Crosscurrents Kayak

We had a super-fun currents clinic with a keen couple who wanted to expand on the current training they had done with us earlier this year. Erina and Miguel took on the challenge of navigating us north through Dodd Narrows on a waning flood (max was 8.6 knots!) in preparation for their own summer travels in areas with tidal current. We then spent an excellent few hours playing in the ebb current as it built to a max of about 5 knots, working on eddy turns, ferrying, punching up (attainment) and more. Highlights included honing those edges to enhance turns, boosting water-reading skills and applying that to confidently navigate eddy lines, and whipping out across a snappy, turbulent eddy line at the end of our session. These two have become so much more skilled and confident in dynamic water since I first met them, and they are so well prepared for their summer adventure. Wishing you both a fantastic trip! ☀😎🌊

Photos from our last Paddle Canada Basic Kayak Skills course in Nanaimo on June 14. Just two students made for an intimate class with lots of time for personal attention and extra practice. Congratulations to Jane and Shannon on your new certifications! 👍😎🌞

Sometimes you get an unexpected visitor who wants to join the fun...🦌 This deer walked right by us and along the water's edge as we were preparing to launch on day 2 of a private Paddle Canada Basic Kayak Skills course! Made the intertidal beach launch totally worth it! 🤩

Looking for training in June or July? We've got the following courses in the Nanaimo area with seats available:
📌 Sunday June 14 - Paddle Canada Basic Kayak Skills
📌 Thursday June 18 - Underwater Composure clinic
📌 June 25-28 - Maurelle Island Circumnavigation (Learning Expedition for intermediate+ paddlers)
📌 July 3-5 - Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills
📌 July 11 or 12 - Paddle Canada Basic Kayak Skills (potential date - contact us directly)

Check out our Course Calendar for all the details. We'd love to see you out there! https://crosscurrentskayak.ca/courses-clinics/calendar/

Last' weekend's Gabriola Island Learning Expedition -- the first Learning Expedition we've run here at Crosscurrents Kayak -- was both a great challenge and a resounding success! Three paddlers joined coach Caroline to circumnavigate Gabriola Island in the Southern Gulf Islands on a 22-nautical-mile route that includes two current stations and 6 nautical miles of exposed outer shoreline with a long section of cliffs. We tackled the trip well prepared, spending two pre-trip planning meetings gathering and assessing tide, current and weather data, and crafting a trip plan intended to minimize risk and make the best use of the current and weather conditions we were given. The weather didn't exactly cooperate, giving us an unexpected headwind on Day 1 and some strong southeast winds ahead of the forecast on Day 2, but we were able to work with what we got, adjust as needed, and complete the loop in both good time and good spirits. I am incredibly proud of this team of paddlers and their accomplishment: they contributed to the route planning and decision making, led sections of the trip, met our launch timelines flawlessly despite some unique challenges, asked all sorts of relevant questions to facilitate learning, paddled consistently and keenly every day, and supported each other throughout. The memories from this trip will be sweet and long-lasting! 👏😎

Interested in a future Learning Expedition with us? Our Maurelle Island Circumnavigation is coming up in late June. It's a great opportunity for intermediate-level paddlers to practice and refine trip planning, navigation and on-water leadership skills in a peer-based setting and in areas involving tidal current.
https://crosscurrentskayak.ca/learning-expeditions/maurelle-circumnav/

I was honoured to be interviewed for the Beyond the Eddyline podcast about sea kayaking. We talked about paddling in currents and the Underwater Composure training I offer through Crosscurrents Kayak. Big thanks to Limor Friedman for the invite and the great conversation!

#25 building confidence in current Podcast Episode · Beyond The Eddy Line podcast · May 22 · 22m

We had a fun private lesson with a skilled and keen returning student from the Northwest Territories last week. We tackled some current + wind dynamics at Dodd Narrows, refined intermediate strokes including high brace recovery, high brace turn and bow rudder, and ran through solo re-entries to tune-up for the tripping season. Bravo, Jenny, for rocking it out there! 👍😎🌊

A thank you note, a sea star, “War and Peace”, and a life ring… These clever scribbles were drawn by our latest Underwater Composure clinic students while they were capsized in their kayaks!! Bravo! 👏🏻
Our next Underwater Composure clinic runs June 18 in Nanaimo and we have a few seats still available. Join us to work through a series of exercises that may get you, too, to the point of writing notes while underwater in your kayak!
https://crosscurrentskayak.ca/skills-clinics/underwater-composure/

We had a wonderful group for our Paddle Canada Basic Kayak Skills course last Saturday in Nanaimo. Smiles all around as we worked on paddle strokes, controlled wet exits, assisted re-entries and more. By the end of the day, these new paddlers were zipping around the lake, looping the floating dock and rafting up like they'd been doing it for years. Bravo!!
Our next Basic Kayak Skills course runs June 14 in Nanaimo! Kayak/gear rentals available.
https://crosscurrentskayak.ca/paddle-canada/pc-basic/