The Level 4 Kayaking Skills Award aims to enable participants to:

• Kayak safely and proficiently on rivers up to and including Grade III difficulty as part of a group of peers
• Be capable of negotiating obstacles likely to be encountered on Grade III rivers
• Deal competently with rescue situations that might occur on rivers up to and including rivers of Grade III difficulty
• Develop group awareness

Performance Requirements:

To obtain the Level 4 Kayak Skills Award a participant must successfully explain and demonstrate the following techniques and skills at a level higher than that required for the Level 3 Kayak Skills Award and be capable of demonstrating any combination of the strokes competently and efficiently

Strokes:

• Forward Paddle, Reverse Paddle, Emergency Stop
• Forward Sweep, Reverse Sweep and a combination of Forward and Reverse Sweep
• Edging
• Draw Stroke
• Sculling Draw
• Hanging Draw
• Bracing (Low Brace, High Brace, Sculling for Support)
• Stern Rudder
• Bow Rudder

Techniques:

• An ability to use water conditions available for the effective and efficient manoeuvring of a kayak
• Competence in negotiating water obstructions i.e. Standing Waves, Stoppers, and an ability to utilise it to cross a river
• Competence in negotiating bends where water flows under trees or against vertical riverbank
• Forward Ferry Gliding
• Reverse Ferry Gliding
• Breaking In accurately
• Breaking Out accurately
• Rescues and Safety

Techniques:

• An X Rescue and/or Assisted X Rescue
• Eskimo Rescue (maximum lower body rotation)
• Eskimo Roll
• Capable of Self-Rescue
• Curl Rescue and/or TX Rescue
• Stern Carry
• Unconscious Casualty (method of righting an unconscious person in a capsized kayak)
• An ability to manoeuvre an empty kayak between two specified points
• An ability to assist an incapacitated paddler in a kayak between two specified points
• Offensive & Defensive Swimming
• An ability to use a Throw Rope to rescue a swimmer
• A practical knowledge of First Aid and its relevance to possible situations arising during a canoeing trip to include: Shock, Hypothermia, Head Injuries, Dislocations, Bleeding, CPR, EAR

Theory:

An understanding of the following:            

• River Grading
• River Route Finding
• Types of GP kayaks and paddles
• Towing Systems and methods
• Group Control and Awareness
• Signals and Commands
• Personal Equipment