These NEW awards complement the existing SUP Leadership Awards, which include the SUP White Water Leader, SUP Coastal Leader and SUP Inland Open Water Leader. 

All of the BCAB Leadership awards support leaders to run safe, quality, enjoyable trips, based on their group’s needs and aspirations.



The SUP Sheltered Water Leader is aimed at paddleboarders who wish to lead others on journeys in sheltered waters (both wind affected and slow moving water).

The SUP Tidal Leader is suitable for those leading trips in simple areas of coastline, which includes defined beaches and sheltered bays where the group could easily land and in winds not above Beaufort force 3, as well as in estuarine/tidal (flowing water) environments.

The journey to become a SUP Leader is personalised to suit your own development. You can choose optional BCAB Leadership Training or you may wish to opt for more bespoke training opportunities. For example, private tuition, in-house training through your workplace, working alongside/shadowing other Leaders, or conference/symposium workshops. Your individualised development journey is concluded by an assessment which is run over 1–2 days. 

Find out more on the BCAB website here.

Changes to the SUP Inland Open Water Leadership Award

From 2025, the SUP Inland Open Water Leader qualification remit will change, and will specifically support you to lead others on journeys on inland open water. This includes large areas of open water that exceed the sheltered water definition, where the paddlers are no more than 500 metres offshore and in wind strengths that do not exceed Beaufort force 4. The change in remit and assessment undertaken for this award will be from the 3rd January 2025.

Anyone who has registered for the SUP Inland Open Water SUP Leader before 31st December 2024 has the option to complete the qualification with the existing remit through to the end of 2025. This includes the moving water environment (grade 1) that is being removed moving forwards. 

In addition we will be offering updated certificates to candidates who complete the award with the river environment included. We will be in touch with these candidates directly. 

SUP Leader Awards Information Session - Book Here

We are hosting a free online information session on December 12th 1900 - 2030 for anyone interested in finding out more about the new awards and/or the changes. We are encouraging paddlers, leaders, deployers, tutors etc. to come along to find out more and ask questions.

Tutor Recruitment

If you are interested in being able to deliver these awards our next wave of tutor recruitment will be in April 2025. Further details on the provider requirements will be available in due course, but we will be considering applicants who hold these qualifications

• New SUP Tidal Leader Tutors will require BCAB SUP Open Water Coach AND a coastal based Leadership award (e.g. SUP Coastal Leader, SUP Tidal Leader or Sea Kayak Leader).
• New SUP Sheltered Water Leader Tutors will require a relevant SUP Coaching Qualification, and ideally a relevant SUP Leadership award. 

Applications will open in April 2025, and successful applicants are invited to attend compulsory orientation later in the year. 

A first wave of providers have already been invited to deliver the new awards, those eligible have been contacted directly.