Details are given, below, of a classification system that the club uses to indicate the level of paddling difficulty that might be anticipated on a given trip, and, thus, the suitability of that trip for the individual paddlers.

Rivers

A recognised International Grading System exists to classify rivers in terms of the difficulty of their navigation. While this grading system is very useful, you should be aware of its limitations:-

	The grades are vague, to cover a wide variety of types of river and rapid and grading is very subjective
	It gives no information about the volume of water
	While, generally, the risk to life and limb rises with the grade, this is not always the case and danger is not specifically included in the grading
	A rivers grade will normally rise (and sometimes fall) with rising water levels
	Weirs are excluded from the grading - these, as a matter of course, should be inspected

Grade	Paddler Ability	Description of Water
O *Placid*	The Novice: a beginner under supervision	Small lakes, canals and sheltered still inland waters
1 *Easy*	The Beginner: 1-star intro to moving water	Gently moving water with occasional small rapids and few or no obstructions. E.g. River Avon
2 *Moderate*	The Improver : a 2-star paddler	Small rapids which are easy to navigate with an easily recognisable route with regular waves, small stoppers, drops and eddies. E.g. Dart: Holne Bridge to Buckfast
3 *Difficult*	The Intermediate or Proficient: a 3 or 4-star paddler with some white-water experience	Larger rapids with irregular waves, stoppers, drops and obstructions. While the route is still recognisable, more complex manoeuvres are required to negotiate rocks, stop in eddies and cross currents. E.g. Dart: Loop, Usk: Mill Falls
4 *Very Difficult*	The Proficient or Advanced: a 4 or 5-star paddler. Rolling ability is often needed	Large rapids and falls with long continuous stretches that may be difficult to read. Inspection is usually necessary from the bank. Precise manoeuvring required to negotiate challenging water. E.g. Upper Dart, Dee: Town Falls
5 *Extremely Difficult*	The Advanced: 5-star paddler. Rolling ability: bombproof	Complex and difficult rapids. The water is always fast, often heavy, with holding stoppers, narrow passages, steep gradients and falls. Inspection is essential, the route is often difficult to detect. A hazard to life. E.g. Upper Dart @ high levels
6: Crazy	Go with another club!	Extreme - nearly impossible and high risk

Sea

There is no recognised system for classifying the sea or coastal waters. Hardly surprising, as the difficulty of any stretch of coast will be dependent on the sea state at the time, which will be a product of the weather, particularly in terms wind speed and direction, and the tides

We have attempted to classify varying sea states with the IGS grades applied to rivers. Advanced notification of trips will indicate a grade based on the normal conditions of the coast in question for the season. But with the vagaries of our climate, the degree of difficulty of a coastal trip will normally only be known the evening before (or on the day!)

Grade	Paddler Ability	Description of Water or Sea State
O *Placid*	The Novice: a beginner under supervision	None: since waters around our coastline and estuaries are always moving, there are no areas or conditions that can legitimately go 'ungraded'
1 *Easy*	The Beginner: 1-star intro to moving water	Quiet, enclosed harbours or holiday beaches with minimum or no surf and close inshore in calm weather.
2 *Moderate*	The Improver : a 2-star paddler	Simple coastlines with easy landings and no tide races, overfalls, or short open crossings with no shipping. Calm or slight seas with small wavelets with crests beginning to break. Beach surf up to 1' to 2'
3 *Difficult*	The Intermediate or Proficient: a 3 or 4-star paddler with some surf experience	More complex coastlines, or short open crossings, with slight to moderate seas. May encounter other vessels or shipping. Small to moderate waves, with frequent white horses and a moderate to fresh breeze (force 4/5) or Beach surf of 3' to 4'
4 *Very Difficult*	The Proficient or Advanced: a 4 or 5-star paddler. Rolling ability is often needed	Complex coastlines, or long open crossings, with limited landings. Moderate to rough seas, with moderate waves with white crests and spray. A strong breeze (force 6/7). Tide races and overfalls. or Beach surf of 4' to 6'
5 *Extremely Difficult*	The Advanced: 5-star paddler. Rolling ability: bombproof	Rough seas and rough weather. Wind force 7+, larger waves forming. Sea heaps up with white foam from breaking waves or Beach surf of over 6'
6: Crazy	Go with another club!	Someone missed the forecast!