Bob and Karen Online | Bob Foote Online | Karen Knight Online | Who is Bob | Tips | Trips | Contact Us

Instructional Offerings - On the Water Mini Clinics

 

Flatwater Courses and Demonstrations ( short Sessions—3 hours or less in length) 

The Zen of Paddling (any craft): Paddling is more than a sport—it is an art form.  Technical knowledge is not enough. A paddler must simultaneously transcend technique and develop intuitive action so that the art becomes an artless art. Time: 1 hour.  Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations. Boats are not required, only interested minds.

Bio Mechanics of Paddling (any craft): Move beyond just putting your paddle in the water and pulling on it, to having your body work in a fluid, graceful and efficient manner.  This class focuses on body efficiency vs. paddle efficiency.  Time: 1 hour. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations. Boats are not required.

Advanced Concepts for Whitewater Solo Canoe: All whitewater solo paddlers who want to improve technique should take this course. You’ll learn better boat control and how to get the most power from your forward stroke. Suitable for paddlers of all skill levels (beginner to advanced) Time: 2 hours. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations. Boats are not required.

Flatwater Drills for Perfect Paddling (Whitewater Solo Canoe): As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect,” but only perfect practice makes perfect paddling. One needs to know the proper techniques and drills to master their paddling skills. Come and learn from one of the stars of Drill Time, a canoeing video that is changing the sport. Time:2 hours. Requirements: Protected site from the wind and an area where buoys can be set up.  Students must bring their own boat and equipment.

Never Too Old to Learn (Tandem Canoeing): This is a course designed for physically active senior adults who enjoy the outdoors, love to explore the beauty of the natural world, and want to add adventure and fun into their life. The focus of the class will be on learning tandem canoeing skills and how to use those skills to increase physical stamina, balance, and flexibility. Time:6 hours. Requirements: Protected area from the wind. Students must bring their own boat and equipment.

Tandem Communication: Unfortunately, tandem canoes are sometimes called the “divorce boat.”  Turn your canoe into the  “love boat,” one you’ll just love to paddle with your tandem partner. Good communication skills are the key. In this class we’ll discuss the roles and responsibilities of each paddler and the verbal and physical cues necessary to be an efficient, fluid, and happy paddling team. Time: 1 hour. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations. Boats are not required.

Open Canoe Rolling: Learn a safe and dependable open canoe roll from one of the people who helped develop it. Time: 1-2 hours, depending upon the number of participants (4 per hour). Requirements: Protected area from the wind to watch in-water demonstrations and videotape; flat water area that is waist deep for practicing. Students must bring a canoe that is outfitted with thigh straps and foot braces.

The Art of Tandem Canoeing: Learn to communicate with your partner and gain a better understanding of this occasionally frustrating discipline. Recommended for tandem paddlers who want to become better partners, and for instructors who desire a new method of teaching tandem canoeing. Although time for practice will be available, this course has more of a lecture and demonstration format. Time: 2 hours. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations. Students must bring their own boats and equipment.

Add Style to Your Paddling: Style involves attitude. To develop a style, you must continuously look for the new and different. Inventing style is doing something new with the same paddle strokes, with the same body. If you want to dance and play in your boat, explore creative variations in paddle strokes, and in the process become a more fluid paddler, then this is for you. (Class can be oriented for canoes or kayaks.) Time: 2 hours. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations.   Students must bring their own boats and equipment.

Polishing the Basic Strokes: “Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly, ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.” In this class we’ll go back to the basic strokes and put them under a microscope to fine tune and polish them. This class is good for beginner to advanced paddlers. Time: 2 hours. Requirements: Protected area from the wind. Class may be oriented for whitewater or freestyle canoeing. Students must bring their own boat and equipment.

P.A.V.E. Your Way to Better Paddling through Posture Alignment and Visualization Exercises. Better posture improves the efficiency of the body and releases excess tension both physically and mentally. Through the use of visualization, we will explore the importance of posture and dynamic alignment to improving your paddling technique and performance, whether it is in a kayak or canoe. Time: 1 hour for dry land presentation only or 2 hours if on water practice is desired. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations. Students must bring their own boat and equipment.

Kayak Rolling: There is no mystery in learning to roll a kayak. It takes timing, technique, practice, and the willingness to get wet. Learn methods that will help you perfect your roll. Time: 1 to 2 hours, depending upon the number of participants (3 per hour). Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations; flat water that is waist deep for practice. Students must bring their own boat and equipment.

Having a Presence on the Water (any craft): Presence (def.) - “A quality of poise and effectiveness that enables a performer to achieve a close relationship with an audience.” Whether you are doing a paddling demonstration, teaching a class or competing, you need to have a  “presence.” Come and learn how to develop your presence and transfer it onto the water. Time: 1-2 hours. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations; flat water where students can demonstrate and practice what was presented. Students must bring their own boat and equipment.

Preparing for Freestyle Competition or Exhibition: Are you interested in developing a Freestyle Canoeing routine for exhibition or competition? If the answer is yes, then this course is a must.  Learn about selecting music, costumes, routine format, and more. Time: 1-2 hours. Requirements: Protected area from the wind for lecture and to watch on-water demonstrations. Students must bring their own boat and equipment.  

(Note:  Presence on the Water and Preparing for Freestyle Competition or Exhibition can be combined into a 3-4 hour class).

