General Aims

The Level 1 Canoe Instructor Qualification aims to enable candidates to:

• Become qualified to run static site introductory canoeing sessions on flat water with groups of up to 6 students.

• Train and assess for the Level 1 Canoe Skills Award

• A Level 1 Canoe Instructor is specifically not qualified to journey with groups and is restricted to static sessions only (i.e., same entry and exit point). Static site means travelling no more than approximately 300m from the get on point and no more than 50 metres offshore.

• A Level 1 Canoe Instructor under 18 years must be accompanied on the water by another qualified and registered adult Instructor. In this case each instructor may take up to 6 students on the water.

Attendance Requirements

Before applying to attend a Level 1 Canoe Instructor Training Course, a candidate must:

  • Have begun training for the Level 3 Canoe Skills Award
  • Be registered as a member with Canoeing Ireland.
  • Be at least 14 years of age at the time of application.
  • Have unrestricted access to a fully equipped canoe, personal equipment, and additional equipment as listed for a Level 1 Canoe Instructor Assessment.

Course Outline

The Level 1 Canoe Instructor Qualification requires that a candidate attend a registered 32-hourLevel 1 Canoe Instructor training programme and a half day assessment.

The training course comprises of practical and theory sessions that try to allow participants to engage in learning opportunities to explore their own instructional skills development.

The training course are usually tailored as much as possible to groups of participants attending the course, but the training course is structured to cover a number of knowledge areas, these are as follows:

  • Personal and technical skills knowledge
  • Communication
  • Session Planning and logistics
  • Safety and rescue and risk assessment
  • Professional Practice

Course Documents

Please consult the following documents prior to applying for an assessment to ensure you have complete the relevant training and certification, and for details on the format of the assessment –