Course Overview

The Whitewater Kayaking course is a program emphasizing safety, enjoyment and  skill acquisition for entry-level through intermediate individuals in public, private and commercial  settings.

Skills Course Prerequisites

• Acknowledgment of personal compliance with the ACA Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)
• Agree to comply with the ACA Code of Conduct
• No prior paddling experience or training is required to participate in this course

Course Duration:

Two days (16 hours)

Course Location / Accessible Venues

Moving water on rivers including class II-III sections.

A rapid class includes rapids at the lower and upper ends of the difficulty range, designated “-“ and “+”  respectively.

Course Size:

5 Participants : 1 Instructor; with an additional qualified assistant, the ratio can be 10 : 2.

For additional details, see SEIC Policy Manual Chapter 6.

Instructor

This course may be offered by Level 4: Whitewater Kayaking (or higher) ACA Instructors, Instructor Trainers, or Instructor Trainer Educators.

Succeeding Courses

• Level 5: Advanced Whitewater Kayaking Skills Course and/or Skills Assessment

Course Outline

The following is a general summary of course content for the Whitewater Kayaking skills course. The content covered and sequence of instruction should be adjusted to best fit the participant’s needs, class location and time allowance.

Introduction, Expectations, and Logistics

• Welcome, introductions, paperwork
• Student and Instructor course expectations and limitations
• Course itinerary and site logistics
• Review waiver, assumption of risk, challenge by choice, medical disclosure
• About the ACA
• Life jacket policy (always wear on water)
• Appropriate personal behavior
  • No alcohol / substance abuse
  • Proper etiquette on and off the water
  • Respect private property
  • Practice Leave No Trace ethics

Paddling Environment

• Wind
• Waves
• Weather
• Water

Personal Preparation

• Personal ability
• Swimming ability
• Water comfort and confidence
• Fitness, conditioning, and warm up
• Safe paddle and boat handling
• Safety and rescue considerations
• Personal equipment (reviewed by Instructor)
• Judgment. In addition to learning hard skills, the importance of developing personal judgment and group responsibility increases on more difficult paddling venues.

Getting Started

• Launching, carries, landing
• The terminology of paddling (frequently blended in with stroke instruction)