JS Indicative Water Gradings for Slalom Courses
These gradings are more about comparisons than about absolutes: thus ‘if you can paddle on xxx you can also paddle on xxx’.
Some of these courses would need to be printed as a grade-range, leaving coaches/paddlers/parents to find out what water-levels are like at the time of the race.
Even courses that are usually easy can become dangerous in exceptional high water conditions. If in doubt, seek advice or stay off the water.
Grade Definitions
A: Pool or otherwise completely flat water, without enough current to affect the boat.
B: Slightly moving water, giving some eddy-lines, but not enough to worry paddlers; and with at the most one small drop which paddlers simply have to run down.
C: Faster current, sharper eddy-lines, some drops that can be intimidating, possible to set crosses on small waves, often rocky.
D: ‘Real’ slalom water. Beginners will need some practise to handle this, and some bravery simply to paddle down it.
E: The most difficult courses in the UK.
| Grade | Course |
| A | Aberfeldy when low Darlington Dolphin Centre Howsham Weir below the chute Frome Market Yard Loddon North Walls Tees (start pool) |
| B | Aberfeldy when high Alva Bala Mill below the Falls Cardington Harefield Langham Farm (low) Llandysul when low Marple Matlock when low Middleton-in-Teesdale when low Mile End Mill when low Nene below the drop Orton Mere Oughtibridge Rhug Shepperton at low levels Seaton Park Stone Wagon Lane Yalding Weir |
| C | Abbey Rapids when low Fairnilee Howsham 2/3 Langham Farm (high) Lee Valley Legacy Course Llandysul when high Matlock when high Middleton-in-Teesdale when high Mile End Mill when high Nene WW course Sowerby Bridge West Tanfield |
| D | Abbey Rapids when high Bala Mill: the Falls Grandtully when medium/low The Graveyard, the Tryweryn Holme Pierrepont avoiding the features Serpent’s Tail when quite low Shepperton at medium/high levels Tees Barrage The Ski-Slope, Tryweryn on 9 cumecs Washburn |
| E | Cardiff Bay Grandtully when high Holme Pierrepont using the features Lee Valley Olympic Course Serpent’s Tail when high The Ski-Slope, Tryweryn on 12 cumecs |