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Two canoeists paddling along the ocean.
Location: Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. Photo credit: Richard Alexander

Intermediate Coastal Canoeing

Discipline: Canoeing Program: Coastal Canoeing Stream: Skills Development

The skills and knowledge gained in the Intermediate Coastal Canoeing course forms a base of knowledge for confident and safe canoe travel in more dynamic coastal environments.


This course expands on knowledge taught in the introduction level such as tidal prediction, marine forecasting and navigation with nautical charts and adds greater detail surrounding land and wind interactions.

Strokes and maneuvers are performed at a higher degree of proficiency in conditions with greater exposure to wind, waves and possible swell. Students are introduced to more exposed locations so they are better able to identify the differences between sheltered and exposed coastline paddling.

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Course Overview

Typical Course Length

14 hours of instruction.

Course Topics

Safety and Rescue
  • Review of Intermediate Lake Tandem Canoeing skills (within the context of coastal canoeing)
  • Interpretation of marine and land forecast
  • Tides
  • Coastal navigation
  • Personal preparation (wet or dry suits, etc)
  • Canoe over canoe rescue
  • Towing
General Paddling Skills
  • Review of Intermediate Lake Tandem Canoeing skills
  • Compound strokes
  • Compensating for environmental effects
Paddling Strokes
  • Review and refine of Intermediate Lake Tandem Canoeing strokes
  • Bow pry
  • Cross bow draw
  • Reverse J stroke
  • Compound reverse
Manoeuvres
  • Forward paddling
  • Tight pivot turns
  • Side slipping and shift
  • Precision stopping
  • Tighter turning
Knowledge
  • Advance reading of nautical charts
  • Navigation - expanded piloting (features and transits)
  • Land and marine forecasts
  • Dealing with waves and swell including clapotis waves, cross seas tide against swell and boomers
  • Influencing factors on tidal range
  • Locating safe paddling environments
Course Prerequisites
  • Intermediate Lake Tandem Canoeing and,
  • Introduction to Coastal Canoeing or prior experience with permission of the Instructor.