General Aims

The Level 3 Paddlesurf Skills Award aims to enable participants to:

  1. Be comfortable paddling in small surf (2-3 feet or waist height) conditions with belt fastened (ski) or wearing spray deck (kayak).
  2. Assist in rescues.
  3. Have a basic understanding of etiquette and surf safety.

Requirements for the Level 3 Paddlesurf Skills Award

Strokes

  1. Efficient forward paddling form.
  2. Forward paddling with feet in foot loops (ski).
  3. Forward and reverse sweep strokes and a combination of both.
  4. Low brace.
  5. Stern rudder.

Techniques

  1. Turning on the move.
  2. Take off on an unbroken wave.
  3. Surf left and right in whitewater and green waves.
  4. Surf left and right from an unbroken wave takeoff.
  5. Bottom turns and top turns.
  6. Controlling edge
  7. Controlling form
  8. Coordinating speed when paddling out and paddling for position
  9. Coordinating waveski or kayak and wave speed
  10. Wave selection.
  11. Looking in the direction of travel – leading with head and paddles/arms.

Safety & Rescue

  1. Can release belt or spraydeck when capsized.
  2. Can surf in lying on ski or boat holding paddle.
  3. Can control ski or boat and paddle in whitewater.
  4. Can remount ski from waist depth water. Can paddle swamped boat to safety
  5. Swim to shore from behind the breakline.
  6. Can surf in with 2 paddles.
  7. Wade out and retrieve equipment.
  8. Can piggyback rescue a swimmer and shepherd a swimmer to shore
  9. Identify potential hazards in marine environment.
  10. Can carry out an X rescue behind the breakline.
  11. Can roll

Theory

  1. Surf etiquette & Knowledge of Safety Rules.
  2. An understanding of the effects of the wind on the sea with particular reference to the danger of offshore winds. The candidate should show an understanding of what is meant by a leeshore. dumping surf, riptides and tide races.

Forward paddling form (active position)

Head over knees, cycling action, navel pushed forward, not hunched and head down. Shoulder back & head up.

Turning and paddle for broken waves

It is not acceptable for athletes to have feet down whilst turning or paddling for waves (Waveski)

Turning static

Use a combination of reverse and forward sweep strokes and reverse pry’s with some awareness of support from the reverse strokes.

Turning on the move

Appropriate use of forward sweeps/rapid forward strokes and edge control.

Surf left/right in whitewater and green waves

Some tripping on the rail is acceptable but should be outweighed by successful runs.

Surf left and right from an unbroken wave takeoff

Wave selection should be in evidence with appropriate angle of takeoff. Athletes should demonstrate a knowledge and use of suitable bottom turn in reference to the wave i.e. turning high on the wave if it is fast and steep, a mid-wave turn or a bottom turn in the trough should the wave allow. The kayaker or waveski rider should trim the wave face until the wave closes out. Continued control in the whitewater athlete should surf left and right in a zigzag until wave loses power. Use of stern rudder/pry/low brace rudder to maintain and change direction.

Bottom turns and top turns

Turns should be executed with some thought to maintaining the run. An inappropriate use of turns is not a fail but should be highlighted.