Following are our kayak instuctional programs covering personal skills for touring and sea kayaks. Basic Core Techniques and Proficiency are offered from both our Annsville and Norrie Paddlesport Centers.

If your time is limited, your needs specialized, or your schedule doesn't fit ours, then a private program is for you! Private programs can be for any size group, to almost any location, but weekend dates are limited. It can be an instructional program, a tour to a place listed in this brochure, or to some other spot you would like to explore. An advantage of a private instructional program is that extra time can be spent on specific problem areas and skip the parts you already know.

Basics is for novice paddlers. This program covers the basics, so you’ll enjoy every trip more.

Prerequisite: None

2008 Price: $140.00 which includes equipment or $95.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $130.00 which includes equipment or $85.00 if you have your own.

Location Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center, on Annsville Creek and the Hudson River

1.5        

Location 2: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

This is a course for people who are new to kayaking and want to learn the basics from qualified paddling coaches. We will spend the day learning to be comfortable in various types of kayaks and in the water. Your coaches will teach you how to paddle straight forward, and maneuver your kayak in every direction. We will work on wet exits, self rescues and peer rescues. During the day we discuss kayak clothing and equipment. At the end of the day you will come away knowing the basic kayaking information you’ll need to participate safely in organized kayak trips.

At Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center we try to give you experience with different types of boats: sea and whitewater kayaks. Each type of boat offers unique learning experiences.

At Norrie Point Paddlesport Center we will carry our lunch with us as we will teach on the go. Our lunch spot might be on Esopus Island, Mills Mansion, or the Vanderbuilt mansion.

While we expect you will learn a lot on this program, we’ll do our best to make sure you have fun learning. At lunch we will discuss kayak design, which will help you decide what boat best suits your needs. We will talk about outfitting yourself and your kayak for safe paddling. We offer many different styles and makes of kayaks for rental on this program. If you have not already purchased a kayak, we will help you pick the right boat for your size, skill, and budget.

Topics include: introduction of basic strokes including forward, reverse, stopping, and turning. We will also cover equipment, injury prevention, safety and fun, fun, fun.

Core Techniques helps paddlers with some experience develop real skills and become confident intermediate-level paddlers.

Prerequisite: Basics, 1 Star or equivalent

2008 Price: $140.00 which includes equipment or $95.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $130.00 which includes equipment or $85.00 if you have your own.

Location Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center, on Annsville Creek and the Hudson River

1.5        

Location 2: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

This is the course for people with some kayaking experience who want to get the most from themselves and their kayaks by learning core kayaking skills. People attending this course should have completed at least a few full-day trips. They should be comfortable in their boats, and should be comfortable with the likelihood of capsizing for fun and skill development.

Our day will be spent learning to use the whole body to control boats efficiently and effectively. We will use edging for turning and stability control and focus on legs and torso as well as arms for efficient forward paddling, turning, and moving to the side. Many of the skills covered in Basics will be fine tuned in Core Techniques.

Boat edging is a major focus of this course, but there’s more. We will learn fundamental skills and information needed to contribute to successful and enjoyable journeys.

Topics include: fine tuning forward, reverse, stopping, draw, rudder and sweep strokes. Boat edging, support strokes, rescues, bow rudder and low brace turn.

To quickly learn the basics in two days. This allows enough time to learn and practice basic skills in a dynamic environment.

Prerequisite: None

2008 Price: $260.00 which includes equipment or $180.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $240.00 which includes equipment or $160.00 if you have your own.

Location 2: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River.

This course is for paddlers who want to spend an intensive two days improving their skills. We combine “Basics? and “Core Techniques? to provide the solid fundamental paddling skills that make for safe, efficient, enjoyable group kayaking. Conditions permitting, we may also include a night paddle – an unforgettable experience! While there are no prerequisites, you’ll benefit most if you have paddled in several day trips before taking this course. Meals and accommodations are not included, but camping and cabins are available at Norrie and the towns of Rhinebeck and Hyde Park have pleasant restaurants.

Topics include: Basic & more advanced strokes, boat edging, support strokes, rescues, injury prevention, safety and fun.

This course is geared to helping you refine your paddling skills to make them efficient, effective and reliable.

Prerequisite: Core Techniques, 2 Star or equivalent

2008 Price: $140.00 which includes equipment or $95.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $130.00 which includes equipment or $85.00 if you have your own.

