THREE STAR TEST

OPEN CANOE

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open canoe one star test

open canoe three star test
Aim

Successful performance at this level indicates the candidate’s competence to cope with most British open water conditions in moderate conditions in winds force 2-3.

Solo performance at 3 Star level is required for attending a course for the qualification of Level 2 Canoe Coach (Instructor).
PREREQUISITES

BCU 2 Star award. Where a candidate does not hold this award a small cross-section of the 1 Star and 2 Star techniques should be incorporated at the examiner’s discretion.
Venue

Open water with winds not above force 2-3.
Assessor

Level 3 Coach (Senior Instructor) or higher, in the appropriate discipline.
Theory

- a question or two of a similar level should be asked under each heading
Equipment

Sample questions:
Can you name two different types of canoe paddle ?
What materials are most modern boats made from ?
What is the main difference between a ‘dry cag’ and an ordinary cag ?
Safety

Sample questions:
What would you pay special attention to if you were going out canoeing in the winter ?
Why can a rapid or fast moving water be dangerous ?
Hypothermia/first aid

Sample questions:
What are the signs that someone is becoming hypothermic ?
What are the most important things to do if someone suffers a bad injury ?
Access

Sample questions:
What is an ‘access agreement’ ?
What sort of behaviour is most likely to upset an access agreement ?
What is meant by ‘a navigation’ ?
Environment

Sample questions:
What is the most distressing/disturbing wildlife encounter you have had whilst canoeing ?
Who would you contact if you came across signs of serious pollution - e.g. oil, sewage, fouls smells, dead fish and birds ?
Planning

Sample questions:
What average speed do you think you can travel at over a 4-hour journey in your canoe without any current or strong wind to help or hinder you ?
What questions would you ask the leader if, as a 3 Star paddler, you were invited to take part in a day tour travelling about 12 miles down river ?
General

Sample questions:
Name two manufacturers or models of canoes which are sold in Britain ?
How does joining the British Canoe Union help you and help canoeing generally ?
Have you heard of Rob Roy MacGregor ?

Group Awareness

Sample questions:
On which side of a navigable river or canal should you paddle ?
How would you raise the alarm if you were paddling at the back of a group and the person ahead of you capsized ?
Map and compass

Sample questions:
Why is it important to have a compass with you when on a journey ?
What sort of map is the best one to have with you for a journey on a river or canal ?

PRACTICAL ‘A’

1 Lifting, carrying & launching. Demonstrate, with assistance, good lifting and carrying techniques appropriate to getting a canoe from or to a car roof rack or a canoe trailer. Solo candidates must have assistance with lifting and carrying. The candidate should be able to launch safely and efficiently from any reasonable launching spot. e.g. pier, steps, high river bank.

2 Efficient forward paddling. Stern (or solo) paddler should demonstrate a fluent and rhythmic forward paddling stroke that will predominantly be a J-stroke. This can be adapted to deal with the appropriate prevailing conditions which will include trimming the canoe. The demonstration will be over a distance of about 500m (throughout the test) and will show good speed and control.

3 Reverse over a figure-of-8 course. Predominantly using a good Reverse-J stroke for the majority of the manoeuvre (bow paddler steering for tandem), the candidate(s) should be able to reverse the canoe straight as well as turn to the right and left around the markers of a prescribed figure-of-8 course. Solo paddlers should also be able to demonstrate the use of cross-deck backwater strokes for part of the manoeuvre.

4 Tight turns whilst on the move. Turn the canoe quickly with the minimum loss of forward speed. In all cases speed must be maintained with the power strokes, and the steering achieved without stalling the canoe.

Tandem. The bow and stern paddlers combine their efforts..

Turn 1. Irrespective of paddling sides, the bow paddler would use a combination of bow cut, bow draws and power strokes (with the emphasis on the bow draws), whilst the stern paddler performs stern draws or quarter sweeps.

Turn 2. (In the opposite direction to turn 1). The bow paddler would either use pry strokes or use a combination of cross-bow draws and quarter sweeps whilst the stern paddler performs a J-stroke with emphasis on the steering phase.

Solo. Turn 1. A bow cut followed by C-strokes (bow draw followed by a J-stroke).

Turn 2. Outside pivot turns (cross-bow cut on the off side, followed by a forward sweep on the on-side).

5 Moving sideways, both static and on the move. Using pry strokes and draws the candidates should move the canoe sideways in both directions. The criteria for this movement will be a balanced application of the stroke by the paddler(s) to avoid lateral wobble or yawing. From stationery, the canoe should be moved sideways for 10m in each direction. From a good cruising speed the candidate(s) should be able to sideslip at least a canoe’s width in each direction to avoid an obstacle and maintain forward speed.

6 Supporting. Candidates should be able to demonstrate a recovery stroke to recover from a sudden tilt towards either side. For tandem paddlers this will involve combining a low brace by one paddler with a high brace with hip tilt by the other paddler.

7 Securing. Secure the canoe to trailer, canoe rack or roof rack using a rope. Any practical system is acceptable but must use an efficient, recognised knot.

8 Tilting to assist turning. Exercise to be set showing tilting the canoe under good control in order to assist turning.

PRACTICAL ‘B’

1 Deep water rescue. An effective rescue of another canoeist, returning him or her to their canoe in deep water. The capsized paddler may assist as instructed by the candidate.

2 Towing and use of tow line. Candidate to show a knowledge of a way to tow a canoe using a line, without assistance. The tow must be released as for an emergency. The candidate must indicate that he or she is aware of the inherent dangers of towing.

3 Recovery of a swimmer. Recover a capsized paddler into the canoe. Solo paddlers may have help. This manoeuvre may be combined with or performed separately from the deep-water rescue.

4 Poling. Demonstrate poling for 25m turning to and from the on-side.

Demonstrate satisfactory beginnings in:

1 Knifed J (Canadian) stroke. The stern or solo paddler uses the same power stroke as for the J-stroke but recovers forwards and out from the canoe while the blade is still under water, the drive face upwards, and the trailing edge lifted to supply ‘drag’.

2 Trim/tilt and balance. Both in tandem and solo canoes the candidate(s) should be adjusting trim, tilt and balance to optimise performance, and demonstrate a stroke appropriate to maintaining control in windy conditions.

3 Sailing. Improvise and sail a downwind sailing rig for a tandem canoe.

Journeying

Provide evidence of at least 3 journeys of about 3 hours duration (10Km) each.