Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills

Course Basics:
– $375/person, GST included
– Friday evening theory session + two full days on the water
– Small class size: 4 students max.
– Gear rental available.
– Half-day ocean journey to build trip-planning skills.

Objective

This 18.5-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.

👍 Our Level 1 courses include a Friday evening theory session to lock in important trip planning concepts related to tides, weather and navigation.

Times, Dates & Location

Course duration is 18.5 hours.
We run our course over two full days and one evening, usually Friday evening through Sunday. We find that covering trip-planning theory on the first evening provides students with a solid foundation for trip planning and gives us all more practice time on the water on Saturday and Sunday.
2026 Dates (Friday evening through Sunday):
April 3-5
May 1-3
June 26-28
July date TBA
August date TBA
September date TBA
All courses take place in the Nanaimo-Oceanside area. Common locations include Neck Point Park, the Winchelsea Islands, Nanaimo Harbour and Westwood Lake Park. Friday’s land-based evening theory session takes place in Nanaimo. Locations subject to change.
Private groups: Please contact us to discuss dates that work for you

Class Size & Fees

2 students minimum; 4 students maximum.
$375/person.
$100 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.

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Register for Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills!

First and Last Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Course Date

Would you like to rent a kayak and equipment?

If you are bringing your own kayak, please provide the make and model here:

If you wish to rent a kayak and equipment from us, please provide your height and weight:

If you are an active member of a Vancouver Island kayak club, please provide the name here:

I have read and agree to the contents of Crosscurrents Kayak’s waiver, linked below, and will complete and sign a copy of this waiver prior to the course.

Waiver (opens in new window)

I have read and agree to Crosscurrents Kayak’s Course Policies, linked below.

Course Policies (opens in new window)

Please include any questions you have about the course and/or registration below.

Would you like to subscribe to Crosscurrents Kayak’s mailing list to learn about upcoming courses and events?

After your submit this form, we will be in touch by email to complete your registration.
See you on the water!

Questions?

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