Paddle Canada is a community of trusted leaders that inspires connections to Canadians and nature through paddling. Our mission is to promote, educate and support the recreational paddling community, paddling instructors, and partners. Each year, over 10,000 students across Canada take canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding courses with certified Paddle Canada instructors.

Learn to Paddle

So, you want to learn to paddle? Read about the different courses we offer, and where you can start your journey.

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Find a Paddling School

Search for a paddling school across Canada. You can search our directory by location or by courses offered.

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Support Paddle Canada

We rely on membership fees to operate as a not-for profit organization. If you are not a Paddle Canada instructor, but would like to support us, please consider a Friends of Paddle Canada membership!

Become a Friend of Paddle Canada

A guy in a kayak is happy after paddling down a section of whitewater in Nova Scotia. — Location: Medway River, Nova Scotia. Photo credit: Karl Vollmer

Two ladies canoeing in the rain. — Photo credit: Gabes Images

A family cooking marshmallows over a fire while camping by a lake and learning how to camp. — Photo credit: Brooks Rice

I want to

Learn to Canoe

There are six programs offered in our canoe stream: Lake Canoe, Style Canoe, Moving Water, Big Canoe, Poling Canoe and Coastal Canoe.

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Learn to Sea Kayak

Our Sea Kayaking program begins with a Basic Kayak Skills course in calm sheltered conditions and progresses to advanced skills for open coastal touring in rough water conditions.

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Learn to River Kayak

We offer four exciting levels in white water kayaking, beginning in calm, sheltered waters to acquire basic skills to allow your learning to progress to Class I, II and III rivers.

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Learn to Stand Up Paddleboard

Our Stand Up Paddleboard Program begins with the Basic SUP skills course in calm sheltered conditions and progresses in steps to advanced touring skills on open water in rough conditions. Additionally, the paddler can seek advanced skills in the river and surf streams.

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Learn to Go Camping

Beginning with a basic skills course in a frontcountry setting and progressing to a wilderness environment, our camping programs can be taken as a course on their own, or incorporated with any of our paddling programs to give students the knowledge and confidence to spend longer periods of time outdoors.

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