Do you want to sharpen up your paddling?
No-one improves by being bombarded with facts from a million different directions or by using flatwater strokes in a dynamic, three dimensional white water environment. You need a flexible, dynamic and focused course to produce a flexible, dynamic and focused kayaker. Which is what we’ll give you
A Gene17Kayaking course is more than a syllabus. Sure, we’ve got loads of things to show you, but they don’t just come from ‘assessment syllabi’ or ‘recommended course contents’. They come from our years of experience on the water, all over the world
Whatever the course, our aim is to make you a better paddler. Or a better coach. Or both. Steep creeking, fundamental white water or coach training, we’ll show you the river as a dynamic and changeable environment so you can learn to be a dynamic and changeable paddler. We’ll concentrate on the core tools you need and we’ll strip away what doesn’t work. And, of course, we’ll have fun doing it. Click for BOOKING INFO
If you don’t see a course that suits you, just get in touch and talk to us. We can easily arrange one-to-one sessions, personal skills courses or any other ICU or BC courses or assessments you need
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Our British Canoeing Courses
GUIDE TRAINING
BC Guide Modules
PERFORMANCE AWARDS
BC White Water Kayak
BC Progressive White Water Kayak
BC Advanced White Water Kayak
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
BC White Water Kayak Leader Training Development
BC White Water Kayak Leader Assessment
BC White Water Kayak Leader Training Development COMBO
BC Advanced White Water Kayak Leader Training Development
BC Advanced White Water Kayak Leader Assessment
BC Advanced White Water Kayak Leader Training Development COMBO
SAFETY TRAINING
BC Basic White Water Safety & Rescue
BC Advanced White Water Safety & Rescue
COACHING AWARDS
BC White Water Kayak Coach Award Training
BC White Water Kayak Coach Award Assessment
BC White Water Kayak Coach (Advanced) Award Training
BC White Water Kayak Coach (Advanced) Award Assessment
BC Performance Coach Mentoring & Coach Educator Development
Our Piemonte Short Courses in Valsesia, Italy
LONG COURSES
Creek Week WW IV/IV+
2 DAY COURSES
Steep Creeking Clinic - WW IV
Boofs & Drops Clinic - WW IV
Safety & Rescue – WW III/IV
VALSESIA RIVER FESTIVAL
Various Day Clinics - WW IV
Our Norway Short Courses
NORWAY WEEK - in Sjoa
Norway Week - WW III/IV/IV+
2 DAY COURSES
Fundamental Core Skills - WW III
Progressive & Dynamic - WW III/IV
LaunchPad – WW III/IV
Boof & Drops – WW IV
SJOA RIVER FESTIVAL
Various Day Clinics - WW III/IV
Our UK based Technique Short Courses
Our Accredited Programmes
Any Day, Any Time in the UK for coaching and guiding. |
Have your own performance coach, river guide and fabulous kayaker, to coach, guide and inspire you from 9 to 5 on the river of your choice. Private coaching is one of our most popular bookings in all our destinations. The rates below can be used for BC courses, day clinics or your own custom coaching solution. Join us at any time. |
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Gene17Kayaking has been selected as one of the few commercial delivery centres for their new Guide Award.
This award is a professional endorsement for those working towards becoming a guide on the river, sea or anywhere else where adventure is sort. Whilst these modules are naturally of interest to those on a professional development programme, they are accessible to anyone to whom has an interest in these topics. Also attendance on these modules offers an 18 month CPD update for Coaches & Leaders
Course Date in the Choose a Date dropdown menu below, Plus:
Up on request – Trip Planning & Organisation
Up on request – Environmental & Sustainability
Up on request – Leadership
Note these are classroom based evening courses, 18:00-21:00 based in Devon at AS Watersports of Exeter.

Get to grips with the fundamentals and get your BC White Water Kayak Performance Award, (previously BCU 3 Star) if you wish. Give us two days and we’ll show you how! Whether you want to push your grade or you’re surviving your way down grade III, we’ll take you back to the source and work on the core skills you need to take on whitewater world-wide. Paddles Magazine Fundamental Core Skills Review PDF 0.5Mb
This course can be accredited as the BC White Water Kayak performance award

Let us help you step it up a level! If you’ve got the core skills, we’ll show you how to apply new-school dynamic paddling techniques to grade III whitewater. It’s not just about top-to-bottom survival: we’ll teach you a bag of tricks that’ll help you style your way down as an active member of the group, rather than having to rely on someone else to show you the way
This course can be accredited as the BC Progressive White Water Kayak performance award

