Paddle Canada Level 1 Skills
Certification Course
Level-1 provides the skill and knowledge necessary for day-long sea kayaking trips in sheltered waters (non-wilderness areas). Successful completion of Level-1 indicates competence to paddle a sea kayak within a sheltered bay in the company of one or more paddlers with Level-1 or greater skill and knowledge.
Prerequisites: Paddle Canada Basic Kayak skills certification or equivalent skill and knowledge.
Course Length: 12 hours minimum.
Class Ratio: 1 instructor: 6 participants.
Location: Sheltered waters with uninterrupted easy landing options.
Conditions: Light winds (0-11 knots). Current (0-0.5 knots). Sea state calm to light chop.
Assessment
Activities focus on safety and gaining paddling skills for a day trip within a large bay or sheltered shoreline. Issues of mutual safety between paddling partners and judgements of sea conditions throughout the day and out of sight along the shore are included. Paddlers will deal with the concerns for packing a kayak and the gear necessary for a comfortable day trip and solving problems in the field.
What you may expect to learn from this Course:
Rescue skills
Bow rescue
Unassisted re-entry
Assisted re-entry
Towing
Communication/signals
Paddling skills
Forward stroke
Brace low/high
Sweep
Draw
Stern rudder
Edge control
Knowledge
Equipment
Journeying and seamanship
Safety
Kayaking resources