Scouts & Guides
Scout & Guide Activity
CST welcomes Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorer, Brownies, Guides and Rangers to participate in our variety of activities
Our packages for Scouts & Guides
CST welcomes Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorer, Brownies, Guides and Rangers to participate in variable activities with some better suited to younger participants, ask our advice if you are not sure.
From a single activity to two activities back to back or an all-day paddlesport experience.
- Package 1 is a two hour visit, and we can accommodate up to 16 young people on each activity.
- Package 2 is a 4 hour visit, with up to 32 young people participating in any two activities run back to back with a short break between sessions.
- Package 3 is an all day visit of 6 hours or longer where we can offer either 3 or 4 activities for numbers between 16 and 64 that includes half an hour break for lunch (not provided).
Prices
- Package 1 – £150 per 8 attendees
- Package 2 – £250 per 8 attendees
- Package 3 – £390 per 8 attendees
If you are visiting with different age groups, we can adjust the packages to suit variable endurance capabilities. Beavers and Brownies are best suited to Katacanoes and Canoes, allowing those who don’t get it, to be carried along by others more able.
Many Cubs, Scouts and Guides may well have experience of having paddled last year. With such an assortment of craft available, there will always be something they have not tried before, keeping the paddlesport adventure alive. For those who think they can do it all, they need to try out the Coracles.
Duke of Edinburgh Scheme
Amongst our instructors we have DofE experienced providers and can create specific programmes of activity to satisfy either the acquisition of a new skill or a specific course of training in preparation for an expedition. We can provide boats for expeditions choosing to start or finish from Rickmansworth. Contact us should you have a specific requirement.
Health and Safety
Paddlesport activities have variable risk of falling into the water, which is why wetsuits are mandatory October to March, outside of these months, we consider the water temperature and activity planned and if deemed a bit on the cold side can provide wetsuits. You are of course welcome to bring your own wetsuit, or one can be provided.
Normal recommended attire is a sports top like a football shirt and nylon or polyester shorts, cotton trackies and hooded tops are inappropriate and become very heavy when wet impeding your ability to swim. Water shoes are a site requirement and if you don’t have these, old trainers suffice. Full joining instructions can be downloaded from the Useful Info area.
If you are attending for more than one activity (4 hour or an all day visit) you should consider multiple changes of clothing which will ensure you have something dry to change in to, should the need arise.
CST is an AALA approved Paddlesport provider, this means our processes and methods of delivery have been assessed by the Health and Safety executive to provide you an assurance that we know what we are doing. All activity is delegated by L3 Coaches to L1 qualified Paddlesport Instructors who have been assessed to lead and supervise paddlesport activities on inland waters such as lakes and canals.
All instructors have safety and rescue training, maintain their first aid qualifications and have undergone safeguarding training.
The Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) came into existence in April 1996. The Health and Safety Executive is currently designated as the AALA.
Adventure activities licensing ensures that activity providers follow good safety management practices.
These should allow young people to experience exciting and stimulating activities outdoors without being exposed to avoidable risks of death or disabling injury.
There are four broad groups of activities that are covered by licensing that include Caving, Climbing, Trekking and Watersports, watercraft specifically deployed by the Canoe Sports Trust include:
- Canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boards propelled by paddles.
- Rafts which are improvised from various materials.
The most familiar watersports activities include canoeing, kayaking, dragon boating, wave skiing, white-water rafting, improvised rafting, sailing, sailboarding and windsurfing. For any of these activities to be licensable, they need to be done on ‘specified water’ – this is the sea, tidal waters (eg estuaries), inland waters more than 50 metres from the nearest land excluding any island or on turbulent inland waters.
You can be assured that any organisation in possession of an AALA licence certificate has been checked to ensure their equipment, processes and allocation of instructors to different activities adhere to government recommended guidelines.
Canoe Sports Trust acknowledges that the activities offered contain a degree of inherent risk and whilst the processes within this document endeavour to ensure that all reasonable and practicable steps are taken to ensure all significant and likely risks are managed / reduced effectively it is impossible to eliminate risk entirely.
We are Insured with Activities Industry Mutual who provide cover tailored specifically for the needs of adventure activity and outdoor education providers including those offering a range of activities including water sports.
