Cambridge University Canoe Club

Becoming a better canoeist

A lot of paddlers ask 'when will I be good enough to go away on river trips' or simply 'what do I do next'. This guide is intended to show people how the club's activities fit together, and allow them to see what level they are at, and how to get better.

The club's activities can be divided into a series of levels. Within each level there are trips and activities, formal courses, and coaching and leading opportunities. There are no hard and fast rules, but as a general guide before trying a certain activity it's a good idea to have tried at least one of the activities in the level below.

Trips

Trips can be split into official club trips and impromptu trips, organised on the spur of the moment e.g. when it rains. Impromptu trips are generally organised via the forum or on the trips email list. See the calendar for details of trips this term, and contact our secretary to be added to the trips list. If you want to know what a particular location is like or whether you're good enough, take a look at our venue information.

Courses

Most of the club's training courses work towards BCU star tests. The test syllabuses may be found on the BCU's website. In addition we aim to let you try out as many different aspects of paddling as possible, so you can decide exactly which direction you would like to go. We also have a strong emphasis on safety and run a Canoe Safety Test and a Whitewater Safety and Rescue Course once a year. See the calendar for details of courses being run this term.

Coaching and Leading

The club is a great place to learn to lead on whitewater or work towards instructor qualifications, as there are so many opportunities to gain experience at all levels. If you enjoy passing on your skills, why not start on your way to becoming a leader or instructor? Simply ask the Chief Beard and they'll try to find a course for you to help out with, or pair you up with a suitable leader on a club trip. The BCU offers a series of qualifications for instructors. Again ask the Chief Beard if you're interested in getting qualified.

Below is a table outlining the progression though club activities. It is geared towards paddlers who want to become better whitewater paddlers. However, if your interest lies in polo or some other competitive discipline, contact the polo captain, or captain, and they will be able to suggest a suitable progression for you.

Level	Activities available	Formal Coaching	Coaching / Leadership opportunities
1	Pool sessions River sessions (placid water)	Beginners Course: 2 hours x 6 weeks on the river leading to 1 star award and covering beginnings of 2 star strokes	Peer work and analysis
2	Polo Marathon Cardington Symmonds Yat Nene Surfing	Improvers Course: 2 hours x 6 weeks on the river leading to 2 star award. To include one week dedicated polo session, one week dedicated marathon session, an evening at Nene and an afternoon paddle to Grantchester.	Trip planning
3	Lower Tryweryn Tyne HPP Hurley Dart Loop Dee National Student Rodeo Impromptu grade 2 river trips	Intermediate Course: 2 hours x 6 weeks on the river working towards 3 star award. To include one week dedicated polo session, one week dedicated marathon session, one week dedicated safety and rescue, regular evenings at Nene and strong encouragement to attend at least one river trip and one freestyle session at HPP or Hurley. Canoe Safety Test	Assisting on river and pool sessions. Assisting on Beginners Course
4	Tees Upper Tryweryn Shepperton BUSA Slalom BUSA WWR Impromptu grade 3 river trips	4 star course: No formal course. Strong encouragement to organise impromptu trips to Nene, Hurley, HPP, Tryweryn etc. leading to 4 star assessment. White water safety and rescue course BCU L2 Coach training (in house) and assessment (paid for by club)	Assisting on level 2 activities Running pool and river sessions. Assisting on Improvers Course Coaching Beginners Course.
5	Scotland Trip (1 week) Alps Trip (2 weeks) Impromptu grade 4 river trips	BCU Student Safety Seminar (PYB) BCU Safety and Leadership Course (Scotland) - may include 5 star training BCU Alpine Leadership Course (Alps) - may include 5 star training BCU L3 training and assessment (not organised by club)	Assisting on level 3 and 4 activities Leading on level 2 and 3 activities Assisting on Intermediate Course Coaching Improvers and Intermediate Course
6	Norway Trip India Trip Impromptu grade 5 river trips	5 star assessment (not organised by club) BCU L4 coach	Assisting on level 5 activities Leading on level 4 and 5 activities