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​Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP risk assessments

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​Supervised events
Kayaking and Canoing events at St Denys Boat Club are mostly supervised events and follow the Paddle UK standards for deployment for clubs 
A supervised event is led by a suitably qualified and authorised person who takes responsibility for safety, decision-making and risk management. The supervisor operates under Paddle UK deployment standards, with appropriate training, safeguarding in place, and is accountable for ensuring the activity is safe and properly managed.

Pool Sessions (Kayak)
  1. ​Pool session Risk Assessment
  2. Oaklands Pool Kayak session SOP 2025

River Itchen (Kayak and Canoe)​
  1. Kayaking Risk Assessment River Itchen
  2. Kayaking Risk Assessment St Denys to Kemps
  3. Kayaking Risk Assessment Mansbridge Duck Race
  4. Night Kayaking to Woodmill

Southampton Water and Solent (Kayak)
  1. Kayaking Risk Assessment River Hamble
  2. Kayaking Risk Assessment Ealing to Hythe
  3. ​Kayaking Risk Assessment St Denys to Netley
  4. Kayaking Risk Assessment St Denys to Weston shore
  5. Kayaking Risk Assessment rescue practice at Calshot
  6. Kayaking Risk Assessment Calshot to Ashlet Creek
  7. Kayaking Risk Assessment Lepe to Calshot
  8. Kayaking Risk Assessment Families StDenys to Weston Shore
  9. Kayaking Risk Assessment, camping at Netley Sailing Club

Dorest, The Thames & Beyond (Kayak)
  1. Kayaking to Brownsea Island
  2. River Thames Central London Journey plan
  3. River Thames Central London Risk Assessment
  4. Studland to Old Harry Rocks Risk Assessment
  5. Canoing or Kayaking in Christchurch Harbour
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River Itchen and Beyond (Stand Up Paddle Board)
  1. Risk Assessment SUP Induction / Refresher – Itchen
  2. Risk Assessment SUP Coastal/Estuary Trip – Keyhaven to Hurst (salt marsh route)

​Self-led Events
There are exceptions to this Supervised approach, including our Friday social paddling, which is a self-led event, an unled activity. where participants are responsible for their own safety and decision-making. A self-led event involves participants kayaking together and looking out for each other without formal leadership or instruction. Each individual is responsible for their own safety and decisions, and no one is acting in a supervisory or coaching role. 

Kayak and Canoe
  1. ​Self-led Kayak Canoe Risk Assessment River Itchen
  2. ​Self-led Kayaking around Furzey and Long Island from the South Shore of Brownsea Island

Stand Up Paddle Board
  1. Risk Assessment SUP Social Paddle  – Itchen
  2. Risk Assessment SUP Away Day Trip  – Winchester / non-tidal river

Effective risk management relies on open communication, sound judgement, and mutual respect, with all parties actively contributing to a safe and enjoyable experience afloat. Supervisers and Leaders  should familiarise themselves with the Paddle UK Paddlesafer Guidelines 

Sailing risk assessments



Sailing events at St Denys Boat Club are Skippered events.

Each boat has a named skipper who is responsible for the safety of their boat and everyone on board. No instruction or coaching is provided as part of this event, and the club is not supervising activity on the water. Skippers make independent decisions based on conditions, their crew’s abilities, and their own judgment. There is no safety boat cover. Participants should only take part if they are comfortable with the conditions and the skipper’s plan, and anyone may choose not to go afloat or to return early.

Shared Responsibility for Risk Between Crew, Skippers and Clubs. Under RYA guidance, safety is a shared responsibility between the club, the skipper, and all crew members.
  • The Boat Club is responsible for providing a safe framework for activity, including appropriate policies, guidance, and access to training, while ensuring vessels and facilities are fit for purpose.
  • Skippers are responsible for assessing conditions on the day, understanding the capabilities of their crew, and making informed decisions about whether it is safe to proceed, modify, or cancel an activity
  • Crew members are responsible for acting safely, following instructions, communicating concerns, and ensuring they are suitably prepared for the conditions and activity.
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Effective risk management relies on open communication, sound judgement, and mutual respect, with all parties actively contributing to a safe and enjoyable experience afloat. Skippers should familiarise themselves with the RYA Guidelines for Managing Safety on the water

Skippered events follow the same Boat Club process as supervised events. Skippers must publish a passage plan,  risk assessment and crew manifest with emergency contact details using the Tockify calendar.

