Skip to product information
ORCKA - Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1
ORCKA - Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1

ORCKA - Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1

$895.00 CAD
ORCKA Instructor Certification

ORCKA Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1

Provincial certification to teach and certify coastal kayaking in Ontario, from a first timer on sheltered water through to Coastal Kayaking Level 1. Four days on the Saugeen Peninsula.

4 DaysDuration
CK2Conditions
CampingIncluded
CK Level 2Prerequisite

What It Authorises

This is the certification the Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association issues for the instruction and administration of its flatwater and Coastal Kayaking Level 1 programs. It is the credential Ontario camps, clubs, schools, and outfitters recognise, and the one most provincial youth and waterfront programs are written around.

Once certified, you can direct, instruct, and certify:

  • ORCKA Safe Kayaking
  • Kayaking Concepts (Flatwater)
  • Flatwater Kayaking A and B
  • Coastal Kayaking Level 1
  • Camp Kayaking Instructor, at Ontario Camping Association camps

You can also assist on Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1 courses, and with ORCKA Board approval, direct Flatwater Kayaking Instructor courses.

One four day course puts five separate programs in your hands, including the authority to certify camp instructors. That is unusual breadth for the time invested, and it is why this course tends to be the fastest route to being employable on an Ontario waterfront.

What the Week Looks Like

Four days on the Saugeen, with the same group site and the same launches used through Instructor Weeks.

Demonstration Quality, Not Just Competent
Your own paddling is assessed against Coastal Kayaking Level 2, a level above what you will be teaching. The Course Director may ask for any or all of those skills. Demonstration quality means slow enough to copy and clean enough to trust.
Teaching, Assessed Three Times
Three lessons, at least two on the water. One from the Coastal Kayaking Level 1 skills area, one from Safe Kayaking, Kayaking Concepts, or Flatwater, and one covering theory or safety. Three written lesson plans submitted to the Course Director.
Rescues and Group Management
Advanced rescues from Coastal Kayaking Level 2: freeing a trapped spray skirt, an unconscious victim, a multiple person rescue. Unassisted roll with reasonable consistency, plus how to teach it safely. Controlling a small group in a dynamic environment.
Programming and Program Development
The part most instructor courses skip. ORCKA policy, accreditation and recertification. Legal and liability exposure. Waterfront regulations, hazard recognition, equipment choice, teaching sites, scheduling, and human resource management. This is what running programs actually involves.
Kayak Design, History, and Reconciliation
Hull design and its effect on stability, edging, and rolling. Construction, materials, and field repair. Paddle design and blade style. The technical and cultural contexts of kayaks worldwide, environmental ethics, and reconciliation as it relates to paddling.

How You Are Assessed

Continuous observation throughout, across safety, care of equipment, group dynamics, and leadership. A written test of about an hour, with 80 percent required to pass. Written or oral presentations demonstrating you can communicate the course content. Three teaching demonstrations, at least two on the water.

Every test item is graded Pass, Weak, or Needs Major Improvement. To certify you need a Pass in every item, or all but one, which may be Weak. The criteria are laid out before you are tested, not after.

One retest is available to every candidate, up to twelve months from the course. It covers only the items marked Weak or Needs Major Improvement on your original evaluation.

Prerequisites

Minimum age 18. Current ORCKA membership. ORCKA Coastal Kayaking Level 2, or an equivalent certification accepted at the Course Director's discretion. A suitable sea kayak with at least two sealed bulkheads and a closed cockpit.

Strongly recommended alongside your paddling qualifications: swimming certification, wilderness first aid with CPR, and a VHF marine radio operator certificate.

Not sure whether your certifications qualify as equivalent? Email us before you book and we will check.

What Is Included

  • Four days of instruction and assessment, directed by a Coastal Kayaking Instructor Trainer
  • A minimum of two instructors on the course, as ORCKA requires
  • Your place on the course group site, included in the fee
  • Online learning dashboard, open from the moment you register and yours to keep
  • Assessment and certification against the ORCKA standard, including one retest within twelve months

Not included

  • ORCKA membership and certification fees, paid directly to ORCKA
  • Personal paddling kit. Valley sea kayaks and drysuits can be rented, towlines cannot
  • Meals. We cook at camp, and there are pubs and food trucks nearby
  • Travel to and from the Saugeen Peninsula

Equipment

Bring gear that fits you and that you already paddle in. You will be demonstrating with it, teaching from it, and running rescues in it while the rest of the group watches.

