This canoeing expedition will take place in both of these two course areas:

Florida Central Rivers

Central Florida is home to some of the country’s most historic and biologically diverse waterways. It offers paddling on small, winding canoe trails as well as larger rivers and lakes, with camping in a variety of environments from hardwood hammock forests to barrier islands. The Suwannee River, Ocklawaha River, and St John’s River offer hundreds of miles of paddling in some of the country’s most unspoiled wilderness. On Central Florida’s east coast, the Indian River Lagoon, which encompasses Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore, is the most diverse estuary in North America.  Nearly one third of the nation’s manatee population resides in this 156 mile-long waterway, along with an abundance of dolphins and other marine life.  <Click to learn more about this course area.>

Florida Everglades

This course area is on the west coast of southern Florida in the Everglades National Park and Ten Thousand Islands national Wildlife Refuge. As the largest sub-tropical wilderness in the United States and third-largest national park in the lower 48 states, The Everglades provides a variety of precious wildlife habitat. The aquatic preserve includes more than 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, and 40 species of mammals, within its confines. Everglades National Park is one of only three locations in the world to show-up on the following lists: an International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of an International Importance and World Heritage Site. <Click to learn more about this course area.>

CANOEING

You can expect to spend a good deal of time each day in canoes. You will be in a tandem canoe, which means there are two participants per canoe. Depending on the wind and weather, the level of difficulty will vary day to day. You and your crewmates will learn or practice:

• expedition risk assessment and management
• route planning and navigation
• paddle strokes and techniques for propulsion and steering
• canoe-based assisted rescues and self-rescues.
• canoe expedition equipment use, care and maintenance.
• how to work with your paddling partner

It will be necessary for you and your crewmates to perform a swim assessment; as well as a flip and swim assessment as practice for paddling and self-rescue. This activity is closely monitored by your instructors. It is critical for us to determine your paddling comfort as you and your crew explore the area. Even if you are a non-swimmer or weak swimmer, you will still participate in this safety assessment. All students will be wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) during the assessment. Personal flotation devices (PFDs) are required apparel anytime students are on the water.

FINAL CHALLENGE EVENT

At the end of your course, you will participate in a personal challenge event. This is a great time to see how much your physical fitness and endurance have improved since you began your course. This event will be a running activity. It is not a race. Your instructors set a certain route for your crew and you complete the route at a level that will challenge you the most.

WILDERNESS FIRST AID CERTIFICATION

Participants will also have the opportunity to prepare for the unexpected by earning a Wilderness First Aid certification (WFA). This fast-paced, hands-on training is designed to teach skills to care for those who become ill or injured and are far from definitive medical care. This certification will include classroom lectures and demonstrations, combined with realistic scenarios where mock patients will challenge you to use what you have learned. This certification is offered through a partnership with Landmark Learning, who is an accredited organization. After successfully completing the WFA and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification students are eligible to apply for academic credit for this certification.

ROPES COURSE

Your course may also include a day on our Ropes Challenge Course.

SOLO

For thousands of years, and across many cultures, solitude and reflection in nature have helped young adults to recognize and bring forth their personal gifts. The solo ceremony and rite of passage experience is highlighted on this Pathfinder course to help participants prepare to chart their path and contribute more fully to their communities. Participants return from solo with a new perspective on the parts of themselves they are ready to leave behind and those they want to embrace as they move forward. They return to their crew ready to incorporate their personal learnings into the greater context of community for the final expedition and for life after the course.  On this course, students will participate in a solo progression that includes daily reflection time and a multi-day solo experience. 

Solo typically occurs more than halfway through your course and may last up to 48 hours. Your instructors will assign each participant an individual campsite within a designated area. Your instructors will teach you procedures to follow during solo and monitor you during this experience. You will know the location of your instructors’ campsite should you need to contact them; otherwise it is essential that you remain in your designated area. If your course has an overnight solo you will have your clothing, food and water.  In addition, you will have Outward Bound issued gear: including rain gear, shelter, sleeping bag, compass and whistle. 

Due to a decreased need for caloric intake, you will have less food available than you would have during your other course activities.Solo is a not a “survival test.” You will not be physically active during solo, as solo is a time for rest, recharge and reflection. Solo is also a good time to write in the journals we provide. If you have questions or concerns, please discuss with your Student Services Representative or your instructors.  

SERVICE

On this course, students have the opportunity to complete 12 or more hours of service in the community. Service projects for this course change to meet the needs of local community partners and may include such activities as trail work, river cleanup, organizing food for the local pantry or other projects. Students should bring any required paperwork to their instructors prior to course start in order to receive credit for service hours.

Here are some books that we encourage you to read as you plan for your course:

• The Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Handbook by Jeff Isaac
• Leave No Trace: A Practical Guide to the New Wilderness Ethic by Annette McGivney
• Liquid Land by Ted Levin
• Ten Thousand Islands by Randy Wayne Wright
• The Swamp by Michael Grunwald
• Stolen Water by W. Hodding Carter

Please refer to your Applicant Portal to confirm your balance and make payment. 

If you are unsure of your balance due, please call 1-800-878-5258 or email [email protected]. 

Please review the Application & Cancelation Policies. 

If your payment is not received by the due date listed in your Application Portal, you will risk losing your position on the course and your $500 deposit. 

Based on your programming area, you may be sleeping on river banks or beaches in tents with up to four other participants or on a camping platform in a personal bug tent. You will also be given a ground sheet and a foam sleeping pad to place under your sleeping bag. Sleeping arrangements are single-gendered.

Prior to the course, you will identify a member of your support system (parent, friend, coach, teacher, etc.) who can help you stay committed to your goals after the course.  Prior to completion of the course, you have the opportunity to participate in a phone call with this individual to give them insight into your experience, share the goals you have identified, and discuss how your newfound knowledge will transfer back to your daily life.