4 Star Leader Training - 13 day developmental programme

Have you ever wanted more time to develop your personal paddling, incident management, assisted/self rescue skills and leadership, in Moderate tidal water’s.  If so, from the 9^th November a 13 day course begins that will take you thorough the British Canoeing 4 Star Performance and Leadership award and much more.

Adriana Eyzaguirre of Explora Expeditions has organized an exciting extended 4 Star Leader training programme, with my self, here on Anglesey, North Wales. 

Currently 4 people have booked on, so the course will go ahead and they are looking for 2 more to join.
 The team will be training for 13 days with weekend breaks and the course includes the Coastal Navigation & Tidal planning award and Foundation Coaching the Mind award.

Additionally, I’m is also offering the option to come along for two weekends following the 13 days programme to assist/observe me with his groups (must have solid roll for this and only one person per weekend). 
I’m also offering an opportunity to join the coaching and mentoring programme offered by Coastal Spirit.

The team will be staying at Anglesey Outdoors bunk house, during the programme.

This is a unique opportunity to bring on further your skills, with a good mix of conditions and time to reflect over the 13 days.   You will also leave the programme with a detailed action plan.

Interested? Would you like more details then contact Adriana via email: exploralondon@gmail.com

Thanks, 

Roger

Blue skies, Waves and the Skerries - InterMediate Plus Sea Kayaking

InterMediate Plus is for those paddlers that have 3 star skills, are moving towards paddling in a Moderate environment and are keen to develop 4 star skills.  Its a perfect course for those who are 4 star leader trained.

Abi, Jon, Dave and Katie made up the team for the weekend and after coffee, chats and a look at the forecast.  Point Lynas  (PL) was the decision.  The race at PL, tends to be much more playful on the ebb, although it works mainly after the first 30 minutes for two hours then it starts to ease.  Above with a F3/4 NW wind and swell, reflecting back of the headland and below, with the gentle beginnings of the race.  Katie is in the main frame ...

Abi below and the race beginning to pick up and now we have the start of wind and swell against tide ...

This is Katie about 1.5 hours into the ebb, as the race got more explosive ...

Dave  ...

And Jon ...

Some top balance form Abi and super reactions ...

We decided to head around on to the East coast and make our way up to Ynis Dulas, using the back eddies and see the seals ... before jumping on the remains of the ebb tide ...

The following day, Katie had already expressed her wish to get out to the Skerries and with a lighter wind and swell forecast we headed out from Church Bay on the Flood tide, for about 1 hour due West. Once we clearly had South and North Stack in line, we paddled more NW and dropped on to the Skerries.  It was good to see some of the terns were still about ...

Self and assisted rescues and messing about in the last of the flood tide, with a super back drop of the island and light house ...

 

 

We landed in a small bay away from the terns, soaking up the sun and the beauty of our location, before another play in the now Ebbing tide and big ferry glide back to the main land.

Once back and loaded up, we sat down for tea and for some the mighty cream and strawberry scones ... it would just have been so rude to have posted a photo ... yummy!

Great weekend folks, with some super conditions.  So whats next ....

InterMediate sea kayaking course, is aimed at developing 3 star performance skills: 14-17th Sep (4 days and during the week and 3 places left);  19/20th September (weekend and 3 places left) and 3/4th October; 6/7th February and 12/13th March 2016.

The next InterMediate Plus, aimed at developing 4 star leader skills is: 10/11th October (and is part of a 4 star leader training) and 7/8th November (4 places left); 23/24th Jan  (4 places left); 27/28th Feb (4 places left) and 26/27th March 2016 (5 places left).

Thanks,
Roger


www.coastalspirit.com
roger@coastalspirit.com

BCU level 5 coach sea

explore. dream. discover

Advanced sea kayaking weekend - Sunshine, waves and wind!

Advanced sea kayaking is aimed at those who hold the 4 star leader award, or are 5 star leader trained or have similar skills and abilities.  It's a great way to keep those skills toped up and also to prepare and focus on particular areas prior to a 5 star leader assessment.

Daren, Tavi (seen in this photo) and Leif and Pat, were up for the weekend and what a super forecast we had.  Saturdays forecast was  Bf 5-8, SW and with a 2.0 mt swell running.  We headed to Trearddur Bay after coffee and a discussion on individuals wants and needs.  

After Tavi led us off form the beach, we worked on down wind circuits with a buddy, contact tows (and experimenting with the person on the bow or stern), rolling and self rescues.

Just before lunch we finished with Darren leading a section with Leif, Tavi and Pat and a rescue to perform.  And then after 1400 and as the tide began to ebb we started to work the surf ...

With some great carved turns from Leif ( next 3 photos are on the same run) ...

Darren, just timing it right for a super run, with just enough power on take off ... sadly my camera couldn't keep up!!

