Saugeen Peninsula, Tobermory

$925.00 CAD

Tobermory has become the course many paddlers choose for their Level 2. Clear water, shipwrecks, a sheltered basecamp format, and consistent coastal conditions make it one of the best places to build skills with confidence. We focus on the essentials: strokes, rescues, navigation, and gear, while giving you access to some of the biggest water in the Great Lakes.

Many alumni later explore Level 2 in different locations for bigger water or new challenges, but starting in Tobermory gives you a strong foundation without the pressure of a backcountry expedition, and at a lower cost than travelling farther afield. It's water we know better than anyone, and with our facility based here, you'll always have support.

Provincial Coastal Kayaking Level 1

National Sea Kayak Level 2

One course, two awards. You're assessed against both standards across the course. Both are very achievable, and if you meet the assessment criteria, you earn them.

What You'll Learn

Full days of hands-on training, backed by theory in your online learning dashboard. Five skill domains across four days of coastal touring, with at least 20 of the 32 hours on the water.

Navigation & Seamanship

Navigate coastal waters, handle tides and currents, and build the judgment that separates touring paddlers from people in kayaks.

→ Chart reading and route planning
→ Compass navigation and bearings
→ Piloting: handrails, backstops, aiming off, dead reckoning
→ Environmental reading: wind, current, swell
→ Introduction to tides and currents
→ Crossing strategies and group management
→ Collision regulations as they apply to kayakers

Knots, Tarps & Expedition Behaviour

The camp and group management skills needed for extended kayaking trips, the stuff that separates a day paddle from an expedition.

→ Key knots for rigging and rescue
→ Tarp setups for coastal camping
→ Setting up an emergency overnight
→ Expedition behaviour and group dynamics
→ Loading, launching, and landing in conditions
→ Transport Canada requirements, and what to carry beyond them

Risk Management & Weather

Assess risk, predict weather patterns, and make decisions that keep the group moving safely when conditions shift.

→ Marine weather forecasting and interpretation
→ Risk assessment frameworks for trip leaders
→ Leading peers and decision-making under uncertainty
→ Emergency planning, evacuation, and contingencies
→ VHF, PLBs, satellite messengers, and what each is for
→ Hypothermia and hyperthermia: signs, treatment, prevention

Boat Handling & Rescues

Advanced strokes, towing techniques, and on-water rescues, refined under real coastal conditions.

→ Level 2 stroke refinement and power transfer
→ Bow rudders, brace turns, draws, and stern rudders
→ Towing setup and techniques
→ Assisted, self and all-in rescues in conditions
→ Getting a swimmer to shore on your bow or stern
→ Rescue scenarios: seasickness, injury, hypothermia, leaky boats
→ Introduction to rolling

Kit, Craft & Heritage

Sessions on the gear and the story behind it. Required for the ORCKA award, and worth knowing either way.

→ Hull design, outfitting, pumps, skirts, and paddle choice
→ Clothing for harsh conditions, and first aid kit basics
→ Repair kits, and improvising a fix on a beach
→ The kayak's history, Greenland paddling, and reconciliation as it relates to paddling

Sample Instructional Progression

Curriculum focus and locations may shift based on weather and conditions. That flexibility is part of the learning.

Day 1, Lion's Head

Safety briefing, skill reviews, and Level 2 rescue exercises.

Day 2, Tobermory

Navigation, seamanship, and weather forecasting in action.

Day 3, Lyal Island

Coastal touring, Level 2 strokes, and introduction to towing.

Day 4, Cape Croker

Rescue and towing scenarios, rolling, and course wrap-up.

Built for Lifelong Learning

Every Kayak Ontario course includes access to your personal online learning dashboard, a hybrid system offering clear preparation before the course, structured learning on the water, and continued support afterward. Track your progress, complete short modules on preparation, gear, safety, and theory, and return any time to review lessons.

★ Online learning dashboard access included with your course
★ Full-colour Kayak Ontario Course Manual available as an add-on: take it to the shoreline, mark it up with notes, and keep as a lasting reference

What's Included

✔ Course instruction and assessment across four full days of on-water training
✔ Expert coaching at 1:4 instructor ratio
✔ Camping at Mountain Trout Camp, our base of operations for the course
✔ Online learning dashboard access
✔ ORCKA Coastal Kayaking Level 1 and Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 2 assessment and certification

Available to Add

— Kayak + drysuit rental: Valley sea kayak and Nookie drysuit, available to book with your course. Own your boat? Bring it. Rental drysuits have latex seals, so if you have a latex allergy, talk to us before you book.
— Course manual: full-colour workbook with step-by-step breakdowns and diagrams
— Navigation and safety kit: order ahead from our Level 2 Gear collection, or pick it up at our Ferndale shop on the morning of day one

Good to Know

— Day one starts at our Ferndale shop, 2825 Hwy 6, Lion's Head. It's the easy place to collect an order or pick up a last piece of kit before we launch.
— Mountain Trout Camp is our base of operations for the course, with space to stage gear and decompress between days. On-site camping is available. Cabin upgrades are available by booking directly with Mountain Trout Camp.
— Participants are responsible for meals. We'll visit local pubs and food trucks, plus camping meal prep is part of the experience.
— Participants are responsible for parking permits at launch sites.
— Wilderness first aid (16 hours) with CPR is strongly recommended, though not required to book.
— The course runs rain or shine, though we reschedule for prolonged thunderstorms.

