What do I need to bring?

• your own properly fitted PFD (paddling-specific PFDs are recommended, ask us if you want details)
• lunch
• water bottle
• sun protection
• weather-appropriate clothes
• sandals or water shoes
• a change of clothes and a towel are a good idea

Do I need my own boat?

Definitely not, we provide the boats you'll need for the program, as well as paddles. See "what to bring" list for things you will need to bring yourself, like your PFD.

I've never paddled before, is that ok?

Absolutely. All of our Elementary programs let you start from complete beginner, and can continue to challenge you as you develop your skills.

You will want some basic swimming skills and to feel comfortable in the water though, for safety. Our boats aren't meant to tip over, but they can quite easily, especially when learning.

Do I have to go every day?

Not at all, but we would very much apperciate knowing if you're planning on missing a day. If you don't show up when we're expecting you will, we'll need to contact home to make sure you're safe.

What happens if there's bad weather?

If there's a little rain, we'll usually keep programs running. If you don't want to come that day, just let us know.

If the weather gets worse (storms, heavy wind, cold) or there's any thunder or lightning in the area, we'll cancel the practice for safety. Everyone will come off the water and we'll notify parents. We run the program outside, so if it's that bad you'll probably want to go home.

Our building is available for emergencies only, which we can use if the weather starts to pose a safety risk.

Are there bathrooms on site?

There are two public Town of Oakville washrooms attached to our building that open directly to outside (located on our back deck). These are available to use, and have enough space in them for you to get changed if you want to.

Do you paddle on the lake?

No we do not. For safety reasons, we run our Elementary programs up-river from our dock, with about 1.5 km of river to use.

Can parents come and watch?

If you're really interested there's lots of park space for you to hang out, although we ask that you let the groups run without interferance, and respect all of our club policies. There isn't much you'll be able to see of the paddling unfortunately—just the dock area, but once they get going the paddlers will be on their way up-river with a coach.

How strict are the ages for programs?

We've set up the age ranges for each program deliberately, to provide the best overall experience for everyone. Some of the limits can occasionally have exceptions; some limits are hard lines based on National competition rules. Feel free to contact us to ask about age exceptions, and we'll work together to determine what works best for you and the program.

Canoe Kids

What boats will we use? Will I get to try kayaks?

We use a variety of boats in Canoe Kids, so you can learn different paddling skills. This can include kayaks (sprint-style or sit-on-top), canoes (sprint-style or recreational), war canoes, dragon boats, surf skis, paddleboards, and others.

Will I get to be in a group with my friend?

Let us know if there's someone you'd like to be grouped with, but we can't guarantee you'll be with them all the time. When breaking into groups, we need to consider the experience, interests, and paddling development of everyone, including you and your friend. We want everyone to enjoy their time as much as possible though, so we'll keep you together if we can.

What happens if I do multiple weeks? Is it the same each week?

The basic schedule for the day and week stays pretty similar through the summer, but there are lots of opportunities to keep challenging yourself and trying new things. Many of our boats take a least a full season to master, and there are a variety of them that you can progress through. You can also tackle the benchmarks in the Canoe Kids development levels—getting your Bronze, Silver, or Gold level completed can take many weeks!

Can I sign up for Canoe Kids even though I'm a year older?

We prefer to keep Canoe Kids group to the listed age, for a variety of reasons. In our experience, it usually works out better that way for you and for the group. Because we're learning a racing sport, there can be opportunities that are age-based that you'll miss or be excluded from if you're the wrong age.

However, if you feel it would be more beneficial overall to do Canoe Kids rather than Sprint Starter, feel free to contact us and we can determine together if an exception makes sense for you.

Can I sign up even if I'm not 8 yet?

If you birthday is coming up later in the year, but after the Canoe Kids program runs, that's no problem. For our purposes, "8 years old" means the year you turn 8, regardless of when.

If you aren't turning 8 yet, we strongly prefer to keep the program to the listed age. Unfortuately the equipment only comes in certain sizes, and paddlers carry their own equipment so you'll need to be a certain age to handle that. If you think an exception might be appropriate in your case, feel free to contact us to discuss it.

What kind of paddling will we do?

Canoe Kids covers a range of boats, to give you a wide base of skill and let you see what different kinds of paddling are about. That can include: rec canoe, dragon boat, racing war canoe, sit-on-top kayak, surfski, and of course sprint canoes and kayaks. You might end up having a favourite that you come back to, but having a good understanding of paddling overall will serve you best in the long-term, whatever your goals end up being.

