It was a full course and ran over 7 (ish) hours, unpacking some of the legislation, theory and expectations of an F.S.R.T. provider for British Canoeing and Welsh Canoe Association. Then onto the water to explore and unpack consistent styles of teaching water safety and rescue skills within the sheltered water environment.
The F.S.R.T. course is a training course covering foundation safety and rescue skills and techniques required for different paddle sport craft you may find in the sheltered water environment e.g.. canals, small lakes and very sheltered parts of beach* (there are very strict criteria for a beach area by the sea to qualify as 'sheltered').
The course aims to promote safer water use for both the individual on the course and for any poor individual they may come across who may need rescuing.
One thing I found on the course is that after a season of encouraging Instructors assisting me on sessions to take care of any rescues, to give them the opportunity to practice, I have got out of practice. I can still perform any flat water rescue with competence but I did need to think about it.
Which made me realise that whilst I am in charge and have a responsibility to encourage and develop the instructional teams I get put in charge of, a duty that any leader should take seriously, I still need to set my own examples and demonstrate more often what it is I expect of my Instructors. The best way for people to learn is with a sound example.
One of the main action points from the course (things I have to do before going for assessment) was to go out and practice flat water rescues so that they are slick and automatic. I've done hundreds of flat water rescues in different boats, when we forget to practice the basics it ultimately affects the more advanced stuff we do, the basics are our foundations, as is the Foundation Safety and Rescue Skills I aim to teach. I will be deliberately demonstrating these rescues on a more regular basis!
