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Intro to Kayak
Intro to Kayak (Pool)
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!
Kelly is very articulate with great attention to detail. He comes highly recommended by those who have attended his courses.
Choosing a Kayak that's Right for You
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.
You guys rock!!! I couldn't wait another minute to tell you how much fun the girls had last night! What a great lesson! We didn't even need the games because they enjoyed what they were doing so much. One of the coolest things was seeing girls who were a little bit timid, feel comfortable enough to try things that they normally wouldn't have tried. What a great time! Well done all!
Kayak 101 - Getting Started in Kayaking
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!
Great course, tons of information, practice. Marcel and Kelly are the
perfect teaching duo, the Oliver and Stan of coastal waters techniques.
Enjoyed sharing the experience with everyone who attended.
Kayaking with Santa Fe Singles
On June 3rd, Kelly Gossett of New Mexico Kayak Instruction (founder of
the Santa Fe Kayak meetup) will teach a 3hr Intro to Kayak lesson for
Santa Fe Singles at the Chavez Center's indoor pool. We'll learn the
basic strokes that will allow us to safely paddle lakes and easy rivers
later on as a group. Kelly will also show us simple 2-person rescues and
other team-building skills that are great with a partner, so bring a
date, or find one at the event.
What an awesome class! Everything clicked into place in my head and my strokes are so much better!
I took Kelly's Intro to Kayaking class and an individual Roll class. Kelly was great. He is a very gracious teacher, always trying to individualize his teaching to each student. I learned how to roll and hand-roll in one Roll Class session. He is very personable and he was accommodating to my busy schedule. Additionally, his passion for kayaking really shows. I look forward to kayaking with him in the future.
Intro to Kayak, Pool
My history with water has been very negative. When I was a kid, I almost drowned. Since then, I've found myself avoiding situations where I felt vulnerable to dangerous waters. Since my courses with Kelly, I have gained both confidence and necessary knowledge that allows me to finally enjoy the water again. Never would I have thought I would be going down class III whitewater rapids on a boogie board. Thank you Kelly. You have peaked my interest in taking more whitewater courses.
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.
Intro to Kayak, Classroom
Fantastic! The instruction was top notch. The instructors' attention
to detail and focus on safety were superb. The classroom environment
was interesting, the class time on the water was a blast, and the
attendees had a great time together during and after class around the
camp fire. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in
kayaking in New Mexico.
It is amazing to do something so challenging. I feel like I have accomplished something that I never thought possible.
Intro to Kayak (Pool)
Very informative class. Just the ticket to lay the foundation for starting out in kayaking.
Really fantastic lesson. Thank you so much for the incredible
instruction. Ellen and Bart were wonderful instructors! I'm so excited to get out
on the water with my own kayak and put my new skills to the test. Even,
*gasp* rolling over! Best, Wren
Intro to Kayak (Pool)
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.
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!
Intro to Kayak (Pool)
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.
I have taken the Intro, Roll, and the Whitewater Weekend courses. They've all been informative, supportive, and fun. It has been a progressive
learning process and I do like your emphaisis on offensive paddling
rather than defensive paddling. The Intro to Kayak (Level 1) class is a perfect foundation. I am probably going
to retake the Intro class because there was a lot in there that I just could
not absorb at one time; WAY beyond an 'intro' class!
