Advanced Tandem Canoeing
Prepare for an immersive experience in our advanced tandem canoeing course, designed to equip you with ample expertise for navigating open water and rivers with confidence. We’ll dive deep into tandem paddling techniques while also focusing on additional skills unique to the open canoe.
Throughout the course, we’ll explore essential aspects such as packing, trim, standing-up while paddling, navigating windy conditions, and effectively handling moving water and waves. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance your independence in paddling and arm you with the necessary skills to conquer diverse water environments.
Building upon your existing skills, our goal is to refine tandem techniques specifically for open water and moving water scenarios. Intensive coaching sessions will sharpen your paddling skills, increasing efficiency and empowering you to navigate with ease even in challenging conditions.
In addition to paddling techniques, we’ll cover equipment selection, journeying skills, safety protocols, and rescue techniques to ensure a well-rounded learning experience. Join us for two days of intensive training and emerge as a proficient tandem canoeist ready to tackle any water adventure with confidence.
Perfecting Your Paddling Skills
Join us for an immersive experience dedicated to refining your paddling skills. Throughout the course, we’ll provide personalized coaching tailored to your individual needs, with potential opportunities for video coaching to enhance your learning.
Our focus will be on honing additional canoe-specific skills, ensuring that you leave the advanced tandem canoeing course feeling confident to navigate similar environments safely with friends and family. Safety and rescue techniques will be emphasized to ensure a comprehensive understanding of essential practices.
Located in optimal settings, our course offers the best water and conditions suited to the group’s skill level. Twice a year, we organize sessions on Lake Grevelingen, ideal for learning skills specific to open water in windy conditions and waves. Additionally, we conduct sessions twice a year on the Ourthe River, focusing on practicing moving water techniques.
Throughout the course, you’ll be introduced to advanced paddling skills that empower you to harness the elements effectively and navigate various water environments with confidence. Join us and elevate your paddling abilities to new heights.
What to expect?
You will be in a group of no more than four with one instructor during this advanced tandem canoeing course. Meeting your instructor on the first morning provides an opportunity to discuss everyone’s experience and aspirations, which along with the weather forecast and water conditions will enable us to plan the two days ahead.
Day one starts with sorting out any boats or paddling gear and then we will head off to the lake. This will give a good warm up and enable us to introduce some coaching and safe journeying themes.
- Assessing the weather
- Preparing your canoe to paddle safely in challenging conditions
- Trimming the canoe in function of the wind
- How to cope with head wind, tail wind and side wind
- Paddling in waves
- Advanced tandem canoe maneuvering: side slipping, pivotting, forward paddling, leaning and bracing
- Advanced strokes: Canadian/Guide stroke, Indian stroke, Northwoods stroke, post and wedge
- Canoe balance and stability
- Continued canoe safety and rescues
- Paddler communication and roles of the bow (front) and stern (back) paddler
Practical
€ 275 per person
Course dates
March 1-2 Moving water
June 14-15 Open water
December 6-7 Moving water
The fine print
Minimum age to participate is 12 years with an adult or 16 years without. We reserve the right to cancel any program with less than 24 hours notice due to changing weather conditions such as strong winds or thunderstorms. Please check your email for cancellation notices before arriving. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but your safety and well-being is our top priority.
Course prerequisites
Participation in our Tandem Canoeing Beginners course is required for this next-level course. It is designed for paddlers who have already gained good basic tandem canoeing skills and are ready to further enhance their techniques and confidence on the water.
What's included?
- Paddle
- Lifejacket
- Canoe
- Dry bag
- Lunch and dinner on Saturday
- Breakfast and lunch on Sunday
- Camping, tent & mattress
What to bring?
- Water/sports drink.
- Active clothing you don’t mind getting wet.
- Secure footwear you don’t mind getting wet.
- Extra layers in case it cools off during the day.
- A change of clothes and shoes.
- Sunscreen, sun hat, sunglasses with floater string.
- Snacks.
- A rain jacket/pants.
- Sleeping bag
Course location
The advanced tandem canoeing course starts at 10:00am on saturday morning at Zonnemaire (NL) for open water and Nisramont (B) for moving water and ends on sunday at 4:00pm. The location is selected some days in advance depending on the weather forecast and water levels. We will be staying on a small camping next to the water.
Certification
The Open Canoeing Skills B Diploma is the follow up of the Open Canoeing Skills A Diploma. The emphasis is much more on the technically correct execution of the strokes and on the profound understanding of the art of open canoeing. The general criteria that are taken into account are: is the goal being achieved, is safety guaranteed and is there sufficient insight into the whole picture. The holder of this certificate is able to safely paddle canoe trips on more challenging water and in less favorable conditions. Candidates can take the test while paddling solo or in tandem and must be able to demonstrate that she or he has sufficient swimming skills. To take the exam the candidate must have paddled a canoe trip of at least 9 km and the candidate must hold the Open Canoeing Skills A Diploma.
Upon successful completion of the tandem canoeing beginners course it is possible to take an exam. Your instructor will advise you at the end of the day whether it is useful to participate in this exam. It takes approximately four hours and consists of practice and theory. Upon successful completion the participant receives an official certificate from the Royal Dutch Watersports Association. This demonstrates that you have mastered the skills below.
Skills practical – paddling technique
- Transport the canoe in different ways over land to the water
- Properly lift the canoe into the water
- Set correct trim
- Get in, for tandems in the correct order
- Select an appropriate seating position
- Demonstrate an efficient forward stroke in a variety of ways
- Backward and stop
- Correct execution of draw and pry strokes (including cross strokes)
- Correct execution of stern rudder, rudder stroke and J stroke (for solo: bow rudder, C stroke)
- Correct execution of sweep strokes, forward and backward
- Changing the paddling side hut-methode
- Mooring and disembarking
- Prevent tipping over with the low brace (stationary and dynamic)
- Carry out the post and wedge on both sides and under all circumstances, for solo also bow rudder
- Lean into turns
- Backward paddling with backward stroke, backward rudder and J stroke and bow rudder
- Choosing the correct combinations of the above strokes for maneuvers during a 5 km trip
Skills theory
- Paddles, the various designs, choice of the correct paddle length
- Paddle terms for techniques used
- Parts of the canoe
- Requirements for a PFD and clothing
- Safety aspects
- What to do in case of capsize
- Knowing and applying regulations
- Rules of conduct
- Recognize risks and dangers
- Risk of paddling in exrtreme conditions
- Important factors in trip preparation