General Aims

The Level 2 Kayak Instructor Qualification aims to enable candidates to

1. Become qualified to instruct basic kayaking skills and lead kayaking journeys on flat water with groups of up to 6 students.

2. Train and Assess for the Levels 1 & 2 Kayak Skills Award

3. Teach basic flat-water safety & rescue, and run RSR 1 training courses.

4. Mentor Level 1 and 2 Kayak Instructor trainees.

5. The Level 2 Instructor is specifically not qualified to journey across a lake or more than 50 metres offshore.

Attendance Requirements

Before applying to attend a Level 2 Kayak Instructor Training Course, a candidate must:

1. Have begun training for the Level 3 Kayak Skills Award

2. Be registered as a member with the Canoeing Ireland.

3. Be at least 16 years of age at the time of application.

4. Have unrestricted access to a fully equipped canoe personal equipment, and additional equipment as listed for a Level 2 Kayak Instructor Assessment.

5. Submitted your Garda vetting form.

Course Outline

The Level 2 Kayak Instructor Qualification requires that a candidate attend a registered two-day Level 2 Kayak Instructor training course (or a programme of similar duration) and a half day assessment.

  1. A 16-hour Level 2 Kayak Instructor training course plus a log of 30 hours practical experience.
  2. A 32-hour, 8 module training course.
    • Trainee Instructors who have completed the 32-hour training course have no requirement to log additional experience.
    • Candidates who have successfully completed the Training Course and Assessment can apply for Level 2 Instructor Assessment upon completion of the logbook requirements.

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 –