Halfmoon Sea Kayaks’ – First Skills Stand Up Paddle Boarding
No experience needed. First Skills Introduces first timers to paddling a stand up paddle board in calm, sheltered water.
Length – 2 hrs., Class ratio – 1:6, Location – Sechelt Inlet with easy landing options and wind protection. Conditions – Waters calm to rippled.
Overview of First Skills S.U.P. – Lifting and carrying a board, Forward and reverse paddling, Forward and reverse sweep strokes Draw strokes Boat Outfitting Clothing Safety equipment Paddles Injury Prevention SUP resources
Things you’ll want to bring include;
- Foot wear suitable to wear in the water with good support. Flip flop style shoes are not recommended.
- Swim wear
- Personal water bottle
- sun protection
$80pp includes all equipment and safety gear associated with paddle boarding in Canadian waters. Typically 30 minutes of land based learning and up to 1.5 hours on the water.
Halfmoon Sea Kayaks’ – First Skills Sea Kayaking
No experience needed. First Skills Introduces first timers to paddling a kayak in calm, sheltered water.
Overview of HSK First Skills
- Lifting and carrying a kayak
- Launching and landing
- Rafting
- Forward and reverse paddling
- Forward and reverse sweep strokes
- Draw strokes
- Safety equipment
- Paddles
- Injury prevention
- Wet Exit
- Re-entering a swamped kayak
- Assisted rescue
Things you’ll want to bring include;
- Foot wear suitable to wear in the water with good support. Flip flop style shoes are not recommended.
- Swim wear
- Personal water bottle
- sun protection
- light snack
$110pp includes all equipment and safety gear associated with sea kayaking in Canadian waters. Typically 1 hour of land based learning and up to 3 hours on the water.
Paddle Canada Certification – Basic Sea Kayaking
No experience needed.
This course runs in Class-0 conditions which are described as:
Non-challenging protected waters with limited wind effect, little or no current, easy landings, and ready access to land-based assistance. Wind and sea state is calm to rippled (<15km/h or 8 knots).
Re-entry Skills
- Wet exit
- Assisted re-entries
Paddling Skills
- Lifting and carrying a kayak
- Launching and landing
- Emptying the kayak
- Forward and reverse strokes
- Stopping
- Forward and reverse sweep strokes
- Pivots
- Draw stroke
- Low brace
- Edging
Knowledge
- Kayak part names and outfitting
- Paddling and safety equipment
- Injury prevention
- Sun sense
- Transport Canada collision regulations
- Navigation
- Risk assessment and mitigation
- Impact of kayakers on the environment
Things you’ll want to bring include;
- Foot wear suitable to wear in the water with good support. Flip flop style shoes are not recommended.
- Swim wear
- Personal water bottle
- sun protection
- Packed lunch
$170pp includes all equipment and safety gear associated with sea kayaking in Canadian waters. Typically of 3 hours land based learning and up to 4 hours on the water.
Paddle Canada Certification – Level One Sea Kayaking
- Certification
- Paddle Canada Basic Kayak skills certification or equivalent skill and knowledge at the discretion of the course director.
- Paddling Experience
- Five kayaking excursions (2 or 3 hours) in class-0 conditions.
- Can execute a controlled wet exit in class-0 conditions.
- Can perform a simple assisted re-entry in class-0 conditions.
This course runs in Class-1 conditions which are described as:
Non-challenging waters with mild wind effect (0-20 km/h or 0–11 knots), little or no current (0-1 km/h or 0–0.5 knots), uninterrupted easy landing options, and ready access to land-based assistance. Sea state is calm to light chop.
Re-entry Skills
- Unassisted re-entry
- Assisted re-entry
- Towing
Paddling Skills
- Launching and landing
- Forward and reverse strokes
- Stopping
- Sweep stroke
- Draw stroke
- Low brace
- Stern rudder
- Edge control
Knowledge
- Equipment and equipment care
- Communication
- Route planning and basic navigation techniques
- Half day kayak journey
- Weather
- Sea state
- Risk assessment and mitigation
- Cold issues and sun safety
- Impact of kayakers on the environment
- History and heritage
- Vehicle boat tie down
- Kayaking community and resources
Things you’ll want to bring include;
- Foot wear suitable to wear in the water with good support. Flip flop style shoes are not recommended.
- Swim wear
- Personal water bottle
- sun protection
- Packed lunches
- Dry suit or wetsuit if you own one
- Dry bag(s) with day trip gear
$300pp includes all equipment and safety gear associated with sea kayaking in Canadian waters. Typically 6 hours of land based learning and up to 12 hours on the water.
Evolution Assistant Guide Training (N/A 2022 season)
Those interested in developing their kayaking skills before taking the Evolution course are encouraged to consider the Paddle Canada Level One course offered by Halfmoon Sea Kayaks on the Sunshine Coast
This six-day course is designed for prospective certified guides and intermediate kayakers seeking to develop their expedition capabilities.
The course provides numerous opportunities to develop skills through experiential learning. During controlled simulations, participants experiment with a wide variety of guiding tools, leadership styles and paddling techniques. Each day, numerous challenging and instructive opportunities are facilitated. Our curriculum is comprehensive and our guide instructors are talented educators.
The wealth of experiential knowledge conveyed and practiced during the course enables each participant to significantly boost their skill level and confidence.
All personal gear associated with a six day kayaking tour including your kayak and required safety equipment. (kayak rentals available at a significant discount from Halfmoon Sea Kayaks)
(Due to Covid-19 this course will not run for the 2022 Season) – Paddle Canada Level One highly recommended before this expedition style course