Yes. A lot of great material is covered in the classroom, and you'll learn a lot by attending or repeating the classroom lessons (and they're FREE!!). However, the classroom material is completely independent of the pool lesson. It doesn't matter which one you attend first.
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Intro to Kayak, Classroom and Pool Lesson
Location:
Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center
2760 Canyon Road
Los Alamos, NM, 87544
Directions:
When entering Los Alamos on 502, veer right on Central Avenue, approximately 1 mile. The Larry Walkup Aquatic Center will be on the right.
Start Time:
Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:30am - 3:00pm
"Getting Started in Kayaking"
This FREE 2hr discussion includes an overview of modern whitewater, recreational and touring hull designs, the appropriate equipment you'll need for each type, dressing to paddle safely and how to avoid potential paddling hazards.
Here are a few things you'll learn!
- The two biggest mistakes that most beginners make when buying a boat
- Why recreational kayaks and mountain bike helmets are not suitable for whitewater kayaking
- The one type of kayak that is almost a guaranteed waste of money
- Why wet-suits often do more harm than good
- The difference between a woman's PFDs (life jackets), recreational, whitewater and touring PFDs, and water-ski vests
- More than a dozen different ways you can become an asset - not a liability - to the paddling community (hint - it has little to do with experience!)
- ...and much, much more!
You'll also learn dozens of awesome places to kayak in New Mexico and where you can find 100's of other local paddlers to join you.
At the end of this free, 2hr informative classroom discussion, you should have good answers to the three most common questions: Where do I go kayaking in New Mexico? Who do I go with? And, What kind of gear will I need?
Pool Lesson: In the pool, you'll learn the most stable way to enter and exit the kayak from shore, as well as how to quickly exit and re-enter a capsized kayak in deep water. A variety of self- and buddy-assisted rescues are demonstrated throughout the class. You'll also learn the basic strokes and body mechanics to paddle efficiently, comfortably and confidently in any direction on lakes and easy flat water rivers.
Upon completion of this course, you should know the basic differences between whitewater, recreational and touring kayaks and gear, how to properly enter and exit the kayak from shore and deep water, and how to move the kayak effortlessly in any direction.
Intro to Kayak is a prerequisite for 2-day Intro to Whitewater and the 2-day Intro to Sea Kayaking.
For the first time, this popular Introduction to Kayaking clinic will be taught in Los Alamos. Both the classroom and pool lesson will be taught on the same day. Come prepared with snacks and drinks to keep you going throughout the day.
Future classes willl be dependent on the overall success of these two Intro Classes. Please help spread the word by inviting friends and coworkers and helping spread the word around the Labs.
Price:
$110.00
Payment:
A $25 non-refundable deposit is needed to reserve your spot in class. Classes are booked on a first-paid, first-reserved basis, so send in your deposit today!
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!
I just took Kelly's Intro to Kayaking class at the Chavez Center in Santa Fe and really enjoyed it. He was able to work with all levels (I'd never been in a kayak with the skirt on before) and even helped me overcome my fears after the initial freakout of being strapped to my boat underwater. Great teacher, I'm looking forward to the roll class!
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