Women on the Water Festival

Beginner Kayak Strokes

This is for anyone who is new to kayaking and wants to dial in all of the basic strokes. We will teach you the forward stroke and reverse stroke, forward and reverse sweep stroke, the draw stroke so that you can go sideways, and of course, how to stop! We will also introduce the low brace which is the recovery stroke you need to know to prevent yourself from falling in!

If we have enough time we will also practice these strokes on edge and blend the forward stroke with the forward sweep to really improve our efficiency.

Intermediate Kayak Strokes

Have you been kayaking for a season and now want to improve your paddling efficiency, maybe learn how to go a little faster so that you’re not bringing up the rear all the time? This course will focus on improving stroke efficiency. We will begin with really breaking down the forward stroke. We will start on land so we can give you one-on-one coaching and then take you to the water.

We will dial in all the basic strokes; sweeps, draw, and sculling draw, and then we will move on to bow rudders, hanging draw and low brace turns, making sure you know when and why we would use these strokes.

To become a more advanced kayaker you must get comfortable with paddling on edge so we will play with edging while performing all of these strokes.

Our goal in this class is to focus on any skills you would like to improve upon.

Beginner Kayak Rescues

Okay, so come on, you can’t kayak unless you know how to get out of one and get back in. Just go for it. Our coaches gently guide you every step of the way. This class is for anyone who has never done a wet exit or doesn’t feel comfortable doing one yet.

We will begin with how to get in and out of your kayak safely and then move on to the wet exit. After the wet exit practice, we will coach you on how to get back into your kayak and how to assist a friend to get back into their kayak.

Intermediate Kayak Rescues

This is for anyone who has already gone through the steps of a wet exit and has tried an assisted rescue before. We will run through a wet exit again and then move on to assisted rescue practice and self-rescue practice. At the end of this class, we promise you will feel so much more comfortable heading out in your kayak for a day paddle.

Beginner Stand Up Paddleboarding

This class is an introduction to the amazing sport of stand-up paddleboarding! We will cover launching and landing off the board, how to hold a paddle correctly, how to size a paddle for you, and what kind of boards there are on the market.  We will begin with kneeling on the board while paddling and work our way towards standing on a board. Our emphasis will be on a good forward stroke as well as turning strokes, and safety awareness.

Intermediate Stand Up Paddleboarding

This class will provide the theory and skills for paddling inland waters with some wind and waves.

We will introduce pivot turns, different foot positions, edging, and bracing. We will talk about the basics of wave surfing in case you find yourself at the beach!

We will also begin to learn about how to go touring on your kayak. What gear to bring and also how to navigate in a coastal environment and manage a short crossing safely.

The emphasis in this class will be on knowledge, navigation, and safety skills.

SUP Yoga Class

SUP Yoga is a beautiful way to harmonize body and spirit. This is an all-levels class suitable for new or experienced paddlers. Practicing yoga on the water is a wonderful way to experience nature while increasing balance and focus.

SUP yoga challenges you to find another level of balance and focus your mind, all while floating atop the water. Paddleboard yoga is not only elegant but also a great challenge for any rider.

SUP Tour and Forward Stroke Clinic

Here we will go for a nice tour on our boards. It’s a great way to work out the kinks and to chat with your instructor about any skill where you’d like some extra practice or coaching, There will be a strong focus on learning an effective forward stroke so this class would be excellent for anyone thinking of participating in the fun community of SUP racing world, or if you simply would like to become a more effective paddler.

Beginner tandem canoeing

In this dynamic canoe class, we will learn or refine launching/landing and body position for balance, control, and safety. We will also focus on key strokes and maneuvers to control your canoe so you can safely head out on the water with control, teamwork, and delight.

Tandem paddling is all about teamwork involving understanding bow/stern skills/roles, paddling in cadence as well as all-essential positive communication.

Strokes: Bow and Stern: Draws, pries, sweeps, forward/reverse, stopping, balance (skeg) ,

               Stern: rudder and J-stroke.

Maneuvers: launching/landing, pivots, sideslips, paddling in arcs and straight lines

Safety: self-rescue: what to do if you tip.

Intermediate tandem canoeing

Up your paddling game with intermediate techniques for precision, proficiency, and power.  Learn torso rotation, vertical paddle position, blade pitch, underwater recoveries for stroke blending as well as adding tilt for carving turns. Increase your teamwork skills required for more canoe control in more demanding maneuvers.

New strokes: Bow and Stern: sculling draws/pries, static draws /pries; low brace and righting pry, underwater recoveries (slicing), compound strokes.

     Bow: bow draw and cross bow draw, reverse J (for reverse paddling)

    Stern: ‘Silent’ and ‘Canadian’ J-strokes; J stroke into a low brace

New Maneuvers:  Using tilt to carve turns. Running turns and slides. Paddling in reverse in control.

Safety: Canoe rescues (canoe over canoe, parallel curl), Swimmer assist.

Solo Canoeing

Who doesn’t want to paddle their own canoe? We had a number of women ask us after WOW last year if we could add a solo canoe class. So here it is!

In this class, you will be introduced to the skill of solo lake canoeing. This clinic introduces the beginner paddler to paddling in calm sheltered waters.

You will be introduced to the basic paddling strokes and land and water rescue techniques of a solo canoeist. With your coach’s direction and some more practice, you will have the confidence and basic skills to venture out on short paddling adventures.

Camping Skills – Camp like a Pro!

Learn the basics of comfortable and safe camp skills. Here are some of the skills we will cover in this fun and hands-on learning session

Hanging tarps and the different knots to practice,

Different types of water filtration,

How to pack your dry bags whether you’re kayaking or canoeing

Menu planning for kayaking or canoeing and what’s the difference?

Different types of stoves and how to use them without burning your food or blowing up your stove 😉

Different sleeping mats available and how comfortable are they?

This is a chance to ask the pros how they do it and the give you best advice for you as you begin to go into the wilds.