Well thought I would put this on the forum, as quite a few people have asked me about getting started in kayaking.  

I'm a Middle School Teacher who has the summers off, so during that time I always try to help people just getting started in the sport.  I try to offer "clinics" or classes at a very reduced rate, basically just to help cover a lot of the gear.  I provide everything needed and will get you started, and provide as much information as possible.  

The two "clinics" I teach are:

Roll and Basics - For this I typically meet at Lake Wylie, and will go over the basic paddle strokes as well as body position, boat terminology, and river terms.  We usually warm up with these concepts for the first half an hour, then spend about an hour working on rolls, and techniques to accomplish it.  If you already have a roll, I can also work on troubleshooting errors, teach alternate rolls, such as hand, back deck, sweep, or c to c.  We can also work on your offside roll.

For this I charge $30 - which again includes all the gear.




I love helping people get started, once you gather your gear, just say hey to me at the center and I'll be happy to help anytime.  If you have been looking for a way to get started into kayaking, drop me a line and I'll be happy to answer questions. 

With this I will also go over all the gear, what it does, and what to look for when buying your first set up. 

If interested let me know, via PM or e-mail 49erRider@gmail.com

Thanks,

Brad

if i wasnt so afraid of drowning while having a boat strapped on top of me id be down for this as well. Ive been wanting to do one of the microbrew cruises at WWC but never been in, on or near a kayak.

FireAnthem wrote on 06/25/13 at 4:37am:


You can use a sit-on-top kayak or standup paddle board for the microbrews cruise. Plus its on flat water so the risk of flipping is minimal and directly related to how many microbrews you drink.

And from what I've heard some people even just show up late for the food and the brew.

sager wrote on 06/25/13 at 12:48pm:


thats what i like to hear 

Thanks, Brad!!  This class is a great intro to this sport.  Relaxed feel and you work at your pace.  Brad is very patient and knows his stuff.  Anybody out there thinking about this class seriously needs to just do it.  He provides the gear and the knowledge, all you need to bring is you.

With the amount of rain that we have lately I wanted to take up another outdoor sport that isn't affected by rain (also we might be kayaking places like Sherman and Beattie in the near future). Brad and I have ridden together and starts talking kayaking. He is a great, and patient, teacher (probably comes from dealing with middle schoolers all day). 

If you are looking to take kayak lessons I can recommend Brad 100%. I have taken lessons at other places but his attention to detail and attention to catering your lesson to your skill level is excellent. For those of you that might have a fear of hanging upside down in the water just give it a shot. The accomplishment you feel when you upright yourself is really empowering. Additionally the level of exercise you get is great... This is a true core exercise and you stay cool because you are in the water.

Brad provides the boats for your lessons.  I would recommend giving it a shot.  As expected, I knew that I would love it once I tried it so I am going to have to find somewhere to store one in the garage...

Anyone looking to get into boating needs to get a hold of Brad. He's a great teacher and makes difficult aspects of the sport easy and understandable. Just hit the WWC for the first time tonight and had a blast! Mountain biking might be taking a backseat for a bit.  Couldnt have done it without his expert instruction .

We are going to take our lesson today in just a few minutes! 

catsruletn wrote on 07/20/13 at 4:03pm:



They did great, and came really far in one day.  A true match made in heaven, if you would combine their strengths they would have the PERFECT roll!  Good job on your boat control, and having a great attitude.  Thanks for all the questions about gear also, I love that people care about that section of the lesson!

Many thanks to Brad. The lesson was a great intro and he is a very patient teacher even when you have to keep doing the same thing over and over. 

Thanks for all the tips and inside info about the gear too. 

Also to anyone who might be thinking about this but is kind of nervous about water and being under water you should totally try it. I found by the end of the lesson that I was much more comfortable being under water than I ever thought I would be. And Brad is very capable of getting you up and out of the water when you can't do so yourself