BCU 5 Star Sea Leader Training
I finally got a chance to paddle at GGSKS this year, but it wasn't until Monday morning during the 3-day 5 star training with Steve Maynard & John Carmody. We had quite the group with Jen Kleck & Roger Schumann joining the coaching team. Santiago, Victor, Andrea, Kim, David, Lee, Richard & myself had a full 3 days of BCU that was fun, mellow and complete with broaching whales underneath the Golden Gate. We saw mysterious 6-ft breakers rolling into the bay and we had strong representation from the Mexican Canoe Union (MCU). It was just fun.
Sometimes I think there's a misconception that 5* means going out in the big stuff and limping home with broken boats & tall tales. It's a leadership award that says you're safe and competent to lead a group of skilled paddlers in open water conditions. It's not about hard-charging, it's about bringing your awareness to another level and refining skills. The award is highly attainable for most paddlers I know yet very few of them work towards it. For me, it's always been a personal goal and a milestone. Paddling is my biggest connection to the outdoors and the better I get at it, the further it will take me. If you have any interest in the British Canoe Union, read more about the awards
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Santiago & John formulating a plan