BACKWATER PADDLING
250-964-7400
         
Lessons

Activities
Other
 
CANOEING

Imagine yourself…….

Gliding serenely across a glassy lake while the eagles too are gliding however, above

Heading into the wilderness for a long camping trip,

Slipping between rocky islands fishing for the big one.

Steering the canoe straight without switching sides.

IT ALL STARTS WITH A BASIC CANOE CLASS

Just in one evening you can receive professional instruction on the basic requirements to paddle and to maneuver a canoe; for a paddle on a lake to a trip on the Bowron Lakes.

CANOE CLINIC - Brush Up, Touch Up, Tune Up
The same program is for those who have paddled some time ago or those who have acquired their skills informally. It is an opportunity to refresh your canoe skills and to master the craft. I will cater the program to your needs, of stroke improvement. Backwater Paddling will transform the sport of canoeing to an art; with solo, safety and stroke refining. $50.00/person/evening
Thu May 31 - eve

SOLO CLINIC:
An opportunity to refresh your canoe skills and to master the craft. Discover the art of solo paddling; learn the finesse of blade control that will make your canoe dance all evening. Learn the skills that will enable you to put your canoe exactly where you want it to go. Strokes & skills covered: forward / back paddling, pivots, sideslips Canadian, Indian, Low Brace Turn, sculling draw and controlled stopping. $50.00
Wed June 27 - eve

CANOE COURSE
A 16 hour intensive program is availabe for $150.00.. This two evening, one day course includes: propulsion strokes (forward, reverse), maneuvering strokes (back, pry, draw, sweep, J) and as well as solo strokes. You will discover canoe carries that minimizes back strain, how to tie canoes to your vehicle and learn the safe, easy ways to enter & exit your boat from shore, dock and water. Other topics include paddle wear, boating gear (boats and life jackets/PFD), hypothermia, and safety techniques.
Fri June 8 - eve
Sun Jun10 - all day
Mon Jun 11 - eve

 

CAPSIZE COURSE
Everyone on the water should have the skills to assist themselves or another paddlers should a mishap occur. Bring your Sea Kayak or Canoe for a course that covers solo and assisted capsize recovery procedures. The program is designed to build confidence and safety awareness through an understanding of boat re-entry. The capsize course includes: various self rescues techniques and scenarios, an understanding of the necessary safety gear and includes the opportunity to try out other available crafts. $50.00/person/evening 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. August 2



ALL COURSES:
Fee includes: rental of boat, PFD & paddle.
BRING: Extra Clothes (just in case!)
Soft footwear + Sunglasses, Snack and water
For night: if available, BYO Headlamp		 If you provide your own boat: there is not change in pricing and you must have all FIVE items as per Transport Canada standards (6 things for night).

A Happy Camper........
My friends took 2 canoe lessons with Backwater Paddling in early June in preparation for our Bowron Lakes Canoe Trip. We had pretty much never canoed before we took Rick’s course and then embarked on a six day canoe trip on the Bowron Lakes; we were all pretty impressed on what we learnt!!!! I just wanted to say thank you for your lesson! Prior to having a class with you, we only had some elementary canoe experience and thought the lessons would be a "waste of time". Kelly even said it after the first lesson, how valuable the first lesson was. Michelle and I tipped our canoe the first lesson and thankfully, we did! We learned a great rescue technique to get us safely out of the water. Thanks to Rick we became competent paddlers and because of skills learnt we did not have to use the rescue technique on our 6 day Bowron Lake trip!!! We used the J-Stroke a lot and learned the value of it. We survived the beauty of the backcountry of BC! We also appreciated your tips on the gear (canoe type and equipment) that we would require...the Gama Lids with buckets were an excellent suggestion! Thanks again, Rick! We also stayed at the Wells Hotel on our way out of Wells at the end of the trip and had a great time there, too! Graham Longpre

NEW BOATS
Backwater Paddling is a distributor for Hellman Canoes. Hellman boats are constructed with a special synthetic composite cloth combined with a tough flexible epoxy resin that results in a superiority results in an incredible durable canoe hull. This system makes these canoes 15% lighter and 90% tougher the conventional fibreglass canoes. Try out our demo boats to select the best design to match your needs. Or, check out the website (Hellmancanoes.com) then ask Allane to assist you to choose a canoe; she well define what your needs are and ask are some questions to help with your decision.
Custom boats can be ordered through Backwater Paddling, for aprrox. 2 weeks delivery time.

In stock for sale: Quetico by Hellman (Check out our sales page for more details).

Hellman Fleet:

Duralite Weight / Length General Purpose
Prospector 56 / 17.6' General Recreation
Kootenay 51 / 16.6' General Recreation
Quetico 49 / 16.2' Lake /Tripping
Cruiser 62 / 18.8' Fast /Tripping
Slocan 64 / 17.6' River/Tripping
Otter 35 / 10.6' River / Solo
Scout 49 / 15.6' Lake / Solo
Solitude 45 / 14.10' Solo

 

MATERIAL COMPARISON; PROSPECTOR CANOE -17’ 6”

Material Strength per kevlar Weight - lbs Cost
Fiberglass 25% 67 $1,900
Duralite 40% 56 $2,100
Duratuff 90% 66 $2,200
Kevlar 100% 46 $2,600

TESTIMONIAL TO DURALITE; another happy camper............
Soon after I purchased my Hellman Slocan Duralite canoe, a group of PG paddlers paddled the Murray River to the confluence of the Pine River. The river downstream of Tumbler Ridge has a number of ledges and some short Grade 2 – 2+ sections. On one of these, where the river became braided, we chose a short narrow channel, about 5 or 6 feet wide, and shot down it. Just before we exited out of it into the main channel of the river, the front right side of the canoe struck a submerged stump very hard. We came close to tipping over. The side of the canoe was deflected inward at the point of impact, smacking/hurting my bowman's knee, and then popped right back out again. I was surprised to find not a mark on the boat when we examined it later that day. I attributed the lack of damage to the Duralite’s characteristic ability to flex. Chris Peppler

Top
Home

To Register for above programs:
Email
backwater