Aim
To provide a national certification in the instruction and administration of the Paddle Canada level-4 Sea Kayaking Skills course.

The Level-4 instructor is certified to:

• Conduct Paddle Canada Introduction to Kayaking and Level-1, 2, 3 & 4 Skills courses and to certify paddlers at the those levels

Prerequisites

• At least 18 years of age.
• Paddle Canada Sea Kayaking Level-4 Skills certification.
• Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Instructor Level-3 Certification.
• Significant paddling experience in a wide variety of conditions and locations.
• Current certification in Wilderness First Aid with CPR (36 hours).

Course Length
Level-4 Instructor is achieved only through the mentorship process.

Location
Open coast with infrequent and sometimes difficult landing options.

Conditions
Strong winds (near 20 knots). Combined sea state 1-metre or better with a moderate to rough
sea state. Surf >=1 metre. Current >= 3 knots.

Assessment
Assessment must be conducted by a minimum of one Level-2 Instructor Trainer and one Level-3 Instructor Trainer and the Apprentice must be assessed by a different Instructor Trainer on each of the two courses.

The Level-4 Apprentice-Instructor is a very experienced Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Instructor. The training and assessment of a Level-4 Instructor-Apprentice includes all the content as listed for the Instructor courses and extends to include the content of Level-4 skills, knowledge and the significant demands of the Level-4 skill environmental conditions. At this level the ability of the Apprentice to manage the safe conduct of the course is of paramount importance and will feature significantly in the assessment. The judgement necessary to choose safe yet challenging locations and sea conditions is central to the presentation of a Level-4 skills course. The Level-4 skills course is taught by a minimum of two instructors and the ability for Instructors to work as a team, both on and off the water, is central to the safe and effective delivery of this the Level-4 Skills course.

For additional information refer to the page on Mentorship for Certification of Instructors in the Sea Kayak Program Manual.