Canoe - BLACK PADDLE - LEVEL 5 - Kayak
Canoe - EURO PADDLE PASS - Kayak

A European Approach to
Competency in Paddle Sport

Aim - Canoe-Kayak
- Demonstrate the necessary skills for competency in Grade IV and advanced white water.
- Demonstrate group awareness, group management and leadership skills to kayak safely and proficiently with peers on rivers of Grade IV & advanced white water.
- Deal competently with rescue situations which might occur on rivers up to and including rivers of Grade IV and advanced white water difficulty.
- Deal competently with First Aid situations in the river environment.

Location - Canoe-Kayak
- Level 5 assessments should take place on Grade IV water.
- The assessment should take place on a journey of approximately 4 hours travelling time or at least 5km.

Equipment - Canoe-Kayak
Adequate closed cockpit white water kayak and double bladed paddle.

Pre-requisites - Canoe-Kayak
Prior training:
- Due to the nature of this test and its remit for leadership it is necessary for candidates to have completed a training course.
- The candidate must already hold the EPP Level 4 Kayak Award (or equivalent).
Prior experience:
- The candidate must provide documentary evidence of a range of river trips.
- Documentation must show experience of high volume rivers as well as technical and steep rivers and should include experience on Grade IV rivers.
- Such experience must have been gained over a minimum of three years white water paddling, showing a bias towards ‘wild rivers’.
- Wholly artificial courses and weirs would not count towards this evidence.

Assessment - Canoe-Kayak
Candidates for the Level 5 test must satisfy the assessors that they have the experience, judgment and competence necessary to lead groups of experienced paddlers on journeys on Grade III-IV rivers.
- Candidates must have the personal skill and ability to perform confidently and in control on Grade IV water.
- The evaluation of the award will take place over two days.
- Candidates should realize that the appropriate water cannot be guaranteed. In the event of such conditions not being present, assessment decisions may have to be deferred until a later date when acceptable conditions are present.
- The evaluation of the award will consist of three elements: equipment theory; leadership skills and awareness; personal skills.

Canoe -TECHNICAL STANDARDS - Kayak

Launching and landing - Canoe-Kayak
1/- Launching from and landing on difficult terrain.

Manoeuvring and control - Canoe-Kayak
1/- The candidate should demonstrate an ability to manoeuvre and control a kayak in a variety of situations and conditions, with a wide repertoire of skills on white water.
- All the Level 4 moving water skills (break in and out; forward and reverse ferry glide; crossing stoppers forward and reverse) should be performed in a solid, confident manner.
- The candidate should demonstrate the ability to adapt a stroke during its execution in response to the external forces involved, exhibiting anticipation and control rather than just a reaction to events.
- Additional skills to be demonstrated include: crossing the current by using waves (surfing confidently), supporting in stoppers - entering both forward and reverse, rolling reliably on both sides in white water conditions, using waves to turn.

River running skills - Canoe-Kayak
1/- The candidate should be seen to have a clear river running strategy for successfully descending and playing on difficult rapids. Candidates should display and use controlled, effective manoeuvres incorporating a range of kayak control skills and techniques.

Canoe - SAFETY STANDARDS - Kayak

Group control and communication - Canoe-Kayak
1/- Candidates will be required to show they are organised on the water and have the experience and judgment required to safely lead similarly experienced groups on Grade III - IV water.
- They will be required to show experience in identifying hazards and in picking suitable lines for different designs of kayak: e.g. long and short boats.
- Each candidate will need to demonstrate a system of signals both visual and audible which will enable effective communication with a group.

Safety awareness - Canoe-Kayak
1/- Each candidate must demonstrate sound judgment of the elements of risk and an awareness of what constitutes safe paddling.
2/- The candidate must demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills, displaying the ability to create the right atmosphere within the group so that honest decisions can be made as to whether to run or portage difficult rapids.

Rescues - Canoe-Kayak
1/- Each candidate must be conversant with a range of rescue techniques and must be able to demonstrate their efficient use in a variety of protection and rescue incidents.
- Candidates should demonstrate proper use of a throw bag, dealing with an entrapped boat, safe use of the chest harness (if used by the candidate) and the rescue of entrapped swimmers.
- Candidates must show an appreciation of river evacuation procedures.
- Each candidate must be able to satisfy the assessors that they would be able effectively, and without further risk to the party and themselves, organise the retrieval of any retrievable equipment, which may have been lost as a result of an emergency.

Canoe - EQUIPMENT STANDARDS - Kayak

The candidate’s personal and group kit will be evaluated - Canoe-Kayak
1/- Candidates must present with suitable personal equipment, plus any additional equipment deemed to be appropriate to support a group in their charge.
2/- Equipment should reflect such things as the season, the ability of their companions and the difficulty of the waters to be paddled.
3/- Borrowed equipment will be assessed as if it were the candidate’s own.