Please join us in celebrating Karl Schmidt, ACA Instructor of the Month for April 2025! Karl brings more than a decade of experience, leadership, and deep commitment to the paddlesports community. Since becoming an ACA instructor in 2010, Karl has focused his expertise on swiftwater rescue and whitewater kayaking.
Based in Richmond, Virginia, he makes the most of his local waters on the James River while also paddling and instructing throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions. His instructional reach extends through his business, Fall Line River School, where he offers a comprehensive range of courses in whitewater paddling, swiftwater rescue, and wilderness medicine.
Growing up in a flood-prone river town near a low-head dam, river safety was a serious topic in Karl’s household. His parents introduced him to paddling early, taking him and his brother out on local waterways and teaching them the basics of water safety. It wasn’t until college, though, that Karl’s paddling interests intensified. He became a raft guide, and soon whitewater kayaking became a passion. The community, the rivers, and the shared sense of purpose all drew him in.
Karl’s career in the outdoor industry was a natural extension of his love for paddling. “I already knew I wanted to work in the outdoor industry by the time I started whitewater kayaking,” he says. Through years of work, mentorship, and ongoing education, he built a professional path that allows him to share his knowledge of rivers and safety with others.
In addition to his teaching, Karl is actively involved in ACA leadership. He currently serves on the ACA’s Safety & Rescue Curriculum Committee and previously contributed to the River Kayak Curriculum Committee. His insight and experience help shape the very standards by which instructors across the country are trained.
Karl Schmidt is an exemplary instructor: combining skill with service, and turning a love of paddling into a lifelong pursuit of education, safety, and community.