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Paddle Canada Level 2 Sea Kayak builds on Level 1 with refined strokes, coastal navigation, and the seamanship needed for open-water touring. You will develop the judgment, group skills, and self-reliance to lead yourself and others on day trips and overnight expeditions in dynamic conditions.

• Refined forward, reverse, and sweep strokes with edging
• Rescues in wind, chop, and rougher water
• Introductory towing, leadership, and group management
• Chart and compass navigation with real trip planning
• Weather interpretation and route strategy
• Overnight camping, packing, and expedition behaviour

Each Level 2 location offers the same Paddle Canada curriculum in a different environment. Choose the one that fits your schedule and the kind of paddling you want to do:

• Saugeen Peninsula, Tobermory: clear water, shipwrecks, base camp format. The standard starting point for many L2 paddlers.
• The Niagara Peninsula: weekend format, Lake Erie and Niagara River conditions, no time off work required.
• 1000 Islands, Gananoque: St. Lawrence River, island hopping, shipping channel crossings.
• The Fox Islands, Killarney: remote Georgian Bay wilderness, multi-day expedition format.
• Lake Superior Provincial Park: the big lake, cold and powerful, pictograph coastline.
• 100 Wild Islands, Nova Scotia: Atlantic Canada, tidal water, fog navigation, ocean swell.

View all upcoming Level 2 dates and locations.

You should be comfortable with wet exits, basic re-entries, paddling in light wind and chop, and a full day on the water. A completed Paddle Canada or ORCKA Level 1 certification or equivalent experience is required. If your L1 was a few years ago and you are not sure you are ready, email us at info@kayak-ontario.com and we will help you assess. Skill Building Series clinics are also a good way to sharpen fundamentals before a full L2.

• Paddle Canada Level 2 or ORCKA Coastal Kayak 1 certification on successful completion (you choose which award to challenge)
• Individual skills feedback and tracking
• Lifetime access to Kayak Ontario's online learning dashboard: structured modules on preparation, gear, safety, and navigation theory
• Trip planning templates, packing lists, and post-course support

We supply Valley sea kayaks and the safety gear you need for the course. Rental packages include the boat, paddle, PFD, spray skirt, pump, and paddle float. Drysuit rentals are available for cold-water sessions. If you own a sea kayak with two bulkheads, you are welcome to bring it; we will help you set it up for touring efficiency.

Kayak Ontario's coaching approach is built on three things: evidence-based instruction, transparent assessment, and student-centred progression. Here is what that looks like in practice on a Level 2 course.

• Dual certification. Every Level 2 course can be used to challenge either a Paddle Canada Level 2 or an ORCKA Coastal Kayak 1 award. You choose. Both are nationally recognized; the right choice depends on where you plan to paddle and which instructor pathway you might pursue.
• Instructor Trainers on staff. Two of our full-time coaches hold Instructor Trainer credentials with both Paddle Canada and ORCKA. That depth means our assessment standards are calibrated against the same rubric used to certify other instructors across Canada.
• 1:4 instructor ratio. Small groups, real coaching time, and individual skills feedback that goes beyond a pass or fail.
• Quality equipment. Valley and Rockpool sea kayaks, Werner paddles, Kokatat and Nookie drysuits. We use this gear because it works, not because of marketing partnerships.
• Welcoming to paddlers from other schools. If you did your Level 1 elsewhere or have been paddling on your own, you are welcome here. We assess where you actually are on Day 1 and meet you there.

If our approach sounds like what you are looking for, the next step is choosing a location and date.