Star Awards
The star awards are a set of personal development awards designed to indicate a persons ability in a canoe or kayak.
The awards give an individual an indication of the areas they need to work on to become more proficient. They are also useful for trip leaders / coaches because they indicate what the group members are capable of - and this helps them plan a suitable trip.
Click on one of the awards below to see a description of what is involved ...
   
In general, the awards cover the following areas:
Technical Ability
- Lifting, carrying and launching
- Forward paddling, reverse paddling and stopping
- Turning
- Sweep strokes
- Low brace turn
- Bow rudder
- Edging
- Paddle straight courses and figure-of-8 courses
- Draw strokes and moving the kayak sideways
- Classic draw stroke
- Sculling draw
- Draw-on-the-move
- Hanging draw
- Stern rudder and keeping the kayak straight
- Ferry gliding across a current
- Surfing a wave
- Support strokes and preventing a capsize
- Low brace support stroke
- Sculling for support
- High support stroke
- Paddling into and out of stoppers
- Eskimo roll
- Breaking-in and breaking-out of the current
- Returning to the bank or beach and disembarking
- Securing kayaks and canoes to trailers and roof racks
Safety
- Capsize drill - swim ashore; retain equipment; empty;
(assisted) re-entry
- Eskimo rescue, bow presentation and paddle presentation
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Buoyancy aid, helmet and spray deck
- Kayak and paddle
- Personal clothing - windproof & waterproof clothes
- Water Confidence
- Use of throw-lines
- Towing
- Swimming in a current
Items relevant to an introductory award
BCU one star or Euro Paddle Pass level one (yellow paddle)
Technical Ability
- Lifting, carrying and launching
- Forward paddling, reverse paddling and stopping
- Turning using sweep strokes
- Paddle straight courses and figure-of-8 courses
- Moving the kayak sideways using the classic draw stroke
- Keeping the kayak straight using the stern rudder
- Preventing a capsize
using a low support stroke
- Returning to the bank or beach and disembarking
Safety
- Capsize drill - swim ashore; retain equipment; empty; (assisted) re-entry
- Personal Protective Equipment
- How to use a buoyancy aid and helmet
- The basics of a kayak and paddle
- Appropriate personal clothing - windproof & waterproof clothes
- Water Confidence
Items relevant to a beginners award
BCU two star or Euro Paddle Pass level two (green paddle)
Technical Ability
- Lifting, carrying and launching
- Forward paddling, reverse paddling and stopping
- Turning
- Sweep strokes
- Low brace turn
- Beginning edging
- Paddle straight courses and figure-of-8 courses
- Draw strokes and moving the kayak sideways
- Classic draw stroke
- Sculling draw
- Stern rudder and keeping the kayak straight
- Support strokes and preventing a capsize
- Low brace / low support stroke
- Sculling for support
- Beginning the high support stroke
- Returning to the bank or beach and disembarking
- Securing kayaks and canoes to trailers and roof racks
Safety
- Capsize drill - swim ashore; retain equipment; empty; (assisted) re-entry
- Eskimo rescue, bow presentation and paddle presentation
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Buoyancy aid, helmet and spray deck
- Kayak and paddle
- Personal clothing - windproof & waterproof clothes
- Water Confidence
Items relevant to an intermediate award
BCU three star or Euro Paddle Pass level three (blue paddle)
Technical Ability
- Lifting, carrying and launching
- Forward paddling, reverse paddling and stopping
- Turning
- Sweep strokes
- Low brace turn
- Bow rudder
- Edging
- Paddle straight courses and figure-of-8 courses
- Draw strokes and moving the kayak sideways
- Classic draw stroke
- Sculling draw
- Draw-on-the-move
- Hanging draw
- Stern rudder and keeping the kayak straight
- Ferry gliding across a current
- Surfing a wave
- Support strokes and preventing a capsize
- Low brace support stroke
- Sculling for support
- High support stroke
- Paddling into and out of stoppers
- Eskimo roll
- Breaking-in and breaking-out of the current
- Returning to the bank or beach and disembarking
- Securing kayaks and canoes to trailers and roof racks
Safety
- Capsize drill - swim ashore; retain equipment; empty; (assisted) re-entry
- Eskimo rescue, bow presentation and paddle presentation
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Buoyancy aid, helmet and spray deck
- Kayak and paddle
- Personal clothing - windproof & waterproof clothes
- Water Confidence
- Use of throw-lines
- Towing
- Swimming in a current
Links
British Canoe Union
Euro Paddle Pass
Canoe Association Of Northern Ireland
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