Patrol Paddling | Stage 3

Patrol Paddling: Planning, Safety and Skills on the Water

This activity supports Scouts to work together as a Patrol to plan, prepare for and take part in paddling activities. Youth will learn how weather, clothing, communication and safety affect paddling trips, practise rescue and first aid skills, and apply these skills during two supervised paddling outings.

This activity is designed to be run across one Hall night and two paddling days.

What you'll need

Hall night

• Mobile phone or printed weather forecasts

• Activity cards or printed images

• First aid supplies and survival blanket

• Rope and basic rescue diagrams

Paddling days

• Paddle craft and paddles
• Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
• Helmets (where required)
• First aid kit and safety throw rope
• Spare clothing and dry bags
• Buoys, buckets or markers for games

Activity

1. Patrol Planning and Weather Check

• Patrols look up the weather forecast using at least two sources, including BOM

• Compare wind, temperature and rainfall

• Identify risks linked to the forecast

• Create a Patrol packing list based on conditions

• Discuss:

  • Appropriate clothing

  • Use of the buddy system

  • How Patrols stay together on the water

2. Create a Paddling Trip Game

• Run a Patrol relay collecting cards or images that represent:

  • Weather

  • Clothing

  • Equipment

  • Communication methods

  • Waterway markers

• Patrols review their “trip” and discuss:

  • What works well

  • What could be risky

  • What they would change to improve safety

3. First Aid for Paddling

• Revise DRSABCD and how it applies to paddling situations

• In Patrols, practise responding to scenarios such as:

  • Jammed fingers

  • Hypothermia

  • Blisters

  • Minor cuts

  • Being hit by a paddle

• Focus on:

  • Managing danger

  • Sending for help

  • Treating injuries in a wet environment

4. Rescue Techniques (Dry Practice)

• Investigate two common rescue methods:

  • Canoe X rescue

  • Kayak T rescue

• Order images or steps correctly

• Discuss key safety points, including:

  • Staying clear of boats during rescues

  • Holding onto paddle and craft

• If possible, practise rescues on land

5. Paddling Outings (Two Activities)

Before paddling

• Conduct a safety briefing

• Buddy check including PFDs and equipment

• Review boundaries and communication signals

On the water

• Select a correctly sized paddle

• Practise paddling control and turning

• Learn and practise an additional stroke (for example draw or J stroke)

• Complete a raft-up drill and explain its purpose

• Practise capsize and assisted re-entry

• Swim 50 metres wearing a PFD

Games and challenges

• Musical canoes using buoys

• Canoe or kayak frisbee golf

• Patrol-designed paddling games

After paddling

• • Secure craft safely on shore

  • Clean up equipment

  • Remove all markers from the water

Change the challenge level

• Reduce distance or skills for less confident paddlers

• Increase challenge by adding navigation tasks or longer journeys

• Ask experienced Scouts to lead parts of the activity

• Introduce timed Patrol challenges

Reflection