In the Introduction to Kayaking (Level 1) course, you learned the essential skills necessary to paddle effortlessly and efficiently on flat water. This includes simple rescues for the most common accidents and how to help others who may be in need, strokes and concepts that will move your kayak 2 - 3 times it's length with every stroke and the one bad-habit that most self-taught paddlers have, that costs more than 90% of their energy.  This common mistake makes paddling on any type of water much harder than it needs to be, regardless of the type of kayak or fitness of the individual. 

Essentials of Recreational Kayaking (level 2) picks up where the Introduction to Kayaking (level 1) leaves off.  On this 4 mile Rio Grande Bosque river trip, we'll build on the strokes you learned in the pool and apply them to gentle moving water.  Once the basic strokes are mastered on moving water, we'll learn how to combine strokes for effective maneuvers in mild current.  We'll discuss four hazards common to most river trips, including class I, how to spot them and what strokes or maneuvers work best to avoid them.   You'll practice the strokes that make your boat glide across the water.  You'll also learn how to read the river like a book and easily spot the energy that can help you move downriver faster, sideways across the current, or upstream against the current.

The Rio Grande Bosque in Albuquerque, New Mexico from Brent Hall on Vimeo.

Prerequisites:
Introduction to Kayaking (level 1)or "Level 1 Assessment" from another ACA certified instructor.

Succeeding courses: 
The Kayak Roll (level 2)
2-day Whitewater Weekend (level 3)
2-day Coastal Kayaking on Inland Waters (level 3)

Meet the Instructors:
Our instructors are our greatest assets. Each of our instructors are certified by the American Canoe Association (ACA). Founded in 1880, and funded largely by the US Coast Guard, the ACA is a nation-wide not for profit organization whose role is to make paddling education and instruction standardized and more accessible to the public.  Our instructors are certified to the highest levels, up to and including:

Our Guarantee:
You'll learn more in this 4-hour class than most people would learn in several seasons of informal training.  We're so confident your skills will increase, that we'll guarantee it!  If you don't feel more confident, more in control and more excited about paddling, we'll donate your course fees to your favorite charity, in your name!