Navigation modules

Content

British Canoeing Awarding Body offers 5 modules on navigation and trip planning. These are aimed at paddlers of all disciplines, although they have obvious relevance to those of us that paddle on the sea. The modules are:

  • Weather: How to access weather forecasts, understand them and use them to plan a safe and enjoyable day on the water. Because of it’s importance, we spend a fair bit of time focussing on wind, but the module looks at other weather-related hazards.

  • Tides: How to find information on tides, use them to predict tidal heights and tidal streams and plan days out on coastlines subject to tidal influences (i.e. most of the coast of the UK!). Because of their importance to kayakers, there is a focus on tidal streams.

  • Surf and Swell: Understanding waves, from small wind-driven chop to big ocean swell. The module looks at how to access and understand wave forecasts and how the waves might affect a planned trip.

  • Navigation: The module covers simple approaches to navigation relevant to all paddling environemnts. It also looks at how to plan short crossings in tidal waters.

  • Open crossings: Navigation and planning become more complex for longer crossings. This module covers the techniques required to plan significant crossings of several hours duration.

You can find out more about each of the modules from British Canoeing Awarding Body or from my course notes. These notes deliberately go into a little more depth and cover a few topics that there aren’t time to cover in a 2-hour module, but they give a good feel for what is covered.

Alternative approaches to taking these modules

All of the modules can be taken through e-learning from the British Canoeing Awarding body here. For some people, especially those with prior experience of marine navigation, the e-learning will bMy e a great route. Others might prefer to follow the e-learning with support from other sources like:

Others will prefer a more traditional face-to-face taught course. Given the slightly technical nature of some of the material and the need to develop planning skills suitable for the real world, I’ve found that many people benefit from the input of a coach when learning navigation and planning.

Logistics

We’ll provide you with directions to the venue once you have booked the course. We will provide all required equipment, but we ask that you bring a pen/pencil and a note pad for taking notes. Bring your mobile phone too - it’ll be useful to access online information like weather forecasts.

There’s nothing worse than trying to learn when you’re too cold - bring warm jumpers, as some venues can be a little chilly at times.

For whole day courses, we suggest you bring a packed lunch with you. Where possible, we’ll provide means for making tea and coffee (details in joining instructions), but please bring snacks and anything specific you’d like to drink. Cakes or other baked good are always appreciated and can dramatically enhance the learning experience for everyone!

Relevant policies/terms

This course will be run under our policies (including the cancellation policy), laid out here and the Paddles Up Training policies which can be found here. The Paddles up training policies include information on how they’ll use the data that we share with them for certification, equality and diversity, special considerations and reasonable adjustments among other things.

Contacting us

Our contact details are on the home page of this site - please do get in touch if you have any questions.

We’re always keen to get feedback from those who we coach. Feel free to provide feedback in person or by email. I have an online feedback form here.

The booking form for the course is here (but please use the Cambridge Canoe Club booking link if this course is being run through the club!)