I want to race! Can I do that in Canoe Kids?

The Canoe Kids program isn't structured around the summer competition schedule, but anyone with some experience (or just a strong interest) can participate in regattas when available. Canoe Kids paddlers who are around for the whole summer might especially want to participate alongside the Youth Sprint racing team.

Racing isn't required at all, and will only be available as certain times, but let us know if it's something you're interested in. Racing is our sport afterall, so we love it when kids want to get involved!

Is there anything available in the spring or fall?

Canoe Kids runs only in the summer, but for some under-10 paddlers the spring or fall paddling may also be available. Our programs run a little differently while school is happening, there's less opportunity to take our time with instruction and set up, so spring and fall aren't the right fit for everyone in the under-10 group. Contact us if it's something you want to try though, especially for our returning paddlers with some experience, and we'll figure out if it makes sense for you.

Sprint Starter

Is Sprint Starter a separate group?

You'll have your own Sprint Starter coach to work with, but you'll work alongside the Youth Sprint group, mirroring or joining in their activities whenever possible.

What happens if I do multiple weeks?

Many of our boats take months or years to master, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to stay challenged even if you go for the whole summer. You won't be working off a pre-set lesson plan, but instead getting out on the water to practice whatever skills you're working on, so more weeks will give you more time to improve.

Will I get to paddle with my friend in Youth Sprint?

Not necessarily every day, but sometimes. Youth Sprint is our racing team, so they'll be practicing for competitions through the season, but there are usually at least a few opportunities for the Sprint Starter paddlers to integrate directly into some Youth Sprint activities.

Will I race in Sprint Starter?

Sprint Starter follows our racing team through their day, but it does not include racing. We may have race-simulation in practice, but you'll need to get involved with the Youth Sprint team to join us at club competitions. Let us know if you become interested in that, we can usually switch people over to the Youth Sprint program during the season.

Youth Sprint

I've never done this before, can I join Youth Sprint?

Absolutely! There's no experience need or try-outs for our team, anyone who wants to come practice and improve is welcome. We'll get you started with activities and instruction suited to your current experience with the sport, even if that experience is "none".

You might also check out some of the introductory programs we run if you want to start with a group that's dedicated just to new people. Transferring from those intro programs to full Youth Sprint is easy, just talk to a coach or contact the registrar.

Do I have to race?

Youth Sprint is a racing team, that's how we compete in our sport. We won't throw you into anything you aren't ready for, but the competitions are part of being on the team. There are lots of local, low-pressure races for you to get started with, and racing in a crew with others is a great way to get started if you're nervous about being out there on your own.

If you can't make a competition for some reason, talk to a coach as early as possible. We'll try to accommodate as best we can, but knowing ahead of time is important for us to plan team practices properly.

Is it ok if I miss part of the season?

We get that you'll probably miss a few practices, that's life. We'll just need to know that you won't be there so we aren't looking for you, whether it's for the day or a longer period.

Remember that you are joining a sport team, though. We plan our training and development across the whole season, so if you miss a big part of that it can affect the rest of your year. In particular, racing crews may need to practice together, and some competitions (particularly Championships) require that you've qualified earlier in the season. Depending on what you miss, it might be hard to jump back in right where you left off, but we'll keep you involved as much as we can.

Do I have to do push ups and running and stuff?

The short answer is: yes, but it's not that bad.

Since we're a racing sport, fitness is a big part of what we do. We won't ask you do to anything you're not able to, but we might challenge you in order to help you get stronger. Proper paddling is our biggest focus, but developing fitness and learning good training skills is also an important part of athlete development.

Besides, you might enjoy it more than you think, if you let yourself. Training can be fun, even if it's hard—sometimes doing something hard is the most satisfying! We'll do everything as a group with a coach to guide you, so there's a strong team environment to help us support and encourage each other.

I really want to win! How much training will I get to do?

If you want to push yourself and your abilities, we have coaches that will help you. Every practice will have a group doing workouts designed for competitive development by our experienced coaches. If that's what you want, let us know so we can make sure you get into those workouts.

For advanced Youth Sprint paddlers, additional training with the Performance group may be an option. This will be available by invitation from the Performance team coaches only.