Our water based canoeing expedition packages take on the same format whether it be for the Silver or Gold award.
Our highly experienced instructors will cover the following key subject areas:
- The Expedition Drybag, Equipment and PPE
- Campcraft and Use of Stoves
- Emergency Procedures and Incident Management
- ‘On the Water’ Safety and Rescue Training
- First Aid Procedures
- Water Access and Manual Handling of Boats & Equipment
- Navigation, Route Planning and Portages
- Environmental Awareness and The Countryside Code
The practice expedition will start with direct supervision. This will allow us to assist with any areas that may need additional support. Once we are satisfied with the team’s ability to remain self-sufficient, our instructors will step back and meet the team at various points along the practice route and provide comprehensive feedback at the end with some pre-qualifying expedition hints and tips!
For the qualifying expedition, the team will meet their assessor at the start who will go through the 20 conditions to make sure they have met the requirements of this section of the award. They will also conduct a kit check of both personal and group equipment to satisfy themselves that the team is adequately prepared for their expedition.
At Silver and Gold levels, the team will have an At Silver and Gold levels, the team will have an additional safety supervisor who will be responsible for the welfare of the team throughout the expedition.
The following expedition package diagram demonstrates the minimum requirements for each level of award:
| Training | Practice Expedition | Qualifying Expedition | |
| Silver Expedition | 2 Days | 3 Days / 2 Nights | 3 Days / 2 Nights |
| Gold Expedition | 2 Days | 3 Days / 2 Nights | 4 Days / 3 Nights |
The Expedition
What is included?
- A full time Expedition Course Director who will be available to assist with anything before, during and post expedition.
- Comprehensive pre-expedition admin pack for participants and schools / parents / guardians, including consent forms, kit lists etc.
- Assistance with expedition paperwork. We will complete operating authority notifications, green forms and risk assessments.
- High quality training, delivered in a similar environment to that of the expedition area.
- Experienced instructors holding National Governing Body qualifications relevant to the environment in which they are working. All of our instructors hold a current and relevant first aid qualification and Enhanced DBS certificate (see Overview page).
- Training materials and notes for participants.
- All supervision and developmental training throughout the programme (during the day and overnight where agreed). We aim to help young people develop their personal and practical skills as much as possible throughout their experience with us, both as individuals and as part of their team.
- Campsite or bunkhouse fees for participants.
- Smiles and encouragement throughout!
We also provide the following equipment if required:
- Boats, Paddles and Buoyancy Aids (Water based PPE)
- Tents & Group Shelters
- Stoves & Fuel
- Group First Aid Kits
- Hi-Vis Vests (for use near roads)
- Maps & Compasses
- Insurance (see Overview for full details)
Expedition Venues
The majority of our expeditions take place on the River Thames and/or River Wye, or more locally, River Medway and/or River Adur, however our team are happy to travel to a destination of your choice if that is more convenient and the environment is suitable for the expedition!
What do the water based canoeing expedition packages cost?
Probably the most important question!
Due to locations, distance, waterways licences etc, canoe-based expeditions can be quite diverse and comprehensive. For this reason, please contact us with your specific requirements in order for us to quote for a bespoke package.
Further Information
We specialise in running bespoke expeditions that are tailored to your individual requirements. Whether you are a teacher looking to run a larger Silver expedition or an individual looking to organise a small Gold expedition for your friends, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss all options available to you!
Please note – Canoe based expeditions require team sizes of 4, 6 or 8 participants in tandem craft. Canoe expeditions require a minimum of 12 participants to be viable for us to run.
Please take a look at our other pages offering walking based expeditions and Gold residential activity weeks!
