Level 3 Outdoor First Aid is not awarded by Paddle UK. Leaders and coaches still need it on their membership record before moderate or advanced deployment. This is two days of scenario training for when the ambulance is not at the car park.
Think hypothermia on a river bank, a fracture on a coastal path, or an unconscious paddler in a BA while the group still needs leading. Approved providers such as ITC First Aid and Outdoor First Aid run face-to-face courses Paddle UK accepts. Workplace first aid at the office does not replace it.
Kneeling on wet grass beats a clean classroom floor for remembering CPR depth. That is the point of outdoor first aid. You rehearse messy scenes until your hands know what to do.
Level 3 Outdoor First Aid is assessed continuously through practical scenarios over the two-day course by your approved provider.
Quick answers about this qualification. For anything else, use live chat or browse bookable activities below.
Find activitiesIt is a two-day outdoor first aid qualification from approved providers, not Paddle UK itself. Paddle UK accepts it for moderate and advanced leader and coach deployment when recorded on your membership.
Training focuses on remote incidents where professional help may be delayed, which matches river and coastal paddling.
Yes for moderate and advanced leader and coach pathways. White Water Leader and Sea Kayak Leader require two-day outdoor first aid on your record alongside safety and safeguarding training.
Check Paddle UK standards for your exact award. Requirements update occasionally on the awarding body website.
Sixteen hours over two days is the usual format. Some providers split across two weekends; others run a block weekend with long days.
Attendance on both days is required for certification. Arrive on time; scenario chains depend on the full group.
Assessment is practical through scenarios and skills checks. Providers may use short knowledge quizzes, but the emphasis is on what you do with a casualty outdoors.
CPR compression depth and rhythm are practised repeatedly until your instructor is satisfied.
Usually not for Paddle UK moderate or advanced deployment. Office-oriented emergency first aid misses outdoor scenarios, hypothermia and prolonged care Paddle UK expects.
Leave a comment when you book if you hold existing certificates. Providers confirm what Paddle UK will accept.
Paddle UK expects valid certificated first aid refreshed every three years on your membership record for leader and coach roles.
Book a refresher before expiry if you are mid-season on deployments. Lapsed first aid blocks registration even when paddling skills are current.
Outdoor clothing you can kneel in, waterproofs, lunch and water. Providers supply manikins and training kit.
Scenario days go outside in British weather. Warm layers matter even in summer.
No. The course suits outdoor instructors, leaders, coaches and paddlers. Scenarios often include water-edge contexts but you do not need to paddle to attend.
Leaders book this alongside rescue training so paperwork and practical skills align before assessment.
ITC First Aid, Outdoor First Aid and other certificated outdoor courses meeting Paddle UK policy are commonly accepted. Your provider should state Paddle UK compatibility on booking.
Leave a comment when you book if you need the certificate uploaded to Paddle UK membership promptly after the course.
Trainers coach you through weak areas within the course where possible. Outdoor first aid is about competent repetition, not one dramatic test moment.
If concerns remain, providers arrange further practice before issuing certification.
adventuro lists outdoor first aid courses suitable for paddlesport leaders across the UK. Compare provider, venue, Paddle UK acceptance and weekend versus block dates.
Book early in the year if you need first aid in place before spring leader assessments.
From £ 168
Mid & South-West Wales, United Kingdom
From £ 375
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
From £ 135
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, United Kingdom