Sea Kayak / Kayak Touring for Beginners (Level 3)

Location:
Abiquiu Lake
Abiquiu, NM
See map: Google Maps
Directions:
Abiquiu Lake is ~2hrs from Albuquerque, NM. From Santa Fe, take Hwy 285/84 through Espanola and toward Chama through the town of Abiquiu. About 8 miles past Abiquiu, between mile marker 218 and 219, turn left on Hwy 96 (south). Cerrito Recreation Area is down the road about 1 mile on the right. Enter the Cerrito Recreation Area and take a left at the "Y". Follow the road to the day-use area.
Start Time: 
Saturday, May 3, 2014 - 9:00am - Sunday, May 4, 2014 - 5:00pm

Do you enjoy backpacking, hiking or camping?  A modern touring kayak can carry enough food and gear for days or weeks worth of exploring where few have ever been.  Are you looking for a fun, exciting and affordable water activity you can enjoy year around in New Mexico?  New Mexico is home to 5 congress-designated "Wild & Scenic" rivers with dozens of natural and man-made lakes with thousands of miles of shorline waiting to be explored.    

In the Coastal Kayaking on Inland Waters (level 3) weekend course, you'll learn to plan and initiate multi-day kayak touring (also known as 'Sea kayaking') trips while learning correct paddle strokes for effortless paddling.  This 18hr course includes an introduction to navigation, deep-water rescues, towing systems, paddling in wind and waves and packing for overnight trips. Day 1 builds on the strokes learned in the Introduction to Kayaking (level 1) course and assested rescues.  Day 2 focuses on maneuvers (combining strokes for a specific objective) and self rescues in open water, where wind & waves may be a challenge.  

Class will be held on Abiquiu Lake for convenience to Albuquerque & Santa Fe.  Abiquiu Lake has several small protected coves for controlled teaching environments to practice skills and technique, and large open space to practice paddling under conditions. 

The price of this clinic includes instruction and equipment, including kayaks, paddles, PFDs, skirts and helmets.  A limited number of wet suits are available in cooler months. The price does not camping gear, meals or transportation.

 

Click for more photos of our Coastal Kayaking Weekend Touring Clinic

 

Prerequisites:
Introduction to Kayaking (level 1), or "Level 1 (or 2) Assessment" from another ACA certified instructor. 
Essentials of Recreational Kayaking (level 2) - Optional for the Coastal Kayaking on Inland Waters course

Succeeding courses: 
The Kayak Roll (level 2)
Whitewater Kayaking Made Easy 2-day Weekend (level 3)

Meet the Instructors:
Our instructors are our greatest assets. Each of our instructors are certified by the American Canoe Association (ACA). Founded in 1880, and funded largely by the US Coast Guard, the ACA is a nation-wide not for profit organization whose role is to make paddling education and instruction standardized and more accessible to the public.  Our instructors are certified to the highest levels, up to and including:

Level 2 Stand Up Paddling (or SUP'ing) Instructor
Level 4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor
Level 4 Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor
Level 4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor-Trainer
Level 4 Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor-Trainer
Level 4 Whitewater Paddle Raft Instructor-Trainer
Level 5 Advanced Swift Water Rescue Instructor

Instructors who work with kids are required to pass the same background and fingerprinting checks as required by Albuquerque Public Schools.

Our instructors are also leaders in their communities, and in their professions. 

View Instructor Credentials here

Price: 
$284.62 Before Tax
Payment: 

Payment in full is due within 24 hours of registration.  No spot is reserved until full payment is received.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Your payment is a reservation for an event with limited capacity.  Cancellations or rescheduling request 4 or more days before the scheduled event are entitled to receive a refund, less an $80 cancellation fee.  We're sorry, but cancellations or no-shows within 3 days of the event are non-refundable, and non-transferrable. 

This class was amazing!  Learning to do things the right way from the beginning prevents you from having to 'unlearn' bad or possible dangerous habits later on. 
Heidi Craig  -  Retired, Artist
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

Comments

Post new comment

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Glossary terms will be automatically marked with links to their descriptions. If there are certain phrases or sections of text that should be excluded from glossary marking and linking, use the special markup, [no-glossary] ... [/no-glossary]. Additionally, these HTML elements will not be scanned: a, abbr, acronym, code, pre.
  • Insert Google Map macro.

More information about formatting options

Javascript is required to view this map.