Adaptive kayaking is a program for people with physical or developmental disabilities, where the instructors adapt the equipment, environment or teaching methods to the individual student’s needs, so they can be successful in a recreational activity typically unavailable to people with disabilities.  Our programs start in indoor, heated pools with opportunities to join the local kayaking community after class.  Our model has worked for many individuals who start in our "adaptive" classes, then join our inclusive community programs, and ultimately strive toward independence. 

Depending on the individual, Adaptive Kayaking may help develop courage, confidence and character, physical, cognitive, social and emotional strength, improve with motor-planning, problem solving, range of motion, balance, agility and coordination, or overcome fear, reduce anxiety, depression or PTSD.

 Individuals with developmental or physical differences often need repeated exposure to the skills we need to learn in order to have fun, be safe and be successful outdoors.  That's why most of our programs include weekly lessons for a period of 4 or more weeks.  City and private pools are often more available during the "off-season" for this type of sequential program.  Unfortunately, city pools are virtually unavailable during the warmer months due to summer programming, birthday party rentals, etc.  By working with individuals for a period of weeks, we can learn more about them and how we can help them be successful going forward.  Thus by starting in the Fall, we are able to develop the skills necessary for Spring and Summer outings when the days are longer and warmer.

Our first adaptive kayaking program began at Camp Rising Sun in 2010, where kayaking has been the single most popular activity every year since then.  We've worked closely with the UNM Center for Development and Disability to develop inclusive, recreational programs for the Autism community and now work with other partners such as Mandy's Farm, Abrazos Family Support Services, APS, The Occupational Therapy Department at UNM, and the Department of Health - Developmental Disability Support Division.  We also work with other individuals with physical or developmental disabilities as well.  We teach ~250 kids with special needs per year through Albuquerque Public School's Adaptive Aquatics PE programs, as well as summer camps for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of New Mexico, the ARCA Summer Vacation, Camp Enchantment (a camp for kids with cancer) and the Beyond Limits Wheelchair Sports Camp.  We regularly attend autism-specific trainings

Each individual (including their family, peers and support) is invited to join our local kayaking community; the Greater Albuquerque / Santa Fe Kayak Meetup, consisting of over 650 paddlers in the Albuquerque / Metro area.  Our events include bi-monthly "pool parties" or practice days; this regualry scheduled event is ideal for those on the Spectrum seeking consistency, socialization and opportunities to practice.  Our community often paddles at Cochiti Lake, including providing support for open-water triathlons.  These triathlons need safety-kayakers to assist swimmers in need.  In most cases, the race director provides free food for volunteers, a free t-shirt commorating the event, live music and tremendous exposure to a broader "community" event.  One of our adaptive paddlers, who assisted a swimmer, was convinced that he "saved someone's life" thereby adding depth and meaning to his life and truly feeling a contribution to soc

Flipping in a kayak (or "falling over") is part of the learning process, especially for beginners.  Like learning to walk, ride a bike, or snowboard - falling happens from time to time.  As our skills improve, frequency that we flip or fall, will be few and far between.  First, we should become comfortable doing a "wet exit" when it's upside down.

The non-refundable deposit goes to reserve your spot and cover certain fixed cost, like pool rental, insurance and assistant instructors. It's a two-way guarantee that you will do your best to attend, and that I will save a spot for you, provide you with a properly fitted kayak, and provide assistant instructors as needed, to keep the Student to Instructor ratio in check.

If you cannot attend, try to find someone who can take your spot, and work the deposit out between the two of you. They should contact me as soon as possible to ensure space is avaialble, and provide me with their height and weight, so I can bring the right sized kayak.

If, and only if, a class is full, can the deposit be refunded, or transferred to a different date.

There are a few Bed & Breakfast inns in the area.  The one I recommend is Casa Escondida.

Casa Escondida is an authentic adobe, 8-room bed & breakfast that is located in historic Chimayo (only 35 - 40 minutes from Pilar). They offer a rural, secluded setting with great mountain views. A full, hot breakfast is included. Enjoy their relaxing outdoor hot tub after a long day of paddling. Rooms range from $99 - $159 / night. FREE Wi-Fi. Pet-friendly. Book online or by phone: www.casaescondida.com / 505-351-4805

Plan on bringing breakfast, lunch and dinner, as there are few eating places in close proximity to the river and campgrounds. 

The Pilar Yacht Club is the exception. The Yacht Club makes a mean breakfast burrito, and has other basic conveniences; coffee, sodas, ice, sun screen and ice cream. The Yacht Club closes by mid-afternoon.

We'll pause for about 30 minutes during our lesson for lunch, but will not have time to leave the area. 

At the end of an awesome day, we typically have a pot-luck dinner Saturday night at the campground.  Bring a dish that can be shared with everyone.

