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Types of permit

All adult permits MUST be recorded on Compass, my understanding is "if it is not on Compass it does not exist", this means if you have an accident you will not be insured. Check or get someone to check that your permits are on Compass and correct.

There are three types of permit; Personal, Lead and Supervise. For each activity the way the types of permits are implemented are different and I have summarised in the following pages. if in doubt please refer to the activity factsheets on www.scouts.co.uk

Personal Permits

Personal Permits are only given to U18s and allow them to go on the water with their peers.
If you are using personal permits for an activity alone (i.e. no lead/supervise) then all participants must have a personal permit
All permits for U18s expire on their 18^th birthday and they must apply again as an adult.

I mention a couple of times (unrestricted), a permit can be restricted to a grade or water, geographic location, number of people, number of boats or time of year as the assessor feels necessary. Someone who is a competent sailor but not an instructor for instance could expect to get a permit similar to "Lead one boat on B2 water, with safety boat cover", this would allow them to take a boat out with others in it, so long as there is a safety boat present.

Even "unrestricted permits" have restrictions, they vary by activity so check on the activity you want a permit for.

Lead Permits

What lead entitles you to do varies by activity, but generally speaking it will allow you to go out on the water with others (without them needing a permit) and run an activity, some examples below:

Lead Dingy sailing lead (unrestricted) - will allow you to lead 9 people in double handed boats (3 up) or 6 people in single handed boats
Lead Powerboating (unrestricted) - If you have permit to lead power boating then you can look after only one power boat at a time and need to remain in the boat whenever it is being used.
Lead Kayaking (unrestricted) -If you have permit to lead kayaking then you can look after a maximum of eight kayaks or 12 people (whichever is less) at a time and need to remain on the water with these kayaks at all times. When on B1 waters a permit to lead kayaking also allows the permit holder to lead canoes.

Supervise Permits

Again, supervise permits vary by activity so you need to read the ones relevant to you but some examples:

Supervise Dinghy Sailing (unrestricted) - You can assign up to 3 non permit holders to Lead (up to the definition above) sailing activities, you must be prepared to go on the water, and have a safety boat ready to go but don't HAVE to be on the water.
Supervise Powerboating (unrestricted) - If you hold a permit to supervise power boating then you can supervise up to three boats. All supervised boats should be within communication range of the permit holder who will need to be in or have immediate access to a rescue craft. You remain responsible for all the groups you are supervising, but can designate someone with the appropriate skills to be the leader of each boat
Supervise Kayaking (unrestricted) - If you hold a permit to supervise kayaking then you can supervise up to three groups. All supervised groups should have means to communicate with the permit holder who will need to be in or have immediate access to a rescue craft (this may be another kayak) and be in a position to provide prompt assistance if required. You remain responsible for all the groups you are supervising but can designate someone with the appropriate skills to be the leader of each group.

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