Nootka posted this skill-set list on WCP.

courses to take:
-wilderness first aid
-marine radio licence
-rolling

surf skills to acquire:
-bongo slide in surf
-roll both sides
-spotting boomers well in advance
-following a bearing -
field repair of boats
-dis(re)assemble of white gas stove
-replace drysuit gasket

research:
-put campsites & water locations on charts & into gps
-research the tide levels
-research the danger points
-type pertinent guidebook info into computer & print it out.

knowledge:
-where the lighthouse & buoys mentioned in WX reports are
-WX transmission points & channels

practice runs:
-pack 3 weeks (or more) of food & gear into boats (make a diagram & laminate it)
-filter 10L (minimum) of water at one campsite
-catch & cook a rockfish
-hang food in a challenging spot
-paddle in the rain for a week
-learn how to keep the tp dry in the rain
-set up tent fly or tarp with minimal unpacking, then unpack gear into this shelter
-can you keep the hatch contents dry while packing/unpacking in the rain?
-do a food drop/pickup via post office
-set a point by point route in the gps, then transfer bearings & distance to paper
-practice paddling by compass & watch (1km = 10 minutes YMMV)
-navigate by chart, compass, and gps in the fog (no wind means no waves)
-calculate bearings while on the water (without getting the chart wet)
-don't freak out if a well-behaved black bear gets within 50 meters
-keep a weather log so you get a feel for forecast vs actual
-get up at 4 am so you can be on the water at first light & in camp by noon
-carry everything 100 yards to your boat (how many loads does it take?)
-position your boat properly so a rising tide floats your boat just after you finish loading
-on a rising tide, load the front of the boat first (end closest to water)
-load your boat and then slide it (branches, foam, etc) down to a falling tide
-practice moving slowly/deliberately ... you don't want to slip on a wet log and twist an ankle (or worse)

partnership:
-each person should listen to the morning weather report
-each person should have charts & know where the next campsite is
-each person should have a radio
-each person should have a tide table/graph