Full or Half-Day Sessions

Freestyle Canoeing: a form of flatwater canoeing, has been called “the art and science of quiet water paddling.”  A canoe can be more than just a mode of transportation to get from point A to B; it can be your partner in a water dance. In these Freestyle Canoeing Classes, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of this form of graceful paddling, enhancing their boat control, increasing paddle awareness, and transcending balance and coordination, correct body posture and alignment, and much more.

Introduction to Freestyle Canoeing: In this four-hour class, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of this elegant form of quiet water paddling. After concentrating on posture and alignment, kneeling positions, balance and stroke form, the students will progress through the Axle, Christie, and other hallmarks of Freestyle technique. **

Solo Freestyle Canoeing (Beginner to Intermediate): During this one-day course, students will be immersed in the fundamentals of this beautiful form of quiet water paddling. After focusing on posture and alignment, kneeling positions, balance and stroke form, the students will progress through the Axle, Post, Christie and other Freestyle maneuvers.

**Note:  A calm, quiet, and protected site from the wind is ideal for these courses. While Freestyle is a technique that may be applied to most canoes, certain boats do work better  (i.e. Mohawk Solo 13 or 14, Bell Flashfire or Wildfire,  Mad River Guide). In addition to bringing a boat, paddle, and other paddling gear, it is recommended that students bring a closed cell foam pad or something comparable to kneel on.

Whitewater Canoeing: Water is bigger and more powerful than us, so why waste energy trying to fight it? There is a better way. In these whitewater canoeing classes students will learn to appreciate water, how it works, and to attune themselves to its flow. The emphasis will be on “doing more with less” and “making the difficult look easy.”

The Essence of Solo Whitewater: Move beyond the basics to strengthen your whitewater canoeing skills and enhance paddling precision and performance.  This class is recommended for students who have a good grip of the basic strokes and maneuvers and some river experience. Time: 4 to 8 hours. Requirements: Flatwater area that has protection from the wind. Students must bring their own boats and equipment.  

Sea Kayak Mini – Clinics (3 hours or less):

Assisted Capsize Recoveries: Water is dynamic. In a blink of an eye, it can change from being a placid, inviting, and relaxing environment to one that is unfamiliar, unpredictable, and threatening. Don’t wait for the unexpected capsize to happen before you learn the necessary skills to take care of yourself and others. In this class, students will learn rescue procedures and assisted capsize recovery techniques (i.e. T Rescue, Bow Rescue, Hand of God, Paddle Rescue, All In, etc.)

Solo Capsize Recoveries: Whether you are paddling by yourself or with others, being proactive and having the skills to take care of yourself, in the event of a capsize, is essential. In this class, students will learn rescue procedures and solo capsize recovery techniques (i.e. Paddlefloat with and without a sling, Re-enter and Roll with a Paddlefloat, etc.)

Bracing and Rolling: Good braces make for good rolls and prevent you from going over in the first place. High and low braces, the unison of body and blade to right the boat, will be practiced and refined. After developing an effective hip snap, proper body positioning and paddle placement, we’ll progress into rolling (one of the best forms of self-rescue). We’ll match the right roll to the person and their boat – C to C, Sweep, Extended Paddle, etc.

Kayak Rolling Clinic: Whether you are new to rolling or in need of a tune-up, this clinic will help paddlers develop and refine their kayak rolling technique (C to C, Sweep, Extended Paddle, etc.).

Sea Kayaking - Paddling with Finesse and Efficiency : In this workshop we'll begin by revisiting the basic strokes - fine tuning and polishing them for greater effectiveness. We’ll then move onto leans and braces. By the end of this class you’ll be steering your kayak with ease and leaning your boat with confidence.

Advanced Stroke Technique for Kayakers: What separates good paddlers from great paddlers? Usually, it’s in the details. During this class, designed for intermediate to advanced paddlers, we will look at the intricate details involved in advanced paddle precision and boat control and drills that can help bring your paddling to the next level.

Forward Stroke: Learn the correct body and paddle mechanics for that ever-elusive forward stroke. Since this is the stroke that we use most of the time, it is worth learning how to do it well. This class will cover several variations of the stroke: the touring stroke, power stroke, start-up stroke, etc.

Balance Drills for Kayakers: Through a combination of dry land and on water drills, students will practice techniques and drills designed to enhance balance on the mildest to wildest of waters. We will explore the importance of posture and dynamic alignment and how it affects paddling technique and balance. As well as develop and fine-tune our J-leans. Getting wet in this class is a possibility. Come prepared to go to your edge.

Kayakers – Draws, Sculling Draws, Sideslips: To move ahead in your kayaking skills, we’ll actually practice moving sideways. In this class we will we will develop fine blade control and paddle placement by practicing draws, sculling draws, sculling pry, sideslip using a static draw and sideslips using a static pry.

Single Bladed Paddling for Kayakers: Do you carry a single blade paddle on the deck of your kayak as a spare? Are you in need of a challenge? Would you like to learn the tradition of paddling a kayak with a single blade? Come to this class and decrease your dependency on your double bladed paddle and learn to do with one blade what most people have trouble doing with two. In this class we will use single bladed paddles to learn strokes that can be used to help us move our kayaks gracefully and effectively.

Rescues for Canoeists: (Format may be demonstration or class): In this class we will go over….rescue techniques for tandem and solo canoeists. (i.e. Boat over Boat, deep water re-entry, with sling, scoop, the curl, swimming boat to shore, towing etc.).

Bob and Karen trust WebDesignByJason.com to create and maintain this site
To find out how to help your business succeed contact their Web Designer
© Web Design By Jason