Dates: April 23-27th, 2018
Location: Squamish, B.C
Price: $1199

Prerequisites

At least 18 years of age
Current Paddle Canada membership and provincial or territorial
Paddle Canada Basic or Advanced Flatwater SUP skills, or equivalent skills or knowledge

Costs Include the Following:

  • Instructor Ratio: 1:4
  • Paddle Canada Certification: If successful, participants can achieve their Paddle Canada River 1 or 2 skills.
  • Demo line up of river specific sup boards from Sprout Surf, Red Paddle Co, Pure Life Paddleboards, Aegir
  • Blackfish Paddles

Price Does Not Include the Following

  • Accommodations
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Drysuit Rental

Cancellation Policy

Training courses are non refundable within two weeks of the course start date. 100% refundable prior to two weeks of the course start date.

SUP River Skills, Rescue and Leadership Training

Our river camp aims to deliver an instructional, fun and progressive standup paddle board training experience for sup enthusiasts, potential instructors or those goal setters looking for the opportunity for self challenge, growth and leadership training. Our SOAR Paddle Camps will be hosted by top level instructors and coaches with a focus on safety, building sup skills, and increasing self and group leadership skills while gaining valuable paddling experience under the instruction and coaching of the team.

Our goal for our SOAR River is to provide an immersive river sup training week for those who want to become competent in a dynamic river environment in order run rivers safely or to gain experience with the goal of leading others down rivers. Our week starts off with self and group river rescue and safety skills, decision making, and hazard analysis while building your confidence in moving water. From there we transition to building technical river sup skills as we work on ferries, eddy turns, surfing and those skills required to control yourself while river running. Our courses are based in some of the most beautiful locations in Western Canada. Our week will be infused with leadership talks, gear demo’s and shared learning and debriefs around evening campfires. Our team is excited to work with you to accomplish your goals during our week of living the river life!

Equipment List

Required River SUP Equipment 

  • Inflatable river specific paddleboard are provided but you are welcome to bring your own.
  • Adjustable paddle ( no carbon)
  • Safety/River Rescue PFD TYPE III or V or Jacket PFD with rescue belt.
  • Helmut
  • Throwbag
  • Drysuit or wetsuit (drysuit rentals available)
  • River appropriate shoes. (NRS, Astral, MEC)
  • lunch, water, snacks
  • phone and waterproof case
  • pen and notepad

Drysuit Rental – $50/day

If there is equipment you need for the course Norm Hann Expeditions is a retailer for Northwater (throw bags, safety and rescue), Predator Helmuts, & Xcel Wetsuits. We can point you in the right direction for Kokatat PFD’s and Drysuits.

Travel

Location: Squamish, B.C.

Squamish is a stunning mountain and ocean town and is the perfect base for our SOAR PADDLE CAMP. Our course will be based at the SunWolf RiverSide Resorts.

Accommodations

Norm Hann Expeditions has set up group pricing at SunWolf RiverSide Resorts, ask about our discounts and group rates.

Norm Hann is a Paddle Canada Instructor Trainer for surf, touring, river and flatwater. He is a coastal expedition guide and has been leading people from around the world for the last seventeen years in the Great Bear Rainforest on multi day sup expeditions and wildlife tours. He is also a former high school teacher, college instructor and university basketball coach who has been involved with teaching, coaching and instructing for most of his life.

Chad Guenter, of Soul Flow Paddle Co, is a Paddle Canada River Instructor and an Rescue Instructor for industry leader Raven Rescue. Chad has a wealth of river and guiding experience and instructing in dynamic conditions. Chad brings his in depth swift-water rescue teaching experience to this course by providing a safe learning environment and incorporating safety principles and self rescue to the itinerary.

Neil Gilson of Bearfoot Performance Paddling is currently a Paddle Canada Flatwater and River SUP Instructor Trainer and SUP Touring Instructor. Over a 30-plus year paddling career, Neil has served as a whitewater canoe and rafting guide, ocean kayak guide and stand up paddle instructor on waters throughout western Canada including Nahanni, Gwaii Haanas, and Pacific Rim National Parks, the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and the mountain and foothills rivers of the Canadian Rockies. Neil brings a lifetime of all-round, on-water paddling experience, technical analysis and coaching expertise to share with beginner through to advanced SUP paddlers, and instructor level candidates.