DofE Silver Canoe Expedition Management for School and Groups | Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expeditions

Overview

An exciting alternative to the traditional hiking DofE Expedition, the Canoe/Kayak Expedition includes a stunning journey along waterways and/or lake. Along with Expedition skills, our qualified instructors will also teach canoe handling skills, safety and navigation on waterways.

Choose from our Practice, Training and Qualifying programmes, simply select just 1 element or explore our bespoke packages to suit your Expedition needs.

Itinerary - Day by Day

Training and Practice: 5-day programme

2-days: Training & Key Skills
3-days: Practice Expedition

Qualifying: 5-day programme

2-days: Training
3-days: Qualifying Expedition

To view the full itinerary, expand this panel:

Training and Practice

Days 1-2: Pre-Expedition training

Planning your Silver DofE Canoe/Kayak Expedition will form a large part of the first couple of days, including marking the routes on maps to be paddled each day. Also important, is learning and being aware of the skills you will need to keep you safe, self-sufficient and make the most of your time on the water.

Boat handling and paddling skills
Launching and landing safely
Boat specific navigation
General Expedition skills
Safety and rescue training
Weather and waterway environments
Food, cooking and campcraft
Route planning

Days 3-5: Practice Expedition

The Practice Expedition is the perfect opportunity to put into practice what’s been learnt in training. It is designed to give responsibility and independence, safe in the knowledge your instructors aren’t far away should you need them. It's also the time when learning can be consolidated and more in-depth, with our instructors usually offering additional training whilst in a real, outdoor situation.

Emergency scenarios – what to do and how to manage
Boat handling and safety
Dealing with bad weather and conditions
River and water hazard awareness
Navigation and route planning techniques – putting them into practice
Basic paddle stroke techniques and efficiency
Expedition skills and teamwork in the outdoors
Camping, kit and cooking

Teams will be continually supervised throughout the Practice Expedition, both remotely and with regular meeting points. Once they arrive at camp, (camping or wild camps will be included, depending on location) there will be a warm welcome and a cheer, then it's time to set up camp and start cooking.

Celebrating achievements and learning is always important at the end of the Practice Expedition, so there’s always time to reflect, ask questions, give and receive feedback.

Our DofE instructors will also produce a full report for each student which can be used as evidence of completion and uploaded to their eDofE account.

Qualifying

The Qualifying Expedition is usually what students most look forward to, apart from a few pre-Expedition nerves.

Participants complete a 5-day / 4-night canoe / kayak journey while being remotely supervised and assessed by accredited DofE assessors.

Days 1-2: Refresher training

Full kit checks on Expedition morning before leaving
Distribution of group kit and emergency contact cards
Route plan and map check for Expedition route
Navigation refresher
Paddling and boat handling techniques refresher
Refresh of emergency procedures
Meet-up points reminder

Days 3-5: Qualifying Expedition

Remote supervision by our qualified DofE assessors
Ongoing assessment
End of Expedition debrief and reporting

Throughout the Qualifying Expedition, teams will meet up with our DofE accredited assessors, as well as being remotely supervised. As an additional safety measure and means of location, GSM trackers are also given to each group.

A big cheer and congratulations await the team at the end of their Expedition. There will then be a full debrief upon completion from the assessing instructor. This gives the opportunity for any questions, highlight any learnings and proud moments and time to reflect on the best parts of the Expedition. Most importantly, it's a chance to really appreciate what has been achieved.

A full report is produced for each student, which is to be uploaded to their eDofE account as evidence of the Silver Expedition Award completion.

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What's included?

Canoe/Kayak
Bouyancy Aids and Paddles
Waterproof Bags
Tents (2 & 3 Person)
Stoves/Pans & Gas
Group 1st Aid Kit
Maps & Map Cases
Group Shelter
Camping Fees
Tracking Device

Our Services

Indoor training facility. Offering a great area for training and preparations, regardless of the weather.
Comprehensive training. Covering all aspects of the DofE syllabus.
Supervision by highly qualified staff. Ensuring your safety throughout the expedition. (Minimum of Summer Mountain Leader qualified, plus British Canoe Union Qualified)
DofE Accredited Assessors. For the Qualifying Expedition only - helping you feel relaxed and encourage you towards completing your expedition.
Personalised Report. Highlighting areas of improvement, recommendations and achievements during the expedition process.

You will need to arrange

Our Silver DofE Canoe / Kayak Expedition packages cover almost everything, however, we do require some input, planning and organising from the school / group.

Recruiting your students to sign up to their Expedition to fulfill their DofE Award. We can assist with information on how to do this.
Complete any in-house administration within your organisation to authorise the Expedition.
Keep in touch with participants to distribute information and ensure they are registered with DofE for the Silver Award.
Transport to/from the Expedition venue. Our expedition locations are chosen for their ease of access via public transport. This may be a coach or minibus. Some groups arrive by train to keep costs low.
We provide 1 free staff place for every 14 participants. They must attend the Expedition to ensure pastoral care for the participants.

Resources

Take the time to explore our library of resources for more insightful blogs, expert advice and YouTube videos to share in your classrooms and help your students prepare for expedition.

DofE Expeditions for all DofE Expedition guidance for participants

Did you know?

It is a DofE requirement that the practice expedition must take place in a different area from the qualifying expedition.
If you require just 1 section of the Expedition to be delivered, for example, the Training and Practice Expedition, we can do so. Please contact us to discuss.
Participants wanting to take part in a Qualifying Expedition must complete a Practice Expedition in the appropriate environment and at the correct level. This may have been with a different provider. The expedition must be signed off on their eDofE record or log book and they must provide us with evidence.