Equipment Needed

Rent the two big items from us and bring the smaller kit yourself. It's the same kit you'll carry on every trip after this one, so it's worth having your own.

✔ Sea kayak: with two bulkheads
Rentals available
✔ Dry suit: for cold-water immersion training
Rentals available
✔ PFD: one that fits snugly for paddling and rescue practice
Yours to bring
✔ Navigation kit: Chart 2235, deck compass, square plotter, and map case
Yours to bring
✔ Towline: with a one-handed quick release
Yours to bring
✔ Safety kit: bilge pump and paddle float
Yours to bring
✔ Camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, essentials for 4 nights
Yours to bring

New to this kit? Most people are. Once you book, we walk you through what each piece does and why you'll want it, and we're glad to help you choose. Order ahead from our Level 2 Gear collection, or buy it at our Ferndale shop on the morning of day one. We don't keep loaner sets, so please have yours sorted by then.

Prerequisite: Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 1, or ORCKA Coastal Kayaking Level 1 or Flatwater Kayaking, or equivalent experience, plus a few day trips under your belt in different locations. You should be comfortable with wet exits, basic re-entries, and a full day on the water. Not sure? Get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.

After your Level 2 → Continue building with the Skill Building Series clinics, explore a Coastal Explorer touring day, or start working toward Level 3. Your coaches already know your abilities, so the progression is seamless.

Questions

Do I need my own kayak or gear?

Not the big items. Valley sea kayak and Nookie drysuit rentals are available to book with your course. You will need your own navigation and safety kit: a chart, compass, plotter, and map case, plus a towline, pump, and paddle float. It's a short list, it's the kit you'll use on every trip after this one, and we're glad to help you choose it. We don't keep loaner sets, so have yours sorted before day one. Once you book, we walk you through every piece.

What certification do I get?

Both, if you meet the criteria. You're assessed against the ORCKA Coastal Kayaking Level 1 and Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 2 standards across the course. If you have outstanding items to clear, we'll work with you on a plan to complete them.

Do I have to roll?

No. Paddle Canada introduces rolling at Level 2 rather than testing it. You'll learn the body mechanics, try the components with an instructor beside you, and leave knowing how to go get a reliable roll. It becomes a requirement at Level 3, so it's worth starting now.

Can I use a paddle float for re-entries?

Yes, and you don't need permission. Paddle Canada is explicit that re-entry aids like paddle floats and stirrups are welcome and encouraged at any level, and using one doesn't prevent you passing. It just has to be used competently. Bodies are different sizes and shapes, and the goal is getting back in the boat.

Where do participants stay?

The course runs from Mountain Trout Camp, our on-site base of operations. Camping is available, and you'll have space to stage gear and decompress between days. If you'd prefer a cabin, you can book one directly with Mountain Trout Camp.

What if the weather is bad?

The course runs rain or shine, and paddling in varied conditions is part of the learning. Level 2 is a class 2 certification, so a bit of wind is the assessment rather than a problem. We move locations to find the right water. We only reschedule for prolonged thunderstorms or conditions that pose a genuine safety risk.

I did my Level 1 a while ago. Am I ready?

If you're comfortable with wet exits, basic re-entries, and a full day on the water, you're ready. If it's been a while, our Skill Building Series half-day clinics are a great way to sharpen fundamentals before committing to the full Level 2. Not sure? Email us and we'll help you assess.

Can I take my Level 2 somewhere else instead?

If you mean at one of our other locations, yes. We run this course in multiple environments with different challenges. If you mean at another school, sure, you can, but then you won't get tacos and dad jokes 🌮🫠👈 your loss.

What's the online learning dashboard?

Our online learning system with structured modules covering preparation, gear, safety, navigation theory, and more. Access is included with your course, and it extends your learning before, during, and long after the on-water days.

Where Level 2 Leads

Jill and Jelena did their Level 2 together in Tobermory. Five years later they were back on the same shoreline at the Big Water Gathering. They became lifelong friends and paddle buddies. Level 2 builds your skills, and for a lot of our alumni it's also where they find the people they paddle with for years.

Tobermory Level 2

Big Water Gathering, five years later

We acknowledge that our courses in Tobermory 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 especially grateful to spend part of this course in Neyaashiinigmiing, home of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, whose deep connections to these lands and waters continue today.

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

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