The mission of the Level 1 group lesson is to connect fellow aspiring paddlers by providing a safe and fun introduction to whitewater kayaking. In this lesson, we spend the first part of our day on flatwater and the second part of the day on a fun beginner stretch of river. We do introduce the spray skirt and how to “wet exit” (exit your kayak in the event of a flip) in this lesson. During the flat water portion of this lesson, we introduce how to balance your kayak with body position, different types of strokes, edge control, and bracing. For the downriver portion of this lesson, students learn how to follow the leader, catch eddies, ferry from one side of the river to the other, and navigate a few easy class 2 rapids. This lesson is all about introducing the whitewater kayak and introducing others who are trying to break through in the sport!
Minimum Age: 13 years old.
Experience Required: All participants need to be moderately proficient at swimming. That being said a life jacket is provided to each participant and is worn throughout the lesson.
Length of lesson: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Dates: June 15, 22, and 29; July 26; Aug 9
Cost: $199 with a minimum of 3 participants for the lesson to occur (so tell your friends!!!)
Battle Mountain High School, Edwards CO
Transportation to and from the river: For our group lessons, transportation is a collaborative process. Learning shuttle logistics is essential when learning how to kayak. Alpine Kayak will provide a vehicle that can transport all equipment and kayaks, however, participants in the lesson will need to help run the shuttle with their vehicle.