| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Beginner Tandem
Paddle Canada Whitewater Introduction Tandem
Objective: This course provides an introduction to whitewater paddling for those with little or no experience in whitewater. Emphasis is on tandem canoeing skills, understanding whitewater principles, and safety. This course provides a standard national certification of competence for tandem moving water paddling.
Duration: Two and one-half days: Evening orientation session, mid-May, date TBA; 29 May (AM or PM) flatwater; 5-6 June OR 12-13 June 2010 Palmers Rapid.
Cost: $60 course fee, plus rental $22.50 if required, plus camping – budget an extra $80.Description: This course covers safety, and canoeing skills of tandem paddling as established by Paddle Canada.
Of interest to: Club members interested in being on the Whitewater List, getting their Paddle Canada certification, or just learning and improving their paddling skills.Prerequisite: Participants should be able to paddle in both the bow and stern positions, and be able to control a tandem canoe in flatwater. Participants must be able to swim 100 m comfortably.
Beginner Solo
Paddle Canada Whitewater Introduction Solo
Objective: This course provides an introduction to whitewater paddling for those with tandem experience in whitewater. Emphasis is on solo canoeing skills, understanding whitewater principles, and safety. This course provides a standard provincial certification of competence for solo moving water paddling.
Duration: Two days: 12-13 June 2009, plus in-town practice session(s) TBA
Cost: $60 course fee, plus rental $36 if required, plus camping – budget an extra $80.Description: This course covers safety and solo canoeing skills as established by Paddle Canada
Of interest to: Club members interested in getting their Paddle Canada certification, or just learning more and improving their paddling skills.
Prerequisite: Member of the Whitewater List.
Whitewater Wednesdays
Objective: Achieve improved boat control.
Duration: 6:00 PM to dusk each Wednesday starting in April for 10 weeks.
Description: These are coached practice sessions led by Sonja Hirsig. The April sessions will be held in flatwater venues, such as Brewer pond, to review and practise strokes and basic drills. In May & June we'll utilize gentle moving water on the Ottawa River, and the gates of the Pumphouse will be used for boat placement and timing. Water levels permitting, we will paddle the Petite Nation River on a Saturday or Sunday to wrap up the sessions. Locations will vary. Sonja will maintain an email list to which she will forward the weekly logistics & directions. Those who need boats from the shed will meet there by 6:00 pm & depart by 6:15. Those with their own boats can meet there also, or go directly to each week's pre-arranged location for about 6:30.
Cost: $50 course fee, plus boat rental $90 for the season if required. There is an additional $5 for each session held at the Pumphouse.
Of interest to: These training evenings are geared towards tandem and solo paddlers at the novice to intermediate levels who are interested in developing better boat control. Everybody has something they need help with -- the forward stroke, effective steering techniques, tilting your boat to carve a tight turn, low braces and righting prys, etc.
Prerequisites: You have to be on the WW list to sign up.
Novice/Intermediate Tandem – with Andrew Westwood
Date: June 19/20
Objective: To improve tandem paddling techniques beyond the beginner level.
Duration: One weekend.
Location: Palmer Rapids, possibly a day trip to Middle Madawaska
Cost: $140, $158 including boat rental.Additional costs: Camping, gas, food. Budget an extra $60.
Description: The program reviews the basics of whitewater paddling, highlighting the subtletiesthat aid more effective paddling and river reading. The course is designed to help novice tandempaddlers improve boat control, understand the different roles of bow and stern, and use the variety of strokes effectively. Teamwork between the bow and stern paddlers is emphasized. Video analysis on Saturday evening enhances the learning. The course location will be determined 2-3 weeks prior to the course and will be based on water levels and the preferences of the students. Andrew Westwood is a renown instructor, slalom racer, author and boat designer. He developed the new 2x4 technique which has been adopted as the standard for paddling in Ontario. You may sign up individually, although encouraging your regular tandem partner to come along will help.
Of interest to: This course is open to all paddlers on the whitewater list. One or more years of white water paddling experience
Prerequisite: Beginner/Novice tandem whitewater training or equivalent. The paddlermust be comfortable in Class ll rapids. (NB the water may still be cold, so proper cold weather paddling protection may be required).
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling, food preparation, signing out club equipment, etc. Participants are responsible for their own personal camping equipment. One participant will be designated the group leader. The leader will be responsible for keeping all participants on schedule for the day, and dealing with any last minute issues that develop during the course.
Slalom/Precision Paddling Clinic - with Eric Baker
Date: TBD
Objective: To help improve precision and efficiency of solo boaters.
Duration: 2 week nights plus one day on the weekend.Location: Pumphouse in Ottawa (night sessions), Valleyfield, Quebec for the day
Cost: $115, $151 including boat rental.Additional costs: Gas, food for the Valleyfield day trip. Budget an extra $30.
