TRAK Pacific Rim Skills Camp - BC Canada
Moderate Experience Pre-requisite / High Focus on Skills Training / TRAK Kayak Provided
Couched in a base camp setting in the west coast forest, this TRAK camp is designed to help you upgrade your surf kayaking skills (no matter what your skill level is now) in one of the world's best locations for surf and waves. Join TRAK in-between Tofino & Ucluelet in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia, Canada, for a blend of sea kayak surf skills development and progression, hands on risk management, teaching and coaching workshops this coming May. This is a beautiful time of year on Vancouver Island.
- Country: Canada
- Duration: 4 Days
- Dates: May 2026
- Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced
What we're going to do
The adventure starts by getting to the west coast of British Columbia. Your goal is to get to the hub cities of Nanaimo or Victoria to start your trip up island and across to the wild, wet west coast. We will initially gather at Bella Pacifica Campground near Tofino for reserved camping.
We'll begin by acclimatizing you to cold water immersion, then build a foundation for safe and efficient surf-landing and surf-launching skills. This progression will include assisted and un-assisted re-entries and boat recovery. We will learn and practice safe surf zone pod management for individual and fleet landings. If conditions allow,. we will reinforce our foundational skills by enjoying recreational surfing opportunities.
We'll develop and refine our skills as a community of like-minded paddlers. The basecamp setting will include tent camping in the forest with a backcountry approach to communal meals, hospitality, and wellness.
Logistics will consist of paddling directly to beach destinations from our Mackenzie Beach base camp, as well as possible over land shuttling to various featrures within the Pacific Rim National Park.
Our aim is to build STOKE and help develop your sense of confidence and competence in dynamic coastal water.
Where we're going
- Pacific Rim National Park, on BC's wild, wet west coast
- Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
- The end of the road and the edge of the continent
Tour Itinerary
Kayak Surf Training Plan:
- May 8th: Arrive to Bella Pacifica Campground, near Tofino. Afternoon boat build party, equipment check, and safety planning w/ short paddle.
- May 9th: Launching and landing training, self rescues
- May 10th: Coached surfing progression
- May 11th: Surf continuation - the day to get unleashed!
-
May 12th: Morning pack up, boat cleaning, closing ceremony
What you'll learn
Surf Skill and Sea Kayaking: role model effective step-by-step progression to develop competence for comfortably launching and landing (and play) in surf.
- Biomechanics development for effective boat control
- Neuroscience of learning: how to teach and make it stick
- Elements of Instructing - Teaching - Coaching - Mentoring for your own group management
- Safe, effective and fun surf launching and landing skills
Meet Your Guide
Jaime Sharp
Jaime is an adventurer at heart and indulges in all forms of adventure. He is a professional kayaker, photographer and short film maker, and leads group adventure trips all over the world. Noteworthy, Jaime has been a key contributor to TRAK for over a decade, including being a lead developer of the TRAK 2.0 and expeditionary accessories, given his extensive experience paddling and travelling with TRAKs the world over.
He has worked as a sea kayak guide and instructor internationally for more than 12 years, having also led personal sea kayak expeditions in remote locations - most notably the first Circumnavigation of Svalbard Archipelago Norway by Sea kayak in 2015 with Tara Mulvany and PG Porsanger. Instagram
Simon Naylor
TRAK HQ's dedicated Operations Manager happens to be a BCU 5* Surf Kayak Leader, 4* Sea Kayak Leader, has taught hundreds of paddlers across many programs in Europe, Africa, and Canada. Simon has a passion for seeing the results which stem from the efforts of each of his students.
Simon joined the TRAK HQ team in late 2022, and is now bringing his decades of experience to bear as a primary instructor on the Pacific Rim Skills Camp. Simon has a deep understanding of the TRAK 2.0, and is gifted in helping TRAK paddlers apply the progressive skills he teaches within the context of the TRAK kayak.
What's included in the tour
We'll provide everything you need once you arrive, until you leave. You may want to bring your favourite PFD and paddle, and if you have a TRAK kayak already, bring it with you and save.
- Meals / group dining prepared onsite in an expedition format
- Accommodations at Bella Pacifica Campground, Mackenzie Beach
- Sea Kayak and Risk Management Skills Training with certified instructors / guides and TRAK Pilot mentors
Not included
- Airfare
- Transportation to and from the airport
- Gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
Tour Itinerary
Kayak Surf Training Plan:
- May 8th: Arrive to Bella Pacifica Campground, near Tofino. Afternoon boat build party, equipment check, and safety planning w/ short paddle.
- May 9th: Launching and landing training, self rescues
- May 10th: Coached surfing progression
- May 11th: Surf continuation - the day to get unleashed!
-
May 12th: Morning pack up, boat cleaning, closing ceremony
Meet Your Guide
Jaime Sharp
Jaime is an adventurer at heart and indulges in all forms of adventure. He is a professional kayaker, photographer and short film maker, and leads group adventure trips all over the world. Noteworthy, Jaime has been a key contributor to TRAK for over a decade, including being a lead developer of the TRAK 2.0 and expeditionary accessories, given his extensive experience paddling and travelling with TRAKs the world over.
He has worked as a sea kayak guide and instructor internationally for more than 12 years, having also led personal sea kayak expeditions in remote locations - most notably the first Circumnavigation of Svalbard Archipelago Norway by Sea kayak in 2015 with Tara Mulvany and PG Porsanger. Instagram
Simon Naylor
TRAK HQ's dedicated Operations Manager happens to be a BCU 5* Surf Kayak Leader, 4* Sea Kayak Leader, has taught hundreds of paddlers across many programs in Europe, Africa, and Canada. Simon has a passion for seeing the results which stem from the efforts of each of his students.
Simon joined the TRAK HQ team in late 2022, and is now bringing his decades of experience to bear as a primary instructor on the Pacific Rim Skills Camp. Simon has a deep understanding of the TRAK 2.0, and is gifted in helping TRAK paddlers apply the progressive skills he teaches within the context of the TRAK kayak.
Reviews
“It was very exciting to be around such a culture of people and find myself on the open waters of the wild pacific coast with such an inviting and welcoming group, in these amazing high-performance kayaks. Never in my wildest dreams would those few basic skills that we learned on the first day, would progress to where we went today.”
— Chelsea Josue
“That was really fun. He just broke it down… It’s funny when you have someone take the time to go through things that might be natural. He broke down the surf process into little bitty pieces that made me way more comfortable. I would have never just dove in and done that on my own.”
— Natalie Kelly
Where we're going
- Pacific Rim National Park, on BC's wild, wet west coast
- Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
- The end of the road and the edge of the continent
What's included in the tour
We'll provide everything you need once you arrive, until you leave. You may want to bring your favourite PFD and paddle, and if you have a TRAK kayak already, bring it with you and save.
- Meals / group dining prepared onsite in an expedition format
- Accommodations at Bella Pacifica Campground, Mackenzie Beach
- Sea Kayak and Risk Management Skills Training with certified instructors / guides and TRAK Pilot mentors
Not included
- Airfare
- Transportation to and from the airport
- Gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
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