Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills

Course Basics:
– $325/person, GST included
– Friday evening theory session + two full weekend days on the water
– gear rental available
– half-day ocean journey — planned by you!

Objective

This 16-hour course provides a comprehensive introduction to the sport of sea kayaking, with a focus on the skills and knowledge required to undertake day trips in Class I waters with one or more paddling partners of a similar skill level. You’ll learn a variety of kayak re-entry techniques, paddle strokes and theory topics including route planning, visual navigation, equipment selection, group communication and decision making. Part of the course involves planning and executing a half-day sea kayak journey in our local area. Successful students will receive official Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills certification.

Times, Dates & Location

  • Course duration is 16 hours.
  • We run our course over two full weekend days and one weekend evening, usually Friday evening through Sunday. We find that covering trip-planning theory on Friday evening allows students more time to compete their Sunday trip plan and gives us all more practice time on the water on Saturday and Sunday.
  • 2023 Dates (Friday evening through Sunday):
    April 28-30
    May 26-28
    June 9-11
    July 21-23
    August 18-20
    September 1-3
  • All courses take place in the Nanaimo-Oceanside area. Usually the Saturday session takes place at Westwood Lake Park in Nanaimo, and the Sunday session takes place at an ocean location in the Nanaimo-Oceanside area. Friday’s land-based evening theory session takes place in Nanaimo. Exact location(s) will be determined closer to your course date.
  • Private groups: Please contact us to discuss dates that work for you

Class Size & Fees

  • 2 students minimum; 6 students maximum.
  • $325/person.
  • $60 to rent a sea kayak and equipment for the duration of the course.
  • Prices include GST.

Prerequisites

We recommend Paddle Canada Basic Kayak Skills or equivalent, including:

  • Minimum 5 kayak excursions of 2-3 hours;
  • Ability to execute a controlled wet exit;
  • Ability to perform an assisted rescue.

Please contact us if you’d like to discuss your experience.

Curriculum

Paddling Skills:

  • Forward stroke
  • Reverse stroke
  • Stopping
  • Forward sweep stroke
  • Reverse sweep stroke
  • Pivot turn
  • Pulling draw stroke
  • Sculling draw stroke
  • Low brace
  • Stern Rudder
  • Edge Control
  • Launching & Landing
  • Lifting & Carrying a Kayak
  • Vehicle Boat Tie Down

Re-Entry Skills:

  • Assisted Re-entry
    • T Rescue
    • Parallel Park and Pump Rescue
  • Unassisted Re-entry
    • Paddle Float Rescue
    • Scramble Rescue
  • Contact Tow

Knowledge:

  • Equipment & Equipment Care
  • Communication
  • Route Planning & Basic Navigation Techniques
  • Weather
  • Sea State
  • Risk Assessment & Mitigation
  • Cold Issues & Sun Safety
  • Impact of Kayakers on the Environment
  • History & Heritage
  • Kayaking Community & Resources

Registration

To register, please e-mail us at crosscurrents@outlook.com or complete the form below and we will contact you to complete your registration.

Register for Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills!

Regarding Crosscurrents Kayak’s Waiver and Course Policies:

Waiver (opens in new window)

Course Policies (opens in new window)

After your submit this form, we will be in touch by email to complete your registration.
We can’t wait to see you on the water!

Questions?

Please reach out to us at crosscurrents@outlook.com at any time!

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