Trip Grading:
A closer look at 'skill' & 'endurance'
April-May 1996
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
Courtesy of Sea Kayak Association of BC
Trip grading is used by many paddling clubs to ensure appropriate matching between paddling challenges and the skills of participants. Of course, there are many different types of paddling conditions that may be encountered in any given trip. Making oneself aware of the possible types of conditions is an important step in having a successful and fun trip.
If you are a new paddler, consider joining your local kayak club. You will undoubtedly meet some great people and learn more about kayaking. This will also result in fewer "scary incidents".
In BC, the largest club is the Sea Kayak Association of British Columbia (SKABC). One of their primary aims is the training and safety education of its members. Their well-established practices are a good guide to club trips.
SKABC suggests that a leader should talk to the particpants before the trip, asking about their experience, how long and where they have paddled, any medical problems/injuries, and recent paddling--omeone who hasn't paddled since last year may not be up to a long trip. A pre-trip meeting is recommended. For extended exposed trips, leaders should ensure they have paddled with the participants on weekend trips previously--his helps immensely with inter-personal problems. Know the group--ho will try to charge ahead, the wanderers, etc.
In general, kayak trips have two characteristics: technical difficulty ("Skill") and strenuousness ("Endurance"). Difficulty describes the degree of technical skill that is required to achieve a safe journey between specific points. Strenuousness describes the strength and endurance that is required to comfortably complete the journey. SKABC uses a two-part scheme: A to D for skill level and 1 to 4 for the length/endurance of trip.
Degree of Strenuousness ("Endurance")
A) Not strenuous -- daily paddling limited to less than three hours and/or distances of six nautical miles. Ample sheltered spots for resting and easy landings.
B) Moderately strenuous -- daily paddling typically between three and five hours and/or distances of six to ten nautical miles. Some sheltered spots for resting and landing.
C) Strenuous -- daily paddling time typical between five and six hours and/or distances of 10 to 15 nautical miles. Infrequent shelter or landing spots.
D) Very strenuous -- daily paddling typically exceeding six hours and/or distances of 15 nautical miles. May be little or no shelter and very few landing points.
Degree of Difficulty ("Skill")
1) Easy -- requires minimal paddling skills. Expect protected waters, limited wind effects, little or no current, and easy landings.
2) Moderate -- requires basic paddling skills including the ability to brace. Expect protected waters with minimal exposure, moderate wind effects, weak to moderate currents, and easy to moderate landings.
3) Difficult -- requires good paddling and seamanship skills. Expect some exposed water and short crossings, moderate to strong currents, ocean swells, moderate to strong wind effects, surf, difficult landings.
4) Very Difficult -- requires advanced paddling and seamanship skills. Be prepared for long open crossings, rugged and exposed coast, large swells, surf, strong currents, turbulent water, difficult landings, and strong wind effects.
The selection of the appropriate grade is indicated by the occurrence of one or more of the criteria: not all of the criteria have to be met.
Limitations
It should be noted that a trip classification scheme describes the characteristics of a trip without regard to unexpected changes in ocean conditions, or the remoteness of an area. Standards of preparation, skill and behaviour, not to mention the quality of equipment, become more critical as the demands of a trip become greater. Bad weather on a class B1 trip in local waters, for example, is more likely to be inconvenient than dangerous; bad weather on a remote trip or on the exposed coast may test the standards much more severely.
Also, any grading system designed for an activity where conditions are variable and contain some unpredictability elements (weather, currents, wave conditions) is inevitably inexact. Note that a trip that receives a "B2" grading when scheduled for July may be reclassified as a "B3" when slated in February, because of the likelihood of adverse conditions. A word of caution is perhaps necessary to paddlers who wish to progress on to more ambitious trips. There is a big gap between the limited skills and stamina required to successfully complete a "B2" trip in ideal conditions and those required for a "C3" trip in adverse weather. Similarly, a participant should ensure that rescue techniques learned and practised are keeping pace with the escalation in trip ambitions: a slick self-rescue technique in a warm water pool may not work in cold rough conditions on the ocean.
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