4 Star Leader Assessment (Touring)
£227 Book Now
↓ Course pre-requisites
You must have a stamped Leadership Registration Form (LR) from the CANI office. These can be downloaded from the CANI website and must be submitted to CANI for approval at least 3 weeks before the course commences to ensure you have it back in time. Your LR form is valid for 1 year.
If you come to the course without a LR form you will be unable to take part in the assessment and will forfeit your course fee.
- Valid (within 3 years) CANI recognised 2 day First Aid Award (if first aid training was completed prior to 31 December 2011, a recognised 8 hour first aid course is acceptable)
- Previous experience: provide evidence of minimum 12 trips (of at least 4 hours in duration) in at least 2 different moderate open water or sheltered tidal water venues and 2 different ungraded rivers that have a discernible green flow. This experience must include at least 6 trips as a member of a group and at least 6 trips as an Assistant Leader
- CANI Foundation Safety and Rescue Training Course
- Valid (within 3 years) CANI 4 Star Touring Training
- Candidates must be aged 16 or over at the time of assessment. Candidates under the age of 18 can take the award but please note they will not be deemed responsible for leadership by law until they turn 18.
↓ Course summary
4 Star Leader Assessment (Touring)
Achieving your 4 Star is recognition of having the skill level and understanding to lead a group of 4 competent paddlers. It is an ideal award for those paddlers who are leading journeys on sheltered tidal waters, sheltered inland waters and moderate inland water. The 4 Star is also a prerequisite to attending your Level 2 Coach Moderate Endorsement.
The assessment will run over two days and two evenings and the 'on the water' activity will take place on both a river and open water venue. In order to make the assessment as realistic as possible we will endeavour to recruit mock students for you to lead on both days.
The assessment will focus on the following key areas:
- Technical skills such as efficient and effective open water/ moving water boat handling skills, navigation.
- Tactical skills such as, venue selection, trip planning, navigation skills, use of the environment etc.
- Leadership skills such as, group management, communication, risk management, use of safety equipment, etc.
- Rescue skills and incident management such as boat based rescues, accurate use of a throw line, ‘safety versus rescue’, decision making, etc.
↓ Who is the course for?
The 4 star leader touring awards is the appropriate qualification to lead general purpose kayaks, touring kayaks, white water kayaks, and open canoes in sheltered tidal waters, sheltered inland waters and moderate inland water. View full environmental definitions here.
↓ Are there any similar or related courses?
↓ What equipment do I need to bring?
Candidates will be expected to arrive equipped and fully prepared to lead a group of up to four unknown students on a river and in open water. Candidates presenting for assessment are expected to own or have access to all necessary personal, leadership, safety and trip planning equipment including maps of area.
On successful completion of the assessment candidates will be signed off as qualified to lead others therefore as qualified leaders you should be suitably equipped to do so!
The Centre boat stores can be made available to candidates as Tollymore recognises that for various logistical reasons candidates may need to borrow a boat. Candidates must inspect any boats borrowed and treat as their own. Please contact the Centre in advance of the course to confirm availability of the boat you require.
↓ What does my course fee include?
The course fee includes food and accommodation, kit and equipment, in-course transport, instruction, tea/coffee and some of our famous chocolate brownies or flapjack to keep energy levels up while you are on the course.
↓ Useful books and resources
BCU Coaching Handbook – Published by Pesda Press
Current situation
As you are probably aware the current advice from the Northern Ireland Executive, Health Promotion Agency NI and Health & Safety Executive NI, as well as our expert group within Sport NI is that we cannot deliver any face to face courses for our customers including use of the Hot Rock Climbing Wall.
We know that you and many others like minded folk are very keen to get back on track with your plans to attend and complete a range of personal skills training and qualifications in a range of disciplines.
Believe us when we say we are equally keen to get outside with you and help you reach your goals and complete that journey.
How do we know? Because every day we get emails and phone calls asking when will courses resume and with every NI Executive mention of easing of restrictions the emails and phone calls are more frequent……