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This is a detailed list of curriculum topics covered in our six day sea kayak leadership course. Depending on the needs and experience levels of participants, each course may focus on different topics within the curriculum.
The curriculum is divided into seven categories:
We provide Canada's only 6-day
dual-certification kayak leadership course.
The following two guide certifying organizations endorse our curriculum:
- CFOKE - Canadian Federation of Ocean Kayak Educators
- ACSKG - Association of Canadian Sea Kayak Guides
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Leadership, Communication and Decision Making
Capsize Recovery and Incident Response
Equipment and Clothing
Trip Planning and Camping Skills
Navigation
Chart Interpretation
- chart preparation and accessibility
- colour scheme
- scale/ distance
- shoreline features
- land features and topography
- sea floor bathymetry
- common symbols and hazard symbols
- use of Chart #1 and #2
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
- dead reckoning
- piloting
Surf Management
- on shore evaluation of surf
- refraction, diffraction, diffusion, concentration
- sets
- launching in surf
- landing in surf
Tides
- tide theory
- tide tables
- seasonal variations
- consequences of high/ low tides
- prediction of tide height
- low pressure and storm effects
Paddling Skills
Launching and Landing
- packing and unpacking boats
- beach surfaces
- methods of launching and landing
- order of launching and landing (assistant guide-group-guide)
- boat stability while launching and landing
- client safety
Paddling Mechanics
- holding the paddle
- body position
- paddle position
- feathered and unfeathered techniques - pros and cons
Propulsion Strokes
- forward stroke
- reverse stroke
Maneuvering Strokes
- sweep and reverse sweep
- draw (in water and out of water recovery)
Stability Strokes
- low brace
- high brace
Weather
Weather Forecasts
- obtaining marine forecast
- update times
- terms and language
- importance of constant 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/ offshore winds
- fog
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