Description: The course is designed to help senior intermediate and advanced solo boaterslearn and improve boat control and precision manoeuvres. No experience in slalom is necessary, and ‘racing’ isn’t the emphasis. Slalom paddling requires you to use all of your tricks: power, static strokes, stern and bow corrections, off-side strokes and river reading. The clinic will emphasize maintaining speed throughout a slalom course and how to place your boat so that correction strokes are minimized. Slalom technique requires precision more than power and this course will help improve your strokes and boat placement to improve your precision onwhitewater. These skills are equally important on the slalom course as they are on a river trip. Eric Baker has won slalom titles in both tandem and solo boats. He paddles a wide variety of rivers and can help you understand how slalom skills can help you paddling in high and low volume rivers.
Of interest to: Solo paddlers at the intermediate and advanced level
Prerequisite: The participant must be comfortable with both on and off-side strokes.
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling, signing out club equipment, etc. One participant will be designated the group leader. The leader will be responsible for keeping all participants on schedule for the day, and dealing with any last minute issues that develop during the course.
Harness the Power of the River – with Andy Convery
Date: May 29 (solo), May 30 (tandem).
Objective: To learning to paddle smarter for intermediate solo or tandem paddlers
Duration: One day. (Student can sign up for both days)Location: Petite Nation, Plaisance, Quebec
Cost: $60, $78 including solo boat rental. $69 including tandem boat rental.Additional costs: gas, bag lunch. Budget an extra $20.
Description: This is a coached day on the water mixing river reading skills with paddleimprovement. The goal is to combine stroke improvement, river running strategies, andreading the water to get yourself where you want to be with less effort. This course will help you to use the troughs and reactionary waves to get your boat efficiently into safe eddies or around holes instead of just pointing straight down a tongue and hanging on for the ride. The course will leave you with pointers that you can practice and improve upon throughout the season.Andy Convery is a the head instructor of ORCKA and owns Echo Paddles. He’s known for his relaxed and positive teaching style.
Of interest to: Intermediate paddlersPrerequisites: Must be comfortable in continuous Class II with occasional Class IIIdrops (e.g. Petite Nation canyon sections). The water will still be cold, so proper cold weather paddling protection is required.
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling and signing out club equipment. You will be eating on the river, so prepare your meals accordingly.
Intermediate River Reading - with Beth Kennedy
Date: July 10, 11
Objective: To improve river reading skills. To use the river features instead of fighting them.
Duration: One weekend
Location: Lower Madawaska. Camping at Palmer Rapids or on the Madawaska
Cost: $110, $128 including boat rental.Additional costs: Camping, gas, food. Budget an extra $60.
Description: to improve the participants ability to read the more subtle features in the water and determine what is the best line in a rapid. The goal of the course is to use the river to efficiently move your boat into tighter eddies, or more safely through a bigger rapid. Have you ever found yourself focused on that big hole, and can't find a good route around it? Have you noticed that you need to take many strokes down a rapid and yet others can go down the rapid with almost no strokes? If you answered yes, this course would be good for you! This course uses the familiar features of the Lower Madawaska River, but challenges the participants to find alternative lines, or take familiar lines with less paddle strokes. Boat placement is emphasized instead of power.This course is a good stepping stone for paddlers who want to venture onto unfamiliar rivers and require more experience reading the water to determine the best way down. It will also help paddlers position their boats in white water so that they use less energy during the day. Beth Kennedy is an accomplished slalom paddler and previously held the position of head instructor for ORCKA.
Of Interest To: Intermediate or strong novice paddlers looking to improve. Solo or tandem, but a maximum of 6 participants.
Prerequisites; WW List and familiarity with Lower Madawaska.
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling, food preparation, signing out club equipment, etc. Participants are responsible for their own personal camping equipment. One participant will be designated the group leader. The leader will be responsible for keeping all participants on schedule for the day, and dealing with any last minute issues that develop during the course.
Advanced River Reading - with Andrew Westwood
Date: Sep 18, 19
Objective: To learn how to utilize subtle features in big, challenging rapids.
Duration: One weekend
Location: Gatineau River or Ottawa River. Other locations possible. Location determined a few weeks prior to the course
Cost: $140, $158 including boat rentalAdditional costs: Camping, gas, food. Budget an extra $60.
Description: To learn how to utilize subtle features in challenging rapids. This course focuses onreading the subtle patterns in the midst of large rapids and using these to aid you in ferrying,‘crossing the grain’ or attaining up a rapid. This course assumes prior knowledge of paddling onan arc, and intermediate to advanced level river reading skills. The curriculum depends on thewater levels, but previous years have dealt with topics such as paddling through boils andwhirlpools, using elevators, dealing with large drops, anticipating how your boat will react in bigpushy rapids, etc. Video analysis on Saturday evening enhances the learning, and makes for great campfire discussion.Andrew Westwood is a renown instructor, slalom racer, author and boat designer. He developed the new 2x4 technique which has been adopted as the standard for paddling in Ontario.
Of interest to: This course is for the senior intermediate or advanced paddlers on the whitewater list who wish to improve their skills in large, fast moving rapids. Open to solo boaters and tandem pairs with a ‘slalom’ boat.
