This Coastal Canoeing course provides the skills and theory necessary for safe coastal canoeing in moderately exposed locations. The program develops the participant’s ability to make good judgments about conditions and routes in coastal environments. Strokes and maneuvers are to be performed at a higher degree of proficiently than in the intermediate program and in conditions with greater exposure to wind, waves, swell, current and surf. The skills and knowledge gained at this level enable the successful participant to travel with others of similar ability along moderately exposed coastlines for periods longer than a day. Rescue techniques at this level revisit assisted rescues taught in the Advanced Lake Tandem course but the true focus is on the effective management of challenging rescue situations in a coastal environment.
The Prerequisites reflect the seriousness of the undertaking:
- Lake Canoe Skills Advanced Tandem
- Coastal Canoe Skills Intermediate
- At least 3, day-long, coastal canoe trips in different locations
- Whitwater Canoe Skills Introduction Tandem (highly recommended)
- Wilderness First Aid (16 hour) ( strongly recommended)
- VHF Marine Radio Operator's certificate (recommended)
This advanced course should be run over a minimum of 3 days with two overnights with a 2 Instructor : 8 Participants class ratio and should be run along a "Moderately exposed coastline with frequent landing opportunities, limited open crossings (in good conditions) not exceeding 2.5 Nautical Miles between landings" with Moderate wind (0-15 knots), a combined sea state less than 1-meter, surf < 0.5 meter and current of up to 3 knots.
This program is a recreational coastal canoeing program and therefore reflects typical locations for recreational paddling on the ocean in a canoe. It does not deal with the rounding of significant headlands or paddling long stretches of exposed coastline with no landing opportunities. The program does not consider those locations as 'typical' recreational coastal canoeing locations
Going back a step, looking at the programme as a whole...
The program provides a foundation of knowledge and skill for safe and efficient tandem coastal canoeing in a variety of environments. Expanding on skills and knowledge gained in the Lake Tandem Program, it explores:
- navigation with charts,
- marine forecasting,
- tide & current interpretation,
- tidal currents,
- surf launches & landings.
Small bodies of water are suitable for the Intro level. Large lakes like Lake Winnipeg and the Great Lakes are suitable for Intro and Intermediate levels. The Advanced Coastal level is run in a tidal ocean environment
As of Nov. 2011, the following were being offered:
Skill Level Programs
Coastal Canoeing Skills Introduction
Coastal Canoeing Skills Intermediate
Coastal Canoeing Skills Advanced
Instructor Level Programs
Coastal Canoeing Instructor
Instructor Trainer Programs
Coastal Canoeing Instructor Trainer
For more see the Paddle Canada Website