Advanced River Kayak Instructor

Mandate of the Advanced River Kayak Instructor

The Advanced River Kayaking Instructor is certified to conduct up to Paddle Canada Advanced River Kayak skills courses and to certify paddlers at that level. Additionally, the Advanced River Kayak instructor can teach paddlers river kayaking on rivers up to and including Class III.

Prerequisites

Age

At least 18 years of age.

Membership

Current Paddle Canada membership and Provincial/Territory membership (as required).

Skills Certification

Paddle Canada Advanced River Kayaking skills certification.

Teaching Experience

Paddle Canada Intermediate River Kayak Instructor, having taught at least two Intermediate skills courses at least three months apart.

Rolling Ability

The demonstrated ability to consistently roll a kayak in a Class III water on one side.

Safety Training

Swift Water Rescue Training is highly recommended.

Minimum Course Length

24 hours (3 days) minimum.

Class Ratio

1 Instructor:6 candidates

Certification Awarded

Paddle Canada Advanced River Kayaking Instructor.

Minimum Staff and Certification

One Advanced River Kayak Instructor Trainer.

Minimum Number of Registered Candidates

This instructor course must have a minimum of three registered candidates to qualify. This is to ensure the candidate experiences an appropriate level of group dynamics and is able to demonstrate competence in managing those dynamics.

Environmental Conditions

Course should be held primarily in Class III water.

Please see Moving Water Classifications for specific definitions of water classifications.

Other Recommended Training

Swift Water Rescue training is recommended.

Instructor Candidate Assessment

The Advanced River Kayaking Instructor will be evaluated by the following methods:

• Continuous evaluation (by observation) of skills throughout the course.
• A written test of knowledge of course content of approximately one hour in length. Candidates must achieve a mark of at least 80% to pass.
• Candidate demonstration of appropriate level of group management, and professionalism when teaching.
• Written and/or oral presentations demonstrating ability to communicate the course content.
• Ongoing evaluation (by observation) of the candidate’s performance in the areas of safety, group care, self-care, equipment care, group dynamics and leadership.
• A minimum of 2 demonstrations of teaching ability by each candidate, 1 of which shall be an “on water” session in which the candidate teaches an Advanced River Kayaking skill. The candidate must select a site appropriate to the skill being taught and to the skill level of the participants. In addition, development of appropriate teaching progression and strategies must be demonstrated. Teaching topics may be previously assigned or chosen or may be assigned at short notice from a previously issued list. The course instructors will determine the methods and number of tests in each content area.

Personal Skills

All candidates will have kayaking experience beyond that of the Advanced River skills course and perform all safety and skill items to a level that is superior to that of a participant taking the Advanced River skills course.

Candidates must have successfully completed the Paddle Canada Advanced River Kayak Skills course.

Safety

Candidates must demonstrate all safety procedures outlined in the Advanced River Kayaking Skills course. Candidates must also identify potential hazards in a variety of kayaking situations and state appropriate preventative safety procedures.

Demonstration Skills

Advanced River Kayaking Instructor candidates must consistently show demonstration quality skills as outlined in the Advanced River Kayaking course on Class III rivers. As such, a skills demonstration by the candidate will be required. Advanced and novelty skills may be introduced at the Intermediate to River Kayaking Instructor course for purposes of enrichment, as time and resources allow.

It is expected that instructor candidates will be able to complete the required skills with ease, clearly showing strokes, body movements and boat movements in an obvious demonstration.

Teaching and Evaluation

Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of the following topics and areas, especially as applied to the teaching of psychomotor skills in general and recreational kayaking specifically.

• How one learns.
• Conditions of learning.
• Skill, knowledge, and attitude areas of learning.
• Goals and objectives.
• Teaching strategies.
• Lesson planning and organization.
• Class management.
• Group dynamics.
• Evaluation techniques.
• Instructor behaviour and attitudes.
• How to plan and organize an Intermediate River Kayaking course.

Lesson Plan

Candidates will complete a lesson plan for a Paddle Canada Advanced River Kayaking Course. This assignment may be handed in after the instructor course, however, no certification will be issued until the assignment and all other criteria have been satisfied.

Theory

Candidates must demonstrate a thorough understanding of all theory presented in the Advanced River Kayaking course. The candidate will demonstrate knowledge of the following topics as they relate to the initiation, management, and operation of a recreational Kayaking Program in Canada.

• Paddle Canada policies, programs, certification, and certification maintenance.
• Organization and management of an Advanced River Kayaking course.
• Other germane institutions and programs (National associations, Provincial associations, clubs, etc.) available in Canada.
• Overview of resources (publications, manufacturers, retailers, repair persons, etc.) available in Canada.
• Legal and liability issues affecting the instructor.
• Safety procedures, hazard recognition, related regulations, and safety equipment.
• Equipment choice, teaching sites and areas, and scheduling.
• Development of appropriate teaching progression.
• Knowledge of kayaking activities, games, and events
• Staffing and staff management