Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Silver and Gold ‘Stand-up Paddle Board’ Expeditions
Our brand new water based Paddle Board expedition packages take on the same format, whichever level of award. Each training day / practice expedition will start with the following key elements that form the basis of a safe and successful qualifying expedition experience. Our highly experienced instructors will cover the following key subject areas:
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The Expedition Drybag, Equipment and PPE
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Campcraft and Use of Stoves
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Emergency Procedures and Incident Management
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‘On the Water’ Safety and Rescue Training
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First Aid Procedures
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Water Access and Manual Handling of Boards & Equipment
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Navigation, Route Planning and Portages
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Environmental Awareness and The Countryside Code
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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.
For Silver and Gold expeditions, 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:
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The Expedition
What is included?
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A full time Expedition Course Director who will be available to assist with anything before, during and post expedition.
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Comprehensive pre-expedition admin pack for participants and schools / parents / guardians, including consent forms, kit lists etc.
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Assistance with expedition paperwork. We will complete operating authority notifications, green forms and risk assessments.
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High quality training, delivered in a similar environment to that of the expedition area.
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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).
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Training materials and notes for participants.
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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.
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Campsite or bunkhouse fees for participants.
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Smiles and encouragement throughout!
We also provide the following equipment if required:
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Paddle Boards, Paddles and Buoyancy Aids (Water based PPE)
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Tents & Group Shelters
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Stoves & Fuel
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Group First Aid Kits
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Hi-Vis Vests (for use near roads)
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Maps & Compasses
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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 Paddle Board expedition packages cost?
Probably the most important question!
We have kept our pricing structure simple.
We charge £55.00 + VAT per person per day, whatever the level of award.
So for example, a full Silver package that includes 1 day of training, a 3 day practice and 3 day qualifying expedition would cost £385.00 + VAT per person.
A full Gold package of 8 days (training, practice and qualifying expedition) would cost a total of £440.00 + VAT per person.
A Gold qualifying expedition (if you have already completed the training and practice) would cost £220.00 + VAT per person.
Additional training days can be added if requested or required for an additional amount of £55.00 + VAT per person.
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 Bronze 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!
Paddle Board expeditions require team sizes of between 4 and 7 participants.