Participants from OS15 Oak Lake

COURSE: 2-Day Survival Level 1 With Overnight Camp 

I would definitely recommend an adventure with Dave! From the moment we met with him and my son’s interest was piqued, Dave was engaging, professional, helpful, enthusiastic, and fun! Dave listened to our requests and made sure we touched on each subject we were interested in. The kids had so much fun, learned so much, and we only scratched the surface. Us adults were involved and yet felt it was so relaxing to not have to teach these classes. The meal times were a great time to bond as a group. Yes it is an investment but I think it was completely worth it!    – Lauralee H.

This was an excellent time! Very educational and helpful. Everyone should have this basic training. My son loved sleeping outside!    – Tim N.

Dave is a fountain of information. His humor and stories make it so memorable. I love spending time outside with my family and friends. I also love how he kept showing God is part of everything. I’m a mom and I had a blast!    – Karrisa T.

I haven’t studied survival skills since I was in Scouts as a teenager. I was reminded of things I once knew, and picked up a lot of new knowledge and tips that I had never heard before. I really appreciated Dave’s breadth of knowledge, his enthusiasm, and his ability to work with both kids and adults. I definitely enjoyed the experience!    – Blake A.

Dave has a wealth of knowledge. Loved checking out all the outdoor gear! Very excited to use all that was learned.    – M.H.

Dave is a great instructor who combines an amazing amount of knowledge, skill, and humor in his courses. I learned a ton and would love to take in many more of what he offers!    – Jared K.

It was sooooo fun!!    -Bella H. 

Participants from OS15 Winnipegosis

COURSE: 2-Day Survival Level 1 With Overnight Camp 

Everything was taught & shown in a way that made sense to everyone. Was able to learn a lot!    – J.L.

I loved how it was all put together. Thank you for explaining in different ways!    – J.U.

A lot of great & useful info!    – K.L.

I learned a lot of new things and it was very fun!    – B.U.

Learned a lot of hands-on things, which was beneficial in helping the learner. Awesome experience!    – M.M.

Fun couple of days. I think there was a good balance of teaching, activities, and breaks. I would be interested in the Survival Kit Building course!    – J.P.

JOLYANE B

OS15 2-Day Survival Level 1 With Overnight Camp

OS25 2-Day Survival Level 2 With Overnight Camp

What an adventure it is ! As a family always on the road, we realized how important it was for us to learn the basic survival skills in case (whatever) would happen. We have been trained by a very passionate and patient instructor who knows how to share his passion with so much life that it’s easy for even young children to understand and put in practice. Having taken the course 1 and then 2 was perfect. Number 1 gave us the basics with more head knowledge, but number 2 gave us deeper basic and especially HANDS-ON practice, which was amazing for us to get the hands on with everything Dave taught. This training was very much appreciated by the children as well, who, even a few months after the training, still practice their knots in the car, carry their survival bag everywhere and go into the forest to practice what they learned. We are so grateful for Dave’s patience and passion, how he shares it. We know we are more prepared to face (almost) any eventuality on the road. Thank you Dave, we can’t wait to get another training with you!

MARIA G

OS15 2-Day Survival Level 1 With Overnight Camp

OS25 2-Day Survival Level 2 With Overnight Camp

TED H

COURSE: 2-Day Survival Level 1 With Overnight Camp

Spent the weekend with friends and Dave in the woods doing a level 1 survival course, and I can’t recommend enough. Our group of 16 had an age range of 10 year olds at the youngest to 75 at the oldest, and it was a memorable experience for all involved. With over 25 years of teaching experience, and a lifetime of camping/survival/bushcraft experience, he is extremely knowledgeable and well versed in his craft (and a variety of other subjects), and knows how to present and teach it in an engaging an articulate manner.

The course covers and balances a variety of subjects very well, and has a nice balance of both hands on learning and presentation, the latter being just as good due to Dave’s captivating presentation skills. So if you like outdoors anything, tons of cool survival and camping tools, and good conversation definitely check out this course, and the rest of what Waterstone Academy has to offer.

RANDY K

COURSE: 2-Day Survival Level 1 With Overnight Camp

Dave seems to love what he does, and his enthusiasm quickly spreads to the participants. I saw the outdoors come alive with new meaning and so many possibilities the first day of my outdoor survival introduction course. Thank you for those practical things and turning them into life lessons. Much appreciated. Very enjoyable.

PAUL G

COURSE: 2-Day Survival Level 1 With Overnight Camp

We met at an old farmyard and the place where we put up our tents was full of manure pancakes, but it feels refreshing to be outside in the woods, especially if you come from the prairies where trees are rare to find. Let’s see what this Mr. Dave has to teach us!

We sat down, 16 of us in camping chairs with some “survival gear”, like multi tools, knives, fire starter etc. which we brought along – but Mr. Dave had way more stuff to show us. What I learned in these two days is mind-blowing. Forget the manure pancakes and the inconvenience not having a shower or washroom. If you have a shovel and a leaning tree, there you have a toilet! If you have a rope and know some knots, paired with a tarp, there you have a shelter almost as good as a tent! Dull knives and machetes or axes? The right sharpener will do the trick with some useful tips from Mr. Dave, and there you have an enjoyable cutting tool! We brought amazing food and really enjoyed our meals together.

In the evening around the campfire and throughout the day, so many stories and useful hints were told and shared. Looking up into a star-filled night, learning where to find the North Star for navigation purposes, but also feeling overwhelmed by what God created. It leaves you in awe. Much more I could share, but to experience it personally you have to be outdoors! We had a lot of fun and laughter, useful knowledge shared, and some sobering and heart-touching conversations, supported with Bible scriptures, which made this course a well-spent weekend!

TRINITY, COLIN, & GENESIS

COURSE: Intro to Swordfighting Level 1

“I never knew that there were classes to teach sword training until I’d heard of Waterstone Academy. We signed up as a family, my husband, six-year-old daughter and myself.  When my sons are a little older, I think it’ll be something they’d love to participate in also.

We loved doing the sword training level 1 and will be looking forward to level 2. It was a lot of fun to learn the different guards and strikes.