Kayak Ontario - Navigation Level 3 (Advanced)
This program can be taken online or in person.
Course materials can be shipped or picked up in class.
Course Overview:
The Advanced Kayak Navigation Course is designed as a hybrid program, blending online theory sessions with practical, on-water training at the Saugeen Peninsula, using Mountain Trout Camp as a base camp. This flexible approach allows participants to develop advanced navigation skills from home through interactive online lessons before applying their knowledge in a stunning, real-world paddling environment.
Who Is This Course For?
- Level 3 kayakers on the tired approach program.
- Paddlers who have completed the Intermediate Kayak Navigation Course or have equivalent skills.
- Experienced kayakers planning multi-day trips, open-water crossings, or complex coastal routes.
- Those looking to integrate advanced navigation, weather analysis, and risk management in real-world conditions.
Course Structure:
- Duration: 5 weeks + 3 Days (2.5 hours per online session + 1 day per on-water session).
- Format: 5 classroom theory sessions + 5 on-water practical sessions.
- Location: Classroom and Saugeen Peninsula (selected for safe yet challenging learning conditions).
Course Breakdown
Week 1: Advanced Review and Course Objectives (Classroom)
- Review of intermediate navigation: chart work, compass use, tides, currents, and basic weather systems.
- Course goals and personal paddler objectives.
Week 2: Advanced Chart Reading and Route Planning (Classroom)
- Charting complex routes: interpreting drying heights, offshore hazards, and anchorage zones.
- Multi-variable route planning: tides, currents, wind exposure, and open crossings.
- Weather tie-in: identifying wind and swell impacts along your route.
- Exercise: Plan a multi-leg route considering tides and marine weather.
Week 3: Advanced Weather Analysis for Expeditions (Classroom)
- Reading synoptic weather charts: understanding fronts, pressure systems, and wind patterns.
- Marine weather forecasts: analyzing wind speed/direction, swell heights, and wave periods.
- Recognizing localized effects: coastal fog, katabatic winds, and funnelling winds.
- Case study: Analyze and predict the weather for a multi-day trip.
Week 4: Dead Reckoning, Drift Compensation, and GPS Use (Classroom)
- Dead reckoning: estimating positions based on time, speed, and drift.
- Correcting for leeway (wind drift) and current.
- Introduction to GPS for advanced navigation: verifying position and tracking routes.
- Exercise: Plot dead reckoning routes with drift adjustments.
Week 5: Risk Management and Contingency Planning (Classroom)
- Identifying and mitigating risks during multi-day trips: weather, fatigue, navigation errors.
- Developing contingency plans for poor weather, missed tidal windows, or equipment failure.
- Weather tie-in: Creating go/no-go criteria based on detailed weather forecasts.
- Group workshop: Plan for "what if" scenarios on a challenging trip.
On-Water Session 1 – Coastal Navigation and Position Fixing
- Practicing coastal navigation techniques with charts and compass.
- Triangulation: fixing your position using visible landmarks.
- Adjusting for drift caused by currents and wind.
- Hands-on exercise: Take bearings, fix positions, and identify key landmarks in real time.
On-Water Session 2 – Open Water Crossings and Drift Management
- Open water navigation: maintaining course in featureless environments.
- Applying dead reckoning techniques and drift compensation in real-time.
- Using GPS to verify positions during crossings.
- Exercise: Navigate an open-water crossing, correcting for drift and checking EPs (estimated positions).
On-Water Session 3 – Expedition Simulation and Assessment
- Plan and execute a short multi-leg paddling route incorporating all learned skills:
- Advanced chart work.
- Tides, currents, and weather forecasts.
- Position fixing, drift correction, and GPS verification.
- Group navigation challenge: paddle the route while adapting to real-time conditions.
- Debrief: Evaluate the trip, discuss challenges, and identify areas for further improvement.
The final prize! The coveted L3 Nav Sticker!
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