KCCNY Beginner/Novice Weekend

KCCNY will offer one weekend of beginner/novice whitewater kayak instruction, practice and feedback by a team of American Canoe Association trained instructors, on June 27th and 28th at the Lehigh River. This includes camping Friday and Saturday nights.

This two-day clinic is designed for boaters who are beginners, or who have had some previous kayaking experience.

We will start on flat water to refine paddling techniques, underwater composure, review wet exits, introduce bow rescues, and the kayak roll. On the river we will work on eddy turns, peel-outs, ferries, and gaining overall experience with moving water. Instruction will start at 9:00 a.m. and will be over each day by late afternoon. Students can either bring their own boats or borrow KCCNY equipment (see below).

Instructors will review the following topics with students:
– Basic hydrology/river reading/rapid classification/hazards
– Five essential pieces of kayaking gear
– Kayak anatomy and basic outfitting
– River safety
– Underwater composure sequence (hand of god, wet exit, swimming with boat and gear, bow rescue)
– Posture/paddlers box
– Defensive/Offensive swimming/how to receive a rope
– Basic strokes (forward & sweep strokes)
– Edging
– Stopping
– Ferries
– Eddy turns
– Peel outs

Cost for the two days of instruction is $100 for members, $125 for non-members using the guest option, $65 for KCCNY members who previously took the AMC beginner weekend on 19-21 June 2026.

Cost will include camping and some meals.

Details on borrowing equipment. 

**If you need to borrow any equipment (boat, paddle, skirt, helmet, PFD), please fill out this form:**EQUIPMENT REQUEST FORM