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RMSKC Paddler Certification
The certification is intended to promote competency in paddling and
to provide Trip Leaders with a means to evaluate paddler skills. Some
club trips may require the certification by all participants. This
will be at the Trip Leaders discretion. Be certified and go on more
trips!
Paddlers seeking certification must demonstrate proficiency in certain
paddling skills (see below) and use of equipment to our ACA trained
instructors. Club paddlers are encouraged to take RMSKC paddling classes
to become proficient. Well qualified and experienced paddlers can
demonstrate their skills in several ways:
- Meet an instructor and demonstrate necessary skills and endurance
to the instructors satisfaction.
- Call an instructor whom you believe has knowledge of your paddling
skills and endurance and request they be certified.
To be certified on must:
- Dress for immersion.
- Use these essential pieces of equipment - Boat with flotation
or bulkheads; Spray skirt; PFD; bilge pump; paddle float; whistle.
- Figure-Eights -- paddle around a figure-8 course both forwards
and backwards without using the rudder. The course will be a set
of pylons/buoys/stationary kayaks set 8 kayak engths apart.
- Spin-on-a-Dime -- using forward and reverse sweep strokes to
turn complete circles both to left and right without drifting
off-center.
- Perform a wet exit.
- Perform 2 types of reentry - self and assisted.
- Endurance -- Paddle at 3.0 mph for one hour and not be exhausted.
Opportunities to demonstrate your abilities to RMSKC instructors will
be available at day paddling events, the RMSKC training sessions,
and on various trips.
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All articles, poems, photographs, are Copyright © of
their attributed authors, photographers. All unattributed material
is Copyright © of the Rocky Mountain Sea Kayak Club. All rights
reserved.
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