User:JFM11

Title: SKILS

SKILS is based in Victoria and Ucluelet in the province of British Columbia (Canada) but operates across Canada. The company was originally founded in 2003 by Michael Pardy, Andrew Woodford and Piper Harris. JF Marleau later joined the team in 2004. SKILS specializes in coastal paddling sports: sea kayaking, stand up paddleboard (SUP), canoeing and kayak fishing. SKILS was the first provider of kayak fishing courses and expeditions in Canada.

The acronym SKILS stands for Sea Kayak Instruction and Leadership Systems. During the early years, SKILS was focused solely on sea kayaking. With time, SKILS diversified to add canoeing, SUP, kayaking fishing and backpacking.

SKILS mainly provides high end training courses for intermediate to advanced recreational and professional paddlers. SKILS trains most of the professional sea kayak guides and sea kayak instructors in Canada.

SKILS also works with manufacturers assisting in research and development of new products for the paddle sports industry.

Books developed by SKILS include:

Navigation, Sea State and Weather. A Paddler’s Manual. Freedom of the Sea Volume 1

Kayaking the Broken Group Islands. The Essential Guidebook.

SKGABC Guide’s Technical Manual

References SKILS Facebook Page www.skils.ca Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/user/SKILSca www.skgabc.com www.paddlecanada.com Paddlesports Business Magazine. Sea Kayak Instruction and Leadership Systems. Specialized operations Raises Guides Standards. Summer 2008. Published by Canoe and Kayak Inc.