Course Curriculum

Depending on the needs and experience levels of participants, each course may focus on different topics within this curriculum.

• The curriculum is divided into seven categories:

• Leadership, Communication & Decision Making
• Capsize Recovery & Incident Response
• Trip Planning & Camping Skills
• Equipment & Clothing
• Paddling Skills
• Navigation
• Weather

Leadership, Communication & Decision Making

• Group Travel
• pod formation and spacing
• lead and sweep positions
• group communication
• travel hazards
• recognizing individual strengths and weaknesses
• balancing the group's strengths and weaknesses

• Judgment & Decision Making
• importance of forethought
• identification of factors involved in decisions
• probability and consequence
• deferring to the conservative decision
• awareness of the group and environment
• stress as a factor

• Communication & Conflict Resolution
• inter-group, group-leader and leader-leader communication
• conflict recognition and resolution

• Leadership Styles
• awareness of different styles
• pros & cons of different styles
• development and effectiveness of personal style

Capsize Recovery & Incident Response

• Capsize Recovery
• prevention
• ongoing contingency planning
• assisted rescue
• solo rescue
• rolling (an exposure to rolling only)
• managing the group
• post-rescue assessment
• flares, emergency equipment and clothing

• Incident Response & Evacuation Procedures
• pre-trip organization
• implementing evacuations
• documentation and reporting

• Towing
• pros & cons of towing
• options for towing with one and two kayaks
• tow system designs

Trip Planning & Camping Skills

• Menu Planning & Preparation
• recognizing and accommodating dietary needs
• packaging and organization techniques
• cooking techniques
• sanitation
• presentation

• Pre-Trip Planning & Contingency Plans
• reviewing the group's medical information
• route and schedule planning
• alternative routes and schedules
• familiarization with local weather and sea state
• evaluating route hazards
• assessing food and equipment
• creating evacuation plans

• Ongoing Trip Planning & Contingency Plans
• group assessment
• keeping a log
• continual assessment of conditions
• reassessment of pre-trip plans

• Campsite Selection
• exposure, access and condition of foreshore
• drinking water
• suitability for group size

• Minimum Impact Camping
• familiarization with minimum impact practices
• campsite selection
• cooking; location and fire use
• harvesting
• visual impact
• inter-group etiquette

Equipment & Clothing

• Kayak Design & Features
• parts of kayak
• design features affecting kayak performance
• singles and doubles
• flotation (bulkheads & hatches)
• construction and materials

• Kayak Repair & Maintenance
• pre-trip maintenance
• field repair of kayaks and equipment
• repair kits - supplies and tools

• Clothing Options
• fabrics and layering
• rain, wind and sun apparel

• Communication Device
• licensing
• emergency use
• weather reports
• storage, accessibility and care
• pros & cons of different devices (region-specific applications)

• Other Equipment
• Coast Guard requirements
• paddle designs and maintenance
• sprayskirt designs and maintenance
• PFD designs and maintenance
• group care of equipment

Paddling Skills

• Launching & Landing
• loading and unloading kayaks
• beach surfaces
• methods of launching and landing
• order of launching and landing
• kayak stability while launching and landing
• group safety

• Paddling Mechanics
• paddle grip
• body position
• torso rotation
• feathered & unfeathered

• Propulsion Strokes
• forward stroke
• reverse stroke

• Maneuvering Strokes
• sweep & reverse sweep
• draw (in-water & out-of-water recovery)

• Stability Strokes
• low brace
• high brace

Navigation

• Chart Interpretation
• chart preparation and accessibility
• colour scheme
• scale and distance
• shoreline features
• land features and topography
• sea floor bathymetry
• common symbols and hazard symbols
• use of: Chart 1 Symbols, Abbreviations & Terms
• interpreting tide and current tables

• Compass Use
• types of compasses
• parts of compass
• deviation and variation
• orientation of chart with compass
• taking a bearing from landmarks
• taking a bearing from the chart
• planning a route with bearings
• paddling a bearing
• drift compensation
• triangulation

• Currents
• current tables
• current speeds and effects
• eddies
• narrowing and shallowing effects
• ferrying
• wind opposing current
• predicting slack and maximum flood/ebb

• Launching
• assessing sea state and weather conditions
• near shore hazards

• Natural Ranges
• using ranges to determine drift and progress
• using ranges to complement compass bearings

• On Water Navigation
• awareness of sea state
• recognizing developing seas
• recognizing landmarks

• Surf Management
• on shore evaluation of surf
• refraction, diffraction, diffusion and concentration
• sets
• launching in surf
• landing in surf

• Tides
• tide theory
• tide tables
• seasonal and geographical variations
• consequences of high and low tides
• overnight tide height predictions
• low pressure and storm effects

Weather

• Weather Forecasts
• obtaining marine forecasts
• update times
• terms and language
• importance of ongoing monitoring
• using local knowledge to interpret forecast

• Weather Interpretation
• recognizing wind direction and speeds
• recognizing fronts and system changes
• effects on sea state
• daily wind speed variations
• lee and windward shores
• combining forecasts and local observation
• keeping log entries

• Weather Theory
• atmospheric pressure
• high pressure systems - characteristics
• low pressure systems - characteristics
• fronts
• local effects - funneling and bending
• onshore and offshore winds
• fog