Basic Kayak Skills

Course Description

This is the primary starting point of the Paddle Canada Sea Kayak skills progression. With a focus on foundation skills and knowledge, Basic Kayak Skills inspires participants to go out on short paddling excursions in calm and sheltered waters.

General Learning Outcome

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to confidently paddle in class 0 or calm, sheltered waters in the company of peers with similar abilities.

Course Details

Prerequisites

None.

Minimum Course Length

8 hours of instruction (1 day) with a minimum of 6 hours instruction on the water.

Class Ratio

1 instructor:6 participants

Minimum Staff and Certification

One Basic Kayak Instructor is required to teach this course.

Environmental Conditions and Sea State

Conditions should not exceed water class 0. Please see Water Class Definitions for a specific description of all water classifications.

If desired, some topics can be introduced or taught in a pool environment, however, at least 50% of the course time must be spent in a class 0 environment on a natural body of water (ocean or lake).

Teaching Notes

While there is a great deal to learn at this level, the activities should concentrate on personal progression and an awareness of the need for future learning. Participants should leave the course encouraged to continue their learning and be aware of their individual limitations.

Suggested teaching times listed are intended to be used as a resource for new instructors and to help experienced instructors understand how much emphasis should be placed on each topic. Instructors can use their discretion to shorten or lengthen suggested times as they see fit.

Participant Assessment

Assessment will be through practical exercises with a focus on developing the participant’s awareness of their personal road map to future learning.

A skills checklist is available for this level and instructors are encouraged to use it to assist in both decision making and communication about a student’s progress. Refer to Assessment Guidelines for Skills Courses for details on pass/fail guidelines.

Basic Kayak Skills Summary

Re-entry Skills

• Wet Exit
• Assisted Re-entries

Knowledge

• Kayak Part Names and Outfitting
• Paddling and Safety Equipment
• Injury Prevention
• Sun Safety

Paddling Skills

• Lifting and Carrying a Kayak
• Launching and Landing
• Emptying the Kayak
• Forward Stroke
• Stopping
• Reverse Stroke
• Forward Sweep Stroke
• Reverse Sweep Stroke
• Pivots
• Draw Stroke
• Low Brace Recovery
• Edging

Re-entry Skills

Wet Exit

The participant will release the spray skirt and exit the kayak in a controlled and confident manner.

General Description

Developed through a series of challenges that increase confidence and skill, the participant will be able to capsize the kayak while underway and braced inside the cockpit.

Teaching Notes

Emphasis is on increasing time underwater before exiting to a suggested 5 seconds and hanging on to the paddle and kayak upon surfacing. The paddler should remain calm and in control.

New paddlers are often scared of getting wet so challenge them to some simple balance exercises. They get wet in a fun way which makes their first rescue attempt a lot less serious.

Assisted Re-entries

The participant will:

• wet exit and re-enter the kayak in deep water with assistance from another paddler,
• demonstrate the re-entry as both a swimmer and the assistant, and
• understand the differences between the re-entry of a single and a double kayak.

Use of Re-entry Aids

Paddle Canada is committed to inclusive, skill-focused leaning for paddlers of all body types and abilities. Re-entry aids such as paddle floats, stirrups, and other tools are welcome and encouraged in all courses, at any level. These tools do not need special permission to be used and using them does not prevent a participant from passing. They should, however, be used competently and in a way that that matches the skill level being taught.

Teaching Notes

Aids such as a stirrup may be used.

The spray skirt must be in place for the capsize.

The re-entry is complete when the excess water is removed from the cockpit, the swimmer is back in the boat, the spray skirt is reattached, and the paddler has regained sufficient stability to continue paddling effectively.

Typically, the re-entry skills portion of Basic Kayak can be taught in about 1.5-2 hours.

Paddling Skills

Lifting and Carrying a Kayak

The participant will demonstrate an ability to lift and carry a kayak in tandem with another person safely.

Teaching Notes

Effective visual and verbal communication should be encouraged.

Emphasis should be placed on lifting with legs and not the back and being careful on uneven or slippery ground.

Launching and Landing

The participant will enter and exit a kayak safely from either a beach or dock of low or medium height.

Emptying the Kayak

The participant will empty the kayak in shallow water, for example, after a capsize, entering or exiting the kayak at the shoreline.

Forward Stroke

The participant will paddle forward on a short journey (200 metres or more) in a straight line under control without the use of a rudder or skeg.

General Description

The blade should enter the water at or near the toes, be fully submerged and leave the water at or just past the hips.

It is important that proper torso rotation be introduced and encouraged at this level to develop proper technique early on. Torso rotation should be introduced with an emphasis on the flexion and extension of the legs and the rotation of the hips, trunk and shoulders all together. The student should understand the forward stroke motion is not an isolated twisting of the trunk, as that can lead to shoulder and lower back injury.

Participants at this level will have varied abilities to consistently and confidently rotate in the kayak, and although rotation should be encouraged, it is not a requirement for passing this course.

Stopping

The participant will stop the kayak without changing the kayak’s heading while paddling at a moderate speed.

