Adaptive Rescuer

As a volunteer with AquaPaddle, I know how important it is that I have the right skills to be able to help if things don’t go to plan for one of our paddlers. To that end, I decided to do the Paddle UK Paddlesport Safety and Rescue Course. 

Approaching a course like this as an adaptive paddler involves some extra preparation, so I contacted a local provider to ask if she felt confident giving me a try. After a chat on the phone about my abilities and needs, a date was booked at a local lake with decent access for my wheelchair. 

On the day, as well as Sarah the instructor and Chris who was helping out, there were three other people booked on the course. I was a little nervous and unsure of what to expect, but it was a friendly group and we soon got chatting.

After an on-land briefing we moved onto the lake. Sarah demonstrated one type of rescue at a time, then encouraged us to have a play about to find what worked best for us. This problem-solving style worked really well for me, as it’s how I have to approach most things. If we got stuck, she or Chris were always on hand to offer advice and alternative techniques to try. We were reminded to also make use of our team, rather than just rely on doing it all alone.

I was over the moon to discover that I could find a way to complete every rescue scenario that came up, from helping someone get back on a paddleboard, to emptying a flooded canoe, to flipping over an ‘unconscious’ paddler in a kayak.  I learned so much and had enormous fun, and hope to do further training with Sarah in the future. If you are considering starting your paddlesport qualifications I would say “go for it!” You’ll come away with new skills and hopefully have a great time too