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Intro Course Outline & Manual

Intro to Kayaking Course Manual - ONLINE VERSION
or get a PDF (460KB) copy for printing - CLICK HERE

Module 1

Dry Land

- Theory of paddling whitewater, river grading and hazards
- Selecting a Boat, Spray deck, paddle, PFD and Helmet
- Kayaking equipment and safety considerations
- How to get in and out of boats in a safe manner
- Paddle grip, offset, power face and use of body during strokes

On Water
- Wet exits without spray deck, then with spray deck
- Basics of recovery - 90 degree with support
- Sweep strokes, both forward and reverse
- Forward propulsion stroke
- Paddling in a straight line - practice

Module 2
On Water

- 10 minutes Warmup
- Review of module 1 skills
- Stopping, forward and back
- Reverse stroke
- Stern Rudder
- Paddling patterns to use stroke combinations

Module 3
On Water

- 10 minutes Warmup
- Review of module 1 & 2 skills
- 180 degree recovery / T-rescue
- Low brace and low brace turns
- Draw stroke, direct and sculling
- Bow draw stroke
- Duffeck combination stroke
- Boat tilting, while paddling
- Boat tilt transfers
- Paddling patterns to use all strokes

Module 4
On Water

- 10 minutes Warmup
- Review of all skills to date
- High brace and sculling High brace
- Low to High Brace transfer practice
- Instructor triggered loss of balance to practice bracing without prior notification

Module 5
Dry Land

- River tripping requirements
- Minimum safety equipment
- Self-Rescue techniques
- Rescuer functions and priorities
- Other paddlers' behaviour during a rescue

On Water
- 10 minutes Warmup
- Review of all skills
- Paddling patterns to promote use of all strokes
- Paddling on edge and edge transfers while on the move
- Low and High brace practice
- Self-Rescue practice, keeping possesion of paddle
- Rescue of others practice, pulling a swimmer, and pushing and/or towing a boat

Module 6 ( Summer )
On River

- Easy Moving Water paddling
- Eddy turn practice, low brace and Duffeck
- Ferrying, upstream and downstream

Module 6 ( Winter )
In Pool

- Introduction to eskimo roll

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