Essentials of Kayak Touring

 
QuickStart and Introduction to Kayak are courses that are outside of the Coastal Kayak Discipline. They appear on the Coastal Kayak webpage as options for students who prefer to paddle without sprayskirts and/or within swimming distance from shore in completely calm warm water. If you are certified at the Coastal Kayak Basic Strokes and Rescues or above you can also teach these courses. There is no Quickstart certification but it is possible to certify in Intro to Kayak. The Essentials of Touring Kayak certification includes all of the material in Intro to Kayak, plus a greater emphasis on learning theory and safety and rescue.

More advanced Coastal Kayak certifications than Essentials of Touring Kayak are taught in sea kayaks with bulk heads or flotation and with spray skirts. Most of the courses taught at these advanced certification levels leave the safety of the shore. The environmental conditions can be mild to challenging based on the certification and course taught.