Guidance: Canoe Sessions in Pools

GUIDANCE

What is a canoe session? 

Canoeing is the sport or activity of paddling with a single-bladed paddle in a light, narrow boat. Canoeing is an Olympic Sport which debuted at the 1936 games. Throughout this article, we use the term 'canoe' to refer to kayaks, kiwis and similar devices.

Canoe sessions take place in swimming pools, inland and coastal water. Variations in the sport of canoeing include canoe polo and canoe slalom. 

Key sources of guidance

Standards and guidance are published by professional bodies, including: 

• ISO 25649-7:2017 is a designated international standard providing guidance on the safe design of canoes. 
• British Canoeing publishes Paddlesafer, their primary document for delivering safe canoe sessions. They also publish regular safety alerts and guidance statements for event safety, some of which apply to canoeing in swimming pools. British Canoeing can also be contacted directly for support and training for new canoe instructors.  
• Canoe Slalom UK provides guidance on the safe provision of canoe slalom training and competitions. 
• HSG179:2018 provides guidance specifically for canoe sessions in paragraph 105. 
• EN 1385:2012 is a designated standard that provides guidance on the helmets for use when canoeing. 
• BS 7852:1997 is a code of practice for the design of canoes and kayaks. 

What are the hazards of canoe sessions?

The following hazards are commonly identified in canoe sessions: 

• Submersion in water.
• Slipping due to water or contamination on a pedestrian walkway.
• Tripping over objects on a pedestrian walkway.
• Collision with the pool surround, other pool users, or a foreign object (e.g. a ball).
• Entrapment in a canoe.
• Contact with sharp edges (e.g. paddles).
• Health events triggered by exercise.
• Ingestion or absorption of waterborne pathogens (e.g. cryptosporidium).

How to conduct canoe sessions safely? 

Practical steps can be taken to deliver safe canoe sessions in swimming pools, including: 

• Screening, requirements, and supervision of third parties to ensure they do not bring unsuitable equipment into the pool. 
• Use of competent instructors to deliver or supervise the delivery of sessions by trainee instructors. 
• Adequately clean canoes and associated equipment before their use in the pool. 
• Provide constant poolside supervision from the pool surround using a competent instructor and/or lifeguard. 
• Quarantine unsuitable, damaged or unsafe equipment to prevent its use and arrange for repair by a competent person or its disposal. 
• Use a health commitment statement and/or proportionate screening of health conditions and recommendations from a medical professional to ensure participants are safe for participation in the activity. 
• Provide competent first aiders to respond to incidents and provide pre-hospital care should they occur. 
• Do not undertake sessions where wind speed or wave height exceeds the levels permitted by British Canoeing. 
• Do not undertake sessions during lightning storms. 
• Advise participants and instructors to wear sunscreen during warm weather. 
• Advise participants and instructors to wear polarizing sunglasses or goggles when in the water during warm weather. 
• Require participants to wear head protection that complies with EN 1385 requirements. 

Citation. Jacklin, D. 2022. Guidance on canoe sessions. Water Incident Research Hub, 29 July.