Multisport Grade II Assessment
Price: $210.00 ( inc. GST )
| Price | $210.00 |
| Payment | Own gear, Hire gear |
| Item # | AZG2-A |
If you want to compete in most multisport races, including the Coast to Coast, you will need a Grade II Kayaking Certificate. It assures the event organisers that you are sufficiently competent to kayak the water the event is being run on, and that if you do get into difficulties that you are able to self rescue without putting other competitors, or yourself, at risk.
Your assessment will be carried out by an NZOIA qualified kayak instructor.
To sucessfully pass your Grade 2 assessment you will need to demonstrate your knowledge in the following theory areas and kayaking skills:
River Kayaking Theory:
- Fitting out a kayak
- Barrel Rolls and H-Assists
- River dynamics - How does water flow around obstacles and how do we use this knowledge to our advantage and safety. River features to describe include bluffs, holes, waves, keepers, eddies, vees, whirlpools, sweepers, and strainers.
- River lines - Choosing where to go
- Safety equipment - Knowledge of what equipment is needed and how to use it.
- Safe swimming techniques and explanation of foot entrapment and strainer danger and how to best avoid these situations.
- River signals
- Hypothermia symptoms and solutions
- Throwing a throwbag / Receiving a throwbag
- Stern carrying, deep water rescues, H-assists
River Kayaking Skills:
- Display controlled eddy turns on both sides and both entering and exiting an eddy
- Display controlled ferry glides on both sides of the kayak
- Demonstrate kayak exit and entry techniques
- Self rescue: Swim in a safe manner with all of your gear into an eddy and onto shore. Swims have to be started in a rapid at least 10 metres from shore and completed with an emptied kayak back on your way downriver.
- Show that you can choose safe lines for yourself and your group. This needs to be both described verbally and displayed physicaly on the river.
- Demonstrate your knowledge of, and ability to use, the following strokes/braces: Forward, Backward, Sweep, High Brace, and Low Brace
- Tie your kayak onto racks for transport in a safe and secure method.
- Optional: Eskimo roll
Dependent on flow, we run these assessments on the Rakaia, following the same route as our guided Rakaia trip.
If you do not pass your assessment, you may book another assessment with at least one week between each assessment as time to practice and study. Each resit of the assessment is the same price as the first, so it is in your best interest to practice and be as sure of your skills as possible prior to sitting your assessment.
Once you have successfully passed your Grade II Assessment you will be issued with a simple certificate stating our happiness with your grade 2 skills, your assessor's name and the brand and model of kayak that you passed in, as well as the weather and river levels. You will then be able to present this to any event organisers that require proof of your kayaking skills.
We require at least two people to run a trip. If there isn't a date on the front page that suits you, please book whatever date does suit and we'll do our best to find a second person. As the route is the same as the second full day of a Grade 2 Prep Course, we can often combine your assessment with a course to make the necessary numbers. If you need to have your assessment on a particular day and we are unable to find a second person, you are welcome to pay for a second person and have a one on one session.
