We enjoyed near perfect conditions for our recent Four Star course. We spent the first day in the classroom completing the BCU Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning course.
This covers interpretation of weather forecasts, tidal planning and navigation. We practiced our map and chart reading, worked out tide heights and flow and planned a journey for the next day.
On day two we met at Amble and planned a trip around Coquet Island. This bird sanctuary is about a mile offshore and we faced a committing crossing in strong winds. The tide was running enough to kick up the sea around the outside of the island and we used the conditions to practice leadership, group control and personal skills.
On day three we looked at incident management. As well as rescues, towing and rocky landings we also carried out some repairs and tested our emergency equipment.
Overall, we had three great and challenging days, with candidates leaving the course with action plans an plenty of new ideas and knowledge too.
For more information of 4* sea kayak courses in the North East contact me on kim@kimbull.co.uk
