British Columbia Kayaking: Lessons, Kayak Skills Instruction & Kayaking Courses

Boost Your Sea Kayaking Skills With Our Courses and Lessons!

Whether you're taking your first paddle strokes, or looking to challenge yourself in tidal rapids and surf, we have a course for you! Our sea kayaking instructors are experienced, certified, and eager to help you build your skills! Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions or to arrange a custom course date.

Basic Kayaking Skills Course (Paddle Canada Flatwater)

Style and Safety for New Paddlers:  A full day of new skills, and time for practice in a supportive and beautiful environment!

• From the start: getting in and out of the kayak from beach and doc
• Kayak equipment: what you need to be comfortable and safe 

• The paddle: hands-body-paddle position and efficient motion

• Basic paddling strokes and maneuvering
• Rescue and re-entry: assisted and self-rescues
• Safe kayaking: do’s and don’ts
• Safety gear

Prerequisite: None - Everybody is Welcome!

9 am - 5 pm starting at Discovery Islands Lodge, Quadra Island

Basic Skills Course Cost:  Instruction $100 Cdn, plus tax. Kayak rentals available.

Course Dates:  May 22, 29;  June 5, 19, 25; July 4, 10, 23, 31;  August 13.

Intermediate Kayaking Skills
(Kayak Training Paddle Canada Level 1)

Discovery Weekend: Two days to learn and practice, and two evenings to relax and make new friends.

• The paddle: hands-body-paddle position; efficient paddling.
• Basic paddle strokes and maneuvering the kayak: sculling and draw strokes
• Increasing stability: edging and leaning, high and low brace
• Capsize and recovery: basic and advanced rescue technique
• Safety fundamentals: skills, emergency equipment and common sense
• Handling an emergency
• Kayak camping skills & equipment
• Coast weather basics
• Navigation skills
• Reading tide and current tables.

Prerequisite: Some previous paddling experience is an asset, but not necessary.

2  days kayak skills instruction and guided practice.

Intermediate Skills Course

Cost: Instruction $235 Cdn, plus tax. Includes Paddle Canada certificate. Minimum 3 people. Kayak rentals available. Accommodation available at Discovery Islands Lodge B&B/hostel.

2010 Course Dates:  May 29-30; June 5-6, 19-20, 25-26;  July 23-24; August 13-14
 

Advanced Kayaking Skills

Tidal Rapids Adventure: Open the box, stretch yourself and get wet!

• Kayak design: similarities and differences
• Moving water: theory and reality
• Kayak handling and maneuvering: theory and practice
• Strokes, eddying, edging, bracing, maneuvers
• On-water fun and practice. First day we will try new skills and play in Surge Narrows, near Discovery Islands Lodge. Day two we’ll solidify skills and maybe head up to Okisollo for surfing the big wave.

Prerequisites: Having basic-good rolling skills is highly desirable. Appropriate personal equipment. You should be a little daring and have a good sense of adventure. Or just come along to watch a friend: there are beautiful places to sit and enjoy the on-water entertainment! Two days of instruction and skills practice; accommodation & meals at Discovery Islands Lodge.

Advanced Skills Cost $275 Cdn, plus tax.

Kayak rentals available. Accommodation available at Discovery Islands Lodge B&B/hostel.

2010 Course Dates: May 15-16; June 14-15; July 24-25

Custom dates available; minimum 4 people.

High Performance Tidal Rapids Kayaking

Surf Kayaking Whitewater – Take it to the Limits!

Come with some solid skills and we’ll show you how to have some big fun! We’ll paddle or power-boat to where the waves will offer best thrills for the day. We’ll show you where and tell you how to get on the wave. The rest is yours to explore and figure out… practice makes perfect and high adrenaline is a given. We’ll have a safety boat and an experienced paddler/guide to make sure the day is super-fun and safe.

BYO paddle jacket, etc. Whitewater and high performance sea kayaks available for rent.
Best tides/dates vary depending on your abilities -- contact us!

Cost: $75 Cdn/day, plus tax. Minimum 4 people. Lodge accommodation available.

Kayak Skills Refresher

For Renters with Slightly Rusty Skills: Three hours instruction plus half-day “free-time kayaking” -- or continue on your overnight kayak camping journey.

 • Getting in and out of the kayak
• Basic strokes and maneuvers
• Kayak rescues and re-entry
• Tides & currents: understand tables
• Low impact coastal camping information
• Guided kayaking – practice paddling skill

Start: 10 am - Minimum group size: three people

Cost $125 Cdn plus tax per person.

Note: Coast Mountain Expeditions requires paddling experience and capsize recovery skills for non-guided kayak rentals.

Rolling your Kayak

Just do it!

Learn how and practice till you feel it. Almost everyone can master rolling, but it takes concentration and usually comes only after a little frustration and your very best efforts. We have taught lots of people to roll, and rolling back up can become second-nature, but you have to keep practicing until it feels really comfortable and instinctive. We have some kayak designs that are reasonably easy to roll.

Come and learn this technique that will increase your safety and confidence in rough water conditions – and check out where else you can go play when you have a solid and instinctive roll! 3 hour lesson and guided practice at Main Lake, Quadra Island.

Cost $85 Cdn, plus tax per person, includes kayak.

Minimum group size: 2 people

High Performance and Whitewater Kayaks

High performance and whitewater kayaking involves paddling techniques that are most (or only) effective in kayaks designed for the purpose. Hull shape and volume are critical to how different kayaks will perform in challenging conditions.

High performance sea kayaks tend to be shorter than touring kayaks. Hull shape may be narrower, or hard-chined, or flat-bottom or any combination that makes for a boat that maneuvers easily.

Whitewater kayaks come in many shapes and sizes. From the long round-bottom boats of the 1990’s, whitewater boats have morphed in many directions: there are super-short playboats, high-volume creek boats, flat-bottom surf kayaks, sleek slalom boats – and everything in between.

We have Atlantis kayaks and a fleet of Nigel Dennis Kayaks, different makes and models of these well regarded high performance boats, including the Explorer and Romany series.

Also available as rentals, we have whitewater kayaks suitable for playing and surfing in the tidal rapids. (WW kayaks designed by Necky, Riot and Bliss Stick)

Gear List for Performance and Whitewater Paddling

We can supply some of these items, others you will need to bring, some are optional.
• PFD
• Spraydeck
• Paddle (appropriate for your kayak)
• Paddling jacket
• Helmet
• Wetsuit or shorty (or drysuit – but may be too warm in summer)
• Synthetic (warm) underwear
• Earplug
• Noseplugs (for rolling practice)
• Boots
• Neoprene socks
• (Neoprene coldwater cap)
• (Neoprene gloves)