KayakOntario

𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝟭 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 🎉🥳

This week’s Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 1 was a milestone for our team: a full house, and Evie’s first course as lead coach.

Watching a coach you’ve worked with step into the lead role and run a program start to finish is one of the best parts of this job. Strokes, rescues, boat handling, group management: she handled all of it with the calm and clarity we knew she had.

Congratulations Evie. The first of many.

That’s a wrap on the Official Kayak Ontario Spring Tune-Up. Four days, every kind of water: fog and group dynamics, navigation across Fathom Five, rock gardens at Lion’s Head, and rolling and wrap-up at Cape Croker Park, the hidden gem of the peninsula. The park is run by the Chippewas of Nawash at Neyaashiinigmiing and worth a visit in its own right. Thank you to everyone who paddled and to the coaches who ran it.
Our next symposium is the Big Water Gathering this fall, and we have a few spots open. See you on the big water.

Spring Tune-Up Day 3 was for rock gardening.
If the term is new to you: rock gardening is paddling in and around rock features close to shore, using the swell and surge to move through slots, gaps, and over ledges. It’s timing, boat handling, and reading water all at once, and the skills you worked so hard to refine start to pay off.
The group worked maneuvers, ran scenarios, and practiced extractions: getting a paddler and boat out of caves and rocks when a feature doesn’t go to plan.
The location was Lion’s Head. Everyone knows it from the photos and the crowds, which is exactly why it gets underrated as a training location.

Day 2 was navigation day, and we took over Fathom Five. We had a big group out there, splitting into three separate pods, each exploring a different part of the archipelago. Great wildlife day too: deer on the islands (a rare sight for me), peregrine falcons, and lots of fish. Here’s hoping the weather stays this good for the next few days.

What a start to the season. Honestly, we’re going to take a moment to be proud of this one.

The last two weeks have been a blur in the best way. Opening weekend at Guelph Lake was packed: two sold-out Level 1 courses, 35 rolling students over four days, and the debut of our Skill Builder clinics, which were a hit right out of the gate. This week we’ve got at-capacity Level 1s up in Lions Head, and then the big one: the official Kayak Ontario Spring Tune-Up this weekend, with 20 paddlers and 6 coaches on the water over four days.

We still have some space left for the rest of the season. If you’ve been thinking about a course or a clinic, don’t wait on it. Level 1s and clinic dates are filling, but there’s still plenty left to make the most of your summer.

We just finished our first Hamilton Level 1s of the 2026 season! 2 full sessions with loads of smiles despite the questionable weather!

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
Six days on the Saugeen Peninsula.

We had 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗧 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, and 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 working through Rolling, Basic, and Level 1 Instructor courses.

Congratulations to everyone who came out this week. Three strong groups who did great work learning how to run paddling programs.

𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿:
· Courses that ran longer than minimum standards, with real time for skill refinement and adult education frameworks.
· A group that pushed each other in a healthy, supportive way.
We’re proud to be a small part of the next generation of coaches in Ontario. We wish you all the best in your coaching journeys.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 dates will be announced this fall. If you’re thinking about the instructor path, whether ORCKA or Paddle Canada, this is the week to plan around.

A new season of ORCKA and Paddle Canada Level 1 courses across Ontario.

Our May L1s are sold out: Niagara-Hamilton, Lion’s Head, Guelph, and Rondeau but a Waitlist is available. June still has a few openings.

This year we are featuring Nookie Drysuits in our rental fleet and we have 2 trailers full of Valley Kayaks for rent. After what seemed like the longest winter ever, were on track for one of our busiest seasons yet. So excited to see everyone!