Introductory and Intermediate
Flatwater/Moving Water Canoe
Prerequisite:
Ability to swim.
What You Learn
The Introductory Class is designed for people who want to paddle on flat or easy moving water where they can enjoy the environmental and social adventure of being in the outdoors. This course will prepare you to paddle safely on a lake or relatively slow river. You will acquire the skills necessary to maneuver your canoe to manage currents and occasional obstacles such as stumps or logs and paddle through small wave trains. Recreational or touring canoes are usually used for this type of paddling. Day 1 is spent on a lake learning efficient, graceful strokes plus making the boat track straight and turn crisply when you want it to. We'll have slalom courses set up with buoys to enhance the effectiveness of the training. Day 2 is on an easy section of river, probably a Class 1 or 1+ section, or sometimes called FW-B, learning to read current, avoid rocks and sweepers, perform eddy turns and ferry from one side of the river to another without losing ground. Tandem teams will also learn to paddle in sync, both physically and in their communication skills.
The Intermediate Class is for those who've taken the clinic before or have similar experience, and who want to fine tune their skills and learn more advanced techniques. The goal of this class is to make you comfortable negotiating FW-C conditions, which sometimes can be considered Class 2 water, and provide you additional boat control. This class will allow you to negotiate rockier streams and avoid more complex hazards. This is also an excellent class for experienced moving water paddlers who have a new tandem partner. The curriculum will be adapted to the skills of the class members.
Both classes will be divided into solo and tandem groups.
Equipment
- Students are expected to have all the essentials. This includes canoe, personal floatation device (PFD), paddle, and appropriate clothing. See the Student Information Sheet for more details, including places to rent canoes.
- The LCCC may have some canoes available for loan during classes through generous members. Please inquire during sign up.