Courses
Please use the filter to find the perfect course for you!
1 Day Adult Introduction Course
Join us for a day to learn the basic skills of your chosen craft, be that a Paddleboard (SUP), Kayak or Canoe.
We'll go through all of the relevant skills & safety information to give you the knowledge to confidently control your boat/board and help you on your journey to becoming an independent paddler.
Over the course of the day, you'll learn about the key areas of your boat/board as well as safety considerations to think about, and how to move your craft around confidently and effectively.
The aim of these days are to help you achieve your aims, answer any questions you have or just have a great day out on the water learning something new!
Important info
Course Options/Details
1 Day Kids Development Course
Join us for a day to learn the basic skills for Kayaking or Paddleboarding.
We'll go through all of the relevant skills & safety information to give you the knowledge to confidently control your boat and help you on your journey to becoming an independent paddler.
Over the course of the day your learn about the key areas of your boat as well as safety considerations to think about, and how to move your craft around confidently and effectively.
The aim of these days are to help you achieve your aims, answer any questions you have or just have a great day out on the water learning something new!
Important info
Course Options/Details
1 Day Introduction to White Water
Are you looking to move on to some white water?!
Join us for a fun day taking on white water on the local River Tay, where we'll suit the day to your ability and make sure you come out smiling and ready for more!
Over the course of the day we will look at river safety skills, reading the river to support our decision making and looking at those crucial skills that allow us to be successful when paddling in this environment.
This course is aimed at introducing people to white water and/or developing skills for those already paddling in this environment on the odd occasion.
To join this course you should be comfortable and confident paddling your craft in a flat water environment and be able to self rescue. If you're not sure if this course is for you then get in touch to have a chat!
Important info
Course Options/Details
Development courses 16+
We'll go through all of the relevant skills & safety information to give you the knowledge to confidently control your craft and help you on your journey to becoming an independent paddler.
You'll learn about the key areas of your boat as well as safety considerations to think about, and how to move your craft around confidently and effectively.
The aim of these courses are to help you achieve your aims, answer any questions you have or just have a great day out on the water learning something new!
Important info
Paddlesports Safety and Rescue Course: British Canoeing
The British Canoeing Awarding Body:
This Course is also a pre-requisite for the Paddlesport Instructor Course.
Throughout the course, candidates will explore simple strategies and safe skills that can provide the tools to solve common paddling issues. The course is suitable for all ages and great for individuals, aspirant Paddlesports instructors and groups wanting to expand their safety practices when on the water. The course content focuses on rescuing from the paddlers specific craft and covers equipment, safety frameworks, as well as a range of rescues including contact and towing rescues, self-rescues and deep-water rescues.
Important info
£100per person
Paddlesport Instructor: British Canoeing
The British Canoeing Paddlesport Instructor Course is aimed at those running taster/starter sessions and short journeys in very sheltered water environments, within the safety management systems of clubs/centres or other organisations.
Important info
£215per person
Stand Up Paddleboard Instructor: British Canoeing
The Stand Up Paddleboard Instructor qualification is designed for instructors running SUP taster/starter sessions within the safety management systems of clubs, centres or other organisations in:
- Very Sheltered Water environments
- Stand Up Paddleboards deemed suitable for a first-time experience
The process of completing the qualification aims to help prepare candidates for their first SUP instructing role; ‘primed and ready’.
Course Length
2 days’ combined training and assessment
eLearning
Optional free BCAB Instructor eLearning will be available
Registration
You will need to register with your Delivery Centre ahead of your course. Registration will be available from December 2022. Visit your Delivery Centre website for further information (links below).
Important info
£200per person
Paddlesport Leader: British Canoeing
The Paddlesport Leader Award is a leadership qualification and is specifically aimed at people leading or looking to lead others in a sheltered water environment, such as canals, ungraded sections of rivers, estuaries, small lakes and lochs. The Paddlesport Leader Award is designed to support leaders to run safe, quality, enjoyable trips based on their group’s needs and aspirations.
