About the course:
The pursuit of the certification and what you will learn through this process is worth the class admission alone.
Are you ready to take the next step? Maybe you’ve been leading folks down the river for a while, or teaching friends to roll. Working for an American Canoe Association instructor certification will be as rewarding in the process as it is in benefits. Learning how to teach, relay information, and plan for safety will uncover as much for your own personal boating as it will for your future students and paddling partners. Think you have what it takes? Check out the ACA River Kayaking Curriculum and Criteria Here
“This course was one of the most challenging and satisfying pursuits I’ve undertaken; there is a lot of material to cover in the classroom portions, and the on-water portions revealed skills that required work and practice. I highly recommend taking this course with Chris and H2O Dreams. He provided a disciplined, thorough framework for covering a HUGE amount of material and skills, and shared a lot of applicable knowledge about teaching the mechanical and mental skills of paddling. I emerged as a much more confident paddler and teacher because of this course.”
– Marc H.
*Course registration does not guarantee a certification. Each candidate must meet all criteria as outlined by the ACA. There are no refunds in the case of not meeting these requirements. If you have questions as to whether this class is a fit for you read this or give us a call!
Prerequisite skill:
- Ages 18 and up
- Comfort and control on Class III
- A reliable Class III combat roll
- Be in good health and overall fitness
- Comfort in open water and swimming required
- Common Sense Rescue or equivalency is highly recommended
Trip price: $849.00
Location(s): Saluda, NC and surrounding creeks
Trip duration: 40 hours
Guest to instructor ratio: 4 guests to 1 instructor, class caps at 8
Included:
- Shuttle transportation
- Supplemental class materials
- Instruction/guiding
- ACA Instructor Manual
- Lots of extra resources to edify your teaching and pedagogical toolbox
Not included:
- Lodging
- Transportation to Saluda, NC
- Meals
- Equipment essentials
- ACA and SEIC dues
Marc Harkness –
I took the ACA Whitewater Instructor Certification course with Chris Wing and Larry Ausley in 2014 in order to formalize and solidify the body of knowledge that I had picked up over 20 years of whitewater paddling so that I could pay it forward and teach others more effectively. I also wanted to develop and strengthen my teaching and mentoring skills for other areas of my life.
This course was one of the most challenging and satisfying pursuits I’ve undertaken; there is a lot of material to cover in the classroom portions, and the on-water portions revealed skills that required work and practice. I highly recommend taking this course with Chris and H2O Dreams. He provided a disciplined, thorough framework for covering a HUGE amount of material and skills, and shared a lot of applicable knowledge about teaching the mechanical and mental skills of paddling. I emerged as a much more confident paddler and teacher because of this course.
Marc Harkness
http://www.marcharkness.net
Marc Muehlberg –
I’ve taken the ACA L4 Whitewater Kayaking Instructor Certification course with Lydia Wing and Larry Ausley in May 2019. I had been involved in teaching others at our instructional program at Georgia Tech and wanted to formalize my training, but more so seek the opportunity to gain feedback on my personal technical skills and teaching approaches and get exposed to different styles of kayaking and instructing.
The course had a tremendous impact on my paddling, not only how I teach but also my own skills. Having picked up teaching without a formal training and found joy in exposing new people to the sport, I’ve gotten into a certain habit of doing things a specific way. Through the course, I learned to question a lot of that, saw different styles with other participants, and eventually re-scoped some of my approach. The most significant impact the training had was on ‘cleaning up’ my own paddling and setting myself up for better performance. I didn’t expect going into the course the extent to which I had to work on my own basic skills again, but I’m very thankful that I got such quality feedback and put in the work. It really made a difference for my paddling.
I highly encourage taking such a course for anyone who is into paddling for the long run and has at least some interest in teaching & would definitively recommend doing it with Lydia and H2O Dreams. I’m very much planning on coming back here for my update and/or L5 upgrade.