Essentials of River CANOEING: Flatwater and Moving Water, 2-Day Class, May 9-10, 2026

Class is currently full.  A Waitlist has been started.  

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

The cost is $35 per person for the first day of class.  The 2nd day of class is FREE!

*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.

Students can enroll for only the flatwater day if they desire.

Lead instructors are Debbie Hinde and Ken Hilt.

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

Day 1 of the class will be held at Prospect Park Lake in Wheat Ridge.

Day 2 of the class location depends on the water level and will be announced a couple of weeks before the class.  We intend it to be in the Denver area.

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

We will start a waitlist if necessary.

Essentials of Canoeing Part I: Flatwater  

Saturday, May 9, 2026   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.
Maximum number of boats for this class is eight.

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

Sunday, May 10, 2026: Two sessions: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm  OR  1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Take your flatwater skills on to moving water on Day 2 where you will learn skills for paddling in a Class I (easy) section of river. 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 area. Maximum number of boats per session is four.

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/