Canoe Instruction

As an open canoe instructor I like to teach people how to get the most out of their paddling. So that's what I do.

The disadvantage is that I don't have many canoes for instruction, so we have to rely on your own gear.

If you're new to the sport, I recommend that you take a course with one of the organizations listed in the instruction banner on the right hand side of this webpage.  These are instructors I know, and who do a good job in learning how to paddle. It might seem crazy to promote other instructors. But it's not only the fact of not having enough instruction suitable canoes, I also put great value in investing in getting instruction from different people. Each instructor has his own style and his own key points. Paddling with different instructors simply makes you a more complete paddler.

If you have your own gear, or you want to pay extra money to rent gear from a third party, we can go canoeing.

For me canoeing is a sport, a really technical sport. This means that for example after a first day of instruction, you won't go home with a repertoire of 20 strokes. No, we do 7, and that's more than enough.
I put great value on a good technique, since I want you to have enough power for a camp fire after a day of paddling in the wilderness. With good technique, you can use your powers in an optimal way. Sloppy technique consumes way more energy then required, and that adds up for a day of paddling.
As soon as you step into whitewater paddling, there simply comes a point where you need good technique. 

So that's why I think good technique is important, and that's why I start with it. It's easier to learn proper technique right away, instead of moving from sloppy technique into good technique. Simply because getting rid of old habits costs more time then learning new habits.

My goal for instruction is that after each session, you can go home with a very good basis to continue your own trainings. For these trainings you can get inspired in the Training section of this website.  After some training (on your own or you join one of ours), we can move on to the next step in the learning process. The training is a crucial part of learning how to paddle, since you want to built in new habits.

I prefer to start with a flatwater session for every type of instruction. I strongly believe that if you can't do it on flatwater, you certainly won't be able to do it with a loaded canoe or on the river.

If you like what you've been reading until now, feel free to contact me about the possibilities at open[DOT]canoe[DOT]paddler[AT]gmail[DOT]com. 

Keep it safe,

Jan