Kayak Tours 2023
A tour is not booked until the customer has paid.
Kayak tour customers will advise CBW of any existing medical ailments or injuries at the point of booking.
Tour guide is responsible for checking if there are any medical issues prior meeting the customers.
Tour guide will introduce themselves to the group and may speak privately to customer/s in regard to their declared conditions.
Tour guide to do safety brief prior to setting out. Brief to include PFD check, paddling technique, capsize recovery, group control, safety boat and Wildlife policy.
In the event of customer capsize, guide will assist the recovery. If the guide is unable to recover then safety boat will be summoned to assist.
Customers becoming ill or fatigued will be transferred to the safety boat.
Capsized customers wishing to leave the tour will be transferred to the safety boat.
Kayaker recovery to safety boat.
Safety boat driver will position boat upwind of kayaker with the ladder down. With kayak and boat parallel pointing the same direction alongside, the driver will take the kayakers paddle onto the safety boat. The driver will hold the kayak slightly away from the boat to enable the kayaker to swing their legs to the safety boat ladder. The driver will assist the kayaker to a seat on the boat. The driver will then secure the kayak.
During the recovery the guide will maintain close group control of the remaining kayakers.
Once a kayaker is recovered to the boat the tour may continue.
The driver will brief the recovered kayaker on the safety features of the boat then continue to be on station for the remainder of the tour.
Only in the event of a life threatening injury or illness will the safety boat leave station to urgently return to shore. The driver will advise CBW base either by mobile phone or VHF radio of the emergency. The driver is responsible to summon the emergency services.
The safety boat will remain on station until the end of the tour when passengers will be returned to either the pier or back to their kayak to complete and return to shore.
Reviewed April 2023