Important info
Course Options/Details
SUP Safer: British Canoeing (Paddleboard Safety Course)
The SUP Safer course is designed for anyone new or a relative novice to stand up paddleboarding, wanting to gain knowledge and raise their awareness of their personal safety in a sheltered water environment.
The 4-hour programme is delivered within the sheltered water environment, where you will explore and learn to appreciate the potential hazards you might encounter and be prepared to avoid or deal with them.
The aim of the course is to set you up in a way that allows you to be more independent with more knowledge to make effective decisions and when, where and if to paddle!
Important info
£45per person
Stand Up Paddleboard Coastal Leader: British Canoeing
The Stand Up Paddleboard Coastal Leader is aimed at stand up paddleboarders who wish to lead groups on journeys on moderate sea environments.
This award will see you take out paddlers in the Moderate Coastal environment looking at how you lead a group, what personal skills are required and relevant rescues. The environment includes Force 4 winds, moderate swell, launching and landing through Surf (up to 1 metre) and Nighttime navigation (in benign conditions)
Stand Up Paddleboarding Inland Open Water Leader: British Canoeing
Are you looking to lead individuals or groups in an open water or river environment on Stand Up Paddleboard? Then this might be the right award for you!
Aimed at those looking to lead in open water (Up to 500 metres from shore & Force 4 winds) and Grade 1 rivers this awards put in place the appropriate skills and knowledge base to support you to lead in these environments.
2 Day British Canoeing Training, Bespoke training and assessments are all available for this award
Core Coach Training: British Canoeing
The Core Coach Training is open to all paddlers regardless of your discipline or previous coaching experience.
During this course, you will explore different approaches to understanding and enabling learning. You will also be supported in evolving your personal coaching development plan to enable you to take your learning into practice after the course.
The training is available as a two day practical course, where we will look at a range of subjects to support our journeys as coaches. The course has a mix of classroom and water based time and you should expect to spend plenty of time on the water putting theory into practice.
For qualified coaches, this can form part of your continuous professional development and has a value of 20 CPD points.
Important info
£225per person
Sheltered Water Coach (Canoe & Kayak): British Canoeing
- Do you want to coach canoeing and kayaking?
- Want to support your club?
- Looking to start your career in coaching paddlesport?
If the answer is yes to any of those questions, the Canoe and Kayak (Sheltered Water) Coach Award could be for you!
WHY BECOME A CANOE AND KAYAK COACH?
First of all, you will be joining a community of like minded individuals, keen to learn, develop and have fun whilst sharing their love of paddlesport. The Coach Award supports your development through formal and informal opportunities, part of your journey will involve an assessment, but this is just the start as we believe in life long opportunities for learning.
You can use the Coach Award to support you if you're a:
- Self employed coach
- Volunteer or work at a club
- Work at a centre or for an organisation
It is an appropriate level of training for those looking to develop individuals paddlesport knowledge and skills in a sheltered water environment.
WHAT CAN A CANOE AND KAYAK COACH DO?
Designed, to support you to coach paddlers who want to gain/improve their paddlesport skills.
You will coach in canoe and/or kayak in the sheltered water environment. This will include coaching beginners new to the sport, or paddlers looking to develop their skills.
As a Coach you can work independently or you could be deployed by a club, centre or organisation. Being a Canoe and Kayak Coach allows you to design coaching to support your learners. You will be able to provide British Canoeing Awards and Training such as:
Sheltered Water Stand Up Paddleboard Coach: British Canoeing
- Do you want to coach stand up paddleboarding?
- Want to support your club?
- To start a career in coaching paddlesport?
If the answer is yes to any of those questions, the Stand Up Paddleboard (Sheltered Water) Coach Award could be for you!
WHY BECOME A STAND UP PADDLEBOARD COACH?
First of all, you will be joining a community of like minded individuals, keen to learn, develop and have fun whilst sharing their love of Paddleboarding! The Coach Award takes what you know and supports you through formal and informal development opportunities, part of your journey will involve an assessment, but the assessment isn’t the end as we believe in life long opportunities for learning.
