BCU Course: 5 Star Sea Assessment

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - 5 Star Sea Assessment.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: This two-day discipline specific assessment is designed to show that a successful candidate has the appropriate level of skill to safely lead a group of paddlers on challenging journeys in advanced tidal waters and dynamic weather conditions typified by the Climate of the British Isles. This award is intended for paddlers who journey on the sea in areas where tidal races, headlands, open crossings, swell and overfalls will be encountered.

Achieving the award demonstrates that a candidate is competent to judge the conditions and the standard of the group to make appropriate decisions on the water as part of a planned route, while showing an understanding of the need to modify plans when required. The assessment will be against criteria set out in the BCU 5 Star Sea syllabus and will examine the following areas:

Personal Paddling Skills

• Launching and landing

• Efficient forward paddling

• Effective manoeuvring and boat control

• Navigation on the water and in poor visibility

• A range of self-rescues

• Rolling in rough water

Rescue Skills

• Application of appropriate rescue skills

• Different towing methods

Safety, Leadership and Group Skills

• Leadership, judgement and decision making processes

• Safety awareness and risk management

• Group care and management tactics

• Paddler welfare and community building

• Ability to handle a range of incidents

Theory

• Equipment

• Safety (includes coastguard and rescue services)

• Weather

• Hypothermia/ First aid

• Access

• Planning

• Group awareness and management

• Navigation

• General (and historical)

• Leadership responsibilities

• Water features/hazards

Prerequisites: Endorsed LR form; BCU 4 Star Sea; BCU 5 Sea Star training (or equivalent evidence); BCU Open Water Navigation and Tidal Planning (or equivalent course); a valid first-aid award (minimum 16 hours); 25 days logged experience in 3 different sea areas.

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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BCU Course: 5 Star Sea Training

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - 5 Star Sea Training.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: This two-day training course will cover the necessary elements of leadership, group safety and seamanship skills, as well as developing personal performance as set out in the BCU 5 Star Sea syllabus. This award is intended for paddlers who journey and lead others on the sea in areas where tidal races, headlands, open crossings, swell and challenging coastlines will be encountered. Completion of the training course will lead to a personalised action plan in preparation for the BCU 5 Star assessment. The course will cover:

Personal Paddling Skills

• Launching and landing
• Efficient forward paddling
• Effective manoeuvring and boat control
• Navigation on the water and in poor visibility
• A range of self-rescues
• Rolling in rough water

Rescue Skills

• Application of appropriate rescue skills
• Different towing methods

Safety, Leadership and Group Skills

• Application of leadership principles
• Leadership strategies, judgement and decision making
• Safety awareness and risk management
• Group control and management tactics
• Paddler welfare and community building
• Incident management

Theory

• Equipment
• Safety (includes coastguard and rescue services)
• Weather
• Hypothermia/ First aid
• Access
• Planning
• Group awareness and management
• Navigation
• General (and historical)
• Leadership responsibilities
• Water features/hazards

Prerequisites: BCU 4 Star Award or the 'old' Level 3 Sea Award.

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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BCU Course: 4 Star Sea Assessment

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - 4 Star Sea Assessment.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: This two-day discipline specific assessment is designed to show that a successful candidate has the appropriate level of skill to safely lead competent paddlers on coastal journeys in moderate water conditions. 

Achieving the award demonstrates that a candidate is competent to judge the conditions and the standard of the group to make appropriate decisions on the water as part of a planned route, while showing an understanding of the need to modify plans when required. The assessment will be against criteria set out in the BCU 4 Star Sea syllabus and will cover the following areas:

Personal Paddling Skills

• Lifting, carrying and launching/landing

• Efficient and effective sea paddling skills

• Forward paddling

• Reversing and stopping

• Maintaining direction

• Changing direction

• Moving sideways

• Support strokes

• Rolling

• Practical navigation

Rescue Skills, Safety, Leadership and Group Management

• Boat and shore based safety and rescue skills

• Incident management and first aid in the 4 star environment

• Being an effective team leader and team member in rescues/incidents

• Application of leadership

• Leadership strategies, judgement and decision making

• Safety awareness and risk management

• Group control and management

• Equipment

Theory

• Safety (includes coastguard and rescue services)

• Weather

• Hypothermia/first aid

• Access

• Planning

• Group awareness and management

• Navigation

• Etiquette (includes collision regulations and signals)

• General (and historical)

• Leadership responsibilities

• Water features/hazards

Prerequisites: Be 16 or over; endorsed LR form; BCU 3 Star Sea; BCU 4 Sea Star training (or equivalent evidence); BCU Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning (or equivalent course); a recognised first-aid award (minimum 16 hours); 10 days logged experience.

