Location: Bonaventure River, Quebec. Photo credit: Felix Serre

Advanced Solo Moving Water Canoeing

Discipline: Canoeing Program: Moving Water Stream: Skills Development

The Advanced program is designed to take those keen whitewater paddlers to the next level. Students will hone their skills and strengthen their understanding of the language of the river.

Students will further develop skills to descend and cross currents, capture micro eddies and run complex class III rapids.

New maneuvers like side and back surfing will strengthen stability skills and build one’s confidence. All together the course maximizes the fun on the river.

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Course Overview

Typical Course Length

14 hours of instruction.

Course Topics

Safety and Rescue

Advanced river features/hazards (class III)
Advanced rescue systems and courses
When to portage

General Paddling Skills

Active paddle blade
Navigating advanced river features
Blending strokes

Paddling Strokes

Review and refine intermediate strokes
Stroke blending
High brace
Boof stroke

Manoeuvres

Launching and landing in circulating eddies
Back ferry
Boofing
Wave blocking
Crossing the grain
Side surfing holes (class II)
Back surfing (class II)
Navigating advanced water features
Crossing the grain with speed (complex)

Concepts

Wave interference patterns
Navigating differential currents
Finding the dry line
Scouting from the canoe

Knowledge

Class III river anatomy
Water reading - gradient patterns
Advanced canoe design

Course Prerequisites

Intermediate Solo Moving Water or with permission of the instructor, based on proof of prior learning of equivalent skill and knowledge.

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The content on this page is provided for information only and could be incorrect or outdated.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.