Canoe Skills Refresher and Update

This is a private canoe instructional session for up to 12 participants.  This course will be delivered by Travis Frenay, owner and founder of Paddle & Portage Canoes and Valley Outdoors.  He was the lead teacher of canoeing for TAFENSW, Lithgow, for 16 years and has been a professional canoe instructor for 22 years. 

Inclusions

Your experience includes the following and more:

- Professional and passionate instructors

- All activity related equipment and comprehensive safety equipment, including a range of different canoes and paddles

- Transport from our office to the venue (and return!)

- National Parks fees paid on your behalf

- A light morning or afternoon tea, including a hot cuppa if you desire.

What you will learn:

This is a fully customised skills refresher and competency update for outdoor leaders. The course content will be adjusted based on the skill levels and interests of attendees, but some of the topics that are likely to be covered include:

• Canoe features and how they affect performance
• Advanced tips on self management/group management in wind and waves
• Advanced tips on using the landscape to assist in delivering safer and more positive experiences in different weather and water conditions
• Rescue refresher including Deep water self rescue (solo)
• Alternative methods for managing challenging deep water rescues of participants (e.g. large, disabled, or incapacitated participants)
• Advanced canoe strokes and stroke instruction techniques
• Combining strokes through feathering and stroke linkage
• Maximizing efficiency when paddling a tandem canoe solo
• Managing a solo canoe in the elements and using them to your advantage
• Skill improvement/sharpening
• Other add-ons:
• the chance to sample a range of different canoes (helps to understand how much design features/material choice affect performance)
• Paddle BIG 30' voyageur canoes and do a group rescue in them
• Exposure to a range of different types of paddles and paddling styles to foster an understanding of the scope of canoeing as an activity.