Duty

• Arrive on time! 10am on a Sunday and 6pm on a Tuesday.
• Pick up keys from Reception.
• Put the “Sign on/off water” form and the “First Timer” forms on to the desk. These should be on clipboards in the duty folder. Please use a new “Sign on/off water” for every session (from the divider part of the duty folder).
• Remind everyone to sign on/off water.
• You can paddle for the last hour of the session (12-1 on Sunday, 7-8 on Tuesday). Leave the blue “Duty Officer on the Water” sign on the table (this is in the ring binder bit of the duty folder).
• At the end of the session, check everyone has signed off the water, pack up the duty folder and put it back in the cupboard, lock the cupboard and return the key to reception.

Membership Forms and Payments

• The membership form is online – people should use that. There are membership forms in the duty folder that people can complete if online is difficult for them.
• Discourage membership payments by cheque or cash! People should email membership@castlecanoeclub.co.uk for queries aboit this. If people want to pay by cheque, please accept them, but ensure that you pass to the Treasurer (Regina) or a committee member. Cash is discouraged, but talk to a committee member if it’s their only option.

Borrowing equipment

• Most of the stuff in the cupboard is available for members to borrow. Please ask them to fill in the Equipment Borrowing Log, which is in the ring binder part of the Duty Folder.

Those new to the club

• Those new to the club (regardless of paddling ability) can only paddle once they’ve attended one of our Sunday fortnightly induction sessions. If they turn up outside an induction session you’ll need to turn them away. Induction sessions cost £10, which includes a further two free sessions. More information is on the website.
• Briefing notes & crib sheet for club members running the Induction Session see link:- CCC Induction Briefing plus notes

Guests

• Members can bring guests for a fee of £5 each, but this is limited to 3 times a year. Members must sign them in at the front desk and be aware that they are personally responsible for their guests and West Reservoir will not accept any responsibility for them.

Induction sessions

• Arrive on time! Induction will start promptly at 10:30 and should last approximately 2 hours.
• First timers do not need to book the sessions they can just turn up, however it is on a first come first served basis.
• There are 2 people on every rota for the induction sessions and we suggest there to be no more than 3 new people per inductor. If there are more people than this you will need to turn them away.
• The aim of having 2 people on the rota per session is that 1 member will already have completed an induction training session and this will act as a training session for the other member who has not yet completed an induction. However if both inductors are trained and there are not many new people then it may be possible for one of the inductors to paddle for the session.

Useful prompts

• Ensure inductees have paid £10 at the front desk (with Mohammad).
• Please ask them to complete the “first timers form” for health and safety reasons and instruct them on these (algae etc and personal risks of watersports)
• Make sure they are wearing appropriate kit including shoes.
• Show inductees equipment: paddles, buoyancy aid and suitable boats/crafts.
• Instruction on safely transporting and handling equipment
• Safe launching, including getting in/out of the kayak/canoe.
• Advise suitable areas to paddle.
• Advise on dangers of: capsizing (stay with boat and await rescue); being hit by other equipment; being attacked by wildlife; collisions; sports injuries; weather.
• Top tips given for basic paddling forward and turning: holding paddles correctly, good catch, posture, trunk rotation, looking to future water.
• Alternatively observe experienced paddlers: getting in/out, does their comfort match their reported experience.
• Optional: paddle around the reservoir with inductees or offer capsize/spraydeck drill if comfortable.