LEAD 100: Day Guides' Course

Downloadable course description (PDF)

(Previous training or experience recommended)
Dates: May 28-31, 2010
Times: Meet the night before at 7pm; trip ends at 3pm on last day
Departs from: Tofino
Group size: Maximum 10
Price: $685 CAD (+ $115 CAD for 4 nights accommodation) + GST
Instructors: Dan Lewis and Bonny Glambeck

Course Goal:

Guiding day trips is an excellent way to start a career in sea kayak guiding. And Tofino is an the ultimate place to guide day trips. Clayoquot Sound offers stunning wilderness scenery and ancient rainforest trails, as well as strong tidal currents, lots of boat traffic, and the possibility of fog and strong winds. If you learn to guide here, you will be prepared to guide anywhere on the BC coast! Our course is endorsed by the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC. Students who successfully complete this course and meet SKGABC prerequisites are eligible for Level One Guide certification.

Course Objectives:

You will learn:

• a philosophy of safety that emphasizes seamanship, judgement, and personal responsibility.
• a philosophy of leadership that emphasizes client care and incident prevention.
• techniques for keeping a group together on the water.
• kayak strokes including edging, turning, draws, and bracing.
• paddling in tidal currents, including ferry glides and eddy turns.
• navigational skills specific to coastal travel, including chart-reading, use of tide tables, interpreting marine weather forecasts, and route-finding while underway.
• how to use a compass, and to navigate in fog.
• Leave No Trace ethics and techniques.
• natural and cultural history interpretation.

Itinerary:

The course is based in Tofino, BC. Each day will be a combination of on-water and classroom sessions, covering both hard and soft skills necessary for guides. You'll eat and sleep in comfort at the Whalers on the Point Guesthouse in Tofino, just minutes away from our waterfront location. Course cost includes kayaking equipment, wetsuits, and accommodation.

Register early to avoid disappointment!
Call us at 1-877-422-WILD