  • Sea kayak with at least two sealed bulkheads and a closed cockpit
  • Drysuit or immersion clothing appropriate to May on the Saugeen
  • PFD and spray deck that you paddle in regularly
  • Towline with a one-handed quick release. Bring your own, we do not rent these
  • Spare paddle, pump, whistle, knife and a 15 metre buoyant heaving line
  • Compass and charts, and whatever else you actually use to plan
  • Camping gear for four nights on site

Travelling in? Hauling a sea kayak across the province is often not worth it. We have Valley sea kayaks and drysuits available to rent with your course. Book early so we can get you into the boat before the first morning. If cost is the obstacle rather than distance, email info@kayak-ontario.com and we will work something out offline.

Who It Is For

Paddlers who already hold Coastal Kayaking Level 2, or an equivalent certification, and want to teach. Camp waterfront directors who need to certify their own staff. Club leaders who have been running informal sessions for years and want the credential that matches. Instructors building the widest possible teaching scope in the shortest sensible time.

Good to Know

  • Your online dashboard opens as soon as you register, and the pre-course reading is expected before you arrive.
  • The course runs rain or shine. Wind is the assessment rather than a problem. We only stand down for lightning or genuine safety risk.
  • Launch locations shift across the four days to find the right water for what is being taught and assessed.
  • Certification is issued by ORCKA. Membership and certification fees are paid to them directly and are separate from the course fee.
  • Participants are responsible for parking permits at launch sites.
Kayak Ontario

Certification. Successful candidates earn ORCKA Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1, or a Letter of Attendance.

After this → Coastal Kayaking Instructor 2 extends your authority to Coastal Kayaking Levels 1 through 3. We are glad to map out what that takes.

Questions

Can I combine this with the other courses that week?
Yes, and it is a route we would happily recommend. Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1 runs immediately after Paddle Canada Level 1 Instructor, at the same site. Taken together with the Rolling Instructor day, the three courses leave you able to teach and certify:
  • Waterfront, Basic, and Level 1 sea kayak skills
  • Rolling clinics
  • Safe Kayaking, Kayaking Concepts, and Flatwater Kayaking A and B
  • Camp Kayaking Instructor
  • Coastal Kayaking Level 1
That is a teaching scope comparable to a Level 2 Instructor, carrying a full provincial stream and camp certifying authority alongside a national one, built in a single trip to the Saugeen. It opens work at camps, clubs, schools, and outfitters right across Ontario.

It is a full stretch of work, and the water is real: Coastal Kayaking Instructor 1 is assessed in Coastal Kayaking Level 2 conditions, with winds to 20 knots and waves that can reach 1.5 metres. Arrive rested, with your kit sorted, and you will get a lot out of it.

If you would like help working out which combination suits where you are now, email us and we will map it out with you.
Do I need to have taught before?
No. There is no instructor certification or teaching log required to enrol. What you need is Coastal Kayaking Level 2 and the ability to demonstrate those skills cleanly. Prior teaching experience helps, and if you have none we will tell you what to expect before you book.
What if my certification is from another body?
Equivalent certifications can be accepted at the Course Director's discretion. Send us what you hold along with a short paddling log and we will give you a straight answer before you pay for anything.
How rough does the water get?
Your skills are demonstrated in Coastal Kayaking Level 2 conditions: winds to 20 knots, waves ideally 0.8 to 1.2 metres and occasionally to 1.5, breaking in open areas, with infrequent or challenging landings. Not every session runs in that, but you should arrive expecting it rather than hoping to avoid it.
What happens if I do not pass everything?
You need a Pass in every item, or all but one which may be graded Weak. One retest is available to every candidate within twelve months, covering only the items you did not clear. You will know where you stand before the last day rather than finding out afterwards.
Where do I stay?
On the course group site, included in your fee. Bring your own tent and sleeping gear. If you would rather have a roof, there are cabins and trailers at the same camp that you can book directly, and we will point you at them.
Does this lead to employment with Kayak Ontario?
No, and we would rather be straight about it. We are small, and when work comes up it is posted publicly. Most people who leave this course go on to teach at camps and clubs or for themselves. We are glad to see it, including when they become our competition. Training instructors properly is the point.

We acknowledge that our courses on the Saugeen Peninsula take place on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabewaki, the Odawa, and the Mississauga peoples, as well as the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. This land is covered by Treaty 45 ½, signed in 1836.

We are grateful for the deep connections that the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation at Neyaashiinigmiing continue to hold with these lands and waters.

This acknowledgement, accompanied by action, includes contributions to Indigenous-led organizations that make a lasting impact.

You may also like