Following are our kayak instructional programs covering personal skills for touring and sea kayaks. Basic Core Techniques and Proficiency are offered from both our Annsville and Norrie Paddlesport Centers.

If your time is limited, your needs specialized, or your schedule doesn't fit ours, then a private program is for you! Private programs can be for any size group, to almost any location, but weekend dates are limited. It can be an instructional program, a tour to a place listed in this brochure, or to some other spot you would like to explore. An advantage of a private instructional program is that extra time can be spent on specific problem areas and skip the parts you already know.

Google map of our programs.

Basics

Basics is for novice paddlers. This program covers the basics, so you’ll enjoy every trip more.

Prerequisite: None

2010 Price: $140.00 which includes equipment or $95.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $130.00 which includes equipment or $85.00 if you have your own.

Maptech Chart #4 Hudson River: Click to order

Location 1: Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center, on Annsville Creek and the Hudson River

1.5      

Location 2: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

This is a course for people who are new to kayaking and want to learn the basics from qualified paddling coaches. We will spend the day learning to be comfortable in various types of kayaks and in the water. Your coaches will teach you how to paddle straight forward, and maneuver your kayak in every direction. We will work on wet exits, self rescues and peer rescues. During the day we discuss kayak clothing and equipment. At the end of the day you will come away knowing the basic kayaking information you’ll need to participate safely in organized kayak trips.

At Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center we try to give you experience with different types of boats: sea and whitewater kayaks. Each type of boat offers unique learning experiences.

At Norrie Point Paddlesport Center we will carry our lunch with us as we will teach on the go. Our lunch spot might be on Esopus Island, Mills Mansion, or the Vanderbuilt mansion.

While we expect you will learn a lot on this program, we’ll do our best to make sure you have fun learning. At lunch we will discuss kayak design, which will help you decide what boat best suits your needs. We will talk about outfitting yourself and your kayak for safe paddling. We offer many different styles and makes of kayaks for rental on this program. If you have not already purchased a kayak, we will help you pick the right boat for your size, skill, and budget.

Topics include: introduction of basic strokes including forward, reverse, stopping, and turning. We will also cover equipment, injury prevention, safety and fun, fun, fun.

Core Techniques helps paddlers with some experience develop real skills and become confident intermediate-level paddlers.

Prerequisite: Basics, or equivalent

2010 Price: $140.00 which includes equipment or $95.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $130.00 which includes equipment or $85.00 if you have your own.

Maptech Chart #4 Hudson River: Click to order

Location 1: Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center, on Annsville Creek and the Hudson River

1.5        

Location 2: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

This is the course for people with some kayaking experience who want to get the most from themselves and their kayaks by learning core kayaking skills. People attending this course should have completed at least a few full-day trips. They should be comfortable in their boats, and should be comfortable with the likelihood of capsizing for fun and skill development.

Our day will be spent learning to use the whole body to control boats efficiently and effectively. We will use edging for turning and stability control and focus on legs and torso as well as arms for efficient forward paddling, turning, and moving to the side. Many of the skills covered in Basics will be fine tuned in Core Techniques.

Boat edging is a major focus of this course, but there’s more. We will learn fundamental skills and information needed to contribute to successful and enjoyable journeys.

Topics include: fine tuning forward, reverse, stopping, draw, rudder and sweep strokes. Boat edging, support strokes, rescues, bow rudder and low brace turn.

This course is geared to helping you refine your paddling skills to make them efficient, effective and reliable.

Prerequisite: Core Techniques or equivalent

2010 Price: $140.00 which includes equipment or $95.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $130.00 which includes equipment or $85.00 if you have your own.

Maptech Chart #4 Hudson River: Click to order

Location 1: Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center, on Annsville Creek and the Hudson River

1.5        

Location 2: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

This course will refine and extend your skills to make them efficient, effective and reliable. We will help you hone your skills by working on balance, fine boat and blade control on both flat and moving water, taking advantage of your current skills to help you learn in creative, dynamic ways. To get the most from this course you should be an experienced paddler with good core paddling skills. In this course, we’ll take advantage of your current skills to help you learn in creative, dynamic ways. This program is a real benchmark for proficiency for any paddler.

We will focus on cause and effect, using the combination of body movement, boat positioning, and blade placement to efficiently and effectively maneuver our kayaks. While we’ll learn a number of strokes, they will be integrated by the unifying theme of Body, Boat, and Blade. A goal of this program is to move these skills from flat water to more open water.

Topics include: forward power stroke, low brace turn, bow rudder, sculling draw, hanging draw, draw on the move, sculling support, high/low brace, edging, rescues, towing.

This two day course focuses on skills needed to paddle and lead on open water where you encounter challenging conditions created by the tides, currents and winds.

Prerequisite: Proficiency or equivalent

2010 Price: $200.00

Frequent Paddler Price: $175

Location: Rhode Island

Maptech Chart #18 Narragansett Bay: Click to order

This course focuses on skills needed to paddle and lead on open water where you encounter conditions created by the tides, currents and winds. We will cover many areas including equipment, strokes on open water, rescues, surfing small waves, handling following and beam seas, navigation, playing in rock gardens and more. On-the-fly navigation techniques like “ranges? that will keep you on course will also be covered.

A solid paddling foundation is needed before taking this program. Playing in rock gardens and landing on rocky coast lines are risky activities. Everyone will need to carry full kit for an open water trip including; chart, compass, spare paddles, first aid kit, helmet, head lamp, extra clothing, food, signaling equipment. There is a possibility that we will get back after sunset and include some night paddling.

On-the-fly navigation techniques like "ranges," incident management scenarios to resolve and group leadership topics will be covered.  Expect the program to challenging.

We will allow you to sign up for one of the two days.

Topics include: equipment, leadership, knots, navigation, handling moderate surf, deepwater rescues, strokes on open water.

What can we learn from the Inuit seal hunters of old?

Prerequisite: None

2010 Price: $95.00 which includes equipment or $75.00 if you have your own.

Frequent Paddler Price: $85.00 which includes equipment or $65.00 if you have your own.

Location: Norrie Point Paddlesport Center on the Hudson River

The use of traditional Greenland - style paddles is increasing in the sea kayaking community. They provide some advantages in function, as well as a connection to sea kayaking's past. This class will cover some of the history connected with these paddles, the body measurements used to size the paddle to the individual, techniques for holding/handling the paddle, and strokes and maneuvers using the Greenland blade. Side sculling (a form of sculling for support) will be introduced as the building block for Greenland rolling.

Also see Beginning Greenland Rolling

Topics include: