Symposium Overview
Incident Management – Safety & Rescue
Incidents do occur at sea. We try to avoid them, but you can guarantee that one day, big or small, an incident is going to happen. You need to prepare in advance for that day.
No one is better known within the kayaking community than Jeff Allen, for his four day Incident Management course now forms the back-bone of the ISKGA Guide Program. Jeff has been delivering this program worldwide for the last 16 years and has delivered it all over the world.
This four day course introduces you to a variety of methods to exercise effective leadership in a crisis situation, performing under pressure. On the course you will develop a logical step by step thought process, a simple and easy process that allows for rapid decision making, helping you to prevent incidents from spiralling out of control.
You will learn how to control and overcome ‘Adrenal fix’ and you will be exposed to a variety of rescue and evacuation strategies. You shall then take all of this knowledge and start to practise scenario based incidents in a variety of environments. This course is strongly recommended for anyone working towards a leadership award and for group paddlers who wish to greater understand the leadership process; after all, understanding at all levels allows for great group performance overall.
Instructor – Jeff Allen
L2/L3 American Canoe Association (ACA) Sea Kayak Instructor Certification
The ACA Level 2-3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor Certification Workshop consists of two essential and required parts; the Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) and the Instructor Certification Exam (ICE).
The 5-day program is an intensive hands-on cooperative learning workshop experience that is designed to refine your instructional techniques and familiarize you with the processes and curriculum of the American Canoe Association (ACA). The final 2 days of class (the “exam”) are assessment days that require all participants to prepare and present lessons to fellow students to demonstrate, among other essential skills, teaching, and paddling abilities.
Every program is unique and designed to maximize each participant’s experience.
During the 5-day Instructor Certification Workshop (ICW) you, as instructor candidates will be assessed in the following key areas:
- Personal Paddling Skills: Strong basic/intermediate skills, boat control and general professional paddling mode at all times.
- Teaching Skills: Knowledge of teaching methods and learning styles, and how to use them to give an effective presentation. We are also looking for organized lesson plans, group management techniques, speaking and presentation ability, and attention to details in the classroom, on land and on the water.
- Modeling Skills: Ability to visually present and break skills down into teachable/learnable parts.
- Attention to Safety: Use of risk management skills, assessing student skill levels and group control.
- Group Management: Ability to set up and maintain a suitable teaching location as well as managing a group in the classroom, on land and on the water in both a teaching and guiding situation.
- Technical Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of all aspects of paddlesports. Everything from teaching safe car-topping procedures, boat design, and common paddling injuries and avoidance to tides, surfing and regional hazards.
- Coaching: Being able to identify student errors and give positive, corrective feedback.
Instructor – Levi Hogan
Greenland Style Skills Course
Here you will learn why the Greenlanders are the masters of the roll. Part of the class will be an exhibition of many effortless rolls. Students will practice paddling, sculling, balance braces, and rolls. You will work on learning to roll or for those having a solid roll, you may learn a new one. Having a Greenland style kayak with a low back and Greenland paddle really helps with this clinic.
Instructor – Anna Partenheimer
Essentials of Kayak Touring
The Essentials of Kayak Touring course is designed to teach beginner
paddlers to safely and enjoyably kayak on lakes, calm protected ocean environments, and other
flatwater settings. Additionally this course is a great fit for intermediate paddlers to work on refining theirs skills in a relaxed and low pressure environment with an emphasis on education and skills progression.
This is a general outline of the course subject matter:
Personal Preparation
Learning judgment. Prudent behavior, being aware of what you don’t know, can’t handle, or should not risk
Group Equipment: extra paddle, dry bags, first aid kit and rescue equipment (Depending on the environment and nature of the trip this may include cell phones, 2- way radios, paddle floats, rescue slings, etc).
Guidebooks, maps/charts, local knowledge
Assessing relevant existing and approaching environmental conditions including: tides, weather, time of day, water and air temperature, traffic, and accessibility
Assessing personal and group dynamics (skills, equipment, group makeup, emotional concerns, logistics, and leadership).
