Touring 2 Stand Up Paddleboard Skills

This course provides the skills and knowledge for proficient paddleboarding in moderate conditions, along a moderately exposed shore with frequent easy-landing opportunities.

Successful participants will receive the Touring 2 Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Skills award.

Prerequisites

Skills Certification

Touring 1 SUP course or equivalent skills and knowledge.

Paddling Experience

At least three, one-day SUP touring trips in different locations.

Paddlers need time and practice to sufficiently develop the skills learned in the prerequisite course before registering in this course.

First Aid Certification

Wilderness first aid (minimum 16 hours) with CPR strongly recommended.

Minimum Course Length

12-16 hours (2 days) minimum.

Class Ratio

1 instructor:6 participants

1 instructor+1 assistant:8 participants

1 instructor+2 assistants:10 participants

Minimum Staff and Certification

A minimum of one Touring 2 SUP Instructor is required to teach this course.

A Touring 1 SUP Instructor with Touring 2 SUP Skills certification can assist.

Course Location

Moderately exposed coastline with semi-frequent, easy-landing opportunities.

Environmental Conditions

Ideally, this course takes place in a Class 2 environment, but the instructor can utilize the conditions of the day in Class 1-3 environments. See Water Classification for Lakes and Oceans.

Participant Assessment

Evaluation is ongoing throughout each course. Participants can be evaluated through oral test, practical evaluation, written test, and general observation. Participants will be graded pass, weak, or fail in each category. Pass is required on all categories, but one weak skill may be accepted at the discretion of the instructor.

Learning Outcomes

Safety Skills

Safety Equipment

The participant will

• demonstrate knowledge and application of equipment essential touring gear needed for longer trips and crossings. This should include equipment for first aid, communication, and navigation as well as exposure/immersion gear when appropriate, and
• safely and securely pack and store the equipment on board.

Group Management

The participant will demonstrate techniques for managing a group in dynamic open water conditions. Some techniques and practices include formations, pacing, crossing techniques, drafting, and trip contracts.

Communication

The participant will demonstrate knowledge of the need for reliable communication devices within a group and to reach emergency services, such as VHF radios, GPS, and satellite or cellular phones.

Advanced Scenarios

The participant will:

• participate in a series of group or solo scenarios that increase in complexity and time. Scenarios will include difficulties such as seasickness, shoulder injuries, repetitive strain injuries, hypothermia/hyperthermia, and damaged boards, and
• will demonstrate knowledge, control, confidence, and sufficient skill to complete exercises in a timely and efficient manner.

Teaching Note

Exercises must require transporting an incapacitated paddler to shore and may include remediation of simulated hypothermia and calling for external assistance.

Paddling Skills

Paddling Efficiency for Longer Distances

The participant will demonstrate techniques for greater efficiency in Touring 2 conditions, including crossings. This can include stroke efficiency, energy conservation, drafting, and working with the elements and terrain to increase efficiency.

Launching from an Exposed Shoreline

The participant will navigate from the beach to the outside of the surf zone with a loaded board while kneeling or standing. The participant will choose an appropriate time to paddle out.

Landing in Surf Conditions

The participant will demonstrate the ability to land safely in surf conditions, to avoid waves or pull out of waves, and to make appropriate decisions about timing in the surf zone.

Paddling in Current

The participant will demonstrate the ability to paddle in current. This includes crossing eddy lines, ferrying, and identifying hazards and aids within the current.

Paddling in Adverse Conditions

The participant will demonstrate the ability to paddle and progress through adverse conditions such as strong winds, waves, swell, current, chop, etc. This can include drafting, kneeling, lower-profile positions, and sheltered routes.

Paddling in Winds and Waves with a Fully Loaded Board

The participant will demonstrate paddling in winds and waves appropriate to the touring 2 level with a fully loaded board while maintaining balance and efficiency.

Knowledge

Decision Making Models

The participant will demonstrate the ability to apply decision-making models to plan a paddling trip. These models should include sea state / water conditions, wind, weather, terrain, and human factors.

Planning Daily Mileage

The participant will demonstrate the ability to plan a realistic and safe daily mileage taking into consideration sea state / water conditions, wind, weather, terrain, and human factors.

Advanced Weather Forecasting

The participant will:

• describe local and regional weather patterns,
• identify 4 different types of clouds and what types of weather they likely precede,
• identify low & high pressure systems and cold & warm fronts and their effects on local/regional weather,
• identify the signs of weather change,
• describe the effects of wind over water or land including channeling/funneling, corner effects, land and sea breezes, fog, anabatic and katabatic winds,
• obtain and record a marine weather forecast via VHF, internet, or weather radio, and
• describe and apply backcountry lightning risk management and avoidance.

Navigation

The participant will:

• demonstrate the correct use of a marine chart or topographical map to plot a safe and efficient course. Plotting a course includes distances, compass bearings, aids to navigation, hazards, and alternative safe landing sites,
• demonstrate piloting techniques including handrails, backstops, checkpoints, ranges, and aiming off,
• demonstrate compass navigational techniques including parts of the compass, calculating variation/declination, determining, and following a bearing, triangulate current position, and
• demonstrate knowledge of the advantages and limitations of GPS, use a GPS to calculate current position and locate it on a chart/map, and navigate to a nearby waypoint.

Tides and Currents

The participant will demonstrate knowledge of and accurately predict tides and currents for the area paddled. This information should be manually recorded and understood but the group can also discuss/use sources such as the Internet and apps.

Reading Natural Cues

The participant will:

• demonstrate awareness and knowledge of the surrounding natural environment and how it can aid the ability to navigate and forecast conditions, and
• observe and demonstrate knowledge of signs such as, but not limited to kelp direction to determine current flow, seafoam to determine current direction, the intervals between waves breaking on rocks to determine swell period, and cloud types and movement to help forecast weather.

Touring Equipment

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge and application of necessary equipment for touring in Touring 2 conditions, including appropriate board designs and gear stowage options, and
• efficiently and securely pack their board for a day of paddling without interfering with their ability to paddle.