Essentials of Canoeing: Flatwater and Moving Water. 2-Day Class


The dates have been chosen for our Essentials of Canoeing Class – April 30 and May 1, 2022

The cost is $45 per person for the entire class (or $25 per person for just the flatwater class on April 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 $10 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 [email protected]

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.

Essentials of Canoeing Part I: Flatwater  

Saturday, April 30, 2022.   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. Maximum number of boats for this class is twelve.

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

Sunday, May 1, 2022: 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, applying canoe strokes for specific 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. Maximum number of boats per session is six.

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://youtu.be/sIVp6XjZ_Ew

ACA:  How to Paddle a Tandem Canoe | Tandem Canoeing Essentials (4 min, 34 sec) https://youtu.be/aDaqvoIJD-A

ACA:  How to Develop Good Technique for Paddling a Canoe  (3 min, 28 sec) https://youtu.be/5eLJ0d7TDS4https://youtu.be/5eLJ0d7TDS4

ACA:  How to Canoe | 3 Key Strokes All Paddlers Should Know (4 min, 21 sec) https://youtu.be/dVUNzKkBE5o 

These and additional videos can be found at: https://americancanoe.org/education/resource-library/educational-videos/