Filed Trip Plan
Equipment
Life Jackets (PFDs): types, fit
Kayaks: types, materials, parts (including safety features such as flotation)
Paddles: types, materials, parts, length, blade size, shape and offset, hand position
Care of equipment
Personal equipment: water, food, shoes, hat, sunscreen, bug repellent, sun glasses, eyeglass straps, protective clothing for heat or cold, sponge, bailer/pump, whistle (or other approved sounding device), knife, light
Optional equipment and outfitting for improved control
Getting Started
Warm-up and stretching
How to pick up and carry a kayak safely
Car topping: loading and unloading, racks, straps
Launching and landing
Boarding, three points of contact, weight kept low, etc
Spray skirts (if applicable)
Posture, safety, comfort, effectiveness, rocking, balance
Wet exits
Water comfort and confidence
Self Rescue
How to empty a kayak
Basic Terminology
Types of strokes (covered in this course): power, turning
Stroke components: catch, propulsion, recovery (CPR), control, correction
Safe and effective body usage
Safety & Rescue
Exercising Judgment, Safety as a mind-set, etc
Hypothermia/ Cold Immersion Shock: help/huddle, clothing
Dehydration/ hyperthermia: hydration, clothing
Hazards: wind, waves, weather, current, rocks, bridges, piers, dams, strainers, traffic
Paddling as a group
Signaling
Interactions/ Sharing water with non powered and powered traffic
Emergency procedures
Rescue
Rescue sequence: RETHROG
Rescue priorities: people, boats, gear
Demonstrate/participate: T-X rescue
Deep-water re-entries, assisted and solo, with sling, scooping
Boat assisted rescue, assisting a tired swimmer (pushing or pulling to shore)
Towing or bulldozing a capsized boat
Strokes
Forward
Back (stopping)
Draw
Sculling draw/brace
Sweep (including Stern Draw)
Reverse Sweep
Rudder
Low Brace
Maneuvers
Paddling in a reasonably straight line
Spins
Stopping
Moving Abeam
Instructor: TBD
Included
Professional Instruction
Dinner and meet and greet Day1
Catered Dinner and Speaker Day2
BBQ Dinner and speaker day 3
horderves and debrief Day4
Discounts with local businesses including
Lodging
Food
Flights
Sporting goods
Not Included
Lodging while in Haines
Breakfasts, Lunch and snacks
Kayaking and associated equipment
(limited rentals available)
Drysuit
(limited rentals available)
Schedule of Events
Day 0
Check in at SEAK Expeditions headquarters in down town Haines, Alaska and pick up your symposium packet.
Day 1
0830 Meet at the SEAK Expedition headquarters in downtown Haines Alaska to sort out gear and get into our groups for the day.
0930 Depart for the put in and pre paddle safety orientation.
1230 Lunch
1330 Spend the afternoon working through the subject matter with your instructor.
1630 Paddle to Take out and return to Haines
1830 Dinner-Haines Brewing Company Tasting Room-Pizza provided with beer available for purchase
Day 2
0830 Meet at the SEAK Expedition headquarters in downtown Haines Alaska to sort out gear and get into our groups for the day.
0930 Depart for the put in and pre paddle safety orientation.
1030 spend the morning continuing the subject matter with your instructor
1230 Lunch
1330 Spend the afternoon working through the subject matter with your instructor.
1630 Paddle to Take out and return to Haines
1830 Dinner at the Old Field Kitchen, provided by Chef Travis Kukull owner of Malo Nista Catering.
Presenter – Jeff Allen
Subject – TBA
Day 3
0830 meet at SEAK Expeditions Headquarters to sort any gear needed.
0930 Depart for the put in and the morning session.
1230 Lunch
1330 Afternoon session continuing to work through your group skills development.
1630 paddle back to the take out and the ride to Haines.
1830 Meet at BBQ dinner and slide show at The Old Field Kitchen
Presenter – TBA
Subject- TBA
Day 4
0830 meet at SEAK Expeditions Headquarters to sort any gear needed.
0930 Depart for the put in and the morning session.
1230 Lunch
1330 Afternoon session continuing to work through your group skills development.
1630 paddle back to the take out and the ride to Haines.
1830 2023 Symposium debrief at the Port Chilkoot Distillery, hor d’oeuvres provided by Chef Travis Kukull of Malo Nista Catering and cocktails available for purchase.
Equipment
We do have a limited amount of rental equipment at discounted rates for the symposium weekend.
Contact us for availability and rates
We will have demo equipment availble at discounted rental rates from the following manufacturers.
NDK Kayaks
Trak Kayaks
Nautiraid Kayaks
Lendal Paddles
Gearlab Paddles
Salamander Paddling Gear
Astral Designs
Immersion Research
We will also have equipment for sale at a 10% discount so if you like something you try ask us about availability.
Instructors
Jeff Allen
Jeff is the founder of “Expedition Paddler” a company offering a wide variety of training opportunities, international guiding services and inspirational talks. In 2012 Jeff founded the International Sea Kayak Guide Association, an organisation which represents the needs of both established and aspiring commercial Sea Kayak Guides from around the world.
Levi Hogan
Levi is the owner of Turnagain Kayak, an ACA Level 4 Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer and BCU 5 Star Sea Kayaker. Levi is also certified in Swift Water Rescue Instructor, Whitewater Kayaking, Stand Up Paddleboarding, and Canoeing. When Levi isn’t on the water he spends his time as a volunteer firefighter and medic in Hope, AK and chasing down his three year old Rylan and five year old Nigel.
Anna Partenheimer
Anna is an ISKGA Coastal Guide and trainer and part owner of Expedition Paddler Ltd, which is an expedition sea kayaking company that is dedicated to introducing paddlers to the world of expedition paddling in remote coastal environments around the world.
Sponsors
Partners