Boof it, flare it or melt it? We’ll show you how to tackle pushier water, bigger drops and more challenging rivers. We’re all about specific skills, so we’ll cover the whole range from break-outs to boofs.
There’s no ‘drop in at the top and hope for the best’, but there is a new, dynamic freeride style, waiting for you to take it to the water.
This course can be accredited as the BC Advanced White Water Kayak performance award
Paddles Magazine Boofs & Drops Course Review

What’s White Water Kayak Leader training about? It’s all about giving you the tools and techniques you need to tackle the river.
We use a fresh approach, whether it’s dynamic boat control and group control or it’s opening your eyes to the river as a dynamic, three dimensional environment. The goal’s not just to survive the river, it’s to paddle it safely and with style.
From January 2021, this training course is no longer compulsory prior to an assessment, yet is recommended for leadership development.

What’s White Water Kayak Leader training about? It’s all about giving you the tools and techniques you need to tackle the river.
We use a fresh approach, whether it’s dynamic boat control and group control or it’s opening your eyes to the river as a dynamic, three dimensional environment. The goal’s not just to survive the river, it’s to paddle it safely and with style.
From January 2021, the White Water Kayak Leader training part of this course is no longer compulsory prior to an assessment, yet is recommended for leadership development.

Why book an assessment when you can just come paddling? We cut down on the stress by paddling a South West classics without making it feel like an exam.
Our non-interventionist approach is simple: come boating for a day and if you’re good enough leading others down grade II-III (and all the other stuff’s sorted) we’ll give you your White Water Kayak Leader. What could be simpler?
From January 2021, this is a one day assessment with a single candidate, where by paddling, leading and rescue skills will be assessed throughout the day.

What’s Advanced White Water Kayak Leader training about? It’s all about giving you the tools and techniques you need to tackle the river. We use a new school approach, whether it’s dynamic boat control and group control or it’s opening your eyes to the river as a dynamic, three dimensional environment.
The goal’s not just to survive the river, it’s to paddle it safely and with style. Paddles Magazine Advanced White Water Kayak Leader/5 Star Training Course Review PDF 1Mb
From January 2021, this training course is no longer compulsory prior to an assessment, yet is recommended for leadership development.

One hit two courses, our combo’s brings an intensive 4 days, bringing together all the elements of both BC Advanced White Water Kayak Leader Training and Advanced WWS&R in a 4 day course.
It’s as simple as that. This course is led by market leading professionals, with considerable experience whom are ready to guide and coach you to become advanced river leaders.
From January 2021, the Advanced White Water Kayak Leader training part of this course is no longer compulsory prior to an assessment, yet is recommended for leadership development.

Why book an assessment when you can just come paddling? We cut down on the stress by paddling a South West classics without making it feel like an exam.
Our non-interventionist approach is simple: come boating for a the day and if you’re good enough at leading others down grade III-IV (and all the other stuff’s sorted) we’ll give you your leadership award. What could be simpler?
From January 2021, this is a one day assessment with a single candidate, where by paddling, leading and rescue skills will be assessed throughout the day.

The new white water coaching award for coaches that which to share their love of white water with others. The White Water Kayak Coach is an award to shape a developing coach with previous river experience into a white water coach for a Class II(III) environment.
We spend 2 days on training, to cover best practise for techniques, the coaching of tactics, usefulness of venues, plus equipping river leaders to guide a range of paddlers successfully. All the very elements you’d expect from Gene17Kayaking.

The White Water Kayak Coach is an award from coaching in a Class II(III) environment.
A single day Assessment with several coaching sessions whilst leading a group down a Class II(III) section of WW, showing both the behaviours and skills set of a performance Coach, along to the expertise of river running Class II(III) to be a WW Coach.

The new advanced white water coaching award for paddlers with an excellent skill set on advanced white water to now move forwards to become a coach.
The Advanced WW Kayak Coach is an award to shape a developing coach with extensive river experience into an advanced white water coach for a Class III/IV environment. We spend 2 days on training, to cover best practise for techniques, the coaching of tactics, usefulness of venues, plus equipping advanced river leaders to guide a range of paddlers successfully.

