GUIDE COURSES 2012

We are offering Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC (SKGABC) Guide Courses

Level I Course

  March 19th - 23rd Cost $685/person
April 14th - 18th Cost $685/person
June 17th - 21nd Cost $685/person

The Theory sections will be done both in class room and while out in the field. There will be homework handed out on most evenings. The course has late session on both the first and second day. This year we have made the course one day extra to help with learning and offering better course evaluations on the final day. Cost of the Five Day course is $685, this includes an exam on the last day. Meals are your own responsibility. Please bring a lunch each day. On days that we have classes after dinner, there will be a break where you can cook or go out for dinner. Unless otherwise stated, courses are held on Salt Spring Island.

Level I Upgrade to Assistant Overnight Guides (AOG) Course

May 21st - 25th Cost: $750/person

This is an overnight program in Clayoquot sound. where food is purchased on a cooperative basis. Participants must have previously completed a 4 or 5 day Level 1 Guides course. Booklets can be obtained once registration is completed in order to get a head start on the learning. Transportation from Salt Spring to Clayoquot Sound will be provided if needed.

The last day of this course is the AOG exam.  To obtain a Level 2 Certification, guides need to have their required logged overnight days and take a separate Level 2 exam once they have gained all the necessary pre-requisites.  Please check the SKGABC website for more details.  www.skgabc.com.  The AOG certification allows guides to Lead in class one and assist in class 2 and 3 overnight expeditions. 

It is expected that you come with some essential equipment. If you do not have this equipment we can rent it to you for a reasonable price. Let us know early if you need a boat, or rescue gear so we can book it for you.

• Items Needed:
  
• Kayak bulkheads- (Course rentals of Boat and Safety Gear is very reasonable)
• Two Kayak paddles,
• Float Rescue Pad, Spare Paddle
• Tow Line
• Stirrups
• Hand held Compass
• Wet Suit/dry suit
• Change of clothing-dry clothing bag
• Camping gear and clothing including tarp.
• Pen/paper/clip board, dividers,
• Manual hand held pump
• Tide/Current Atlas, charts for Clayoquot Sound #'s will be handed out.
• Check with Island Escapades if you need some of this equipment.

Optional but highly recommended:

• VHF Radio
• Chart -Necessary
• Tide and Current Tables West Coast Vancouver Island South (Chart #'s and other possible Tidal books will be handed out to your several weeks prior to course start date)
• Compass and ruler
• Flares
• Good wet or Dry suit (We recommend if possible a dry suit)

If you need a Kayak rental for the course, we charge $125.00 + tax for the week. This is a roto-mold boat with pump, spare paddle and float pad- all the trimmings (but no stuffing). We spend 4 days in and around the Gulf Islands, and four days on the West Coast north and South of Jordan River or in Clayoquot Sound. Vehicle Transportation with gear is provided. We spend the first day on Cusheon Lake doing rescues & Strokes. The second day we head off to Porlier Pass and work with Currents and Tides. We paddle back via Thetis and Kuper Island and Camp our last night on Tent or Wallace Island. The second half of the course is done on the west coast either in Clayoquot sound or north of Jordon River where we do one day of Surfing and then head north working on weather, swells, and group management in rougher class 3 conditions. The last day of the course is a practicial and written exam.

In order to take the exam with the Alliance, participants must be a member in good standing with the SKGABC; this means membership dues must be paid. All fees must be paid prior to the exam commencement. These fees can be paid prior to the exam.

Payment of these fees is to the:

Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of B.C.
Box 1005 Station A, Naniamo, B.C. V9R 5Z2

Course Outline: These particular skills are taught plus detection and correction problem solving. Students will learn to detect common problems in skills.

Forward   Paddle forward in a straight line for 100 metres. Paddle at various cadences.

Reverse  Paddle backward in a straight line for 50 metres.

Stopping  Stop within 5 strokes without turning the kayak.

Sweep  180-degree sweep with lower arm straight, emphasis on first and last stages of the stroke.

Pivot Turn  Combination of forward sweep and reverse sweep to turn the kayak 360 degrees on its axis point.

Low brace turn  Low brace turns in both directions. Turn must be at least 90 degrees. Elbows to be kept into side to reduce injuries.

Standard draw  Move a stationery kayak sideways.

Sculling draw  Move a stationery kayak sideways

Low brace  demonstrate a low brace, moving from a lean to an edge on both sides.

High brace  snap the kayak from the seam at or below water line to flat.

Edge/lean  Balance a kayak on both edges, using a J-lean, with the seam of the kayak immersed.

Hanging Draw  Demonstrate a hanging draw on both sides to move the kayak sideways sufficiently to avoid an obstacle, without turning the bow.

Rescues:
     Perform wet exit
     Perform TX rescue
     TX rescue with a Stirrup
     TX rescue with two doubles and Single rescuing      Double
     Rafting Techniques- aids for rescues
     Perform TX rescue in Current
     Eskimo Rescue -
     Hand of God or Scoop Rescue
     Parallel Rescue
     Solo Rescues with rescue Pad and without pad

Demonstrate hip flick from bow of another kayak

Introduction to rolls

How to spill most of the water from a full kayak without bailer

Open Water boat switching Single to Double, Double to Single.

Towing
     Solo boat towing
    Tandem boat towing
    Towing a swimmer for a 50M Distance
    Contact tows

Navigation Chart 1 review
Chart symbol identification
Chart colours, compass rose, Lat. and Long. Positions, Chart measurements, symbols, Dead Reckoning,
60D= ST
Reading Tidal Charts, Primary and Sec. Ports, Rule of 12ths
Reading Current Tables, Rule of thirds, 50/90 rule
Plotting a LOP, Triangulation, Ranges
Why Kayak Navigation is different from Sail/Motor Nav.

Route Plans
     Drawing up a route plans,
     filing with Coast Guard,
    Evacuation plans
    Pre trip planning & Float Plans
    Incident Response Models

Environmental Awareness Minimum impact paddling/camping- concepts, strategies

Human Waste Disposal guidelines, strategies, concerns

Weather Assessment
General understanding of weather- local and Coastal patterns, ability to read weather patterns.
Introduction to Clouds and Winds
Cold and Warm Fronts

Judgement and Leadership skills
Communication skills of a Leader
Ability to Assert Group Control
Ability to give instructional information
Awareness of individual and group needs
On water leadership

Risk Management & Assessment
Following General Safety and Practice Procedures
Scenario based situations, which will bring all the above skills into practice.

Marine Radio Usage Scenario based

Wilderness First Aid Scenario based, this is not a wilderness first aid course and will just review basics within our scenarios.

The day guides course covers a lot of information in a short period of time. It is highly recommended that you come into this course with an adequate wilderness first aid training.

Guide Course Registration

Guides Package

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