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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BCU Course: 4 Star Sea Training

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - 4 Star Sea Training.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: This two-day training course will cover the necessary elements of leadership, group safety and seamanship skills, as well as developing personal performance as set out in the BCU 4 Star Sea syllabus. Completion of the training course will lead to a personalised action plan in preparation for the BCU 4 Star assessment. The course will cover:

Personal Paddling Skills

• Lifting, carrying and launching/landing

• Efficient and effective sea paddling skills

• Forward paddling

• Reversing and stopping

• Maintaining direction

• Changing direction

• Moving sideways

• Support strokes

• Rolling

• Practical navigation

Rescue Skills, Safety, Leadership and Group Management

• Boat and shore based safety and rescue skills

• Incident management and first aid in the 4 star environment

• Being an effective team leader and team member in rescues/incidents

• Application of leadership

• Leadership strategies, judgement and decision making

• Safety awareness and risk management

• Group control and management

• Equipment

Theory

• Safety (includes coastguard and rescue services)

• Weather

• Hypothermia/first aid

• Access

• Planning

• Group awareness and management

• Navigation

• Etiquette (includes collision regulations and signals)

• General (and historical)

• Leadership responsibilities

• Water features/hazards

Prerequisites: Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning. Be of 3 Star Sea Standard.

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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BCU Course: 3 Star Sea Assessment

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - 3 Star Sea Assessment.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: This one day discipline specific test is designed to show that a successful candidate has the appropriate level of skill to paddle safely in moderate water conditions on coastal journeys, and they may consider themselves an intermediate sea kayaker. They can do this in a competent manner as part of a led group and have the knowledge and ability to help the smooth running of a trip in this environment. The assessment will be against criteria set out in the BCU 3 Star Sea syllabus and will cover the following:

Personal Paddling Skills

• Lifting, carrying and launching/landing
• Efficient forward paddling
• Reverse paddling, stopping
• Maintaining direction
• Changing direction
• Moving sideways
• Supporting
• Rolling
• Securing

Rescue Skills

• Deep-water rescue
• Contact tows and use of tow line
• Eskimo rescue (self rescue sit on top)

Safety, Leadership and Group Skills

• Personal risk management
• Awareness of others
• Paddle as part of a led group

Theory

• Equipment
• Sea safety
• Weather
• Hypothermia/First Aid
• Access
• Environment
• Planning
• Group awareness
• General knowledge
• Navigation

Prerequisites: BCU 2 Star Award, or equivalent

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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BCU Course: 3 Star Sea Training

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - 3 Star Sea Training.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: This two training day course will address all the necessary elements of boat handling, group safety and seamanship skills, as well as developing personal performance, as set out in the BCU 3 Star Sea syllabus. Completion of the training course will lead to a personalized action plan in preparation for the BCU 3 Star Sea assessment. The course will cover:

Personal Paddling Skills

• Lifting, carrying and launching/landing

• Efficient forward paddling

• Reverse paddling, stopping

• Maintaining direction

• Changing direction

• Moving sideways

• Supporting

• Rolling

• Securing

Rescue Skills

• Deep-water rescue

• Contact tows and use of tow line

• Eskimo rescue (self rescue sit on top)

Safety, Leadership and Group Skills

• Personal risk management

• Awareness of others

• Paddle as part of a led group

Theory

• Equipment

• Sea safety

• Weather

• Hypothermia/First Aid

• Access

• Environment

• Planning

• Group awareness

• General knowledge

• Navigation

Prerequisites: BCU 2 Star Award, or equivalent

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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BCU Course: Open Water Navigation and Tidal Planning

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - Open Water Navigation and Tidal Planning.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: The aim of this one-day classroom based training programme is to give participants the necessary tools to plan and navigate effectively on open water journeys in advanced sea conditions. It is suitable for paddlers wishing to improve their seamanship knowledge and ocean awareness in order to undertake challenging journeys that may include islands over 2 nautical miles offshore in areas of strong tidal movement of 3+ knots and/or winds of up to force 5 . 

Upon completion, each participant should have planned at least two journeys involving open crossings that they can take home as reference for further personal trip planning. This course is designed to compliment areas covered in the BCU 5 Star Sea Award training and is a prerequisite for the BCU 5 Star Sea assessment. 

The course will include the following aspects:

• Interpreting sources of information required to plan trips.

• Vector calculations and applying them to open crossings.

