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I have taken the Intro, Roll, and the Whitewater Weekend courses. They've all been informative, supportive, and fun. It has been a progressive learning process and I do like your emphaisis on offensive paddling rather than defensive paddling.  The Intro to Kayak (Level 1) class is a perfect foundation.  I am probably going to retake the Intro class because there was a lot in there that I just could not absorb at one time; WAY beyond an 'intro' class!
Marty Teugel  -  Fish & Wildlife Service

Kelly is fun and enthousiastic about kayaking. If you're interested in learning to kayak, this is the place to be!

Linda Scott  -  New Mexico Adventure Racing Club
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The Kayak Roll - A FREE clinic at REI

I took Kelly's Intro to Kayaking class and an individual Roll class. Kelly was great.  He is a very gracious teacher, always trying to individualize his teaching to each student.  I learned how to roll and hand-roll in one Roll Class session.  He is very personable and he was accommodating to my busy schedule.   Additionally, his passion for kayaking really shows.  I look forward to kayaking with him in the future.
Chuck Washington  -  Resident MD, UNM Hospital
Felt that my attempts at the roll are getting better.  Kelly's instruction is valuable and very precise.  I think he will help me get the roll done right.
Elaine Sweeney  -  'world traveler'
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Whitewater Kayaking Made Easy - A FREE clinic at REI

Kelly is very articulate with great attention to detail.  He comes highly recommended by those who have attended his courses.

Galen Knight  -  Assistant Organizer - Camping and Adventure Social Meetup group
Really fantastic lesson. Thank you so much for the incredible instruction. Ellen and Bart were wonderful instructors! I'm so excited to get out on the water with my own kayak and put my new skills to the test. Even, *gasp* rolling over! Best, Wren
Wren Chambers
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Kayak 101 - Getting Started in Kayaking

It is amazing to do something so challenging. I feel like I have accomplished something that I never thought possible.
Dena Hunt
The combination of classroom, followed by river work was perfect.   The schedule was flexible to deal with the reality of conducting a class outdoors.  The whole experience has been informative and has helped improve my paddleing significantly.  I am more likely to continue to boat on a regular basis as a result of my experience in NMKI courses.
Marty Teugel  -  Fish & Wildlife Service
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The Kayak Roll (Classroom)

Felt that my attempts at the roll are getting better.  Kelly's instruction is valuable and very precise.  I think he will help me get the roll done right.
Elaine Sweeney  -  'world traveler'

Kelly has a way of transferring his passion for kayaking to everyone who attends a talk, lesson or paddles with him.  A very patient and conscientious instructor, I always feel safe during lessons on and off the river.  Not only does Kelly teach the sport, he finds ways to help you find your niche and meet others who share the same interest.  In addition, the other instructors he brings along are equally as knowledgeable and helpful.  If you haven't tried kayaking or want to hone your skills, this is a great place to start.

Susan Brockway  -  Los Alamos National Laboratory
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Whitewater Kayaking Made Easy (Classroom)

I was excited to take the pool class, even though a few friends ridiculed taking a kayak class ("What's so hard about kayaking?!").  The whitewater clinic presented challenges I was not expecting (physically, mentally or emotionally), and it heightened my awareness of the river, the sport, challenges and myself.  It has taken me a week to process this experience, and I welcome the time it will take to continue to process both the instruction and personal learned experience. This course was positively intense!

Deanna Lundy

My learning curve has been exponential. I never imagined I would learn this much, so fast!

Chuck Washington  -  Resident MD, UNMH
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Kayak 101 - Getting Started in Kayaking

Wow, Kelly sure can cram a lot of information into two hours.  He answered every question I had and more. Thanks for a very informative two hours!
Nancy Bowers
Kelly is a terrific instructor!  He's extremely patient, manages to maintain a sense of humor, is very safety-conscious (a good thing on the river!), and has some unique tricks to help his students, be it learning to roll or learning to read a river.  He explains things clearly and simply.  He also seems to have the ability to get inside the heads of his students to help them get to where they need to be.
Deborah DeMack  -  Attorney
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Intro to Kayak (Pool)

Note: The Chavez Community Center in Santa Fe is only available for 3hr blocks of time, so all Intro to Kayak and Kayak Roll classes are 3hrs instead of 4hrs.  To ensure all topics are covered, and everyone receives individual attention during this limited time, class sizes are strictly capped to seven (7) for the Intro to Kayak class and five (5) for the Kayak Roll class.
I have taken the Intro, Roll, and the Whitewater Weekend courses. They've all been informative, supportive, and fun. It has been a progressive learning process and I do like your emphaisis on offensive paddling rather than defensive paddling.  The Intro to Kayak (Level 1) class is a perfect foundation.  I am probably going to retake the Intro class because there was a lot in there that I just could not absorb at one time; WAY beyond an 'intro' class!
Marty Teugel  -  Fish & Wildlife Service
This clinic introduced me to the essential strokes, and the situations in which to apply them, including understanding which stroke would be efficient for the objective.  I learned so many things that I never knew about Kayaking.  I also enjoyed the introduction to assisted rescue.  Kelly, the instructor, gave some excellent tips on how to tkae what we learned, into a pool session or other practice, and challenge yourself with each basic skill.
Lance Johnson  -  Bradley Alpinist, LLC
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The Kayak Roll (Pool)

Note: The Chavez Community Center in Santa Fe is only available for 3hr blocks of time, so all Intro to Kayak and Kayak Roll classes are 3hrs instead of 4hrs.  To ensure all topics are covered, and everyone receives individual attention during this limited time, class sizes are strictly capped to seven (7) for the Intro to Kayak class and five (5) for the Kayak Roll class.

The roll class with Glenn and Michael was awesome.  The roll has been frustrating to me.  Thanks to the instruction the other night I think I have my roll about 95 percent mastered and I know exactly what I need to work on to get the other 5 percent.  I've taken other roll classes but this one was the best. After these classes I feel very clear about what I need to work on.  I can't wait to get back on the water ASAP to work on my roll and forward stroke.

Reed Mencke  -  Retired

Kelly has a way of transferring his passion for kayaking to everyone who attends a talk, lesson or paddles with him.  A very patient and conscientious instructor, I always feel safe during lessons on and off the river.  Not only does Kelly teach the sport, he finds ways to help you find your niche and meet others who share the same interest.  In addition, the other instructors he brings along are equally as knowledgeable and helpful.  If you haven't tried kayaking or want to hone your skills, this is a great place to start.

Susan Brockway  -  Los Alamos National Laboratory
more

The Kayak Roll (Pool)

Note: The Chavez Community Center in Santa Fe is only available for 3hr blocks of time, so all Intro to Kayak and Kayak Roll classes are 3hrs instead of 4hrs.  To ensure all topics are covered, and everyone receives individual attention during this limited time, class sizes are strictly capped to seven (7) for the Intro to Kayak class and five (5) for the Kayak Roll class.

Kelly is friendly and professional and seems to know what he is talking about and an absolutely wonderful teacher.  Kelly is very professional, sincere and a dedicated teacher.  He worked very hard to teach me, and I was able to roll within 20 minutes of his instruction. Rest of the evening was one roll after another.  I hope he can continue to hold more similar clinics on other advanced techniques.  Thank you Kelly. Amit.

Amit Goswami  -  M.D. VA Hospital

I love this meetup group.  Kelly has done a great job of building a foundation or respect, camaraderie, and skills so that everyone has fun.  Thanks Kelly for all you do!

Liza Kerr
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