The Advanced White Water Kayak Coach is an award from coaching in a Class III/IV environment.
A single day Assessment with several coaching sessions whilst leading a group down a Class III/IV section of WW, showing both the behaviours and skill set of a performance coach, along to the expertise of river running Class III/IV to be an advanced WW Coach

In June 2020, British Canoeing launched their new senior practitioner coach award. The BC Performance Coach, is comparable to the BCU Level 5 Award.
Our Head Coach, Simon Westgarth is both a mentor and assessor for the new award. As part of the process in the development towards achieving Performance Coach, BC offer a single mentoring session. However at Gene17Kayaking, we feel greater successes can be made with periods of mentoring and coach educator development. Therefore we can offer a range of solutions, from long term mentoring to coaching observation to session review and reflections.
BC Performance Coach: Mentoring, Coaching Observation, Session Review & Reflections

Our WW Safety & Rescue Course, focuses on all the fundamental elements for safe river running, group management and key rescue techniques for a Class II/III environment.
This course is about comprehending the WW environment, safe river practise and simply solutions for river rescues. A practical course using basic gear, where the Basic WWS&R is a pre-req for BC White Water Leader Assessment.

Our Advanced WW Safety & Rescue course is on steep ground, we look at generating a positive group dynamic, communication and rapid management. Plus we examine numerous common rescue techniques used in advanced environments, and as we have masses of experience at this level, we'll show you a host of front line tips for safer paddling.

So often on our Steep Creeking trips, we find paddlers have progressed on to steep terrain quickly, sometimes even flying by the seat of their pants. It's plain to see that there is something missing in their paddling, whether technical or tactical, or a combination of both. LaunchPad is the course we've always wanted for them. With so many elements needed to be in place for the rocket to get off the ground, its hard to always grasp what they are and what methods are best.
LaunchPad takes a holistic approach to getting your desired lines, whereby Gene17kayaking will examine your performance, address any missing parts and coach you through changing your paddling. So the next time you're trying to focus on all the elements in play to run the next rapid, you'll be ready to launch from the launchpad.

As paddler step up to the challenge of Class III/IV, river sections like the Upper Dart are great runs to enjoy.
Yet the skills set from an intermediate paddler can be easily tested on harder water white, so we offer our insightful coaching on one of the UK's finest days out.

As paddler step up to the challenge of Class III/IV, river sections like the Upper Dart are great runs to enjoy.
Yet the skills set from an intermediate paddler can be easily tested on harder water white, so we offer our insightful coaching on one of the UK's finest days out.

The East Lyn river on Exmoor, a genuine source to sea white water trip. Home to some excellent steep creeking UK style with drops and slides to enjoy.
We offer a day's steep creeking clinic focusing on tactics and the technique to deliver the moves desired off drops. A day with full video analysis and technical insight, to aid your paddling performance.

For the Paddler who is comfortable paddling on Class II and III whitewater, but wants the confidence to guide others. Set in the perfect natural classroom of the Soča river, this course will have you guiding, coaching, and making decisions with confidence on Class III rivers. We've put this course together for BC and ICU Level 2 coaches who want to step their game up a notch. To ease out that step up to the new Moderate Water Endorsement or Level 3 Coach, we'll cover everything from your paddling skills and coaching methods to modern, dynamic guiding techniques and real-world group management. This course will include, BC WW Leader Training & BC Basic WWS&R
>>MORE INFO & DATESSoča, Slovenia - River Leader Training Course - Pay Trip Deposit 450€

Set in the perfect natural classroom of the Soča river, this course will have you guiding, coaching, and making decisions with confidence on Class III and IV whitewater. We’ve put this course together for BC and ICU level 3 and 4 coaches who want to step their game up a notch. To ease out that step up to advanced white water, we’ll cover everything from your paddling skills and coaching methods to modern, dynamic guiding techniques and real-world group management This course will include, BC Advanced Leader Training & BC Advanced WWS&R.
>>MORE INFO & DATESSoča, Slovenia - Alpine River Leader Training Course - Pay Trip Deposit 450€

For the paddler who wishes to coach on Class II and III whitewater. Set in the perfect natural classroom of the Soča river, this course will have you guiding, coaching, and making decisions with confidence on Class III rivers.
We've put this course together for paddlers who are following either a formal coach education like BC or for anyone wishing simply to learn to coach white water kayaking. We'll cover everything from your paddling skills and coaching methods to modern, dynamic guiding techniques and real-world group management. This course can include, BC Moderate Water Endorsement
>>MORE INFO & DATESSoča, Slovenia - White Water Coach - Pay Trip Deposit 450€
Advanced White Water Coach - Soča, Slovenia or Sjoa, Norway

A course for white water kayakers who already coach or wish to coach on Class IV. This program is shaped by what we do at Gene17, all our core elements. We'll offer the very best in teaching the modern style, how to coach individuals within a group and providing the tactics for formal river running. By the end of the week you’ll know where you are in terms of personal progression, and where you need to go in order to become the next generation of Advanced WW Coach.
This course can include, BC White Water (Advanced) Training.
Soča, Slovenia or Sjoa, Norway - Advanced White Water Coach - Pay Trip Deposit 450€