Lake Canoe Intermediate Tandem Skills

The Lake Canoe Intermediate Tandem program expands upon the Introduction level skills, strokes, and principles necessary to paddle within a lake environment.

This course progresses the focus on safety, refines skill, and expands strokes and manoeuvres. Participants will also explore how to adapt for changes in the environment as well as perform land and water rescues.

General Learning Outcome

Participants will achieve greater confidence, ability and awareness of the environment for their lake adventures.

Prerequisites

Lake Canoe Introduction Tandem Skills or equivalent skills at the discretion of the course instructor.

Course Length

16 hours

Class Ratio

1 instructor: 10 participants

Minimum Staff and Certification

One Lake Canoe Intermediate Tandem Instructor.

Environmental Conditions

Class-1 conditions which are described as: Non-challenging waters with mild wind effect (0-20 km/h or 0–11 knots), little or no current (0-1 km/h or 0–0.5 knots), uninterrupted easy landing options, and ready access to land-based assistance. Sea state is calm to light chop.

Participant Assessment

Assessment at this level occurs throughout the course as the instructor observes the performance of each participant's skills and overall development as a paddler.

Teaching Resources

Canoe Games

Lake Canoe Skills Checklists

Canoe Strokes Resource Document

Skills and Manoeuvres

The following skills will be introduced with a focus on stroke technique and effective body position to perform specific manoeuvres. Participants should be demonstrating effective strokes with core rotation, vertical paddle shafts, and their grip-hand over the water. If possible, participants should perform all manoeuvres in the kneeling position.

Strokes

Participants will review the Introduction level, if needed. The following strokes will be introduced:

• Draw (in water recovery)
• Pry
• Cuts (bow and crossbow)
• Crossbow Draw
• "J"
• Stern Forward and Reverse Sweeps
• Reverse J and Bow Draw

Canoe Stability

Participants will review the Introduction level, if needed, demonstrate how to keep the canoe stable by paddling forward while rocking the canoe to mimic wind or a potential capsize.

Lifting and Carrying a Canoe

Participant will demonstrate, with a partner:

• lift and move a canoe to the shoreline or dock using proper technique,
• over-the-head style, tandem,
• solo carry, if physically able to, Instructor or partner will be the ‘spotter’,
• awareness of the environment around them, and 
• communicate effectively with their partner during the activity.

Launching and Landing a Canoe

Participants will review the Introduction level if needed.

Pivot Turn

Participants will pivot the canoe one complete revolution in one direction, and then one complete revolution in the other direction. No forward or backward movement.

Forward and Reverse Paddling

Participants will paddle:

• forward in a relatively straight line for 25 metres within a 3 metre corridor and
• reverse in a straight line for 25 metres within a 6 metre corridor with limited yaw.

Forward Paddling with Turns

The participants will paddle a rectangle course, carving an arc around each corner. Rectangle course: 25 metres x 12 metres.

Stopping

Participants will be able to demonstrate stopping the canoe in any direction of travel with limited to no yaw.

Circles - Edge to Edge Transition

Participants will be introduced to carving and demonstrate carving two connected circles, with edge to edge transition between the two circles. Emphasis should be placed on applying the Momentum Initiate a turn Tilt and Hold (MITH) method when carving. Upon completing the first circle (an inside circle) the canoe is flattened and a correction stroke applied to straighten out the canoe. The second circle (an outside circle) is then initiated. The stern paddler may ask the bow paddler to assist with controlling the shape of the arcs when paddling the outside circles.

Changing Positions

Participants will review the Introduction level: demonstrate changing positions in any way they feel most comfortable. On shore, raft up, passing over or beside their partner.

Sideslip (stationary)

The participant will demonstrate how to move the canoe sideways/laterally for 5 metres. Limited to 60 cm forward or backward movement. Limited yaw.

Docking

Participants will demonstrate:

• carving inside and outside turns for docking, and
• maintaining a consistent slow pace, and stopping the canoe with limited yaw, between two points, eight (8) metres apart.

The participant or the canoe must not touch or skid into the dock. 

