2008 Intermediate & Advanced Courses

Fine tune your skills and strengthen your confidence!

Our intermediate and advanced courses will give you the tools you need to kayak in more dynamic sea conditions, such as ocean current, wind, or surf. This will allow you to expand your paddling locations and options, yet keep yourself safe. We recommend that you have the required skills and experience prior to registering in these courses. Our intermediate & advanced courses comprise the following:

• Maneuvering & Agility
  
• Ocean Currents
  
• Fine-Tune Your Forward Stroke
  
• Rolling Part 1
  
• Rolling Part 2
  
• Gray Zone
  
• Surf & Surge
  

For a chronological listing of all our courses, click here.

Maneuvering & Agility

(6 hours) Make your kayak dance!
While a level, flat kayak is stable in calm conditions, you’ll need new paddling techniques to paddle safely and with confidence in currents or rough waters. In this course, you’ll learn to control your kayak in difficult conditions by employing some neat tricks – like lean turns, spinning on a dime and moving sideways while under motion. When all is said and done, you’ll have the skills and theory necessary for proficient sea kayaking in more challenging conditions – and you’ll look good doing it! Before taking this course, we recommend that you have basic kayaking strokes and rescue skills.
Dates: Apr 6, Jun 21, Jul 19, Aug 6, Oct 6
Location: Gyro Park on Cadboro Bay, 20 minutes east of Victoria
Time: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Cost: $115   Kayak Rental: $27
Maneuvering & Agility.pdf     Waiver.pdf     Medical.pdf

Ocean Currents

(6 hours) Kayak with confidence in ocean currents!
Ocean currents occur in many locations and can often separate you from your destination. For paddlers without the right strokes and skills, kayaking in currents can be difficult and sometimes dangerous. You’ll gain the skills and risk strategies you need to handle ocean currents safely and confidently. You’ll apply your intermediate strokes to assist you in entering currents, paddling in currents, and crossing currents. Before taking this course, we recommend that you have basic rescue skills and intermediate level kayaking strokes.
Location:  McMeil Bay, Victoria
Dates:  Jul 5, Aug 2
Time: 11:30 am – 5:30 pm
Cost: $115   Kayak Rental: $27
Ocean Currents.pdf      Waiver.pdf     Medical.pdf

Fine-Tune Your Forward Stroke

(4 hours) Get the advantage!
As you know, we use the forward stroke more than any other stroke. That’s why it is important to learn how to get power and efficiency in your forward stroke without tiring. An efficient forward stroke is also important for dealing effectively with opposing forces, such as current or wind, making you a safer paddler. You'll also learn aspects of paddle design to help you understand how to make the most of your equipment. Videos analysis wil be used. This is also a popular course for Adventure Racers. Before taking this course, we recommend that you have basic kayaking strokes or equivalent skills and experience.
Location: Victoria
Dates: Jun 22, Aug 3
Time: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Cost: $79    Kayak Rental: $15
Fine-Tune Your Forward Stroke.pdf     Waiver.pdf

Rolling Part 1

(3 hours) Sit, roll over, roll up!
Who says you can’t teach an old kayaker new tricks? This course will teach you the ultimate self-rescue technique, as well as give you renewed confidence in your braces and less concern for unanticipated capsizes. Don’t worry - before we get you to try a full roll, our instructors will cover all the necessary components. Before taking this course, we recommend that you have basic kayaking and rescue skills.
Location: Victoria
Dates: Feb 23, Apr 5, Oct 18, Nov 15
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Cost: $79    Kayak Rental: $15
Rolling Part 1.pdf     Waiver.pdf

Rolling Part 2

(3 hours) You can do it!
Do you need a little more practice learning to roll? Or did you once know how to roll, but forgot how? Well, you’re not alone. That’s why we developed this session. It’s a great chance to get some further coaching under the watchful eye of an experienced, motivating instructor. We’ll review the key components of rolling, then give you plenty of time for practice. Before taking this course, we recommend you have completed basic kayak rolling instruction and have basic kayaking and rescue skills.
Location: Victoria
Dates: Mar 1, May 3, Oct 13, Nov 8, Nov 29
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Cost: $79    Kayak Rental: $15
Rolling Part 2.pdf      Waiver.pdf

Gray Zone

(3 hours) Brace yourself, this is going to be fun!
This course is designed to give you confidence and competence in the gray zone—the area between being right-side up and upside- down. In the warmth of an indoor pool, you will practice techniques to get your kayak on edge and gain comfort and confidence in this position, applying these skills to increase your maneuverability and balance. We will also practice bracing techniques to avoid a possible capsize. As well, you will learn the balance brace, a method to lay on the surface of the water while remaining seated in your kayak. This was a technique traditional Inuit kayakers used for resting while at sea.
Location: Victoria
Dates: Mar 8, Nov 22
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Cost: $79    Kayak Rental: $15
Gray Zone.pdf     Waiver.pdf

Surf & Surge

(2 days) Launch yourself on the open coast!
Paddling on the open coast is the dream of sea kayakers, yet paddling in these conditions requires you to confidently and safely launch and land in surf conditions and negotiate rocky areas (“rock gardens”) and surge channels. We’ll teach you how to launch and land safely at a surf beach and how to brace in surf to prevent a capsize. You’ll also learn how to use timing and finesse to make your kayak respond quickly and accurately to changing situations, such as rock gardens and surge channels. You’ll learn to select the most appropriate strokes and blend strokes together into new and practical combinations. A must for anyone planning on paddling the open coast or for anyone interested in improving their overall kayaking skills. Before taking this course, we recommend that you have intermediate kayaking strokes and rescue skills. Knowing how to roll is an added bonus!
Location: Port Renfrew
Dates: Apr 12-13, Oct 25-26
Cost: $279   Kayak Rental: $48
Surf & Surge.pdf      Waiver.pdf     Medical.pdf