Kayak Ontario - Navigation Level 1
Online self-paced course — Launch Special: $9.99 (regular $39.99)
Course Overview
The Nav L1: Coastal Navigation Fundamentals course teaches you to navigate confidently using charts and compass — the way experienced paddlers do. No GPS required. Through interactive online lessons, hands-on exercises, and practical scenarios, you'll build the skills to plan day trips, follow bearings, and never feel lost on the water.
This isn't a classroom lecture series. Each lesson is built around doing: measuring distances on charts, taking bearings, planning routes, and solving the same navigation problems you'll face on Georgian Bay, Lake Superior, or wherever you paddle.
Who Is This Course For?
- Paddlers who want to learn navigation
- Kayakers planning trips in island-rich areas like the 30,000 Islands
- Anyone preparing for Paddle Canada Level 2 certification, or L2 paddlers who want to continue their learning path
- Paddlers who want to understand "where am I?" and "how do I get there?"
What You'll Learn
Chart Reading
- Decode chart symbols — rocks, shoals, lights, and buoys
- Understand scale and measure real distances
- Find the right chart for your paddling area
Compass Skills
- How marine compasses work (and why they're different from hiking compasses)
- True north vs. magnetic north — and why it matters in Ontario
- Take a bearing from a chart and follow it on the water
- Use a Douglas Protractor to plot courses
Piloting Techniques
- Hand-railing: navigating along shorelines and features
- Backstops: knowing when you've gone too far
- Aiming off: the trick to finding narrow channels
- Checkpoints and waypoints for tracking progress
Time, Speed & Distance
- The 60 D=ST formula — navigation math made simple
- Realistic group speeds for trip planning
- Using time as a navigation tool
Trip Planning
- Alpha vs. beta knowledge — research vs. real-time decisions
- Creating float plans that actually help SAR find you
- Building a passage plan with legs, times, and contingencies
Course Format
- 7 modules with 30+ interactive lessons — work at your own pace
- Hands-on exercises using real CHS charts
- Practice scenarios based on Ontario paddling destinations
- Self-assessment checklist to track your progress
Equipment Required
None. Everything you need is built into the course. If you want to practice with physical tools later, we'll point you in the right direction.
What's Next?
After Nav L1, you'll be ready for:
- Nav L2: Tides, Currents & Weather — plan trips around conditions
- Nav L3: Dead Reckoning & Position Fixing — navigate in reduced visibility
- Nav L4: Expedition Planning — multi-day trip logistics