Kayaking Instruction - ACA (American Canoe Association)

Why Learn from Uncommon Adventures?

ACA (American Canoe Association) Levels 2-4 Skills Assessment

This course is strongly suggested to get yourself aligned for the Instructor Development Workshop (IDW).

Dates and Costs:
May 13, 2010 - $100. If taken as a pre-requisite to the Instructor Development Workshop cost is reduced to $25.

Registration is by check or credit card directly with Uncommon Adventures, 1-866-882-5525.

ACA Coastal Kayak Instructor Development Workshop (IDW):  Levels 1-4

The IDW is for those with good paddling and rescue skills who would like to learn to share them in safer and more competent ways. This required 3 Day course prepares you for taking the ACA Instructor Certification Exam to potentially be certified as and ACA Coastal Kayak instructor. Prior to the course, you will be assigned lessons to research and teach and order your own course materials direct from ACA to give yourself a bit of a headstart (http://www.acanet.org/). Ron Smith of Black Parrot Paddling teams with Michael Gray to offer this course to all levels.

Dates and Costs:
May 14-16 - $295/person, materials fee about $40 (ordered by you direct from ACA), and food and lodging package is $150 (3 nights cabin lodging and all meals)

Registration is by check or credit card directly with Uncommon Adventures, 1-866-882-5525

Venue for Courses: Our classroom setting in Sleeping Bear Country is unrivaled.  Courses are held at a remote camp location on Lower Herring Lake (paddle in only) with beaches on both an inland lake and on Lake Michigan. All meals and lodging are conveniently on site as well as a rustic lodge classroom and wood fired hot tub. You’ll spend your time learning with and from one another instead of moving gear around to various water sites.

ACA Instructor Certification Exam:  Levels 1-4 (conditions permitting)

So, you’ve taken your IDW, you’ve been practicing and gotten your pre-req’s out of the way, like first aid certification and joining the ACA.  Now its time to bring those efforts to light in a practical setting to teach your peers and be evaluated. You’ll be evaluated on all levels, so you’ll leave as a certified ACA Coastal instructor at the highest level appropriate for your skills.  We are holding this course in the fall to take advantage of fall warm waters and the greatest chance for Level 4 conditions.

Dates and Costs:
October 7-10, 2010 - $295/person course fee + $40 materials fee. Food and Lodging package for 3 days/nights is $150.

Registration is by check or credit card directly with Uncommon Adventures, 1-866-882-5525

Venue for Courses: Our classroom setting in Sleeping Bear Country is unrivaled.  Courses are held at a remote camp location on Lower Herring Lake (paddle in only) with beaches on both an inland lake and on Lake Michigan. All meals and lodging are conveniently on site as well as a rustic lodge classroom and wood fired hot tub. You’ll spend your time learning with and from one another instead of moving gear around to various water sites.

ACA (American Canoe Association) Level 3 Training and Assessment

This 16 hour course combines Coastal Kayak Basic Strokes and Rescues along with Strokes and Maneuver's refinement. Dry land portions include very basic navigation, radio use, rules of the navigable road and emergency equipment. In the water, we'll cover a variety of group and solo rescues, bracing, boat handling and towing scenarios.

Prerequisites: Basic forward strokes and wet exits as well as ACA membership

Dates and Costs:
June 25-27, 2010 - $425 / person lodge based: includes meals and lodging
September 28-30, 2010 - $350/person includes meals and two nights camping

Please email or call us at 231-882-5525 for more information or to register.

ACA (American Canoe Association) Level 4 Surf Zone Training

This 7-8 hour class precedes our Surfest 2010 to lay groundwork for being better able to handle coastal kayaks in moving water in waves up to 3 feet.

Dates and Costs: Oct 1, 2010 - $150 / person including a night's camping

Please email or call us at 231-882-5525 for more information or to register.

Kayak Skills Camp 2010 (A.K.A. ACA week)

Here's your opportunity to work on your open water skills without driving all the way to Georgia to do it. Held in the fall when our waters have had all summer to warm, we combine and ACA Level 3 Training and Assessment with Level 4 Surfzone training and morph into our Surfestival on the weekend for you to put it all together to finish off your summer with new skills and a great bunch of friends! As our numbers grow, we'll bring in some of the tremendous wealth of talented instructors that we have in the Great Lakes.

Dates and Costs: September 28-Oct 3, 2010
$550/person for instruction, 5 nights luxury camping (ie, hot showers!) breakfasts, use of outdoor kitchen and a couple of dinners.

Ocean Training Program - Budget Instructional Trips in Alaska

We are proud to co-sponsor this program facilitated by Tom Pogson of Alaska Kayak School. Tom is a well known BCU coach level 4 and is just plain talented. This program is designed for independent paddlers looking to increase their paddling skills, gain some ocean experience and do it all against the beautiful Alaskan backdrop of Kachemak Bay.

Big tides, marine animals, a halo of snow-capped peaks, Homer brews and maybe even a paddle-up-espresso bar provide context for this training program leading to the BCU 3 star sea award or ACA level 3. It is a personalized individual coaching program to "shepherd" paddlers to their 3 star assessment.

Lower 48 paddlers should look for 4-night/5-day wilderness tours starting at $650. This includes: 5-days instruction on a 4-night expedition and all kayaking gear, including drysuits. this is quality gear...Kokatat drysuits, Werner and Lendal paddles and kayaks by Valley and Nigel Dennis. You save money by providing your own food and camping gear.

If you've ever wanted to paddle in Alaska, this is your chance to get a wilderness fix, increase your proficiency and have blast in one of the most beautiful places on earth for relatively few dollars.

Dates by arrangement. Additional services like food, help with transport and lodging may be available for additional cost. Check out: http://www.alaskakayakschool.com/news.htm#training

Uncommon Adventures PO Box 254 Beulah, Michigan 49617 Map It Toll Free: 1-866-882-5525       Local: (231) 882-5525 e-mail: info@uncommonadv.com