Royal Navy

Sharing their skills and knowledge, the Royal Navy will encourage our volunteers to teach skills for life.

As well as sponsoring our Time on Water staged activity badge, the Royal Navy also offer free powerboat instructor and paddlesport instructor courses for adult volunteers (see information below), along with an array of activities.

Time on Water Staged Activity Badge 

You can collect Time on Water staged badges when you take part in any of these activities:

• Kayaking
• Canoeing
• Sailing
• Windsurfing
• Power boating
• Kite boarding
• Surfing
• Yachting
• Motor cruising
• Narrow boating
• Pulling or rowing
• White water rafting
• Traditional rafting
• Paddle boarding.

For Beavers, each session should last about one hour, for Cubs, 1-2 hours, and for Scouts and Explorers each session should last about 2-3 hours.

And as you complete the following number of activities, you can gain a badge:

1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 35, 50

You must be properly dressed and equipped for your activity and the weather conditions. Your leader will also need to make sure you’re following the activity rules in chapter nine of the Policy and Organisation Rules and the Activity Permit Scheme.

Free paddlesport instructor courses for adult volunteers

The 2020 courses have been postponed until further notice due to the Coronavirus outbreak. We will endeavour to re-schedule the courses if possible and when government guidelines say its safe to do so. You can still register your interest on the form below, and someone will be in touch in due course.

Following the success of the powerboat instructor courses, the Royal Navy are now also offering Scout leaders to go on a free paddlesport instructor courses, run by Prime Paddling.

As well as gaining the Paddlesport Instructor (PSI) qualification, leaders will also gain a B1 Canoeing or Kayaking permit, which satisfies the Scout requirement in the Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR).

Course attendees must have the following qualifications to be accepted onto the course: 

• Hold a full British Canoeing Home Nation Association Membership (£35-£45 dependent on age)
• British Canoeing Home Nation Association Registration Of course Attendance (£45)
• British Canoeing Foundation Safety and Rescue Training (Cost varies usually £60) 
• Personal paddling and rescue competence, this is of the same competence of someone with the BC Paddle Explore Award
• Minimum age of 18

If you meet the pre-course requirements detailed above, have read both documents below, and are wish to attend the course, please complete this form to be added onto the wait list.

If you have any questions, please email stephanie.steer@scouts.org.uk

Free powerboating courses for adult volunteers 

The 2020 courses have been postponed until further notice due to the Coronavirus outbreak. We will endeavour to re-schedule the courses if possible and when government guidelines say its safe to do so. You can still register your interest on the form below, and someone will be in touch in due course.

Scouting depends on our Adult Volunteers, and the Royal Navy are dedicated to empowering our volunteers to pass on expertise to our youth members. For this reason, they have opened Powerboat Instructors Training Courses in Saltash, Cornwall, available to 6 leaders per course. These are on a first come, first served basis. 

Course attendees must have the following qualifications to be accepted onto the course: 

• Passed your Powerboat Level 2 Certificate for a minimum of five seasons' experience of power boating (for those who use Powerboats as part of their job this requirement is reduced to one season)
• Hold a RYA recognised First Aid certificate (see RYA website for confirmation) 
• Be a paid member of RYA
• Be over 18

If you meet the pre-course requirements detailed above and are wish to attend the course, please completed this form to be added to a wait list.

More activities:

About the Royal Navy

In times of peace and conflict, the Royal Navy is key to Britain’s prosperity and success. The Royal Navy help to stabilise the seas, keeping the maritime trade that’s the lifeblood of the UK economy flowing.