• Tactics for negotiating coastlines with no landing zones and/or tide races and overfalls.

• Advanced pilotage techniques in poor visibility or hours of darkness.

• The role of the coastguard

• Planning tasks and practical exercises

Prerequisites: Completion of a BCU Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning course, or recognised equivalent.

Essential Student Resources: Participants need to bring the following items - Silva Type 4 compass or similar. 2B Pencils & Eraser. 30 cm Ruler. Note pad. Personal charts and Topographic maps. Sea kayak navigation aid.

Recommended Reading:  Please feel free to bring any other books that have helped you with this subject

• BCU Coaching Handbook (Chapter 15 - Sea Kayaking) - Franco Ferrero, Pesda Press.

• Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation - David Burch, Globe Pequot.

• Sea Kayak Navigation - Franco Ferrero, Pesda Press.

• Welsh Sea Kayaking - Jim Krawiecki & Andy Biggs, Pesda Press.

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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BCU Course: Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning

We offer a number of BCU training and assessment courses across the UK, US and Europe. Please visit our Events page to see when classes you can join in on might be running. These programmes are also available on demand for groups of friends and clubs so get in touch to discuss dates. Here is one such course we provide - Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning.

Dates: Please see our events page for published dates.

Location: Various

Description: The aim of this one-day classroom based program is to give participants the necessary tools to plan and navigate effectively on coastal journeys in moderate ocean conditions. It is suitable for paddlers wishing to improve their seamanship knowledge and ocean awareness in order to carrying out coastal journeys including islands up to 2 nautical miles offshore in areas of tidal movement of 2 knots and winds of up to force 4. 

Upon completion, each student should have planned at least two coastal journeys that they can take home as reference for further personal trip planning. This course is designed to compliment areas covered in the BCU 4 Star Sea Award training and is a prerequisite for the BCU 4 Star Sea assessment. 

The course will include the following aspects:

• Obtaining a weather forecast

• Understanding tides and currents

• Identifying conditions and their effects on a journey

• Interpreting sources of information required to plan trips

• Simple pilotage techniques

• The role of the coastguard

• Planning tasks and practical exercises

Prerequisites: An understanding of chartwork and practical navigation.

Essential Student Resources: Participants need to bring the following items - Silva Type 4 compass or similar. 2B Pencils & Eraser. 30 cm Ruler. Note pad. Personal charts and Topographic maps. Sea kayak navigation aid.

Recommended Reading: Please feel free to bring any other books that have helped you with this subject

• BCU Coaching Handbook (Chapter 15 - Sea Kayaking) - Franco Ferrero, Pesda Press.
• Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation - David Burch, Globe Pequot.
• Sea Kayak Navigation - Franco Ferrero, Pesda Press.
• Welsh Sea Kayaking - Jim Krawiecki & Andy Biggs, Pesda Press.

BCU Information: For syllabus details, visit the BCU website.

Contact: For more information, course fees or to register, e-mail: info@greenlandorbust.org.

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Sea Kayak Navigation Aid

The Sea Kayak Navigation Aid (pronounced “SKANA”) by Howard Jeffs, which retails at £14.95, has been designed to bridge the gap between professional “Chart Table” navigational instruments such as the Bretton Plotter & Dividers and/or the SILVA (Type 4) Mountaineering style compass used commonly by outdoor enthusiasts. 

Sea kayakers frequently travel along coastlines and they require not only detailed land information that is usually found on Ordinance Survey / topo maps, but also specific nautical information such as tidal streams, safe passage areas, drying heights etc which can be found on marine charts.

As such, a sea kayaker's chart table is their spraydeck and foredeck, the rigidity of the Breton Plotter and the sharp points of the dividers are not practical here. However the base plate of many mountaineering compasses is frequently too short to draw out an extended course or measure distance quickly and easily. The ability to transfer from one scale (Kilometres) to another (Nautical Miles) is essential!

The SKANA addresses all these points in a simple, effective and robust manner. The base is made of a flexible clear plastic which copes with the undulations and flexibility of the cockpit area. The range of scales and specific dimensions of the instrument allow measurement of distance quickly and accurately. The Compass Rose and Bearing Cord allow angles and/or indented coastline to be measured with ease. 

The clear plastic plate is made of UV stable material. The scales and markings etched into the plastic are scratch resistant and also made of UV resilient ink. Its flat profile allows storage under deck elastics and the additional lanyard reduces the possibility of loss. It also makes an excellent kayak repair patch if you are really pushed!

For more information, visit Howard Jeff's website.

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