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Albuquerque

"Open House" Kayak & SUP Fun, Games and Practice

I took the Intro to Kayaking (level 1) class and it was GREAT. I'd actually done a lot of different types of kayaking (touring, sea, whitewater), but had never gotten any formal instruction. Wow, what a difference a few hours makes. I learned a lot of technique that I had been lacking. Kelly is a great instructor and I was impressed with how efficiently the class was put together. He is passionate about enabling people to participate in the sport that he loves. Definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in learning to kayak!
Tracy Davis  -  experienced kayaker

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. I would also recommend they have several adults in the water, and several "shore-side" as there seemed to be more things to do that I would have expected. Not only for the girls' confidence, but helping turn around the kayaks, getting the girls in and out, etc. 
Kathleen Tighe-Smith  -  Troop #10228, Brownies, Albuquerque, NM

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
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(Level 3) Whitewater Kayaking Made Easy

My learning curve has been exponential. I never imagined I would learn this much, so fast!

Chuck Washington  -  Resident MD, UNMH
I was a self-taught kayaker who constantly got caught in situations that were either dangerous or beyond my skill.  In fact, I almost gave up the sport multiple times before I met Kelly.  After taking his courses, I found that I was in much better control on the river and began to enjoy it more.  I never realized how much technique went into boat control and reading the river.  Kayaking changed for me from a sport that constantly terrified me, to a sport where I felt exhilarated and challenged, but still in control.  Kelly’s classes focus on reading the river, developing paddling skills, safety, and responsible fun.  The best part of taking his courses is meeting new people to paddle with.  I am now surrounded by like-mined paddlers whom I can trust on the river, for I know they received the same training.  Kelly’s classes turned me into a life-long kayaker.
Glenn Wellman  -  High School History teacher, APS
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(Level 3) Whitewater Kayaking Made Easy

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 like the emphasis on kayaking as a positive experience.  After taking the classes, you realize that you can have a very fun time, even before mastering the roll.  Other classes I've taken make the roll seem like a necessity, and learning to roll (or not), becomes the focus, which eclipses the fun of kayaking.

Betsy Glenn
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(Level 3) Whitewater Kayaking Made Easy

Kelly is a great instructor. He starts with the basics and keeps building on from there. We started in a pool of calm water on the river, as we became comfortable with that we moved closer to the moving water, then into the main current working on peel outs, ferrying and edging, then down the Rio Grande. The second day starts by talking about the first day then on to paddle placement and timing in different aspects of the river. Back on the river we fine tuned our peel outs, ferrying, edging and worked on paddle placement as we go into and through the rapids. I could not belive my improvement from day one to day two! I highly recommed this class if you want to feel comfortable with negotiating class II and III rapids. You may not end up an expert but will have the tools to become one.
Mark Nissen
The combination of classroom, followed by river work was perfect.   The schedule was flexible to deal with the reality of conducting a class outdoors.  The whole experience has been informative and has helped improve my paddleing significantly.  I am more likely to continue to boat on a regular basis as a result of my experience in NMKI courses.
Marty Teugel  -  Fish & Wildlife Service
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(Level 2) The Kayak Roll

I was a self-taught kayaker who constantly got caught in situations that were either dangerous or beyond my skill.  In fact, I almost gave up the sport multiple times before I met Kelly.  After taking his courses, I found that I was in much better control on the river and began to enjoy it more.  I never realized how much technique went into boat control and reading the river.  Kayaking changed for me from a sport that constantly terrified me, to a sport where I felt exhilarated and challenged, but still in control.  Kelly’s classes focus on reading the river, developing paddling skills, safety, and responsible fun.  The best part of taking his courses is meeting new people to paddle with.  I am now surrounded by like-mined paddlers whom I can trust on the river, for I know they received the same training.  Kelly’s classes turned me into a life-long kayaker.
Glenn Wellman  -  High School History teacher, APS

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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(Level 1) Introduction to Kayaking - Whitewater & Recreational

I was excited to take the pool class, even though a few friends ridiculed taking a kayak class ("What's so hard about kayaking?!").  The whitewater clinic presented challenges I was not expecting (physically, mentally or emotionally), and it heightened my awareness of the river, the sport, challenges and myself.  It has taken me a week to process this experience, and I welcome the time it will take to continue to process both the instruction and personal learned experience. This course was positively intense!

Deanna Lundy

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
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(Level 2) The Kayak Roll

I love this meetup group.  Kelly has done a great job of building a foundation or respect, camaraderie, and skills so that everyone has fun.  Thanks Kelly for all you do!

Liza Kerr
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
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(Level 1) Introduction to Kayaking - Whitewater & Recreational

I took the Intro to Kayaking (level 1) class and it was GREAT. I'd actually done a lot of different types of kayaking (touring, sea, whitewater), but had never gotten any formal instruction. Wow, what a difference a few hours makes. I learned a lot of technique that I had been lacking. Kelly is a great instructor and I was impressed with how efficiently the class was put together. He is passionate about enabling people to participate in the sport that he loves. Definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in learning to kayak!
Tracy Davis  -  experienced kayaker
Wow, Kelly sure can cram a lot of information into two hours.  He answered every question I had and more. Thanks for a very informative two hours!
Nancy Bowers
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(Level 2) Essentials of River Kayaking

I took the Intro to Kayaking (level 1) class and it was GREAT. I'd actually done a lot of different types of kayaking (touring, sea, whitewater), but had never gotten any formal instruction. Wow, what a difference a few hours makes. I learned a lot of technique that I had been lacking. Kelly is a great instructor and I was impressed with how efficiently the class was put together. He is passionate about enabling people to participate in the sport that he loves. Definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in learning to kayak!
Tracy Davis  -  experienced kayaker
This is without a doubt the best outdoor class I have ever taken. Kelly and his team are totally skilled as teachers. I plan to sign up for every class I can with this team. My enjoyment and skill level immediately improved after one day. I didn't realize I was using body memory from paddling a canoe many years ago that were not good practice with a kayak. Take these classes! They're a great return on investment and a whole lot of fun besides!--Kate O'Neill, 54yo teacher
Kate O'Neil  -  Teacher / UNM Taos
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