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Sea Kayak Instructor Level 2

Aim
To provide a national certification in the instruction and administration of the Paddle Canada Level-2 Sea Kayaking Skills course.

Upon Successful Completion
The Sea Kayak Instructor Level 2 is certified to:

Teach the following courses:
Sea Kayak Skills Introduction to Kayaking
Sea Kayak Skills Level 1
Sea Kayak Skills Level 2


Assist and/or Apprentice (Mentorship) on the following courses:
Sea Kayak Skills Level 3
Sea Kayak Instructor Introduction to Kayaking
Sea Kayak Instructor Level 1


Prerequisites
At least 18 years of age.
Paddle Canada Sea Kayaking Level-3 Skills certification.
Significant paddle experience in a wide variety of conditions and locations.
Current certification in Wilderness First Aid & CPR (16 hours) with CPR.

Course Length
5 days minimum including one overnight.

Class Ratio
1 Instructor Trainer : 4 Instructor Candidates

Location
Moderately exposed coastline with frequent easy landing opportunities

Conditions
Moderate winds (12-19 knots)
Combined sea state less than 1-metre with a moderate sea state.
Surf < 1 meter.
Current < 3 knots.

Program Overview
Level-2 Instructor Course Outline
Aim
To provide a national certification in the instruction and administration of the Paddle
Canada Level-2 Sea Kayaking Skills course.
This course will build on the skills introduced in the Paddle Canada Level-1 Instructor course.
Paddlers are responsible for all the material covered in the Level-1 Instructor program.
Mentorship
Level-2 Instructor candidates can complete an instructor course, or a mentorship with two Level-
3 Instructor Trainers, or one Level-2 Instructor Trainer and one Level-3 Instructor Trainer. Basic
requirements for a Level-2 Instructor mentorship are: (refer to SK Manual on requirements for
Mentorship)
!" Active Level-1 Instructor
!" Assist in one Level-2 Skills course
!" Lead one Level-2 Skills course
!" Complete a details course outline for a Level-2 Skills course
!" Additional requirement may be placed before the Participant at the discretion of the
Instructor Trainers.
Technical Skills
All Level-2 Instructor candidates are expected to have a high degree of proficiency with Level-3
Skills, including boat handling, rescue skills, navigation, and weather interpretation.
Paddlers will be evaluated on their Level-3 Skills throughout the instructor program through
observation and, where appropriate, specific skills testing and homework.
Camping
Plan and execute an overnight camping trip of not less than 10 nautical miles, including at least
one crossing of 3 nautical miles. The trip must be along an exposed coastline with frequent
landing options.
The written plan must include:
!" Route plan including alternatives for routes and evacuation
!" Paddling Plan
!" Distances, times, bearings, and back bearings
Plan a nutritious menu that includes sufficient calories and variety for the trip.
!" Cook one of the meals
Discuss low impact camping and paddling techniques for a low impact campsite:
!" Set up.
!" Campfires.
!" Human waste.
!" Grey water.
!" Garbage.
!" Visual aesthetics.
!" Interactions with wildlife.
Load a sea kayak for an overnight trip so that it is trim and the weight is centered
!" Gear must be loaded so that it does not interfere with self and assisted rescues and towing.
!" Gear must be packed and loaded so that it stays dry after rolling and performing rescues.
Submit a trip log that records
!" Start and stop locations and times.
!" Speed and distance.
!" Weather information.
!" Near misses and other incidents.
General Leadership Skills
Level-2 Instructor candidates must demonstrate strong leadership skills in a variety of situations
during rescue scenarios, group travel in Level-2 conditions, and the daily routine of running a
Level-2 Skills program.
Communication
!" Speak clearly and effectively with students using a variety of verbal and nonverbal
communication tools in a variety of conditions, both on and off the water.
Decision Making
!" Make appropriate low, medium, and high consequence decisions based on gathered
information, a clear understanding of the desired outcome, and their judgement.
!" Reflect on these decisions, drawing important lessons to be incorporated into future
decisions.
Conflict Resolution
!" Manage intra-group conflict, honouring the need for privacy and empathy, while working
toward the stated goals of the group.
Role Modeling
!" Model appropriate behaviour in their social, verbal, psychomotor, and ethical actions
Logistics
!" Choose appropriate locations and routes for the skill level and expectations of a Level-2
Skills course. The route plan considered such factors as tides and
currents, weather, obvious hazards, speed of the group, and points of interest.
!" File a detailed Paddling Plan with a responsible adult. The Paddling Plan will include
alternative routes and locations, bearings for significant crossings, and any group specific
considerations such as health, age, and disabilities.
!" Pack appropriate safety equipment including communication, first aid, shelter,
insulation, food, and water. Paddlers will also inspect the kayak, and kayak
accessories of each participant before leaving the beach.