General Description

Use small reverse strokes (when travelling forward) on alternating sides.

Reverse Stroke

The participant will:

• paddle in reverse over a short distance (50 metres or more) in a straight line without the use of a rudder or skeg, and
• look behind them periodically.

General Description

The blade should enter the water just behind the hips and leave the water around the knees.

Ensure full paddle blade submersion for maximum efficiency using the back of the blade throughout the stroke.

Teaching Note

The reverse stroke is an effective activity to emphasize torso rotation as some beginner paddlers find it easier during the reverse stroke than the forward stroke.

Forward Sweep Stroke

The participant will:

• use forward sweeps to turn the kayak in each direction, and
• attempt to use edging to assist with turning.

General Description

The paddle blade should be fully submerged just below the surface and placed near the boat at the toes.

Maintaining both arms in an extended position with a slight bend in the water side elbow and a 90-degree bend in the other elbow minimal elbow flex, face the direction the bow is moving and sweep the blade away from the boat in an arc.

Torso rotation is the source of power for this stroke and good contact between the lower body and the kayak is required.

Blade exit is dependent upon how much turn is required along with keeping a moderate cadence. Participants should be encouraged to remove the blade from the water at or just past the hip.

Reverse Sweep Stroke

The participant will:

• use reverse sweeps to turn the kayak in each direction,
• attempt to use edging to assist with turning, and
• strive to look where they are going rather than watching their blade.

General Description

The paddle blade should be fully submerged just below the surface and placed near the side of the boat as far back as comfortable.

Maintaining a slight bend in the water side elbow and a 90-degree bend in the other elbow, face the opposite direction the stern is moving and sweep the blade away from the boat in an arc.

Torso rotation is the source of power for this stroke and good contact between the lower body and the kayak is required.

Blade exit is dependent upon how much turn is required. Participants should be encouraged to remove the blade from the water at or near the toes.

Pivots

The participant will:

• use both forward and reverse sweep strokes to pivot the kayak in both directions, and
• attempt to edge their kayak to assist with turning.

Draw Stroke

The participant will use a draw stroke to move the kayak sideways 2 metres.

Teaching Note

While participants should be encouraged to demonstrate the stroke with a vertical paddle shaft and effective torso rotation, at this level emphasis should be placed on boat movement rather than strict paddler form.

Low Brace Recovery

The participant will simulate a capsize and demonstrate proper low brace technique to recover.

General Description

The back of the blade should be against the surface of the water with elbows directly above the wrists.

Pushing the paddle on the surface of the water arrests further tipping into the water while recovery of balance is due to righting the kayak with the lower body.

Edging

The participant will:

• demonstrate the beginnings of good edge control to assist in turning, and
• paddle forward for 5 metres with the kayak tilted on edge.

General Description

The participant should have effective body posture for good edge control, leaning slightly forward of upright.

The participant should be able to use their hips to gently tilt the kayak while keeping their chest / PFD balanced over the midline of the kayak.

Knowledge

Unless specifically mentioned, all activities in this knowledge section can typically be covered in about 10 minutes each.

Kayak Part Names and Outfitting

The participant will:

• state the basic name and purpose of the different features of a kayak, and
• outline the potential risks of paddling a kayak without deck lines, toggles/grab loops or bulkheads.

Paddling and Safety Equipment

The participant will:

• list the minimum safety equipment for kayaking as required by Transport Canada as well as its proper use, and
• list other important yet optional safety equipment they might consider bringing including an extra paddle and

Injury Prevention

The participant will participate in various warm-up procedures that can help prevent common injuries.

Sun Safety

The participant will outline the positive effects of sun safety clothing, including hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

Collision Regulations

The participant will state the basic collision regulations as they pertain to interactions between sea kayakers and other maritime operators.

Teaching Note

This should be appropriate to the location of the course, with a more general view to the principles of the collision regulations.

Navigation

The participant will:

• demonstrate the basic concepts of navigation in the context of a short paddle (2 to 3 hours) in protected waters, including:
  • piloting as it relates to observing landmarks so they can keep track of their location, and
  • keeping track of time to identify how quickly the paddlers are progressing and when to turn back.
• conclude that navigation is an essential aspect of kayaking and a topic that is developed in later levels.

Risk Assessment and Mitigation

The participant will:

• describe common paddling hazards,
• explain how to avoid or reduce exposure to make safe decisions,
• use a simple risk assessment framework to identify the risks of paddling in sheltered waters,
• explain the basic concepts of hazards, risks, mitigation, and benefits, and
• identify basic paddling hazards.

Teaching Note

Ensure hazard evaluation includes:

• Group: size, ability and preparedness.
• Environment: water and air temperature, wind and waves and, launching and landing options.
• Equipment: seaworthy boats, safety gear including Transport Canada requirements and clothing.

Impact of Kayakers on the Environment

The participant will give examples of how kayakers have a negative impact on the local natural environment.

Teaching Note

Please see Resources for Sustainable Camping and Paddling for more resources.