The Student Safety Initiative 2008
The 25th March saw the end of two separate 3 day courses looking at white water safety and rescue, personal skills and river leadership. The courses were originally set up to make student kayaking more streamline and in tune with ‘new school’ ideas and in recent years the standard is constantly getting better allowing the course to cover more and more.
Over the 6 days the instructors and I answered a wide range of questions from nearly 50 students representing universities from all over the UK. Examples of such questions were as followed; how do I safety perform a live bait rescue? As a female leader how do I get over keen lads to listen? And how do I grow such impressive facial hair?
The courses were held in Scotland in the Fort William area, and in keeping with tradition there was little water around so venues such as the Leven, Spean Gorge, Arkaig and Pattack were used to do some practical learning!
The next big push with the Student Safety Initiative is the weekend at PYB in Wales in October, dates and booking information to be released soon. In addition to this, with sufficient interest, a supplementary Alpine leadership day will be laid on in the French Alps around the 16th June, for more information drop me an email!
