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Sea Kayak Skills Level 4

Aim
Level-4 provides the skills and knowledge for sea kayaking tripping during multi-day trips along an open coast with rough conditions. This course includes a leadership component.

Upon Successful Completion
The Sea Kayak Skills Level 4 is certified to:

Teach the following courses:
Not Applicable

Assist and/or Apprentice (Mentorship) on the following courses:
Not Applicable

Prerequisites
• All participants must have Paddle Canada Level-3 certification. Vigorous sea conditions along exposed shores with infrequent landing opportunities present significant challenges for individual safety and group management.
• Wilderness First Aid Certification (36 hours) with CPR is strongly recommended.
• Restricted Radio Operators License (marine VHF) is strongly recommended.
• Considerable paddling experience and an ability to roll is essential.


Course Length
5 days (includes camping overnight).

Class Ratio
1 Instructor : 4 Participants

Location
Open coast with infrequent and sometimes difficult landing options.

Conditions
Strong winds (near 20 knots). Combined sea state 1-metre or better with a moderate to rough sea state. Surf >=1 metre. Current >= 3 knots.
Note: This course is dependent on a paddling environment with the sea conditions and coastal features necessary to provide suitable challenges. Courses will be cancelled or postponed when conditions do not provide the necessary environment.


Program Overview
Rescue Skills
• Practice and assess rescue skills in complex scenario based exercises.
• Effective and reliable rescue are crucial to success at level-4.

Rolling
• Perform rolls in rough water.
• Wet-exit, re-enter and roll up.

Unassisted Re-entry
• Demonstrate skill with several means of re-entry.

Assisted Rescues
• Utilize several assisted rescues and adapt them to a range of sea conditions, including rescuing an incapacitated or passive victim.

Towing
• Demonstrate safe and effective use of various towing techniques.
• Demonstrate releasing a towline under tension, including from a capsized position.

Paddling Skills

Launching & landing
• Demonstrate launching and landing in difficult conditions.
• Demonstrate the ability to bring an injured paddler to shore.

Manoeuvring and Control
It is essential to demonstrate effective forward paddling, towing, maneuvering skills and good control when paddling in swell, broken water, surf, and around rocky shorelines with breaking waves.
Knowledge
The extent of knowledge required for safe paddling at this level is governed by the conditions along an exposed shore with infrequent landing opportunities. The knowledge and leadership components at this level are substantial and Participants are required to show well informed judgment in all aspects of the course.

Journeying & Seamanship
Journeying and seamanship refers to the practical skills, equipment preparation, trip planning and judgments that are ongoing throughout the planning and completion of a trip. The following list is not exhaustive and is provided here as a guide to areas of judgment necessary for safe and enjoyable paddling in a level-3 or 4 environment.

Navigation and Route Selection
• Determine a safe and efficient route along a complex coastline exposed to wind, current, and swell.
• Utilize charts, tide tables, guidebooks, local knowledge, practical observation and other pertinent references to support your judgments.
• File an appropriate Paddling Plan.

Weather Interpretation and Forecasting
• Obtain marine weather forecast, report and observations then interpret the probable effect on paddling conditions.
• Understand the effect of tides, currents and winds on the sea conditions.
• Include considerations of fog formation, onshore and offshore winds, the effect of local topography.
• Understand typical weather patterns during the passage of low-pressure and high-pressure weather systems.

Camping Skills
• Select an unimproved wilderness campsite and prepare a camp for safety and comfort during inclement weather.
• Discuss the implications of tide and weather on a wilderness campsite.
• Prepare a bivouac, simulating an unanticipated emergency overnight stay in wet and windy weather.
Group awareness
• Exercise appropriate group management on the water and demonstrate concern for the comfort and welfare of the party throughout the journey.
Heritage
• Participants will relate traditional Greenland and Aleutian designs to contemporary kayak design features and discuss the merits and challenges of the identified design feature(s).
• Identify at least 2 other genres of kayaking, and describe how the practice of kayaking differs in these genres (equipment, technique, environment)
• Flatwater racing
• Slalom racing
• Surf Ski
• White water
• Kayak polo

Environmental Practices
Participants will provide evidence of their environmental ethics by describing the seven Leave No Trace principles and practices.

The seven Leave No Trace Principles are:
• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect Wildlife
• Be considerate of other visitors

Successful participants will begin to integrate these seven principles while on trip.

Environmental Knowledge
Using a variety of resources (previous knowledge, other participants, leaders, guide books) , Participants will be able to identify 1-3 natural objects found during the trip


Instructors
The following instructors are accredited to offer this course:
Sea Kayak Instructor Level 4
Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer Level 3


The following instructors may assist/apprentice (Mentorship) on this course:
Sea Kayak Instructor Level 3
Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer Level 2


Assessment
Participants must demonstrate a high level of ability controlling their kayak and in rescue techniques. Leadership in trip planning and in rescues must demonstrate the ability to adapt. A written test will include knowledge of navigation, weather and general seamanship. Written or oral navigation and trip planning exercises may also form part of the assessment.