RESCHEDULED: Essentials of Canoeing: Flatwater and Moving Water


RESCHEDULED:  This is a full day flatwater  and a half day moving water (river) class on May 30 and 31, respectively.   Details are below.

The current plan is still to hold our class by using the appropriate health safety practices as per local, state and ACA rules/guidelines for this type of activity.   We will send a notification to all attendees should the status change.

The cost is $40 per person for the entire class (or $25 per person for just the flatwater class on May 30) to be paid before the class. Students can enroll for only the flatwater day if they desire. If you are not a current American Canoe Association (ACA) member, there is an additional $5 insurance fee; if you are a current ACA member please provide that number to the class instructors. Lead instructors are Debbie Hinde and Lynne Carpenter.

Please register by emailing Debbie Hinde at dhinde1@msn.com. 

Location depends on the water level and will be announced a couple of weeks before the class.

Maximum number of boats is twelve for the flatwater day and six per session (see below) on the moving water day.***

***The moving water day has a waitlist.  There may be room for 1 or 2 more boats for the flatwater day (we are breaking up into small groups).

Essentials of Canoeing Part I: Flatwater  

Saturday, May 30, 2020, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

We will cover canoe equipment, boat outfitting, strokes, water safety, and basic maneuvering. Fun, dynamic drills and games will help you learn basic skills for moving the canoe as efficiently as possible using the following strokes: forward and backward strokes, sweeps, draws, pries, and the J stroke.
This class will be held in a lake or reservoir in the Denver to Longmont Metropolitan area. 

Essentials of Canoeing Part II: Moving Water  (Prerequisite: Flatwater class or verified experience)

Sunday, May 31, 2020: Two sessions: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm OR 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Take your flatwater skills on to moving water in Part II where you will learn skills for paddling in moving water. Skills will include “reading” water, safety considerations on moving water, advanced canoe strokes, and specific canoe maneuvers including ferries, eddy turns, peel-outs, C-Turns and S-turns.
This class will be held in on a river near the Denver Metropolitan area.

Please indicate which Moving Water session you prefer when you sign up – first come first serve.

Helpful Instructional Videos From the ACA Website: 

ACA:  Canoeing | Top 5 Tips to Make You A Better Paddler (3 min, 35 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIVp6XjZ_Ew&feature=youtu.be

ACA:  How to Paddle a Tandem Canoe | Tandem Canoeing Essentials (4 min, 34 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDaqvoIJD-A&feature=youtu.be

ACA:  How to Develop Good Technique for Paddling a Canoe (3 min, 28 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eLJ0d7TDS4&feature=youtu.be

ACA:  How to Canoe | 3 Key Strokes All Paddlers Should Know  (4 min, 21 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVUNzKkBE5o&feature=youtu.be

Additional videos can be found at:  https://www.americancanoe.org/page/Ed_videos