The Stand Up Paddleboard Coach Award is used by the self employed, clubs, centres and organisations as an appropriate level of training for coaches who develop individuals Paddleboarding knowledge and skills in a sheltered water environment.
Willowgate also offer Open Water & White Water Coach Training.
WHAT CAN A SUP COACH DO?
The Coach Award is designed for you, to support you coaching paddlers who want to gain/improve their Paddleboarding skills.
You will coach SUP in the sheltered water environment. This will include coaching beginners new to the sport, or paddlers looking to develop their skills.
As a Coach you can work independently or you could be deployed by a club, centre or organisation. Being a SUP Coach allows you to design coaching to support the learners needs and aims.
Open Water Stand Up Paddleboard Coach: British Canoeing
- Do you want to coach stand up Paddleboarding?
- Want to support your club?
- To start a career in coaching Paddleboarding?
If the answer is yes to any of those questions the Stand Up Paddleboard Open Water Coach Award could be for you!
WHY BECOME A STAND UP PADDLEBOARD OPEN WATER COACH?
First of all, you will be joining a community of like minded individuals, keen to learn, develop and have fun whilst sharing their love of paddleboaring. The Coach Award takes what you know and supports you through formal and informal development opportunities, part of your journey will involve an assessment, but the assessment isn’t the end as we believe in life long opportunities for learning.
Where can I operate as a Open Water Stand Up Paddleboard Coach:
- 500 Metres from Shore
- Winds upto Force 4
Coastal Navigation & Tidal Planning: British Canoeing
The British Canoeing Awarding Body Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning Training is designed for those paddlers carrying out coastal journeys. This includes islands up to 2 nautical miles offshore in areas of tidal movement up to 2 knots and is a prerequisite for those seeking their British Canoeing Sea Kayak Leader Award or Coastal Stand Up Paddleboard Leader Award.
However, anyone wishing to undertake a paddlesport journey on the sea would find the technical and theoretical aspects not only useful, but essential for safe travel in the marine environment!
Important info
£85per person
Private Coaching
Looking to achieve a specific outcome or further your skills specific to your needs? We offer 1:1 or small group private coaching, specific to your needs. This can include paddleboarding (sheltered water, touring, white water & coastal), kayaking (sheltered water, touring, white water or sea) & canoeing (touring or white water)
Sessions can be anything from 1 hour to multiple days to suit your needs.
You can either bring your own equipment or we can supply it as part of the cost of the sessions.
Sessions range from £50 an hour to £200 for a full day with a private coach!
Important info
Course Options/Details
Kayak Roll Clinic - 1 hour
This is perfect for those kayakers who are looking to learn to roll or get rid of some of those pesky bad habits! These sessions are generally based at our larger lagoon near the Willowgate café as this is shallower and allows us to help you more!
Over the winter period we usually offer some pool sessions, so please do get in touch if this also interests you.
Important info
£50per person
2 Day Learn To Paddle
Have you always wanted to get into paddlesports?
If you want to try stand up paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing then this could be the perfect course for you!
Try out a variety of crafts or just stick with one, whichever suits you best!
Over the 2 day course we will look to develop your skills in a single or multiple crafts. Day 1 will be spent at Willowgate focusing on fundamental skills to allow you to paddle effectively and efficiently as well as being safe on the water. Day 2 will see us meet offsite for a day of exploration and putting the skills into practice.
Important info
Stand-Up Paddleboard Coach Awards: British Canoeing
Do you love being on a board, and want to share your love with others? Why not work towards becoming a SUP coach!
We have a variety of British Canoeing courses available for those wanting to coach paddleboarding. The British Canoeing Awards are designed to ensure that their coaches are as prepared as possible to deliver a high end product ensuring safety, personal performance and paddling technique, alongside all the coaching theory and soft skills needed to be an excellent paddleboard coach.
Regardless of what environment you're interested in coaching in, Willowgate can run the coaching course to suit you. For all British Canoeing stand-up paddleboard courses, participants must attend a two day training course followed by a 1 day assessment. Each course has its own pre-requisites which are listed below each course.
