We are thrilled to welcome three new partners to our Member Discount Program!

• Cackle TV Productions
  Cackle TV Productions is an award-winning sea kayaking and adventure film company owned and operated by Justine Curgenven. Cackle TV Productions produces the popular “This is the Sea” and the “This is the Roll” films, plus other adventure titles.  
  Cackle TV Productions is pleased to offer our members a 30% discount on both DVDs (use the code “nanaimo”) and digital downloads (use the code “whynot”).
  
  
• Ocean River Sports
  Ocean River Sports is a kayak and adventure company located in Victoria, BC. Ocean River Sports offers a full schedule of kayaking courses, tours and rentals, and is home to the Gordon Brown Sea Kayak Centre of Excellence.
  Ocean River Sports is pleased to offer our members a discount on program fees: 10% off when 1-2 members book together; 15% off when 3 or more members book together.​
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• SKILS
  SKILS is a paddle sports training and leadership development company located in Ucluelet, BC. SKILS offers a variety of recreational paddling courses, as well as expeditions, instructor training and guide training.
  SKILS is pleased to offer our members a 15% discount on Canadian-based programs when 3 or more members book together.

These three new partners join the list of fantastic companies that provide special discounts and opportunities to club members as part of our Member Discount Program. Support these companies as and when you can! 

Join us March 3 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on Zoom for a virtual kayaking expedition to Haida Gwaii! 

Yves Aquin and Patti Stevens of Go Kayak paddled the length of this wild island archipelago in 2009, covering some 400 miles from Rose Spit in the north to Cape Saint James in the south. The heart of their journey was their trip through Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a place of spectacular beauty and profound significance. Join Yves and Patti as they share stories and photos from their travels in this wild and magical place.

For more information or to register for the meeting and access the Zoom link, visit the event posting on Meetup. 

Nanaimo Paddlers is pleased to announce that a spring training program will take place in 2021, according to the following COVID Training Policy, which the Board of Directors approved on February 8, 2021: 

Nanaimo Paddlers COVID Training Policy - 2021 Season

Nanaimo Paddlers will proceed with a spring training program of clinics provided by external kayak instruction companies, so long as the kayak instruction companies involved are operating under the COVID protocol of their industry and the clinics offered follow the club's COVID Training Policy detailed below. Clinics provided in this manner will go ahead regardless of whether or not the club is hosting paddles, provided that provincial COVID restrictions do not tighten in the interim. 

According to the club's COVID Training Policy, all in-person on-water clinics offered to the club by external providers must:

• Be limited to a maximum of 6 participants (not including instructors).
• Take place within the local Nanaimo area, defined as extending from Oceanside to Ladysmith.
• Not include activities that put members within 6 feet (2 metres) of each other -- e.g., rolling instruction or traditional assisted rescues. Self rescues and COVID-safe assisted rescues are permitted. 
• Be provided by an instructional company that advertises and adheres to COVID safety protocols appropriate for the industry. 
• Include financial opt-out or cancellation clauses for the club due to COVID.

Additional Requirements for Training Program Participants

The club asks that all members who choose to participate in spring training program activities adhere to the following protocol:

• Maintain physical distancing (6 feet / 2 metres) at all times (before, during and after the activities, including during launches, landings and breaks), except in an emergency. 
• ​If you must breach physical distancing, wear a mask or face covering and use hand sanitizer before/after. 
• Paddle in conditions well within your level of expertise.
• Stay home if you are feeling sick/unwell.
• Minimize travel. 
• Avoid carpooling.
• Carry/touch only your own kayaking gear. 
• Wear gloves and/or use hand sanitizer to assist with kayak carries.
• Disinfect commonly touched surfaces as required.
• Enter and exit your kayak unassisted.
• Refrain from sharing food.
• ​Do not gather to socialize before or after the activities. 
  
• Familiarize yourself with assisted re-entry techniques that maintain physical distancing.
• ​If you are over the age of 60 or have underlying medical conditions, be informed of your risk, think through your risk tolerance and take extra precautions.