Essentials of CANOEING: Flatwater and Moving Water. 2-Day Class, May 11-12, 2024

This class is for solo (1-person) and tandem (2-person) canoes.

The cost is $45 per person for the entire class (or $25 per person for just the flatwater class on May 11) 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 ten for the flatwater day and five per session (see below) on the moving water day.

We will start a waitlist if necessary.

Essentials of Canoeing Part I: Flatwater  

Saturday, May 11, 2024.   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 ten.

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

Sunday, May 12, 2023: 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 five.

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/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/