And a good steep wave for Tavi and an ender, with a successful roll, seen below ...

Sunday had a lighter wind forecast and Penrhyn Mawr was a keen choose.  With swell and wind against tide it was likely to be chunky and exciting ... And it certainly was ...  Daren led a super session down into the race and then a mix of eddy turns, crossing channels, rolling and self rescues, as what each individual preferred.

Leif below performing a successful re entry and roll with buddy cover form Tavi ...

We then headed off to fine a bay for some lunch ...

The next Advanced course with spaces currently is 26/27th September and then 24/25th October (note this is also a 5 star leader training).  These advanced course also run throughout the Winter too.

5 star leader training on the 28/9- 1st October and 24th -28th October.
5 star leader assessment - 3/4th October
4 star leader training 10th - 14th October.

Contact for more information - info@coastalspirit.com

Thanks, Roger

5 Star Leader Training - Advanced Sea Kayaking North Wales, Anglesey.

My personal planning could have been much better on this one, as i had only been home 16 hours and I into a 5 star leader training course.  Thankfully the air temperature was  mild.

Tavi, Gary, Pat and Julie were on the course and each had created a potential paddle plan.  With the winds a F4 from the SW and an ebbing tide, the Skerries would provide some good conditions.  We worked on a few tasks at Harry Furlongs rocks such as rolling, self rescues and assisted, contact tows and the n paddled out, hoping between each Cardinal mark.  It was a good opportunity to look at transits and leadership positioning as we went.

After a few minutes of arriving at the island, Tavi mentioned if it was possible to have a few minutes for lunch.  I was slightly puzzled, as i wasn't hungry and conditions were currently good and we would loose the current.  On looking at my watch I realised it was 1500 and the previous 4 weeks i had been in Chile ... yep I was working on an earlier time zone of 3 hour's ... sorry team!! 

After a good lunch, we headed back in the last of the light and the navigation and leadership sections continued into the night ....  It was a magic sunset and it felt great to be back home ... ;)

The following day we set out for North Stack, looking for bigger conditions and we got them ...

Tavi and Gary below buddying each other ... for rolling and self rescues ...

After some lunch (at an appropriate time today!) we went through in line towing and paddled on back towards Trearddur Bay.  Close to the small island called the fort, we went through individual rocky landings and Gary below, managed a super one ...

The next 5 star leader training course is on the 7/8th March, with the Open Water Navigation and Tidal planning  (OWNTP), the day before on the 6th March.  This is the minimum requirement and two further days have been added 9/10th March, if individuals want more practise and to experience different contexts.  Details can be found towards the bottom of the page, here.

Roger

roger chandler
www.coastalspirit.com

Surf, flow and rough water - 4 star leader training, Anglesey,

Rich, Douglas, David, Hazel and Leif were joining me on a 4 star leader training course.  Both Leif and Hazel had done the previous days Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning theory day.  In brief the 4 star focus on personal performance and leadership in a moderate environment.  Some people end up doing just the training and some times a year later another training, choosing not to go any further, but having gaining skills, awareness and techniques.  

While other chose to work towards an assessment. To quote Canoe wales   -  "Successful performance at this level indicates that you have the skill level required to lead a group of 4 competent paddlers (Paddlers who do not require coaching to be in/on that environment.) for a short journeys (6-8 miles), up to "moderate conditions" (winds up to force 4 or sea state 4). The award shows that you can judge the conditions and the standard of the group to make appropriate decisions, understanding the need to modify plans when required. 

Well after discussions, planning and coffee we headed NW to Trearddur Bay, for some surf and working in wind.  Working in 3 small teams, we went through rolls, and rescues (keeping the water in the boat to shorten the rescue time) and then self rescues.  Then putting them into the conditions, which were super .... and pretty chunky closer to the flag pole.

Then surfing with purpose ...

We rounded up the day with a rocky landing or two, from the kayak (no towline) and body surfing the kayak back out to swimming in on a towline and focus on careful management of line and quick release on the front.
 

The 2nd day we went to the Menai Straits and the Swellies for work in current, leadership and scenarios ...

Rich finishing the day off ... before individual debriefs and action plans ...

Leif and Hazel were on for another two days and so we worked again to avoid the wind but get some conditions. Point Lynas gave us just that ...  rolling and surfing for Leif, then back in the bay more complex rocky landings and gully and rocky rescues working with contact tows and towlines ...

and Hazel got her roll back ...  ;)

4th day was back in the Swellies, and personal skills on eddy turns, ferry glides, rolling in flow, self rescue and not to be out done ... Leif pulled off standing up in a kayak ... ;)

Great few days and the next 4 star leader training is down for the  10-14th April - (CNTP 10th, 11/12th 4 star leader training and also 2 further days training/development on 13/14th April).

Thanks,
Roger


north wales sea kayaking
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anglesey sea kayaking