Advanced Skills

Learn the skills and strategies for dealing with the powerful currents, tidal races, and over falls that run through the San Juan Islands. We will explore ferry gliding, how to read water, crossing strategies, and how to predict the time, speed, and direction of currents. These are the skills you need to plan an easy, fun, and safe trip. We start by refreshing your skills, and then we enter these races and build your confidence as the currents increase. This is a great class to start building your rough water skills and broaden your knowledge of the sea. Come to this class with play in mind!

New in 2012!

To really enjoy and be safe when paddling in the Pacific North West and many places around the world you need to understand tidal currents. This class is an in-depth and intense study of currents. We will learn to play, paddle, do rescues, plan strategic crossings and navigate some of the most interesting tidal areas in the San Juan Archipelago. We will also take time to fully understand the causes of big tidal flows and which bathymetric features create fun and/or dangerous tidal currents so you can plan safe and exciting trips in the future.

The open oceans are the most beautiful, life-filled, dynamic bodies of water on earth. To spend a single day on the open ocean being lifted and lowered by the swell, catching glimpses of a whale's fluke or the glide of a Brown Pelican inches above the waves can become one of the most awe inspiring days of your life. The ocean can also be awesome as the birth place of hurricanes and tsunamis. As we are drawn to its beauty we must approach the ocean with great caution and awareness. In this class you will learn the skills and knowledge needed to journey on the sea. You will develop a heightened awareness of the hazards to avoid or seek out for play. This course is designed to develop your personal skill level and leadership abilities to lead a group or journey as a team in moderate coastal waters. Emphasis will be on judging the conditions and the abilities of the group to make appropriate decisions about planned routes along with the need to modify plans as needed. Option A consists of 3 days on the outer coast with no overnight camping. Includes BCU 4 Star Leader Training Curriculum If you hold all the prerequisites for the New BCU 4-star training ( www.BCUNA.com ) This course will meet the required hours of formal training needed to attend an assessment.

The open oceans are the most beautiful, life-filled, dynamic bodies of water on earth. To spend a single day on the open ocean being lifted and lowered by the swell, catching glimpses of a whale's fluke or the glide of a Brown Pelican inches above the waves can become one of the most awe inspiring days of your life. The ocean can also be awesome as the birth place of hurricanes and tsunamis. As we are drawn to its beauty we must approach the ocean with great caution and awareness. In this class you will learn the skills and knowledge needed to journey on the sea. You will develop a heightened awareness of the hazards to avoid or seek out for play. This course is designed to develop your personal skill level and leadership abilities to lead a group or journey as a team in moderate coastal waters. Emphasis will be on judging the conditions and the abilities of the group to make appropriate decisions about planned routes along with the need to modify plans as needed. Option B consists of 5 days on the inner tidal waters with 4 nights camping.

This training is intended for experienced paddlers who journey on the open sea where tidal races, headlands, open crossings, swell, strong winds, and challenging coast lines may be encountered. You need sufficient skill, knowledge and expertise to lead groups safely in demanding conditions. From our traveling experience, we believe the Pacific Northwest offers the best 5 Star Training in North America.