Other options include going to Taos for dinner, or eating at Embudo Station or Sugars BBQ, both about 20 minutes away from the campground.

When it comes to lodging, I let everyone decide what works best for them. Some people like to stay in hotels in Taos.  Others like to cut cost by camping out at the Orilla Verde State Park.  Others bring camper trailers and RVs.  In the past, some have stayed at Ojo Caliente, Sipapu, or found Bed & Breakfast inns in Dixon, Pilar, Embudo or Chimayo.  There are a variety of options.

I will typically will get a campsite on the State Park Friday or Saturday night, depending on when I arrive. Campsites are booked first come, first served, so advanced reservations are not allowed.  Anyone is welcome to stay at my campsite, provided we don't exceed the limits. 

Campsites at the Orilla Verde State Park vary from primitive to full RV setups. Most have enzyme or flush toilets, and one campground has hot showers. Bring $2-3 in quarters. It's not necessary to stay at that campground to use their shower.

I'll have a variety of 'farmer john' unisex wet suits, which should fit most people.  If you have a wet suit that fits, please bring it.  Additionally, I recommend bringing a few of your own layers; fleece vest or jacket (that can get wet), polypropylene shirt, nylon trekking pants, Lycra spandex tights, mountain bike shorts, and a good waterproof wind breaker, just in case. Anything that is fast drying, moisture-wicking and insulating is good.  It's not necessary to have ALL of that, but the more options you have, the more prepared you'll be for different conditions.  It also helps to have a second change of clothes for Sunday morning....just in case your clothes don't dry out overnight.

Yes.  A lot of great material is covered in the classroom, and you'll learn a lot by attending or repeating the classroom lessons (and they're FREE!!).  However, the classroom material is completely independent of the pool lesson.  It doesn't matter which one you attend first.

A non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. The deposit is non-refundable, and non-transferrable. We gladly accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover over the phone.  Checks can be made payable to:

"NMKI" (New Mexico Kayak Instruction)
5800 Osuna Rd NE #64
Albuquerque, NM 87109

Please let us know when your check is in the mail so we can be looking for it.

Classes are booked on a first-paid, first-reserved basis, so mail your checks early, or call 505-217-2187 to pay by credit card.

The Intro to Kayak clinic is the foundation for everything I teach. It's a required prerequisite for the 2-day Whitewater Weekend clinics and the 2-day Touring Kayak Weekend clinics. The Kayak Roll is a good next step after the Intro to Kayak clinic, although not a requirement for the Whitewater or Touring Kayak Weekend clinics.

While learning to roll is a good skill, it's not the best place to start.  Rolling is a defensive measure.  Good boat control, judgement and an accurate assessment of your skills will keep you from rolling most of the time. 

Not at this time. Many companies charge an "equipment rental" fee in addition to the lesson. At New Mexico Kayak Instruction, we include the equipment with the lesson. We encourage you to learn these techniques in your own boat. However, if your boat doesn't fit properly, is inappropriate for the class (a recreational boat in a whitewater or rolling class, for example), or you're interested in demoing a new boat, we will gladly bring one for you no charge.

Guided tours are great because they introduce the paddler to the many opportunities available to them in a kayak. Some guides do a great job of teaching, especially multi-day tours, where emdurance and efficiency are essential. However, most guided tours teach only what is necessary to be safe that day. For example, they may explain how to do a "wet-exit", but may not teach the steps or go through the motions with you to build your confidence. Rescues may be performed as needed, but generally are not taught.

Children 10 years or older can attend any flatwater lesson with a parent or guardian with legal responsibility.  However, I leave it to the parent or guardian to keep the children focused and engaged throughout the class.  Children under 10 years old can be taught in a private lesson.

 

There are six degrees of difficulty for rating a rapid or a river, known as "classes," defined below. It is important to note that the class of a river may change according to the weather, water temperature, water level and geological disturbances, among other things. Class I - Moving water with few riffles and small waves. Few or no obstructions. Class II - Easy rapids with waves up to three feet and wide clear channels that are obvious.

Good question! Truth is - I'd rather be paddling and teaching than in a store selling. I use a number of Best-of-the-Best kayaks in my instructional program. Not only do you get a great lesson, you also get to Demo the best boats on the market, kick the tires, take it for a spin, see how it fits, see how it performs, and see how good you look in it! ....you simply cannot do that in a storefront or warehouse.

Choosing a kayak is like choosing an automobile. Your choices include pick-up trucks, mini-vans, sports cars, SUVs, etc. Each are designed for a different purpose. No automobile performs well in all situations...neither do kayaks. You should chose a type of boat that you'll paddle 90% of the time. Some options include Whitewater, Recreational or Touring kayaks.

