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Albuquerque

(Level 1) Introduction to Kayaking - Whitewater and Recreational

Kelly has a way of transferring his passion for kayaking to everyone who attends a talk, lesson or paddles with him.  A very patient and conscientious instructor, I always feel safe during lessons on and off the river.  Not only does Kelly teach the sport, he finds ways to help you find your niche and meet others who share the same interest.  In addition, the other instructors he brings along are equally as knowledgeable and helpful.  If you haven't tried kayaking or want to hone your skills, this is a great place to start.

Susan Brockway  -  Los Alamos National Laboratory
Kelly is a great instructor. If you live in the Albuquerque area and want to learn kayaking, attend one of Kelly's classes.
Mark Nissan
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(Level 1) Introduction to Kayaking - Whitewater and Recreational

Thanks for the info and the good class.  Even though I've owned recreational kayaks for many years, I learned far more than I ever knew before.
Tom Pherson
Even though I only took the Intro to Kayak class at the pool prior to the Coastal Kayaking on Inlandwaters 'Kayak Touring' course, I was confident in performing the wet exit in open waters…the rescue exercises were by far the biggest asset of the class.
Betty Beaudry
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

Excellent, well-organized class and instruction. The individualed attention on the Rio Grande trip really helped me put newfound skills into practice. I also learned many skills best taught in open river conditions.  It's really a pleasure to experience top-notch teaching.  --Kate O'Neill, 54yo teacher
Kate O'Neil  -  Teacher / UNM Taos
Kelly is a very good teacher - he presents learning as fun.  His classes are relaxed and low pressure.  I picked up many skills and knowledge that will make paddling easier and safer for me in the long run. 
Heidi Craig  -  Retired, Artist
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

I chose NMKI because of Kelly's professionalism and strong attention to detail.  I find this very important as it relates to safety.  I would never trust anyone other than Kelly to provide instruction to myself or for my 12 year old son, Navada.  We felt very safe and well guided under the direction of Kelly.  I would tell others if they ever hesitated to try kayaking, River Boarding or any kind of paddling to first take a course with Kelly and rest assured they will be in good hands.

Nina Perea
My girls were Brownies. From a leader perspective, I wanted to see something fun, and that would build confidence. This was one of our first real "outings" as a Girl Scout. I was looking for something "different", something with a sense of adventure/out of the ordinary (something they don't do everyday) but controlled and safe. I also wanted something a bit challenging - physically, but also something they hadn't done before, something that would build confidence. This really fit the bill perfectly. They didn't' want to get out of the pool!
Kathleen Tighe-Smith  -  Troop #10228, Brownies, Albuquerque, NM
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

Kelly is someone who knows the sport of kayaking and is able to teach in a safe, effective and fun way.  Not only did the girls have a total blast, but they learned the names for all parts of their kayak and equipment, how to safely enter and exit a kayak, how to help someone else who may be in trouble, what to do in inclement weather and how to best move through the water (to name a few).  We had our last Girl Scout meeting of the year last week, and when I asked the girls what their favorite experience was over the last 3 years, 75% chose kayaking.  I would highly recommend Kelly to anyone and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Cris Todd  -  Girl Scout Troop #1521
My girl approached the class as 'something my dad signed me up for and I don’t want to go', but she had a blast and wants to do it again.
Robert Miller  -  Dad of a Girl Scout
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

Kelly is someone who knows the sport of kayaking and is able to teach in a safe, effective and fun way.  Not only did the girls have a total blast, but they learned the names for all parts of their kayak and equipment, how to safely enter and exit a kayak, how to help someone else who may be in trouble, what to do in inclement weather and how to best move through the water (to name a few).  We had our last Girl Scout meeting of the year last week, and when I asked the girls what their favorite experience was over the last 3 years, 75% chose kayaking.  I would highly recommend Kelly to anyone and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Cris Todd  -  Girl Scout Troop #1521
Special thanks to New Mexico Kayak Instruction and Kelly Gossett for a great weekend up in Pilar last month for the beginner lesson on the white water. My family had a fantastic time. Pictured is my 12 year old son who is profound deaf paddling the river. Kelly truly is a master kayak instructor that can teach at all levels of ability and provide hours of fun for the whole family.
Matt Painter  -  Retired Fireman
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

This was a fantastic weekend! We learned so much so quickly but at the same time could take it at our own individual pace. When I got into the kayak on the first morning I was still a little uncertain about trying out whitewater but by the end of the weekend I felt very comfortable. I was definitely glad I went.  Thank you Kelly and Dave!
Whitney Waite
This was my second time in this class in a months' time. Although I enjoyed the first class, I felt like all the pieces began to fall in to place the second time around. I felt my skills improved exponentially. The instructors were very skilled and helpful in zeroing in on specific needs of those in the class, and were there to roll you (back up) when necessary. Loved it.
Chip Berglund  -  Semi-retired
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

This clinic introduced me to the essential strokes, and the situations in which to apply them, including understanding which stroke would be efficient for the objective.  I learned so many things that I never knew about Kayaking.  I also enjoyed the introduction to assisted rescue.  Kelly, the instructor, gave some excellent tips on how to tkae what we learned, into a pool session or other practice, and challenge yourself with each basic skill.
Lance Johnson  -  Bradley Alpinist, LLC

Kelly is friendly and professional and seems to know what he is talking about and an absolutely wonderful teacher.  Kelly is very professional, sincere and a dedicated teacher.  He worked very hard to teach me, and I was able to roll within 20 minutes of his instruction. Rest of the evening was one roll after another.  I hope he can continue to hold more similar clinics on other advanced techniques.  Thank you Kelly. Amit.

Amit Goswami  -  M.D. VA Hospital
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

I would wholeheartedly recommend this course. My girls had a blast and I thought the price was a bargain. My girls are young enough, so almost any activity is still "fresh" for them…they are up for about anything. The girls had a blast - they really enjoyed this.
Kathleen Tighe-Smith  -  Troop #10228, Brownies, Albuquerque, NM

Before i took Kelly's class, I was convinced that a sit-inside kayak was a FLOATING COFFIN (don't mean to be so morbid).  But now with what I learned in the Intro to Kayak class I feel CONFIDENT in a sit-inside kayak and my opinion has DRAMATICALY CHANGED.  Looking forward to more days on the water. Thanks Kelly.

Michael Fernandez  -  Retired
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"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

I have to say, Kelly covered EVERYTHING!  I've taken this weekend class twice to absorb everything that goes into whitewater kayaking.  Since my class, I've paddled on class III whitewater and felt like I had a great sense of what [maneuvers, compound strokes or techniques] to do, when to do it, how to do it, and why to do it!   What Kelly teaches would be pretty much impossible for a self-taught paddler to figure out alone.  I feel safer, and more confident each time I'm on the river with a foundation of strokes and concepts to practice outside of class, and most importantly, I feel in control on the water.
Bob Pennington  -  home-builder

I want you to know how much I benefitted from your white water and roll classes.  Kelly your presentations Saturday and Sunday were always clear and packed with vital information.  The way you sketch out the hazzards and river features makes them surprisingly easy to remember on the river.  On the river you worked hard with each of us and I thought we class members got far more feedback and individual attention than in other kayak classes I have taken.  Glenn and Michael also seemed genuinely interested in our progress and were always willing to answer my questions and provide good feedback.  All in all the class was both challenging and a lot of fun and I feel it greatly accelerated my development as a white water kayaker.

Reed Mencke  -  Retired
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