Style Big Canoe Leader

General Learning Outcome

Participants who complete the course will be comfortable working as a team, follow complex commands and manoeuvres. Participants will be familiar with the bow, middle and stern positions and their roles. Participants will also be comfortable with self-rescues and demonstrate safe paddling practices and etiquette.

Prerequisites

Skills Certification

Advanced Big Canoe Leader.

Minimum Course Length

16 hours (2 days) minimum.

Class Ratio

1 instructor:12 participants

Certification Awarded

Paddle Canada Style Big Canoe Leader.

Minimum Staff and Certification

One Style Big Canoe Instructor.

Environmental Conditions

Courses should be taught on a pond, lake or ocean front with minimal waves, winds up to 11 km/hr.

Participant Assessment

Assessment is done throughout the course on participants comfort, working as a team in the following:

• 80% competence in all strokes and manoeuvres and successful completion of the Advanced Course layout, including docking and side slips.
• Participants can give advanced commands to run a big canoe.
• Gain a greater understanding of all ways a Big Canoe can move.
• Skilled in all positions of the canoe.
• Know how all positions work together.
• Can utilize all positions and paddle stokes competently to execute advanced maneuvers when running a canoe.

Skills and Manoeuvres

Participants will demonstrate the following manoeuvres as they divide the canoe into parts: bow, stern, middle (left and right middle) and preparatory and immediate call are to be used. Participants will follow the style course layout.

The Leader must initiate all manoeuvres with the required stroke prior to engaging their crew members to assist with any manoeuvre. When moving in reverse, the Leader will command the bow person to initiate the appropriate stroke for the manoeuvre prior to commanding the crew members.

Preparatory and Immediate Calls

Preparatory calls are used when time permits. Example: “In a moment, I (the stern person) would like a tilt left, front left pry, inside paddlers rest and everyone else paddle forward... Do it now.”

Immediate calls are used when we have no time for Preparatory calls. Example: “Tilt left, front left pry, inside paddlers rest and everyone else paddle forward.”

The following strokes will be introduced:

• Sculling Draw
• Sculling Pry
• Crossbow Cut/Jam (draw/pry)
• Effective Forward Stroke
• Far Out Forward Stroke
• Inline Sculling Draw

Inline Sculling Draw

Bow stroke under forward momentum or stern stroke under reverse momentum. In-water draw is 45 degrees to the keel line and the in-water recovery done with the powerface open, the grip thumb pointed towards the paddler. Like a sculling draw, the blade always has pressure against it. When travelling in reverse, reverse the above description.

Pivots

The Leader will command the paddlers to demonstrate a 180-degree pivot turn. The Leader will divide the canoe into parts: bow, stern, and middle (left and right middle)

Shift/Side Slip

The Leader will command the paddlers to demonstrate a side slip of appropriate 5 feet left and then 5 feet right without any forward or reverse momentum. This can be done at the start of the Advanced course routine. 

Turns Powder Power

Participants will demonstrate proper cadence and stroke technique in paddling tight turns under power with outside tilts. The stern person will call the appropriate commands to each section and side of the canoe to ensure the team is assisting with the tight turn.

Reverse Paddling (straight lines and turns)

The stern person will call commands to ensure the bow person will perform the proper strokes to keep the canoe straight while paddling backwards and assist when necessary. The stern person will call commands to ensure the bow person initiates any reverse turns prior to calling commands to the rest of the crew for assistance.

Docking

The Leader will command the crew to stop alongside a dock where the midsection of the big canoe will stop between two designated points.

Standing in the Big Canoe

The Leader will stand while under momentum for scouting and/or better view when needed.

Knowledge

Equipment

Participants will discuss different types of paddles (bent shaft) and their composition.

Roles

Participants will discuss:

• dividing the big canoe up into section and identifying paddler placement and their roles in those sections, and
• the important of initiating the strokes from the opposite ends when paddling in reverse.

Risk Management

Lifejacket Policy - Always Wear It!

Participants will demonstrate how to properly choose, wear and secure a lifejacket.

Review Items

Participants will review the advanced items as needed and discuss the following:

• responding to sudden injuries (muscle cramps/strains) or sickness, and
• additional first aid training.

Self-Rescue

Participants will flip and re-enter the big canoe.