Coast Guard Tech Talk AUXPAD - How Auxiliary paddling can help your Scouting programs

AUXPAD, the USCG Auxiliary paddling program, provides an opportunity for Auxiliary members to participate in one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities in the US - paddling canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs). Through the AUXPAD program, Auxiliary members learn key risk reduction strategies that can be shared with paddlers on shore and on the water. The recent addition of paddling requirements to Sea Scout rank advancement requirements, combined with the broad boating knowledge offered by Auxiliary members, makes the AUXPAD program a tremendous opportunity for Sea Scout. This month's tech talk will provide an overview of the AUXPAD program, share how Sea Scouts can get involved, and discuss some of the limits to Sea Scout involvement.
Our speaker is Robin Pope, Ph.D., PA-C, FAWM, currently serves as Deputy Director of the USCG Auxiliary’s Recreational Boating Safety Outreach Directorate. Dr. Pope has more than 3 decades of experience in paddling education. He holds the American Canoe Association’s highest possible instructor ratings in both swift water rescue and whitewater kayaking and was recently named a “Legend of Paddling” by the ACA.