The Essentials of River Canoeing course is designed as an introduction to paddling rivers. Participants learn to catch large eddies and perform simple peel outs and ferries, recognize and avoid hazards, perform rescues and respond to emergencies on moving water rivers. This course is appropriate for all types of tandem and/or solo canoes. It can be taught tandem, solo, or both.
If you’re a student who would like a resource to prepare for this course, ACA is pleased to provide a free online paddling safety course, here. A certificate of completion is included!
The course duration should be adjusted to best fit the needs and goals of the participants. Suggested time: Half a day to one day (4-8 hours).
Moving water on rivers rated up to and including class I.
A rapid class includes rapids at the lower and upper ends of the difficulty range, designated “-“ and “+” respectively.
Tandem: 6 participants : 1 Instructor; with an additional instructor or qualified assistant, the ratio can be 12 : 2.
Solo: 5 participants : 1 Instructor; with an additional instructor or qualified assistant, the ratio can be 10 : 2.
For additional details, see SEIC Policy Manual Chapter 6.
This course may be offered by Level 2: Essentials of River Canoeing (or higher) ACA Instructors, Instructor Trainers, or Instructor Trainer Educators.
The following is a general summary of course content for the Essentials of River Canoeing course. The content covered and sequence of instruction should be adjusted to best fit the participant’s needs, class location and time allowance.