On June 3rd, Kelly Gossett of New Mexico Kayak Instruction (founder of
the Santa Fe Kayak meetup) will teach a 3hr Intro to Kayak lesson for
Santa Fe Singles at the Chavez Center's indoor pool. We'll learn the
basic strokes that will allow us to safely paddle lakes and easy rivers
later on as a group. Kelly will also show us simple 2-person rescues and
other team-building skills that are great with a partner, so bring a
date, or find one at the event.
You guys rock!!! I couldn't wait another minute to tell you how much fun the girls had last night! What a great lesson! We didn't even need the games because they enjoyed what they were doing so much. One of the coolest things was seeing girls who were a little bit timid, feel comfortable enough to try things that they normally wouldn't have tried. What a great time! Well done all!
I wanted to say thank you for the entire Pilar trip. It was a small class and you could have rescheduled but you didn't. I really learned a lot! Because of that weekend, I'm excited about the sport. I've been talking to my wife and friends about it nonstop! I'm trying to get others to sign up for your class. You do a really good job! Thanks again!
I want you to know how much I benefitted from your white water and roll classes. Kelly your presentations Saturday and Sunday were always clear and packed with vital information. The way you sketch out the hazzards and river features makes them surprisingly easy to remember on the river. On the river you worked hard with each of us and I thought we class members got far more feedback and individual attention than in other kayak classes I have taken. Glenn and Michael also seemed genuinely interested in our progress and were always willing to answer my questions and provide good feedback. All in all the class was both challenging and a lot of fun and I feel it greatly accelerated my development as a white water kayaker.
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!
I took a roll class from Kelly. I have had some previous instruction in rolling and in boat handling techniques, but I learned more from Kelly in three hours in the pool than I did in a two day course from another instructor. I am very close to being able to roll after only one class. I'm sure with another class I'll be able to roll quite well. Kelly has a unique capability to explain how to roll, and has the patience to work with people who are having difficulty learning. He is a great teacher!
I want you to know how much I benefitted from your white water and roll classes. Kelly your presentations Saturday and Sunday were always clear and packed with vital information. The way you sketch out the hazzards and river features makes them surprisingly easy to remember on the river. On the river you worked hard with each of us and I thought we class members got far more feedback and individual attention than in other kayak classes I have taken. Glenn and Michael also seemed genuinely interested in our progress and were always willing to answer my questions and provide good feedback. All in all the class was both challenging and a lot of fun and I feel it greatly accelerated my development as a white water kayaker.
I like the emphasis on kayaking as a positive experience. After taking the classes, you realize that you can have a very fun time, even before mastering the roll. Other classes I've taken make the roll seem like a necessity, and learning to roll (or not), becomes the focus, which eclipses the fun of kayaking.