Rental prices assume the kayak will be picked up and dropped off at my location in Albuquerque. Additional arrangements may be made to deliver the kayak(s) to Santa Fe for an additional charge: $40 one-way (pick-up OR drop-off), or $60 round-trip (pick-up AND drop-off in Santa Fe).

Whitewater kayaks involve greater liability, and are therefore more expensive to rent. Additionally, whitewater kayaks are subject to more abuse, misuse, wear and tear, which greatly affects their resell-value.

Yes, there are restrictions. Rented whitewater kayaks can be used only on sections of the rivers below: Rio Grande:

There are six degrees of difficulty for rating a rapid or a river, known as "classes," defined below. It is important to note that the class of a river may change according to the weather, water temperature, water level and geological disturbances, among other things. Class I - Moving water with few riffles and small waves. Few or no obstructions. Class II - Easy rapids with waves up to three feet and wide clear channels that are obvious.

Good question! Truth is - I'd rather be paddling and teaching than in a store selling. I use a number of Best-of-the-Best kayaks in my instructional program. Not only do you get a great lesson, you also get to Demo the best boats on the market, kick the tires, take it for a spin, see how it fits, see how it performs, and see how good you look in it! ....you simply cannot do that in a storefront or warehouse.

Choosing a kayak is like choosing an automobile. Your choices include pick-up trucks, mini-vans, sports cars, SUVs, etc. Each are designed for a different purpose. No automobile performs well in all situations...neither do kayaks. You should chose a type of boat that you'll paddle 90% of the time. Some options include Whitewater, Recreational or Touring kayaks.

Using a recreational kayak on whitewater is strongly discouraged. Any boat with a keel should be avoided in whitewater. While recreational kayaks are wider and more stable, they are less maneuverable. Maneuverability is key on whitewater. Additionaly, recreational kayaks are made from less durable plastic and lack the hull stiffness to withstand a pin or warp. The wider cockpit makes it easy to get in and out of the kayak...but offers less body contact with knees, hips and feet, resulting in less control over the boat.

There are a few Bed & Breakfast inns in the area.  The one I recommend is Casa Escondida.

Casa Escondida is an authentic adobe, 8-room bed & breakfast that is located in historic Chimayo (only 35 - 40 minutes from Pilar). They offer a rural, secluded setting with great mountain views. A full, hot breakfast is included. Enjoy their relaxing outdoor hot tub after a long day of paddling. Rooms range from $99 - $159 / night. FREE Wi-Fi. Pet-friendly. Book online or by phone: www.casaescondida.com / 505-351-4805

Plan on bringing breakfast, lunch and dinner, as there are few eating places in close proximity to the river and campgrounds. 

The Pilar Yacht Club is the exception. The Yacht Club makes a mean breakfast burrito, and has other basic conveniences; coffee, sodas, ice, sun screen and ice cream. The Yacht Club closes by mid-afternoon.

We'll pause for about 30 minutes during our lesson for lunch, but will not have time to leave the area. 

At the end of an awesome day, we typically have a pot-luck dinner Saturday night at the campground.  Bring a dish that can be shared with everyone.

Other options include going to Taos for dinner, or eating at Embudo Station or Sugars BBQ, both about 20 minutes away from the campground.

When it comes to lodging, I let everyone decide what works best for them. Some people like to stay in hotels in Taos.  Others like to cut cost by camping out at the Orilla Verde State Park.  Others bring camper trailers and RVs.  In the past, some have stayed at Ojo Caliente, Sipapu, or found Bed & Breakfast inns in Dixon, Pilar, Embudo or Chimayo.  There are a variety of options.

I will typically will get a campsite on the State Park Friday or Saturday night, depending on when I arrive. Campsites are booked first come, first served, so advanced reservations are not allowed.  Anyone is welcome to stay at my campsite, provided we don't exceed the limits. 

Campsites at the Orilla Verde State Park vary from primitive to full RV setups. Most have enzyme or flush toilets, and one campground has hot showers. Bring $2-3 in quarters. It's not necessary to stay at that campground to use their shower.

I'll have a variety of 'farmer john' unisex wet suits, which should fit most people.  If you have a wet suit that fits, please bring it.  Additionally, I recommend bringing a few of your own layers; fleece vest or jacket (that can get wet), polypropylene shirt, nylon trekking pants, Lycra spandex tights, mountain bike shorts, and a good waterproof wind breaker, just in case. Anything that is fast drying, moisture-wicking and insulating is good.  It's not necessary to have ALL of that, but the more options you have, the more prepared you'll be for different conditions.  It also helps to have a second change of clothes for Sunday morning....just in case your clothes don't dry out overnight.