Level-2 Instructor
suggested course outline
Instructorship
Specifically, this course will focus on:
!" Managing participants in a variety of conditions including currents, wind, waves, and pools.
!" Teaching more complex skill sets including intermediate strokes and rescues,
rolling, navigation, and safety in moving water, navigating in low visibility, and multi-day
weather forecasting.
!" Including the needs of specific populations in lesson plans and progressions
Children, Seniors, Physical, social, and mental adaptations for special needs groups
Lesson Planning
The lesson must include all the basic requirements outlined in the Level-1 Instructor program.
Each of these lessons must be at least 45 minutes long. Paddlers must complete
Organize and instruct a lesson on paddling in currents, surf, or in open water with Level-2
conditions.
1. The lesson can focus on specific strokes and their application in the currents, surf,
and/or open water wind and waves.
OR
2. Specific strategies for paddling in and around currents, surf, and/or open water wind and
waves.
OR
3. Organize and instruct a lesson on rolling.
The successful Participant will take into account the location of the lesson and the physical
conditioning and limits of the participant when planning this session.
AND, in addition to the above
4. Organize and instruct a lesson on one of the following:
° Dead Reckoning.
° Long range weather forecasting.
° Trip planning.
The successful Participant will vary the pace of these lessons to keep group interest. As a
further strategy, teaching aids, practical exercises, and peer group activities will be incorporated
into these lessons.
Adapting Recreational Programs
Paddlers will be able to adapt strategies to meet a variety of populations including:
!" Specific ages.
!" Gender.
!" Individuals with physical barriers including, for example, hearing loss, or paraplegia.
!" Individuals with mental barriers such as learning disabilities or autism.
Adaptive strategies might include, for example, using age appropriate language when working
with youth, or modifying outfitting to allow hemiplegics to sit in a kayak.

Level-2 Instructor
suggested course outline
Paddlers will identify concerns and strengths of each population. For example, pre-teens are
generally physically competent and will learn physical skills quickly. Conversely, pre-teens
generally have short attention spans and will only reluctantly sit through lectures on weather and
navigation.
Paddlers will explain and demonstrate the principles of Adaptive Recreation including
!" Using words and actions that preserve the dignity of the individual(s)
!" Recognizing the dignity of risk in all recreation.
Group 1 - Leadership
1. Lesson planning
2. Activities
3. Logistics
a. Washrooms
b. Transportation
c. Other
Group 2 – Presentation Skills
1. Voice
2. Language
3. Supervision
Group 3 - Equipment
1. Paddle
2. Kayak
3. PFD
4. Skirt
Group 4 – Paddling Skills
1. Launching and Landing
2. Boat handling
3. Rescues
4. Theory
a. Weather
b. Navigation
c. Camp craft




Instructors
The following instructors are accredited to offer this course:
Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer Level 2
Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer Level 3


The following instructors may assist/apprentice (Mentorship) on this course:
Sea Kayak Instructor Level 3
Sea Kayak Instructor Level 4
Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer Level 1


Assessment
The Instructor will be evaluated by:

• Observation throughout the course.
• Written test of knowledge of course content of approximately one hour in length. Participants must achieve a mark of at least 80% to pass.
• Written and oral presentations demonstrating ability to communicate course content.
• Ongoing evaluation (by observation) of the participant’s performance in the areas of safety, care of equipment, group dynamics and leadership.
• A minimum of 2 demonstrations of teaching ability by each participant, 1 of which shall be an “on water” session in which the participant teaches a kayaking skill. The participant must select a site appropriate to the skill being taught and to the skill level of the students. In addition, development of appropriate teaching progression and strategies must be demonstrated.
• Teaching topics may be previously assigned or chosen, or may be assigned at short notice from a previously issued list. The course staff will determine the methods and number of tests in each content area.
• Retesting may occur at the discretion of the Course Director.
• Post Course evaluation may be undertaken only by the Course Director or designate within one year of the end of the course.
• The following grades will be used for the evaluation of each test item: P (Pass) W (Weak) F (Fail)
• Prior to the assessment, the Instructor Trainer will clearly outline the criteria for grading. To achieve Instructor status the participant should achieve a P in all tests. One W may be accepted at the discretion of the Instructor Trainer.
• Participants will demonstrate all the skills at a high level of proficiency suitable for instructional demonstration purposes.
• Rescue and general paddling skills will exceed minimum skills and be suitable to the instructional environment.
• The instructor is a leader in the paddling community and must demonstrate above average judgment in all matters relating to safety, group management and the health and welfare of all participants. The demands of the paddling environment make demonstration of good judgment an important skill for the completion of the course.
• If re-assesment is conducted by a designated instructor, the designated instructor must currently hold the appropriate level of certification.