Canoe Poling

The 2009 Canoe Poling National Championships will take place on May 29-30 on the Rapphannock River in Fredericksburg, VA.

Competitors from across the country will compete in both wildwater and slalom races where they will pole both downstream, and upstream!

There are even race classes for beginners, so join us on Friday morning (May 29th) at 9:00am at the Virginia Outdoor Center to register.

Spectators are welcome and food will be available onsite.

Visit the ACA's Canoe Poling webpage for more information about the race and the art of canoe poling in general.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Voice of the Rivers

Brevard College's Voice of the Rivers program (part II)

The 11 students and two faculty (one being ACA Instructor Trainer Robert Dye) from Brevard College are paddling from the Catawba River near Linville Gorge, North Carolina to the Atlantic Ocean in Charleston, SC.

The expedition to raise awareness of issues that threaten our rivers began on May 16. As of yesterday, the group had reached Lake Wateree in South Carolina.

To follow them on their educational journey visit the VOR Blog which is updated by a different student each day.

To learn about the ACA's Stewardship program, visit www.americancanoe.org/.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Mandatory Lifejacket Wear

Memorial Day Weekend:

Starting on Saturday May 22, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will institute a pilot program on all waters under the USACE’s jurisdiction in their Pittsburgh, PA District as well as in their Vicksburg, MS District. This program will require all people (adults and children) to wear lifejackets while on board any boat (power, sail, or human powered). It will also require lifejackets to be worn by anyone swimming in a non-designated swimming area.

The USACE manages over 12 million acres of water for recreational purposes across the country.

For more information about the USCE's mandaotry lifejacket wear policy, click here.

In addition, lifejackets must be worn by all participants while on the water in any ACA course or ACA sanctioned event. For additional paddlesports safety information visit: Learn to Paddle

Remember to WEAR IT! while on the water. Have fun...

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Voice of the Rivers - Brevard College, NC

Brevard College's Voice of the Rivers program.

May 16 - June 2, 2009

The Voice of the Rivers experience — which combines academics with outdoor exploration — is designed to educate the public and raise awareness of activities that threaten rivers; bring attention to organizations and groups poised to address those threats; and foster a sense of stewardship and community activity among the students who participate.

This year, two Brevard College faculty members and 11 students will paddle kayaks the length of the Catawba-Wateree watershed, beginning on the Catawba River near Linville Gorge, N.C and ending at the Atlantic Ocean in Charleston, S.C, over 400 river miles. The Catawba-Wateree watershed was selected for the College’s fifth VOR expedition after being recognized by American Rivers as “America’s Most Endangered River” in 2008.

During their 18-day trip, the group will study about rivers and their importance to society, while camping along the riverbank and talking about their experiences with the people they meet. Plans are underway for VOR members to talk with school programs, media organizations and conservation groups in North and South Carolina as the group makes its way to the sea.

To learn more about the 2009 Voice of the River visit: www.brevard.edu/vor

Brevard College faculty member Robert Dye, is an Instructor Trainer for the ACA.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

National Safe Boating Week

Join the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the ACA on May 16-22 for National Safe Boating Week. The NSBC provides numerous resources for the Safe Boating Campaign. Whether it's a Public Service Announcement from world champion kayaker Rebecca Giddons, bass fishing legend Bill Dance, or renowned actor John Amos, the campaign has materials to help YOU get the word out on the water.

Statistics show that hundreds of people die each year in boating accidents and a considerable number (over 85%) are not wearing their lifejackets. Please join the NSBC, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the ACA in promoting safe paddlesports across the country.

For more information on paddlesports safety (including the latest paddlesports educational brochures), visit Learn to Paddle.

Remember, while on the water, in any type of boat -

WEAR IT!

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Paddling with your Pet

When the ACA National Office Staff is traveling across the country promoting stewardship and paddlesports education, we are constantly asked: so what else do you do? While that list is pretty long, we recently had the priviledge of contributing to the safety education of a different paddlesports user group, the canines.

On page 44 of the June 2009 issue of DogFancy Magazine the ACA's Safety Education & Instruction Department worked with writers to ensure that content, appropriate for your pet pup as well as the hand that feeds it, was inlcuded in the article, The river wild.

View more paddlesports safety tips from the ACA.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Canoeing in the Pool?

Paddlesports safety can be presented in a variety of ways, including demonstrations in a crystal clear pool. Marty, Paul, Jeremy and I had the privilege of presenting a wide range of canoe and kayak rescues at the 13th Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit (IBWSS) in Panama City Beach, FL. This event was sponsored by the National Water Safety Congress and the National Safe Boating Council.

The IBWSS draws regulators and educators from across the United States for several days of "the latest in boating safety". The ACA's presence at this event corresponds with our mission of paddlesports education, whether it is showing the new Canoe Heel Hook Rescue to Fish and Wildlife Officers or discussing the latest paddlesports trends with the Boating Law Administrators from different states.

Whether you paddle a canoe, kayak or raft, in whitewater, blackwater or bluewater, the ACA is constantly working on behalf of you, our valued membership across the country and abroad.

If you are not yet a member, click here to learn more about the mission and values of the ACA.


Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department