[Paddlewise] BCU Proficiency Award

Last summer my wife and I passed the BCU Four Star
proficiency assessment for sea kayakers. Supposedly the
Four Star award certifies that you have the skills and
knowledge to paddle on open water in a group led by a
competent leader. However, to pass the exam, you must
be able to prove that you have already paddled on open water.

This looks to me like a chicken-and-egg problem -- if you are
not certified to paddle on open water with the BCU, how do
you get the experience required to take the exam?

Could someone with BCU experience explain this to me?
How does the Award apply in practice in Britain? Does the
BCU sponsor open water trips for kayakers who do not have
the Four Star award? If so, what are the criteria for taking
people on such trips?

Chuck Holst  
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