Wilderness Voyageurs, Tourism Web Content

Kayak Instruction Program web content:

http://www.wilderness-voyageurs.com/kayakinstruction_beg.htm

Instruction

Come discover the adventure of kayaking through Ohiopyle’s premier instructional program. With sections of river ranging from Class I to Class V on our very own Youghiogheny River we personally tailor each clinic to meet your individual needs, from the beginner to the advanced paddler.

Our Instructors Wilderness Voyageurs’ instructional staff

We help you to build a solid foundation of proper technique, confidence and control while enjoying the scenic river valley of the Laurel Highlands. Our guaranteed novice programs start from the very beginning with a smooth and supportive introduction to this amazing sport, making learning easier than ever!

Beginner kayak group instruction BOOK YOUR SPOT FOR THE NEXT WEEKEND while there is still space! This is a great way to start. It will be a group session, which will save you some money while still being a great intro to the sport. The cost is $185 per person and includes:

2 days of intensive instruction with our experienced and enthusiastic instructors to launch your paddling career

All equipment necessary (latest model kayak, paddle, skirt, helmet, PFD, wetsuit, etc.)

2 Deli style lunches on the beautiful banks of the river, or at Falls City Restaurant & Pub

Transportation

Breakfast Saturday and Sunday Morning

Private Instruction Don't be distracted by others - get your instructors full attention.

1 to 5 day clinics

Private Group Instruction ( as in - you have 3 other friends that also want to learn - schedule your own group!)

Beginner Intermediate clinics on the Lower Yough and other surrounding rivers

Roll Clinics

Advanced clinics: Creeking on the Upper Yough, Playboating

We recommend the 2 or 3 day clinic to get a better feel for the sport and begin to build your skill set with more consecutive days on the river.

What will I learn? A typical clinic might go like this… Day one will begin by introducing you to the kayak and all your gear. Moving onto the water either on nearby Youghiogheny Lake or right in our backyard on the Middle Yough, we will go over safety procedures like the wet exit and breakdown the different strokes needed to make your boat go where you want. With edge control exercises and lots of paddling practice your comfort level in the kayak will soar. Later in the day you will get to paddle through gentle currents learning techniques such as ferrying, eddy turns, peel-outs and basic river reading.

Day two will reinforce the new skills you’ve just learned. If water levels cooperate, this day is spent running the scenic Middle Youghiogheny, navigating through class I and II whitewater. We also introduce to the bow rescue and bracing techniques, both of which we’ll then use to teach the Eskimo Roll. From here, days three, four and five will find you building upon your skills by running sections of rivers such as the Loop or even the whole Lower Yough. Additional rolling practice will also be included. The longer your clinic, the more comfortable you will be to venture out on your own!

What then? Upon the completion of your clinic, your instructor will be happy to discuss options for continuing your pursuit of whitewater kayaking from obtaining your own gear to getting you out on the river.

Friday night Loop runs! Practice pays off! Once your skills progress and you are comfortable on the Lower Yough - join us for Friday night Loop runs. Meet at 6:30 at our store in Ohiopyle.

Creeking Clinic on the Upper Yough Getting to be a star on the Lower Yough and want to step it up a notch? Thinking you are ready to take on the Upper Yough? You might be interested in this advanced kayak instruction.

Our Instructors Wilderness Voyageurs’ instructional staff can frequently be spotted on local rivers such as Meadow, Fikes, Top and Upper Yough because kayaking is what we love to do best! Many of our instructors have over 10 years of kayaking experience on rivers all over the world. As former US Kayak Team members, owners Eric and Lynne Martin have set the standards high and continue to promote the development of their employees within the sport. We live and breathe kayaking and can’t wait to share this unique and highly addicting sport with you!

Intermediate & Advanced Kayak Instruction

Advanced clinics: Creeking on the Upper Yough, Playboating. You've been paddling class III, are feeling more and more comfortable and think it's time to step it up a notch. Paddling in this area offers great opportunities - there are numerous creeks and of course, the east coast gem of creeking: the Upper Yough. With releases every Monday, Friday and Saturday, it is guaranteed paddling! Of course, you might not quite be ready for the Upper Yough, but would really like to bombproof your roll, work on your boof, refine your strokes and generally just start preparing for the next step. That is where we come into the picture. Wilderness Voyageur's instructors are passionate about teaching and helping paddlers develop their skills. Or...do you just want to run waterfalls?? Take part in our Running Waterfalls Clinic on Valley Falls, WV Paddling up to the lip of a waterfall might be one of the coolest things you can do in your kayak as well as one of the scariest. Join our instruction staff for a day clinic on running waterfalls on nearby Valley Falls. You’ll learn how to approach, take-off and land over different types of waterfalls as well as log in as many runs as you can possibly manage in one day due to the convenience the site offers. Practice makes perfect so you can be confident on that 20-footer drop you’ve wanted to style.