The Level 4: Open Water Coastal Kayaker is a competent paddler in coastal waters with areas of exposure to current, wind, waves, and surf. They have the judgment to know when they should not paddle and have a plan for when things do not go as expected. The open water coastal kayaker can perform all the skills in this assessment safely, effectively, and efficiently in a range of coastal environments that might include surf zones, rock gardens, sea caves, or areas with strong tidal currents that may have limited access for landing.
This ACA Skills Assessment course evaluates a participant’s ability to perform all the skills listed and demonstrate appropriate knowledge. The assessment course allows the participant to receive documentation of having achieved a Level 4 level of paddling ability.
One day (8 Hours) minimum.
A location with exposure to conditions and regular access to landing areas and within 2.0 nautical miles of shore. Participants must be assessed while paddling in three of the four conditions below, but all three conditions do not need to be experienced simultaneously.
Besides the above, the location chosen by the assessor shall be conducive to assessing all skills in the “Core Skills” categories and all skills in a chosen “Venue Specific” category. The venues and associated skills have been set to an equivalent level of challenge, allowing for regional accessibility while maintaining standards. (See Level 4 Skills Assessment Assessor’s Guide for further detail). The “Venue Specific” categories are: