Basics Course Session #1

This course is an awesome way to be introduced to the wonderful world of kayaking. It is designed for those who have had little or no formal instruction in whitewater kayaking, but it can also be very useful for those looking to give lake or sea kayaking a try. Our goal is to introduce you to the sport and give you the confidence and tools to get out on the water safely and comfortably.

In this 4 week course you will progress from learning the basics for getting onto the water:

• The names of the parts of a kayak
• How to enter and exit the boat
• How to properly grip the paddle
• How to wet exit (get out of an overturned kayak)

to learning the basic paddling strokes that will get you where you need to go:

• Forward stroke
• Sweep stroke
• Draws and sculling draws
• Low and high braces

And finally, you will start to combine these strokes to paddle through whitewater. You will also be given an introduction to the roll progression process resulting in your ability to T-rescue (flip upright assisted by another boat) and maybe even roll if you’re lucky.

Included with this course are the Whitewater Theory and Safety class and the Intro to Moving Water session, both of which are prerequisites to paddling on any club trip.