Two men paddling down whitewater in a red canoe.
Location: Bonaventure River, Quebec. Photo credit: Felix Serre

Intermediate Solo Moving Water Canoeing

Discipline: Canoeing Program: Moving Water Stream: Skills Development

The Intermediate Solo Moving Water Canoeing level introduces students to the exciting world of whitewater canoeing. The course focus on individual comfort, knowledge, and paddling techniques for navigating Class II waters.

The course introduces students to river features that require more complex manoeuvres.

Students will learn how to use these features to assist them in safely running easy technical whitewater.

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Course Overview

Typical Course Length

14 hours of instruction.

Course Topics

Safety and Rescue
  • International river classification
  • Morphology (causes of features)
  • Expanded canoe and swimmer rescues and procedures
  • Water levels and flow rates
  • Personal gear for whitewater paddling
  • Introduction to rolling
General Paddling Skills
  • Eddy exits into troughs
  • Stroke timing and placement
  • Controlling the arc
Paddling Strokes
  • Review and refining Introduction strokes
  • Sculling draw and pry
  • Righting pry
  • Reverse J stroke
  • Boof Stroke
Manoeuvres
  • Flat-waters drills
  • Landing with back ferry
  • Jet ferries
  • Eddy exit and entry with wave troughs
  • S-turns with wave interference patterns
  • Front surf
  • Shift
  • Navigating eddies with back ferries
  • Navigating tight bends
  • Boofing
  • River running techniques including wave blocking
  • Navigating river features
  • Linking manoeuvres
Concepts
  • Troughs
  • Crossing the grain
  • Scouting from shore
Knowledge
  • Class II river anatomy
  • Water features
  • Water reading - current patterns
  • Canoe designs
Course Prerequisites
  • Introduction to Solo Moving Water Canoeing or permission of the Instructor, based on proof of prior learning of equivalent skill and knowledge.