Location Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center, on Annsville Creek and the Hudson River

1.5        

Location 2: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

This course will refine and extend your skills to make them efficient, effective and reliable. We will help you hone your skills by working on balance, fine boat and blade control on both flat and moving water, taking advantage of your current skills to help you learn in creative, dynamic ways. To get the most from this course you should be an experienced paddler with good core paddling skills. In this course, we’ll take advantage of your current skills to help you learn in creative, dynamic ways. This is the program for paddlers looking to be assessed at BCU 3 Star Kayak – and so a real benchmark for proficiency for any paddler.

We will focus on cause and effect, using the combination of body movement, boat positioning, and blade placement to efficiently and effectively maneuver our kayaks. While we’ll learn a number of strokes, they will be integrated by the unifying theme of Body, Boat, and Blade. A goal of this program is to move these skills from flat water to more open water.

Topics include: forward power stroke, low brace turn, bow rudder, sculling draw, hanging draw, draw on the move, sculling support, high/low brace, edging, rescues, towing.

This two day course focuses on skills needed to paddle and lead on open water where you encounter challenging conditions created by the tides, currents and winds.

Prerequisite: Proficiency, 3 Star Sea or equivalent

2008 Price: $200.00

Frequent Paddler Price: $175

Location: Rhode Island

This course focuses on skills needed to paddle and lead on open water where you encounter conditions created by the tides, currents and winds. We will cover many areas including equipment, strokes on open water, rescues, surfing small waves, handling following and beam seas, navigation, playing in rock gardens and more. On-the-fly navigation techniques like “ranges? that will keep you on course will also be covered.

This program is one of the steps needed to gain the skills and knowledge for the BCU 4 Star Sea LeaderAssessment. This program follows the 4 Star Sea Leader Syllabus. A solid 3 Star Sea foundation is needed before taking this program. Playing in rock gardens and landing on rocky coast lines are risky activities. Everyone will need to carry full kit for an open water trip including; chart, compass, spare paddles, first aid kit, helmet, head lamp, signaling equipment. There is a possibility that we will get back after sunset.

We will allow you to sign up for one of the two days. Many people will do this program more then once before going for a 4 Star Sea Leader Assessment.

Topics include: equipment, leadership, knots, navigation, handling moderate surf, deepwater rescues, strokes on open water.

No aspect of paddling offers more thrills or learning experiences per minute than kayaking in the surf zone.

Prerequisite: Proficiency, 3 Star or equivalent

2008 Price: $100.00

Frequent Paddler Price: $90

Location: Matunuck, Rhode Island

 

The morning begins with a review of support strokes and rescues, then we introduce new information specific to rough water paddling and surfing. Most of the day is spent in the surf zone practicing support strokes and rescues. Typical surf height is 2 to 6 feet. While paddling or practicing skills in the surf zone, there exists a higher element of danger than on routine paddling trips. You must be willing to assume responsibility for participating in this high risk activity. A roll is not necessary, but advantageous. Everyone will need to carry a spare paddle, first aid kit, helmet, and other safety equipment.

Topics include: review of strokes, rescues, safety practice, reading the waves and rough water techniques.

Ever wanted to paddle in a tidal race, but didn’t know how to get started?

Prerequisite: Coastal Paddling, 4 Star or equivalent

2008 Price: $110.00

Frequent Paddler Price: $90

Location: Eastern Connecticut

Tidal races and overfalls are natural phenomena created when ocean currents are squeezed by constricting land masses and/or shallow depths resulting in increased current and turbulent water surfaces, a challenging and fun place to apply your advanced paddling skills. The experience is similar to paddling on a very large river in sea kayaks. This program will be a great way to challenge and sharpen existing skills as well as learn new ones.

What can we learn from the Inuit seal hunters of old?

Prerequisite: None

2008 Price: $95.00 which includes equipment or $75.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $85.00 which includes equipment or $65.00 if you have your own.

Location: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

Learn how to manage a kayak with a narrow wooden Greenland paddle. Using hand-carved paddles only 3 1/2 inches wide, we will work on paddle strokes, braces, using the extended paddle, and turning strokes. We will introduce the canted stroke, a special way of holding the paddle. Also covered will be the "side-skull", the basic building-block skill for most Greenland rolling.

Also see Beginning Greenland Rolling

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