We look forward to helping you on your coaching journey, in our eyes, the more people paddleboarding the better!
Important info
Stand-Up Paddleboard Leadership Awards: British Canoeing
Being a SUP leader allows us to take people places they might not have gone without us!
Introducing people to new environments and instilling a love of paddleboarding is what being a Stand-Up Paddleboard leader is all about. Whether you're looking to take out friends, young people or groups these British Canoeing leadership awards are a great way to ensure you have all the safety experience needed as well as those crucial leadership skills to make sure you're delivering the best experience possible to the people you'd like to lead.
For all British Canoeing leadership awards you can choose to go straight for an assessment if you're experience and confident in leading groups. However, many people choose to partake in a training course first to make sure they have the best toolkit possible to pass the assessment with ease and ensure they become the best SUP leaders possible.
Whether you're looking to lead in coastal environments, on slow moving rivers or in open water, Willowgate can offer all of the British Canoeing SUP leadership awards available. We're committed to ensuring this ever increasing sport is as fun, enjoyable and safe as possible, so in our eyes, the more SUP leaders out there, the better!
Important info
Kayak & Canoe Coach Awards: British Canoeing
Would you like to coach kayaking? Or maybe coach canoeing? Or both? Join a British Canoeing course to become a qualified kayak and canoe coach.
Here at Willowgate we can offer a range of kayak/canoe coaching qualifications; whether you're looking to take people on white water, or in a sheltered environment we can help you along your journey.
The British Canoeing Awards are designed to ensure that their coaches are as prepared as possible to deliver a high end product ensuring safety, personal performance and paddling technique alongside all the coaching theory and soft skills needed to be an excellent paddleboard coach. For all British Canoeing coaching awards participants must attend a two day training course followed by a half day assessment. Each course has it's own pre-requistes which are listed below of each course.
We look forward to helping you on your coaching journey, as lets be honest, the more people out on the water, the better!
Important info
Navigation Training Course
Navigate your way to your next adventure!
Learn to Navigate on tracks using compass, and map. Beginners course suitable for those looking to improve also.
The 1 day course is ideal if you want to explore more of Scotland or anywhere in the world and would like to learn in-depth about how to read maps, and compasses.
Starting at Willowgate Adventure Centre and exploring the surrounding areas.
£45pp
This course is limited to 7 people, to secure a place book now.
Important info
£45per person
REC Outdoor First Aid Course: 16 Hour Outdoor
This course is ideal to those who are looking to get their first 1st Aid qualification, or those who need to renew theirs.
It will run at Willowgate Adventure Centre each day from 9:00 - 18:00.
The course will be tailored to those who work in an outdoor environment, therefore please bring clothing to be outside most of the day.
A two day course (16 hours). The outdoor first aid course is designed to introduce a systematic way of first aid for managing casualties
Important info
£120per person
5 Day Paddlesport Instructor Training -
If you're looking to work towards becoming a Paddlesport Instructor, then this is the course for you!
From rescues, to perfecting skills to long trips and white water fun. This 5 day course will give hone your skills to get you ready for your Paddlesport Instructor course. You'll also gain the following British Canoeing qualifications along the way: Paddle Explore, SUP PPA, Paddlesport Safety & Rescue (PSRC).
Tides & The Tay: Planning & Navigation Course
This 1.5 hour course covers many of the basics you'll need to know for paddling around the River Tay as well as an introduction to tidal knowledge.
Topics covered include:
- Tides & how they work
- What affects us while we paddle
- River Tay characteristics
- Recommended trips in our local area
- What safety equipment to take
- How to plan paddling trips well
- A chance to practice planning a trip
Important info
£25per person

Buy Gift Vouchers
Buy a gift voucher for someone you love, or to celebrate a special occasion
Our Willowgate vouchers can be purchased for any amount starting at £5 and can be used towards any activity with us.
Perfect for Birthday and Christmas presents as well as a prize or congratulations gift. They can be personalised with a message and sent to whomever you like.