Knowledge

Concepts

Participants should have a general understanding of the following:

• stroke phases: catch, power, recovery,
• Newton's Third Law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction,
• carving a canoe when executing turns and circles,
• MITH Method (Momentum, Initiate a turn, Tilt, Hold),
• onside and offside,
• inside and outside turns and circles,
• physical principles (yaw, pitch, and roll),
• lake anatomy (shoreline, waterline, upwind, downwind, windward, leeward, fetch), and
• wind ferry.

Equipment Parts and Knots 

The participants will review: 

• expanded parts of the canoe (waterline, freeboard, rocker, etc.),
• canoe design and materials,
• different paddle designs and materials for lake paddling,
• optional gear for lake travel (for example, dry bags),
• securing gear within the canoe,
• securing a canoe on a rack or a car,
• Bowline knot, and
• a Truckers Hitch with 2 twists and Half Hitches.

Hazards

Participants discuss the following hazards:

• hazards around the shoreline (for example but not limited to uneven ground, rocks, slippery surfaces, docks, etc.),
• wind, waves, water, weather,
• wildlife, and
• human.

Environmental Impact

Participants will discuss the impact of canoeing on the environment. For example, aquatic habitats from trampling, close approaches to wildlife (birds, fish, etc.), physical damage to plants from paddles on the lake beds, shoreline plants, wildlife disturbance. The potential spread of invasive species (clean canoes, gear after trip). Human-generated waste and chemical pollutants, like those from sunscreens, can also be issues if not managed properly. Remember the Leave No Trace seven principles.

Canoe History

Participants will engage in a brief discussion on the history of the canoe.

Resources

Participants should be made aware of resources from Paddle Canada, possible provincial organizations, canoe clubs, etc.

Risk Management

Lifejacket: Always Wear It!

Participants will demonstrate how to properly choose and secure a lifejacket, and when to replace it.

Personal Preparation

Participants will be made aware of:

• the benefits and value of proper footwear,
• dressing for the weather and water,
• hydration and food,
• PaddleSmart: Taking the essentials, Training, and having a Trip plan, when not to go; weather considerations,
• rescue priorities: paddlers, canoe, gear,
• basic hazards (Water/Wind/Waves/Weather),
• identifying lightning protocol,
• preventing hypothermia and hyperthermia, and
• human hazards: motorized crafts, invasive species, other paddlers, swimmers, and anglers.

Safety Considerations

The participants should review Introduction safety items and discuss the following:

• emergencies: wind bound
• open lake crossing, the risks, individual and group, and
• cold and heat issues (prevention, recognition, and management).

Communication

Participants will review Introduction items as well as discuss the following:

• communication device pros and cons: cell phones, radios, satellite phones, personal locator beacons, satellite communicators
• paddle signals, and
• whistle signals.

Safety and Rescue

Participants will review Introduction items as well as discuss the following:

• the importance of float plans,
• accident prevention,
• group paddling, lead and sweep, leadership roles,
• weather awareness: seasons, forecasts, sudden changes, recognizing sudden changes, the effects on navigation, and what to do, and
• cold and heat issues (prevention, recognition, and management).

Safe Rescue Procedure

Participants will discuss Safe Rescue Procedures:

• paddlers will
  • hang onto the canoe and the paddle,
  • blow the whistle three times, and
  • wait for direction from the instructor,
• the theory of the HELP and huddle positions.

Rescue Practice

Participants will demonstrate the following:

• 3 types of canoe rescues quickly and smoothly (upside down canoe over canoe, upright canoe over canoe, tandem parallel),
• one partner completes the canoe rescue while the other braces (Deep Brace/Drop Skeg):
  • keep swimmers in constant contact with the rescue canoe (hanging on either end or together at one end of the canoe) when performing the canoe rescue (do not have the swimmers assist with the rescue as they will lose additional heat by swimming in the water), and
  • swimmers can use the stirrup re-entry strap.
• canoe towing: leg-over the end or with a painter/rope,
• how to dispatch a throw bag to a swimmer,
• how to restuff a throw bag, and
• how to dry a throw bag (daisy chain).