Safety & Competency Assessment

All paddle competitors are required to provide evidence of competency to participate in the Avon Descent

Competency can be established through at least ONE of the following criteria:

  • Recent Avon Descent experience – completion of both days of the Avon Descent within the previous five years.
  • An Australian Canoeing Award System course completion.
  • The competitor may be signed off by a current qualified and suitable instructor who has deemed the competitor competent in all required proficiencies of the Safety Skills Assessment
  • Completion of the Avon Descent Safety Skills Assessment – for participants who cannot provide other evidence of safety competency. The Avon Descent Safety Skills assessment can be attained through NADA recommended paddle trainers, and is valid for three years.

Some of the skills that may be assessed include:

  • Demonstrate defensive swimming techniques
  • Identify the potential hazards when swimming in moving water
  • Adopt the correct body position to minimise injury following craft capsize
  • Demonstrate aggressive swimming techniques
  • Demonstrate the ability to set a ferry angle in order to reach the bank or eddy
  • Demonstrate breaking in and out of eddies in order to get to shore
  • Identify and demonstrate techniques to actively free oneself from river hazards in simulations
  • Demonstrate the ability to wade across a current of mid-thigh depth, alone and using support, in order to self-rescue
  • Demonstrate craft re-entry
  • Identify a variety of different re-entry techniques
  • Elect a method of re-entry after consideration of physical ability, type of craft and situational variances.
  • NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list. Complete assessment and determination of competency is the responsibility of your chosen assessor.

Scrutineering

Paddle

Details coming soon

Details coming soon

Power

Pre-race Scrutineering is for all powercraft, Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) and helmets. Craft and equipment will be checked for compliance with the Specifications.

Pre Race Scrutineering is compulsory for all entries. Interstate/overseas and entrants living more than 200 kilometres from the Perth GPO, arrangements must be made with the PDRC Scrutineer. The Scrutineer is a ‘judge of fact’ and a protest may not be made against their decision.

Your craft and race gear must be fully laid out and ready before entering the scrutineering line.

As the Time Trial is being conducted on part of the Avon Descent course, and contains river obstacles, your craft must pass ALL aspects of scrutineering.

The scrutineering checklist is available to download Avon Descent Scrutineering Checklist. Please ensure your equipment conforms to these Specifications.

If your craft does not pass scrutineering you will not be permitted to do the Time Trial.

You will be seeded according to your finish placing in last year’s Avon Descent. Fastest will go first regardless of class from the finish times of the previous year.

Alternatively, Entrants may start their Time Trial any time after their allotted start time has passed.

The remaining craft will start their Time Trial as they are ready.

Grids will be single craft at ONE or TWO minute intervals depending on the water levels.

Entrants who need to take a second craft on a Time Trial for people who are not present on the day need to speak with Starter Officials to organise an early start position for themselves in order to be back at the start line in time for the extra run.

The Department of Transport has lifted the speed limit (5 knots) on the day of the Time Trial ONLY. Entrants are not permitted to practice the Time Trial course at any other time. Please obey this condition to ensure our good relations with DOT.

Craft that fail Pre-Race Scrutineering must re-scrutineered prior to the Avon Descent

Results of the Time Trial will not be available on the day.

They will be posted on the PDRC, WCDRC and Avon Descent website the following day.

This allows officials to ensure results are correct.