Canoeing Ireland is delighted to announce, on behalf of the Sea Kayak Award Review Group (SKARG) the launch of the new Sea Kayak Skills Awards Level 1 to 4. See link here https://www.canoe.ie/2023/05/12/new-sea ... ds-launch/
Paddlers all over Ireland can now enjoy the new awards, these are as follows:
The Sea Kayak Level 1 Discovery Award.
The Sea Kayak Level 2 Peer Award.
The Sea Kayak Level 3 Explorer Award.
The Sea Kayak Level 4 Adventure Award.
Each award Specification document is available in PDF format and includes the following details:
The award Expectations.
The Conditions in which the award holder can operate.
The Modules and Learning Outcomes which make up the award content.
Guidance on the training, craft and assessment for the award.
In addition to the four Specification documents you will also find the four new Paddler Profile documents in which you record your learning journey with the assistance of the Instructors you work with. All members now have the option to choose between modular sign-offs or a one day assessment for any of these four awards.
We are delighted with the very positive feedback from the Irish Sea Kayaking community on the new awards particularly around the modular approach to assessment. The awards were designed with the involvement of sea kayakers from all over Ireland and we look forward to developing the related resources and being part of an increased uptake of these awards.
To support the introduction of the new awards, we have recently completed a series of three weekends of “Focused Professional Development” attended by over 40 Canoeing Ireland Sea Kayaking Instructors. These weekends were designed to engage Instructors in implementing these innovative new awards. We also plan to offer a series of online supports and resources for Instructors and providers over the coming months.
SKARG would like to thank everyone who contributed in the development of these awards and wish all sea kayakers fair seas as they engage with the new scheme.