Waterfront Canoe Skills

Discipline: Canoeing Program: Lake Canoe Stream: Skills Development

The Waterfront Canoe Program provides knowledge and skills necessary for calm water paddling in a designated "waterfront or beachfront" area.

The course focuses on basic skill development, safety and an understanding of limitations primarily through paddling games and group activities.

The items chosen for inclusion in this program are of importance to individuals being introduced to canoeing through canoeing games in a summer camp or canoe club setting, within a sheltered environment.

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Course Overview

Typical Course Length

1-5 hours of instruction. Can be broken up into mini sessions.

Course Topics

Safety and Rescue

Transport Canada regulations
Designated paddling area
Cold and heat related concerns
Environmental hazards
Emergency procedures for the camp/club
Rescue procedures: canoe over canoe
Buddy system
Warm-ups to reduce paddling injuries
Lifejacket selection
Carrying a canoe
How to sit or kneel

General Paddling Skills

How to enter and exit a canoe
Coordinating switching sides and places

Strokes

Forward and reverse strokes
Check (stop)
Draw and Pry
J-stroke or rudder
Forward sweep
Low brace
Drop skeg

Manoeuvres

Forward paddling
Pivoting
Turns under power
Stopping

Concepts

How to hold a paddle
Balance: 3-point contact
Paddling positions

Knowledge

Basic canoe and paddle parts
Paddling with the group
Course limitations
Additional courses
Paddlesmart
Canoeing resources & local paddling clubs

Course Prerequisites

None

The Small Print

The content on this page is provided for information only and could be incorrect or outdated. The course program manual is the official syllabus.

If you have any specific syllabus questions, please get in touch with the Canoe Program Committee who is responsible for the development and maintaince of this course.