
Paddle Canada Level 2 - The Niagara Peninsula
THE CAROLINIAN FOREST, ICONIC SURF BREAKS AND MOVING WATER
This course is "Park and Play"
Paddle Canada Level 2 is an intermediate kayaking course. This course is for paddlers looking to venture out into the Great Lakes. You will add to the foundational skills learned in Level 1 during this course.
The Mighty Niagara is a challenging and misunderstood place to paddle a sea kayak. We will use the river as the venue for this one of a kind program. We will also have a chance to visit a surf break that is home to the oldest freshwater surf club in the Great Lakes Region.
Day 1
- Load kayaks at the designated launch
- Safety debrief
- Risk Management presentation
- Level 1 Review
- Four Corners (turning under momentum) - Level 2 quality
- Sweep strokes
- Bow and cross bow rudder
- High and low brace turns
- Rescues in level 2 conditions - currents
- Self rescue
- Assisted rescue
- Bow Rescue
Day 2
- Navigation presentation
- Coastal Touring and Navigation
- We will use charts, plotters and compasses to find shipwrecks and lighthouses.
- Launching and Landing
- Intro to rolling
- Weather forecasting & interpretation
Day 3
- Daily weather interpretation.
- Coastal Touring and Navigation
- Intro to towing
- Rescue scenarios
Day 4
- Daily weather interpretation.
- Ded reckoning exercises.
- Search for play
- Paddling in currents
- Launching and landing in tricky spots
- Tides & Currents presentation
or the purposes of this class, you will require: Full List
- A sea kayak, with 2 bulkheads.
- We have fiberglass NDK sea kayaks for rent. You may use your own, if you wish.
- You will need a pump, a whistle, and a 15m floating rope. They are available to purchase if required.
- Dry suits are available to borrow if required.
- Camping gear - we have some for rent, please enquire if needed.
- Food is not included but meal plans are available.
Please note that participants are responsible for parking permits.
We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather (Known as Fort Erie) is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Attiwonderonk, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and Mississauga.
We are grateful for the knowledge shared with us by the Indigenous peoples of what is now known as Canada as well as the circumpolar region of the Northern Hemisphere.