Some problems I have with this system:

Novice: ..."novice paddlers are expected to be able to keep up with the leisurely group pace or will be turned back" - Not sounding too welcoming.

Intermediate: Fully capable of self rescue, confident paddling stroke, can turn 360 degrees in a 15 knot beam wind and is capable and comfortable doing high and low braces in seas up to 3 ft. - This is what's tacked onto nearly every ConnYak paddle. All good skills to have for sure, but they are skills that are implied you must ALREADY be fully capable of, BEFORE you're ok to come along. The rating describes the paddler and the skills he should already possess to be deemed capable of the trip. It doesn't really address the trip at all. In my view, what Nick has done, describing what to expect on the paddle itself, including what conditions you may have to contend with, will go much farther in helping someone decide whether or not a paddle is right for them. It comes across as inclusionary not exclusionary, something I think we're aiming for.