SUP Fundamentals
Our SUP Fundamentals course is designed to give you the confidence to paddle independently with friends and family in sheltered conditions. If you’ve mastered the basics and want to take your paddling further this course is for you. The course is taught by passionate, experienced instructors over four consecutive Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings.
“I soon realised there is much more to being good than originally thought!” Mark, student
Course Content
This course will help you hone your personal skills and move beyond the basics. You’ll learn and hone the skills you need to paddle effectively and efficiently and there will be an opportunity to try your skills using different equipment. We will cover physical paddling skills, but also trip planning and kit knowledge to enable you to make the right decisions for your trips.
We will also teach you how to plan and prepare a safe SUP trip, prevent incidents and know what to do if yourself or your paddling partner gets into difficulty. We want to support you to know that when you are out with friends or family, the safety and rescue skills to ensure a successful day out are practised, just in case.
Who is this course for?
Anyone who wants to get out and explore on their SUP independently with friends and family or as part of a club. You do not need to have your own paddleboard, but you are welcome to bring it with you if you do. We ask that you have been paddleboarding a few times and feel comfortable kneeling, standing and paddling a short journey.
Personal skills:
Lifting, carrying and launching
Efficient forward paddling
Steering strokes
Moving sideways
Kahi and reverse Kahi stroke (cross bow sweep)
Step back pivot turn
Personal risk management
Awareness of others
Equipment theory
Access
Environment
Trip planning
Safety and rescue:
General theory and planning
Safety and Rescue protocols
Bank-based rescues
Coaching swimmers to shore
Rescuing swimmers from the shore
Rescue swimmer using a throw line
Rescue of conscious casualties from the water
Rescue a capsized paddler using a deep water rescue
Rescue of an unconscious paddler
Use of towlines
Self-rescue
Scenarios
