06.27.25 – 06.29.25
Level 2: Essentials of River Kayaking – Non-skirted Instructor Certification Workshop (IDW/ICE)
Collierville, TN, USA
Blues City Kayaks’ certified instructors are excited to offer the ACA Level 2: Essentials of River Kayaking Instructor Certification Workshop! This workshop is for knowledgeable and experienced river kayakers who already possess the knowledge of basic river skills, how to apply them, and a desire to achieve certification to teach others!
The course will start promptly at 8:30 AM and go until we are done for the day, which could be as late as 8 PM. Participants are responsible for bringing their own kayak and gear. Participation in this workshop does not guarantee certification.
Participants should know the below skills prior to attending the workshop. If unsure of skill level/knowledge, two skills courses are being offered prior to the workshop to help ensure successful completion of the course.
ACA L2: Essentials of River Kayaking Skills Course
- Planning
- The Paddling Environment
- Personal ability & judgment
- Personal equipment (reviewed by Instructor)
- Water comfort and confidence
- Kayaks: types, materials, parts (including safety features such as flotation)
- Paddles: types, materials, parts, length, blade size & shape, hand position.
- Personal equipment: The 10 outdoor essentials, kayak gear, etc
- River gauges (Current (cfs), volume, direction)
- River obstacles Importance of First Aid & CPR
- Participation
- Safe paddle and boat handling
- Appropriate personal behavior
- River etiquette
- Safety and rescue considerations
- Warm-up and stretching
- Boarding the kayaks
- Posture, safety, comfort, effectiveness, rocking, balance
- Strokes, Sweeps, Draws
- Towing
- How to empty a kayak
- Principles of Rescue
- Priorities: first people, then boats, finally other gear
- Responsibilities of the victim/Responsibilities of the rescuers/Responsibilities of the group
- Types of Rescue/Self Rescue
- Boat assisted rescue, towing or bulldozing a tired swimmer, towing or bulldozing a capsized boat
- Shoreline Rescue: Extension rescues, use of throw ropes/bags
- Swimming in current
- Self Rescue/Assisted Rescue/Boat Emptying
- From shore: Extension, Rescue ropes
- From boat: Bulldozing
- Putting Away
- How to properly load a kayak on a vehicle (loading and unloading, racks, strap)
- Group debrief / Individual feedback
All candidates should be able to pass this assessment prior to attending this workshop:
https://americancanoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/L2_Essentials-of-River-Kayaking-Skills-Assessment.pdf
Contact Information ANDe Demetriou
ande@bluescitykayaks.com