RICKA Basic Whitewater Course

General Information

The RICKA Whitewater Group will be holding a Class II Whitewater Kayak Course on June 22 and 23, 2013. The course will be taught by ACA certified whitewater instructor Mike Rock. The price of the course is $50 for qualified RICKA and ACA members. If you are not an ACA member, there will be a one-time $5 event membership fee.

In this course, participants will learn and refine the techniques needed to paddle in class II whitewater. After a review of the basic strokes on flatwater, we will head to the river to work on eddy turns, peel-outs and ferries. We will also cover river reading and basic river safety. You can review the course description here. The class will be held on the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts. Class size is limited.

Prerequisites

While this is a beginner whitewater course, it is not for novice paddlers. You must be able to handle self rescues (wet exits) and already know the basic strokes. The course is designed for students who are new to whitewater paddling, but that have some previous general paddling experience. Previous moving water experience is a plus.

Required Gear

Generally, participants must provide their own equipment including a whitewater kayak, sprayskirt and helmet. Recreational kayaks are not allowed in this class.

If you are interested in this course but do not have your own equipment, please contact Andy Viera at andyv51@hotmail.com. We will try our best to find the necessary gear for you to borrow for the weekend, but can not guarantee that we will be able to do so. The deadline to request equipment to borrow is Saturday June 1, 2013, as we will need time to match students up with appropriately fitting kayaks and other gear.

Lodging

Many members of our group usually camp at Country Aire Campground on Saturday night. Other lodging options (camping and non-camping) are available in the Charlemont, MA area as well.

Registration

If you are interested in this course, please complete the application that follows. Once received, we will contact you with additional information. Please answer all questions.

Name
Address
Home Phone
Cell Phone
Email
RICKA Member Yes No
ACA Member Yes No
Do you own a whitewater kayak Yes No
Make, model and length
Rate your swimming ability Nonswimmer Beginner Intermediate Advanced
Previous experience (How long have you been paddling, types of trips you have done)
Emergency Contact
(Name and phone number)
Do you have any allergies?
(Bees, medicines, etc.)
Any other medical conditions we should know about?
Any additional comments or concerns?

Payment Details

As noted above, the cost of this class is $50 for qualified RICKA and ACA members. If you are not an ACA member, there will be a one-time $5 event membership fee. To pay by mail, please send your check payable to RICKA to:

Andy Viera
83 Blackstone Street
Bellingham, MA 02019

You can also make your payment with PayPal:

http://ricka.org/miscPayments/wwclass.html

Additional Information

Please contact Andy Viera at andyv51@hotmail.com for additional information.

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