4hr certified course in paddleboard safety

 
OVERVIEW

The SUP SAFER  course is designed by PaddleUk for anyone new or relatively novice to Stand Up Paddleboarding, wanting to gain knowledge and raise their awareness of their personal safety in a sheltered water environment. 

The ethos of the course is to ‘support paddlers’ in their development and help with practical advise on how to plan a days paddling, understand the equipment in more detail whilst appreciating the risks involved. A large element of the course delivery is providing more practical solutions to assist paddlers if they do come into difficulty both at sea and inland waters including rivers, weirs and lochs.

Adventure Paddle Co, to date, is the leading provider of the SUP SAFER Award in the UK and works in collaboration with partners to support regional SUP safety campaigns.  

SUP equipment is not provided for this course but can be hired.. £20.00pp (Board, paddle, leash, fin and QR belt, dry bag)

We provide a comfortable outdoor classroom with bench seating, event shelter, flip chart and outdoor changing tent.

All Safety courses subject to cancellation due to inclement weather, issues with venue or high winds in excess of 15mph.

COURSE DETAILS

SUP SAFER COURSE

duration

4 hrs

price

30.00 pp

season

March - November

group size

Max 8 paddlers

meeting point

Bookers Cash N Carry, Meadowhead Ind Estate, Irvine

parking

Free

type

Inland Fresh water Loch

changing

Outdoor in car park

course info

COURSE highlights

  • Meeting fellow local paddlers at a fantastic location
  • Input from a reputable SUP safety course provider endorsed by PaddleUk, The Outdoor Partnership and RNLI Troon
  • Mix of theory and practical skills
  • Learner centred approach
  • Certified by Paddle Uk
  • welcome drinks on arrival
  • Safety collateral and FREE phone case 
  • Talk from local RNLI personel

what's included

  • 4 hours delivery with a mix of on-off water content
  • Practice of key skills such as efficient paddling, self-rescue, assisting others, turning skills and safe use of pfd’s
  • Tide Talk
  • Weather interpretation
  • Closer look at Equipment for SUP
  • Planning a days paddling and the environment
  • Rescues
  • Photography capturing your course experience and sent to you electronically
  • Hot drinks and snacks on arrival and after the course
  • Complimentary use of QR belt
  • Changing cape and standing mat for outdoor changing

what to bring

  • Towel or robe for after changing
  • Old trainers or shoes suitable for walking over grass, stones and sand
  • Personal Wetsuit (min 3mm) or dry splits
  • Paddleboard, paddle, fin and leash
  • Swimwear for under wetsuits
  • Personal Flotation Device (Buoyancy Aid)
  • Kit bag for wet clothing
  • Stand Up Paddleboard, paddle, leash, fin (if you have your own and it is in suitable condition)
  • Water bottle or flask with drinks
  • Snacks
  • Personal Medication
  • Suncream 
  • Hat/gloves (Oct onwards)
  • Warm clothes for changing into afterwards
  • Phone and waterproof phone case

is this course right for you?

We recommend this course to paddlers who are relatively novice or new to SUP and who require support in self-rescuing, planning a paddle journey, paddle with others as a member of a group. 

The course is also suitable for those who have just purchased equipment but need tuition in setting up the board/paddle.

Suitable for all abilities.

As a safety based course the SUP SAFER is not a formal ‘how to paddleboard’ lesson in full and we recommend booking our Intro to SUP courses for a lesson based course.

course itinerary

  • Meet your tutor at advertised time in location car park
  • Welcome drinks and huddle
  • Intros and shared experiences
  • Safety talk RNLI
  • THEORY SESSION/OUTDOORS
  • Presentation on weather
  • Group task on considerations for planning a days paddling
  • Tide talk
  • Kitting up/clothing for SUP – group ready outdoors
  • Equipment set up demo and explanations
  • PRACTICAL
  • Carrying equipment
  • Risk assessing venues/accessing
  • Group paddle and skills session from the tutor
  • Environment talk – on water
  • Rescues and Self-rescue practical workshop
  • Course conclusion in outdoor seating area/leaflets/follow up 

Frequently Asked Questions

In short, no but a degree of water confidence and ability to tread water is desirable for participating in a water sport. We provide a Personal Flotation Device (Pfd) suitable for a  range of client sizes and weights. Unless instructed otherwise, these are mandatory to wear during our activities as its aids a paddler to float minimising the need to swim.

