Kayak Instructor/Leader Courses
Kayak Instructor/Leader Courses
Community Kayak Instructor 1 – Pool
Target Audience: Club instructors running winter pool sessions, and lifeguards who work at pools, who wish to teach kayaking.
Course Duration: One day (7 hours)
Prerequisites: CanoeKayak BC member. Minimum age 16 years. Must have previously experienced the basic skills involved.
Environment: Indoor and outdoor swimming pools, controlled beachfront swim areas, with lifeguard(s) present.
Course Outline:
* Risk management
* Basic pool safety
* Pool and paddling equipment
* Boat fit
* Getting in and out of boat
* Basic strokes; forward, reverse, sweeps, bow draws, hip flick, hand of god, roll
* Games
* Professionalism, ethics, and promotion
Course Fee: $200
Community Kayak Instructor 1 – Flat Water (equivalent to existing NCCP Level 1)
Target Audience: Club or summer camp instructors teaching on flatwater sites such as lakes, or flat moving water sites.
Course Duration: One and a half days (10.5 hours)
Prerequisites: CanoeKayak BC member. Minimum age 16 years. Must have intermediate flatwater skills.
Environment: Teaching beginners on outdoor flatwater, or flat moving water sites
Course Outline: This course builds upon the basics of the pool course and includes:
* NCCP overview
* Equipment
* Risk management
* Teaching methodology
* Site selection and group management
* Technical skills; forward and reverse paddling, sweeps, low brace, high brace, bow draw, flatwater roll
* Common paddling injuries
* Basic rescue techniques
* Games and exercises
* Professional issues and administration
Course Fee: $250
Combination Community Kayak Instructor 1 – Pool & Flat Water
Target Audience: Club instructors running winter pool sessions, and lifeguards who work at pools, who wish to teach kayaking plus club or summer camp instructors teaching on flatwater sites such as lakes, or flat moving water sites.
Course Duration: Two and a half days (17.5 hours)
Prerequisites: CanoeKayak BC member. Minimum age 16 years. Must have intermediate flatwater skills.
Environment: Teaching beginners on outdoor flatwater, or flat moving water sites
Course Outline: This course combines the basics of the pool course with the outdoor, flat water aspects of the Community Kayak Instructor 1 – Flat Water course (see course outlines above).
Course Fee: $325
Kayak Leader 2 – River
Target Audience: Club members who wish to lead river trips.
Duration: One and a half days (10.5 hours)
Prerequisites: CanoeKayak BC member. Minimum age 16 years. Class III (intermediate) whitewater paddling skills
Environment: Class I-III whitewater
Course Outline: Risk management focused and covers the details of trip planning and leading a group down the river on Class I – III water.
* Risk management: liability, waivers, standards of care, emergency action planning
* Planning and preparation
* Paddler screening
* Risk assessment and decision making
* Leadership skills
* River hazards and hydrology
* Group management, scouting, and communication techniques including river signals
* Demonstration of rescue and paddling skills
Course Fee: $250
Kayak Leader 3 – Whitewater
Target Audience: Professional guides who wish to lead advanced whitewater trips; safety boaters, other professional paddlers
Duration: One and a half days (10.5 hours)
Prerequisites: CanoeKayak BC member. Minimum age 16 years. Class IV (advanced) whitewater paddling skills
Environment: Class I – IV whitewater
Course Outline: This course follows the same format as the Kayak Leader 2 course, but for trip planning and leading on Class I – IV water.
* Risk management: liability, waivers, standards of care, emergency action planning
* Planning and preparation; remote runs, map analysis, GPS
* Paddler screening
* Risk assessment and decision making
* Advanced leadership skills
* River hazards and hydrology
* Group management, scouting, and communication techniques including river signals
* Demonstration of rescue and paddling skills
Course Fee: $300
Kayak Instructor 2 / Leader 2 – River (equivalent to existing NCCP Level 2)
Target Audience: Club, school, or commercial instructors
Duration: Three days (21 hours)
Prerequisites: CanoeKayak BC member. Minimum age 16 years. Class III (intermediate) whitewater paddling skills. Active instructors must have Standard First Aid and CPR certification.
Environment: Instructing beginner and novice groups on Class I-II whitewater
Course Outline:
* NCCP overview
* Equipment
* Risk management
* Teaching methodology
* Site selection
* Group management and communication
* Session planning
* Technical skills; basic eddy turns (in and out), boat ferrying, s-turns, surfing, back ferrying, the moving water roll and pivots.
* Common paddling injuries
* Basic rescue techniques
* Games and exercises
* Professional issues and administration
Course Fee: $400
Kayak Instructor 3 / Leader 3 – Whitewater
Target Audience: Club, school, or commercial instructors
Duration: Three days (21 hours)
Prerequisites: CanoeKayak BC member. Minimum age 16 years. Class IV (advanced) whitewater paddling skills. Active instructors must have Standard First Aid and CPR certification.
Environment: Instructing intermediate and advanced groups on Class III-IV whitewater
Course Outline:
* NCCP overview
* Equipment
* Risk management
* Teaching methodology
* Site selection
* Group management and communication
* Session planning
* Technical skills; basic eddy turns (in and out), boat ferrying, s-turns, surfing, back ferrying, the moving water roll and pivots.
* Common paddling injuries
* Basic rescue techniques
* Games and exercises
* Professional issues and administration
Course Fee: $425
