This ACA Assessment Course is designed to evaluate your ability to perform all of the skills listed and demonstrate an appropriate level of paddling knowledge. This assessment course provides the opportunity for you to receive documentation of having achieved this level of paddling ability.
Note: This course is designed for sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks only and this curriculum is meant to highlight this design. Participants should understand that paddling and rescuing decked kayaks requires additional and separate instruction. Bulkheads are not required; however, some form of flotation must be present to keep the kayak from sinking such as flotation built within the kayak’s hull.
One day (8 hours)
Moving water on rivers including class I-II sections.
A rapid class includes rapids at the lower and upper ends of the difficulty range, designated “-“ and “+” respectively.
5 Participants: 1 Instructor; with an additional qualified assistant, the ratio can be 10 : 2. The maximum number of participants permitted is 10.
This assessment course may be offered by Level 3: Sit-on-Top River Kayaking or Level 3: River Kayaking (or higher) ACA Instructors, Instructor Trainers, or Instructor Trainer Educators.
The sequence of assessment should be adjusted to best fit the participant’s needs, class location, time allowance, and kayak being used. Participants must be able to perform all strokes, maneuvers, rescues, and skills in the appropriate venue. In addition, the participant must demonstrate the appropriate level of knowledge for this level of skill assessment.
Participant Name: ________________________________
Participant ACA Membership #: __________________
Course Venue: _____________________________________
Course Date(s): ____________________________________
Y = Meets Standard, N = Below Standard, DNO = Did Not Observe
| Strokes and Maneuvers | Pass? P/N/DNO |
|---|---|
| Lifting and carrying: good, safe technique | |
| Launching / landing: low dock or bank | |
| Efficient forward paddling: 50 yards in a reasonably straight line | |
| Stop: stop the kayak from a good speed, forward and reverse | |
| Reverse: 10 yards paddle with reasonable control | |
| Rotate 360° on the spot using forward and reverse sweeps | |
| Turning on the move: sweep strokes while underway | |
| Figure of 8: paddle a figure of 8 course using a variety of strokes | |
| Draw sideways: move the kayak sideways 10 feet (both sides) | |
| Ruddering (stern) | |
| Turning on the move using edging for carved turns. Use bow draw. | |
| Preventing capsize: low and high brace | |
| Kayak tripping: one moving water day trip of 5 or more river miles | |
| Ferrying (forward and reverse) | |
| Eddy turns and peel outs | |
| C-turn (peel out and turn into same eddy) | |
| S-turn (peel out and turn into an adjacent downriver eddy) |