis.

4.25         Weather forecasting from observation of cloud formation e.g. recognising approaching fronts and line squalls, and the means of obtaining and understanding weather forecasts.

4.26         Estuary kayaking to include buoyage, understanding of chart symbols, light and sound signals, particular dangers such as moorings, moorings in tide ways, and movement of shipping.

4.27         Determine a weather forecast from a shipping forecast.

4.28         Demonstrate knowledge and enthusiasm for the Irish coastline and marine environment.

Chartwork

4.29         Plan an advanced sea journey using an unfamiliar chart, pilot atlas, and tide tables.  Explain the plan in a simple summary, including the following information:

• Estimated paddling speed, compass bearings, and times estimated allowances made for wind.
• Tidal considerations.
• Places of interest (scenic or seascape).
• Transits for gauging progress.
• Departure and estimated time of arrival.
• Sound and light signals in the area.
• Information for shore contact.

5.00         Applying for Assessment

Before applying to attend a Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Assessment, a candidate must:

5.01         Have completed an Advanced Coastal Navigation Course and obtained an ACN Certificate.

5.02         Have attended an approved Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Training Programme within the 24 month period preceding a selected assessment date.

5.03         Have recorded in a Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Logbook, following the completion of a Level 5 Kayak Skills Training Programme, a minimum of at least 10 trips of varying types in moderate seas as a member of a peer paddling group and/or if possible two registered Level 4 Sea Kayak Instructors.

5.04         A candidate must also record in a Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills logbook evidence of having gained experience over a minimum of three years on a range of sea trips showing a bias towards moderate seas and strong winds.

On the logged or additional trips, evidence of having been exposed to the following should be shown:

·             Open crossing of at least 7 miles, 3 miles of which should be one mile from the coast.

·             Navigation in poor visibility.

·             Wind of at least Force 4.

·             Tidal Streams of at least 2 knots.

·             Exposure to no landing zones.

·             Overfalls.

·             Clapotis.

·             One of the trips should include an overnight reached by carrying all the equipment in the kayaks. The camp should preferably be on an island.

·             Surf landing and launching during a trip.

·             There should be evidence of having undertaken trips of at least 20 nautical miles in a day or 30 nautical miles over a two-day period.

·             Proper attention to preparation and safety should be in evidence in the candidate's log.

5.05         Possess a current and approved First Aid Certificate (for example, REC Level 3).

5.06         Have returned to the Canoeing Ireland Office a completed Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Logbook accompanied by a Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Assessment application form no later than three weeks before a selected assessment date.

6.00         Assessment

6.01         The Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Assessment will take place over 1 day (including a night navigation) in moderate seas (Douglas Sea Scale). All personal skills must be assessed under these conditions.

 Assessment Guidelines

·         A Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Award can only be assessed by a registered member of the Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Assessor Panel.

·         It is recommended that the award is assessed by an Instructor other than the Instructor who ran the training course leading to assessment.

·         The assessment ratio: 1 assessor with a minimum of 2 assessees and maximum of 3 assessees.

·         Clear guidelines should be given in writing should a candidate fail an assessment as to the areas which need to be improved upon.

·         Candidates cannot depend on any assistance (material or practical) during the course of an assessment.

·         No other award or qualification can be assessed during a Level 5 Sea Kayak Skills Assessment.

Equipment List required for Assessment

All equipment should be stored in a logical fashion with emergency equipment secure and allowing easy access at all times. Equipment must remain secure during rescues and spare clothing should be dry at the end of the day. The candidate must be fully conversant with the use of all equipment carried. It is not appropriate that the retrieval of emergency equipment should require assistance.