ACA INSTRUCTOR TRAINING

The purpose of these courses is to develop and certify competent paddlers as ACA instructors (American Canoe Association). In addition, some folks attend to broaden their personal understanding and improve their skills. The courses are sequential and can be taken back-to-back as an Instructor Workshop, or separately. It can be helpful to let things percolate after the Development Workshop before taking the Certification Exam. The advantage of the latter allows time for the technique and knowledge to become default. This is normal, as change is a process. Certification may be awarded at the Class II or Class III level, with no additional costs incurred to upgrade within a calendar year.

As well as stroke form and boat placement, these courses focus on one’s teaching skills. The best paddlers aren’t always the best teachers! Half the time is spent practicing in the classroom, learning to be concise and clear in a way in which students can absorb your knowledge. The rest of the course is divided between flatwater and whitewater. Full membership in the ACA and the ACA SEIC (Safety Education& Instruction) dues are a prerequisite to receiving certification, as are a course in River Rescue, First Aid and CPR. 

The videos below featuring Phil and Mary are a complete resource for those teaching the sport. These give candidates a jump on the material covered. We highly recommend you review these and practice prior to the course. Produced in conjunction with Kent Ford of award winning Performance Video, these are now available as a free download:

Covering teaching and trouble shooting of a reliable and injury-free river roll.   The Kayak Roll https://performancevideo.com/the-kayak-roll/ 

Featuring stroke technique, water reading, river maneuvers, strategies, and play.   The River Runner’s Edge. https://performancevideo.com/the-river-runners-edge/