  1. Generic Sailing Risk Assessment

Dinghys:
  1. Itchen Dinghy Sailing Risk Assessment
  2. Dinghy Sailing Risk Assessment: Sailing between the bridges

Cruisers:
  1. Cruiser Sailing to Hythe Risk Assessment
  2. Sailing to Brownsea Island from Pool Harbour Yacht Club Risk Assessment
  3. Sailing St Denys to Cowes or Newport Risk Assessment
  4. Sailing St Denys to Bembridge Risk Assessment
  5. Sailing St Denys to Newton Creek Risk Assessment
  6. Sailing Families St Denys to Weston Shore Risk Assessment
  7. Sailing Cruiser Skills sharing day sail Southampton Water Risk Assessment
  8. Cruiser Sailing St Denys to Hamble overnight (Family-centric) Risk Assessment
  9. Cruiser Sailing from St Denys to Wotton Creek Risk Assessment
  10. Cruiser Sailing  St Denys to Marchwood Risk Assessment
  11. Cruiser sailing and camping at Netley Sailing Club 
  12. Cruiser Sailing Eling Sailing Club (River Test)
  13. Cruiser Sailing Portsmouth Harbour and Gosport
  14. Cruiser Sailing Lymington Harbour
  15. Cruiser Sailing Ashlett Creek

Rowing Events

Rowing events at St Denys Boat Club are  Self-led events. A Self-led event event involves participants rowing together, without formal leadership or instruction. Each individual is responsible for their own safety and decisions, and to look out for each other on the water.  No one is acting in a supervisory or coaching role. Rowers are encouraged to follow  RowSafe Safety guidelines. A cut-down version reflecting the limited activities available at St Denys Boat Club is available here.
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  1. Self_led_rowing_risk_assessment_river_itchen.pdf

Outboard Motor Risk assesments

Outboard Motor Use at St Denys Boat Club is conducted as a Self-led activity unless explicitly stated otherwise.
A Self-led activity involves individuals operating club-owned motorboats independently, without formal instruction, coaching, or supervision from the club. Each helm is responsible for the safe operation of their vessel, their passengers, and their own decisions while on the water. No individual is acting in a supervisory or instructional role on behalf of the club.
All participants are expected to operate within the limits of their competence and experience and are encouraged to follow RYA safety guidance and best practice for powerboat operation, including the use of appropriate safety equipment and adherence to local navigation rules.
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  1. Self-led Use Of Motor Powered Boats

 Induction / Refresher sessions operate differently from our self-led events. We describe these inductions and refresher sessions as   Informal Skillshare sessions.  They are led by an experienced power boat user who will hold at least RYA Level2 and ideally will be a lapsed RYA powerboat instructor (We are not an RTC).  We consider this approach to be imperfect but pragmatic. See risk assessment for more details

  1. Induction  / Refresher for Electric and small Petrol outboards
  2. Safety Training session covering Motor, Sail and Kayak

Dynamic Risk Assessments on the Water

Pre-assessing risk for events is valuable, but no two days on the water are ever the same. Conditions, traffic, visibility, temperature, tide and participant capability can change quickly, sometimes within minutes.
For this reason, it is essential that skippers, leaders and individual participants continually assess risk dynamically and adapt their plan to the real conditions on the day.

Dynamic risk assessment is good seamanship and good leadership.

​1. Dynamic risk assessment guide

​​Maintenance & Shore-based risk assessments



Risk Assessment Summary – Maintenance –Type Activities Boat Club maintenance activities are generally low risk but involve shared spaces and tools. Key risks include slips, trips and manual handling injuries; minor cuts or tool-related injuries; and health issues linked to fatigue, existing medical conditions, or isolation. These risks are managed through maintaining a tidy and accessible workspace, ensuring tools are suitable and used correctly, encouraging safe manual handling, and promoting a supportive, respectful environment. Participants are expected to take responsibility for their own well-being, work within their abilities, and raise concerns where needed. Basic first aid provision, clear emergency procedures, and good communication help ensure risks remain low and activities remain safe, inclusive, and enjoyable for all.
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  1. Thursday Crew Boat repair sessions Risk Assessment
  2. Maintenance Risk Assessment
  3. ​Toes in the Water Risk Assessment
  4. ​Knots and Nibbles Risk Assessment

​Please read the Manual Handling for Boats guide to familiarise yourself with the best way to lift and move boats. 
  1. ​Manuel handeling guide


First Aid and Safeguarding

 Safeguarding Requirements for Volunteers. Volunteers supporting Boat club activities must operate in line with Paddle UK / RYA  safeguarding policies and procedures. Volunteers who work with, supervise, or have responsibility for children or adults at risk must complete appropriate safeguarding training relevant to their role and renew this at the required intervals. Volunteers are expected to understand their safeguarding responsibilities, follow the club’s safeguarding policy, and report any concerns promptly through the agreed safeguarding process.
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First Aid Requirements for Volunteers: Volunteers supporting Boat Club activities must ensure that appropriate first aid provisions are available, considering the nature and location of the activity. Where volunteers are directly supporting activity on or near the water, at least one suitably qualified first aider must be available, holding a first aid qualification recognised by Paddle UK or the  RYA. All volunteers should be aware of emergency procedures, know how to summon assistance, and be familiar with the location of first aid equipment and emergency access points. First aid provision should be proportionate to the risk, environment, and group size, and reviewed regularly as part of the  Boat Club’s risk assessments.

Shore Contact Procedure

Every supervised or skippered boat club event must have a shore contact listed on the event calendar.  The Shore contact must be aware of the intended journey and follow the process in the shore contact procedure in the event of an incident.  For Self-led events, we ask that every participant tell a family member on the shore where they are going and when they will be back
St Denys Boat Club shore contact procedure.pdf

Canoe, Kayak, Row, Sail, Paddleboard, Cruise or Motor

However you want  to get on the water,  you are welcome at St Denys Boat Club.  ​