This entirely depends on the activity.

Our maximum participants on any given activity is 10pax.

Reducing to 6 on Instructor courses and no more than 4 on rivers per leader.

Multi-day/overnight Living Wild trips – max 4

We prefer smaller, more intimate groups, in our experience, builds better connections, it’s safer for group management and provides more time to enjoy the activity together. 

We are also mindful of our environmental impact by inviting groups of people into coastal and inter-tidal zones, wilderness areas where excessive footprints off paths can damage the soil structures, flora and create more bio cross-contaminations. We try keep this to a minimum. 

Yes. The more information about you and your health requirements the better prepared we are to cater for your needs. All your information is stored confidentially. Our medical and readiness questionnaire is contained on our booking form. Please do feel free to call us beforehand to discuss or speak to your leader prior to the session declaring any injuries or medical fitness.

Unfortunately not. We find dogs can be a distraction during safety briefs and during activity. Not all our clients are comfortable around dogs. We are happy to advice on personal paddling with pets and arrange adog-friendly activity.

We are very much governed by HSE Adventure Activities Licencing Scheme regarding working with Children and Vulnerable adults. All our staff and volunteers are PVG checked to work with Children.

On our family sessions our min age is 8years old where due to AALS licencing adults must be present on-site. The only exception is where we operate within a venue which is less than 50m wide which satisfies AALS regulations. We have equipment which will fit this age group and older.

The min age for attending a PaddleUk SUP Instructor level 1 course is 14years.

Our min age for attending our safety courses, coaching sessions and tours is 8years but it is depending on weather and experience and at our discretion. 

Whats included and what you need to bring are described in each page of the tours or courses and also within the confirmation sent prior. 

Full board packages for the activity are included in the price complimentary.

We will also provide a changing cape and standing mat, group equipment such as survival shelter, first aid kit, rewarming kit, spare paddle, pump.

For those with own SUP equipment, we also provide Pfd and wetsuit free of charge at time of booking

We also provide waterproof phone case and cag jackets as wind blockers.

Clients are able and encouraged to bring their own SUP equipment however, our instructors will check the condition and suitability on arrival and may suggest alternative board set up depending on the environment and session/tour. i.e. longer board for longer distances.

Payment transactions can be arranged in a few ways which are most convenience for you but must be paid in full prior to activity commencing.

Our booking engine will handle online payments where we absorb the merchant fee via GoCardless/Stripe on our product pages.

We can send an addressed invoice for groups and businesses payable via GoCardless secure online payment link.

Cash can be accepted on the day where prior arranged with us and receipt emailed post event.

Apologies, we cannot offer a credit or debit card transaction facility on the day of the activity.  

Absolutely. Although we love to take your picture and offer a complimentary photo service sending your highlights to you post activity, we understand it’s not for everyone.

Simply state NO on your booking form on the relevant section.

Furthermore, we also request your permission to use your images on our media accounts and hold no judgements to those who object. We build your trust in this regard.

This is a common question we are asked. Simply put. Unless it’s time critical, we take our pace from the slowest member of the group and we are fully inclusive in how we lead, guide and coach. It’s not a race and we are on an activity to have fun, connect with others and the place we are in, paddle safely and prevent fatigue. We always discuss group paddling strategy and using systems for paddler support on the water such as pairs, small groups, varying leader position etc etc. 

inspo

REVIEWS

Don’t just take our word for it

5/5
Been out with Craig on the SUP Safer Course and it was amazing and so informative. I even got more confident in standing.
Heather
Aged 62
5/5
I can thoroughly recommend the SUP Safer course with Craig. Although im a competent paddler, i learned many things that hadnt crossed my mind when it comes to safety,
Iona
Aged 45
5/5
Really great course. We had a fab time on Saturday.
Elizabeth
Aged 36

SAFETY IN NUMBERS

The Uk's leading sup safety course provider

paddlers
0

Number of paddlers we have delivered SUP safer courses to in Scotland 

percent
0

Reduction in RNLI & Coastguard call outs within the Ayrshire region to SUP paddlers in 2024 

familes
0

Attended the SUP safer courses including children 7yrs + 

assisted rescue