Kayaking Trip Leadership Workshop

This weekend course will teach all of the skills required for trip leading. The workshop will be lead by Maureen Benzon who has many years of kayaking and trip leadership experience and instruction.

The workshop will span Saturday and Sunday.

Day one will be 6 hours of theory - divided into three hours each - (with lunch in between) the first half of the day  will be trip planning how-to and the second half of the day will be risk management with scenarios and role playing.

The second day of the clinic will be practical on-water skills - the first half will be on towing and the second half will be on rescues - everyone will be learning and practicing all the skills. 

Trip Leader workshop: session 1 (3 hours) - dry land

• how to post a trip
• resources available
• managing the expectations of trip participants
• trip contracts
• vetting trip registrants
• preparing a float plan
• responsibilities of the float plan holder
• pre-trip meetings and paddles
• pre-launch discussion
• whether to cancel a trip due to weather (how and when) - (seems to fit
• better with risk management)
• writing a trip report

Lunch break

Risk management workshop: session 2 (3 hours) - dry land

• Scenarios
• • define risk - your risk vs mine
  • how to manage risk
  • probability vs consequence
  • The four quadrants
  • working through some possible scenarios

On the water session (all day Sunday)

• Rescues
• • Solo with paddle float
  • Back deck
  • Heel hook
  • Scoop rescue
  • All-in
  • Extraction from rocks
  • Rescues in current

• Towing
• • Single tow
  • In line tow
  • Quick tow
  • Short line
  • Contact tow