| Tuesday, 13 July 2010 10:14 |
We try to go out paddling on a regular basis. When we're out there paddling you can see on the calendar. Depending on the time, it can be flatwater, moving water or whitewater in the range of a couple hours to several days. If you want me to, I can also join you on a canoe training session on a location chosen by you. I am a ACA certified instructor for Open Canoeing solo and tandem canoes, from flatwater up to whitewater. There are a few requirements to join a training: - You should bring your own canoe and gear (if you don't have all the required gear, contact me and we'll see if we can get you the required gear though)
- Boat and gear have to be adapted to the style of water
- You have to know how to use the gear you have with you, or at least be open to learn how to use it
- Before moving on to river paddling, we must have done a flatwater session, or a flatwater session with an instructor known by me
- Before moving on to whitewater river paddling, we must have done a river session or an artificial slalom-area session, or the equivalent with an instructor known by me
What can you expect: - I approach paddling as a sport, so I put a lot of value in basic training, drills on each level: flatwater, moving and white water.
- A theoretical knowledge is of great value for river paddling, in order to understand why some moves work, and others don't. So expect to get your portion of theory.
- The goal is that you go home with some ideas on how you can progress on your own. But of course you're always welcome to join more trainings.
- Safety is important for every level of paddler, so rescue exercises are part of a training and are really important to be repeated so that also rescue is an automatism.
- If desired I can share my experience about gear: what is good, what didn't I like at all
- I'd rather advise an extra session of a lower level then stepping up to a higher level in case of doubt. This because of the paddlesport approach, you'll progress more on the higher level if you really master the lower level: eg if you don't master a certain level of correction strokes on flatwater, it makes a lot more sense to go for another flatwater session and not for a river session. If you move out to the river you're still doing the same as on flatwater, but in a harder environment and you don't have a chance to focus on why we are on the river: the river.
|