Instructional Expeditions are about exploring beautiful places and journeying to remote backcountry while learning skills. The Missions are about the water: rock gardens, coast, tide races, river waves and more.
What are they about
Each Mission teaches something the Great Lakes can't: standing waves, tides, or an exposed ocean coast.
After Level 2 there are three. Take any of them, in any order. None is a prerequisite for another.
None is a certification course. They build the experience and judgment you need for Level 3.
Three Missions
Each Mission is coached at a small ratio and rated intermediate+ for a Great Lakes paddler.
River currentSurf Mission: MontrealThree days on the St. Lawrence, building from gentle current to standing-wave surf. The current runs one way, and the features stay put.
Dates and details →
TideTidal Mission: PembrokeshireFive days in Wales with Sea Kayak Academy, built for Level 2 paddlers with no tidal experience. The tide turns, and the features move with it.
Dates and details →
Open coastCoastal Mission: Cape BretonFour days from Ingonish on one of the most exposed coasts we paddle. The weather sets the terms, and the landings are few.
Dates and details →Side by side
| Montreal | Pembrokeshire | Cape Breton | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | River current and a standing wave | Tidal streams on an open coast | Open Atlantic coast, big cliffs |
| Days | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| You learn | Ferries, eddy turns and peel-outs in stronger flow, then surfing the wave | Tidal planning, eddy lines and ferry glides, journeying on the stream | Reading the window, committing sections, escape routes, open-coast handling |
| Format | Day sessions in the city | Daily venues from the Sea Kayak Academy base, kayak included | Base camp at a campground in Ingonish |
| Before you go | Level 2 plus our Introduction to Sea Kayaking in Current | Level 2. Current clinic recommended. No tidal experience needed | Level 2, comfortable with a full day on the water |
From the coast
The big gap for Great Lakes paddlers
The Great Lakes teach wind and waves very well. They don't teach water that moves on its own. Current, tide and ocean exposure are core to Level 3, and a Mission is the coached way to meet them for the first time.
Push yourself.
Each Mission is coached at a small ratio and rated intermediate+ for a Great Lakes paddler. None of them is a certification course: they're the experience that gets you ready for Level 3.
Related: Paddling in current · Tides for Great Lakes paddlers · How to plan a Great Lakes bucket-list trip
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