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Gentleman paddling a canoe solo.
Photo credit: Gabes Images

Intermediate Solo Lake Canoeing

Discipline: Canoeing Program: Lake Canoe Stream: Skills Development

Intermediate Solo Lake Canoeing builds on the skills learned in the introduction level and enables the paddler to have confidence paddling in more dynamic conditions.


Students will expand their skills and principles necessary to paddle with a partner in open lake waters, to perform skills and manoeuvres with greater refinement, demonstrate confidence in an open water environments, and to develop a greater awareness of environmental hazards and how to avoid/react to those hazards.

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Course Overview

Typical Course Length

12 hours of instruction (2 days)

Course Topics

Safety and Rescue
  • Carrying a canoe
  • Weather information/interpretation
  • Heat and cold issues
  • Accident prevention
  • Principles of effective rescue
  • First aid kits
  • Deep water exits
  • Swimming canoe to shore
  • Emptying swamped canoe
  • Canoe over canoe rescue
  • Assisting a swimmer into a rescue canoe
  • Towing a canoe
  • Throw bag rescues
  • Entering and exiting a canoe
Strokes
  • Draw and pry
  • Forward and reverse sweeps
  • Bow and crossbow jam
  • Sculling draw
  • Righting pry
  • J-stroke
  • Cuts
  • Reverse J and C
  • Silent
Manoeuvres
  • Figure 8’s
  • Rectangle course
  • Reverse straight-line
  • Sideslip along a dock
  • Precision docking
  • Running sideslip (onside)
  • Controlled stops
Concepts
  • Solo position/trim
  • Power face and non-power face
  • Inside and outside turns
  • Stroke phases: catch, power and recovery
  • Mith: Momentum, Initiation, Tilt and Hold
Knowledge
  • Canoe and paddle designs and materials
  • Knots: taut line, clove hitch, highwayman’s hitch
  • Day trip planning (location, navigation, communication, and float plan)
  • Basic repair kit
  • Emergency survival kit
  • Paddling abilities/limitations
  • Canoe history
Course Prerequisites
  • Introduction to Solo Lake Canoeing certification or permission of the Instructor, based on proof of prior learning of equivalent skill and knowledge.