DES MOINES —Naturalists, youth group leaders and others who bring people out on the water in canoes or kayaks and want to learn how to teach others about paddling efficiently and safely are encouraged to attend one of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) paddling schools scheduled June through September.
Each two-day course will cover skills, hazard and river feature identification, teaching to different learning styles, and risk management. The focus will be one-third classroom and two-thirds on-water in both lake and river environments, solo and tandem. Paddling schools are set up for either canoeing or kayaking instruction. Make sure you sign up for your preferred instruction.
All courses will be taught at Briggs Woods, along the Boone River in Hamilton County. The canoe school is limited to 12 participants and the kayak school is limited to eight participants. Participants have the options to camp, rent a cabin, or stay in Webster City at a motel while participating in the two-day school. Overnight accommodations are not included in the class fee.
Registration is required; the fee is $65. This is not a beginner level course; participants should have previous paddling experience.
The schedule for DNR’s paddling school is:
- June 6-7, Kayak School
- Aug. 23-24, Canoe School
- Aug. 29-30, Kayak School
- Sept. 12-13, Canoe School
To register or for more information, go to www.iowadnr.gov/Things-to-Do/Canoeing-Kayaking/How-to-Paddle/Canoe-Kayak-Schools. Get your registration in quickly, the paddling schools fill up fast.