Prerequisites: Senior Intermediate/Advanced paddlers (with approval of Training Co-ordinator). Due to last minute cancellation, last year's participants have priority to sign up for this year's course.
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling, food preparation, signing out club equipment, etc. Participants are responsible for their own personal camping equipment. One participant will be designated the group leader. The leader will be responsible for keeping all participants on schedule for the day, and dealing with any last minute issues that develop during the course.
Build and Preserve Momentum in a Solo Boat - with Gail Shields
Date: June 19, 20
Objective: Learn to build and preserve boat speed through use of on-side and off-side strokes.
Duration: One weekend
Location: Palmer Rapids, and possibly day trip to Middle Madawaska
Cost: $110, $146 including solo boat rental.Additional costs: Camping, gas, food. Budget an extra $60.
Description: Solo boaters often struggle in fast water because they can’t build up enough speed to get out of an eddy, or stay in an eddy. This course will work introduce the 2x4 technique of using forward and cross forward strokes that get the boat up to speed and keep it moving. Those who’ve been exposed to 2x4 will learn how to refine the techniques in more difficult situations. Camping will be at Palmer Rapids. Depending on water levels and the experience of the group, the second day may be on the Middle Madawaska river. Gail Shields is an instructor, slalom competitor, river guide, and former head instructor of ORCKA.
Of Interest to: Novice or Intermediate solo paddlersPrerequisites: WW List and at least one year solo experience.
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling, food preparation, signing out club equipment, etc. Participants are responsible for their own personal camping equipment. One participant will be designated the group leader. The leader will be responsible for keeping all participants on schedule for the day, and dealing with any last minute issues that develop during the course.
White Water Tripping – with Steve Ruskay
Date: June 5,6
Objective: Learn to improve the skills needed for tandem white water tripping
Duration: One weekend
Location: Ottawa River, camping at RiverRun
Cost: $190 including rental of a tandem tripping canoe with spray skirt ($80 if own boat)Additional costs: Camping, gas, food. Budget an extra $60.
Description: Paddling a tandem boat loaded with 600lbs of people and gear is a challenge. Learn how to load your boat, discussing when to tie down versus leaving gear unlashed. All participants will have a rental boat with a spray skirt, allowing you to challenge yourself in bigger waves trains. Practice group and self-rescue scenarios that mimic wide, continuous northern rivers. Practice lining and tracking. Steve can answer questions selecting and packing your gear. Steve Ruskay is a guide and instructor with experience guiding our local gems as well as some of the northern gems. He can draw from his tripping experience to help you learn techniques that tackle your next white water trip.
Of Interest to: Tandem paddlers who wish to improve their white water tripping
Prerequisites: WW List and at least one year tandem experience. Comfortable and familiar with the Ottawa River
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling, food preparation, signing out club equipment, etc. Participants are responsible for their own personal camping equipment. You should bring your own barrels or dry packs, either filled with your own gear, or you'll fill it with water to mimic a loaded boat. You will practice wet-exits and rescues, so wet suits are mandatory, and dry suits would be ideal. One participant will be designated the group leader. The leader will be responsible for keeping all participants on schedule for the day, and dealing with any last minute issues that develop during the course.
Paddle Canada Moving Water Tandem Instructor Course - with Beth Kennedy
Date: Oct (TBD – 4 days likely. May be consecutive or two weekends.)
Objective: Learn to teach beginner tandem paddlers Duration: One weekend
Location: Lower Madawaska. Camping at Palmer Rapids. Fallback location of the Ottawa River, camping at Logos Land
Cost: $TBD, $TBD including boat rental. (Likely $200-$300 before club subsidy.)Additional costs: Camping, gas, food. Budget an extra $70.
Description: to learn to teach people how to paddle a tandem boat in white water. Learn what makes an effective demonstration and explanation. Lesson planning, group control, safety issues, teaching/learning styles and understanding what the passing standard for the students is. A large part of this course will involve the participants teaching each other, and providing feedback to each other. Group discussions and problem solving are other key elements. This course is less about your paddling skills, and more focused on pedagogy and ensuring that you can demonstrate what you want your students to achieve. The participants will be continuously evaluated, and successful participants will achieve Paddle Canada's Moving Water Instructor Tandem qualification, a nation-wide designation. Beth Kennedy is an accomplished slalom paddler and previously held the position of head instructor for ORCKA.
Of Interest To: Strong paddlers looking to teach white water canoeing. Tandem, a maximum of 6 participants.
Prerequisites; ORCKA MW 2A or 2B, transferred to Paddle Canada's equivalency is preferred. Alternatively, strong tandem paddling skills in both bow and stern positions (with approval of Training Coordinator).
Organization: All participants will be required to help with planning and logistics such as arranging carpooling, food preparation, signing out club equipment, etc. Participants are responsible for their own personal camping equipment. One participant will be designated the group leader. The leader will be responsible for keeping all participants on schedule for the day, and dealing with any last minute issues that develop during the course.
