Introduction to Kayaking is a 6-hour clinic teaching you the skills needed to paddle any type of kayak. This includes sit on tops, recreational, touring, whitewater and inflatable kayaks. The complete clinic consists of a 2-hour "Classroom" and a 4-hour "Pool" lesson and kayak demo.
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-rescues and 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 clinic, 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.
Children 10 years or older can attend any flatwater lesson with a parent or guardian with legal responsibility. However, I leave it to the parent or guardian to keep the children focused and engaged throughout the class. Children under 10 years old can be taught in a private lesson.
A non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. The deposit is non-refundable, and non-transferrable. We gladly accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover over the phone. Checks can be made payable to:
"NMKI" (New Mexico Kayak Instruction)
5800 Osuna Rd NE #64
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Please let us know when your check is in the mail so we can be looking for it.
Classes are booked on a first-paid, first-reserved basis, so mail your checks early, or call 505-217-2187 to pay by credit card.
The non-refundable deposit goes to reserve your spot and cover certain fixed cost, like pool rental, insurance and assistant instructors. It's a two-way guarantee that you will do your best to attend, and that I will save a spot for you, provide you with a properly fitted kayak, and provide assistant instructors as needed, to keep the Student to Instructor ratio in check.
If you cannot attend, try to find someone who can take your spot, and work the deposit out between the two of you. They should contact me as soon as possible to ensure space is avaialble, and provide me with their height and weight, so I can bring the right sized kayak.
If, and only if, a class is full, can the deposit be refunded, or transferred to a different date.
The Intro to Kayak clinic is the foundation for everything I teach. It's a required prerequisite for the 2-day Whitewater Weekend clinics and the 2-day Touring Kayak Weekend clinics. The Kayak Roll is a good next step after the Intro to Kayak clinic, although not a requirement for the Whitewater or Touring Kayak Weekend clinics.
While learning to roll is a good skill, it's not the best place to start. Rolling is a defensive measure. Good boat control, judgement and an accurate assessment of your skills will keep you from rolling most of the time.
You'll learn boat control in the Intro to Kayak and subsequent clinics. Those who complete the Intro to Kayak class have a much higher success rate in the Kayak Roll clinic. A few hours in the boat learning to do smooth and controlled wet exits from a skirted kayak will be money well spent. If you've spent little or no time in a decked kayak, your mind will simply be too distracted by flipping over and getting out to learn the Kayak Roll.
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