ACA Board of Director Elections

Reminder, all ballots for the 2012 ACA Board of Director's election must be postmarked by January 5th and recevied at the ACA Office by January 12, 2012.

Learn more...

Members Only Excursions to Costa Rica

The famous Costa Rica Week of Rivers has teamed up with the ACA. Paddle a canoe, kayak, or raft with Costa Rica's premier outfitter, Costa Rica Rios.

• Dates: September 22 - 29, 2012






• Cost: $1,699






• Contact: info@costaricarios.com

www.americancanoe.prg/Excursions

Learn more...

ACA Education Video (new!)

Ever wonder about the ACA's paddlesport education and instruction program?

Whether you're thinking about taking a course (canoe, kayak, SUP, raft, rescue or adaptive) or you're a long-time certified Instructor, check out this short YouTube video.

Arizona Boating Education Administrator - ACA

As the boating safety education program manager, I’ve had a concern for (literally) years that the department was seriously missing a target audience that would benefit tremendously from some sort of formalized boater (safety) education. True enough, the department’s standard, NASBLA approved classroom and Internet based online course was available to anyone that wished to take it. However, the course is tailored for powerboaters, and paddlers weren’t interested. Additionally, paddlers seem to prefer shorter and more hands-on types of training and courses, so aside from the occasional opportunity to talk one-on-one at outreach types of events, we were seldom, if ever, effectively reaching the paddling segment of the state’s boating community. A group I might add that is involved all too much in serious and often fatal boating accidents in Arizona.

As ACA began to disseminate short, canned, easy-to-present flipchart presentations (Paddlesmart from the Start, SmartStart and the like) that agency and volunteer staff could present shore-side and immediately follow up with hands-on experiential flat-water paddling experiences, we began to expand our education efforts. I found this curriculum to be far more effective, professional, credible and educational than what we’d been doing, but I still wasn’t able to reach experienced paddlers. Let alone recruit them as instructors. We were still missing that core group of paddlers with either significant experience or credential to add validation and creditability to our paddling education effort.

Once NASBLA developed the paddling standards and we were able to develop a classroom course, I felt that we had the core elements for an effective and credible program. However we were still unable to develop a cadre of credible instructors. I made the decision early last year to select a core group of existing instructors that are also paddling enthusiasts, and put them through a basic ACA instructor course so we could grow instructors from the inside instead of trying to recruit them from the outside. As word began to spread, I was pleased to see that the agency was able to recruit a few locally known paddling instructors from local organized paddle clubs.

The volunteer instructors identified and selected, the time and place for the course determined, we began to move forward with our plan. In talking about the upcoming instructor training course at the ACA National Paddlesports Conference, Chris (Stec) and Wade (Blackwood) advised me that the ACA had applied for, and received a grant to provide instructor courses to several states for just what Arizona was looking for – introductory paddlesports instructors. We were thrilled to hear that ACA would be arranging for and covering the expense for the course. This meant I could now take the money I’d budgeted for the training, and put it back into boats, equipment and life jackets to be used by our newly certified paddlesports instructors in the agency’s courses.



Of the twelve instructor candidates that participated in the clinic/workshop, ten were certified, and two students are being continued. One needing a bit more work on instructor level paddling skills, and the other requiring a bit more polish on classroom presentation skills. Both of these students will be assisting in future courses to help sharpen their deficiencies. I’ve every confidence they will ultimately pass their requirements and become certified.

The actual result of the training session provided the agency with 10 ACA certified introductory instructors; 3 Into to Canoe – Tandem/Solo, 3 intro to Kayak, and 4 Intro to Canoe – Tandem/Solo & Kayak instructors. As noted above, 2 Intro to Kayak instructors were continued.
The course was great, and that short comment does NOT do it justice. Our ACA Instructor Trainers, Emily King and Pam Dillon, ably assisted by ACA Instructor Virgil Chambers provided insight, enthusiasm, experience and SERIOUS credibility to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s paddlesports education program. I couldn’t be more satisfied with the training, those that provided it, those that benefited from it or those that will be taught by those that completed it! And I again have to emphasize that while we were going to do the training anyway, before we knew we were about to be the beneficiary of the grant, that allowing us to take advantage of the grant allows us to put that money into more equipment from which the ultimate beneficiary will be the paddling public, and that’s who we’re all out to touch.

Best regards,
Ed
_________________________________________________________
Ed Huntsman, Boating & OHV Safety Education Program Manager
Boating Education Administrator

Happy Holidays

Wishing you a healthy, happy holiday season,

Your ACA Staff

The ACA Office will be closed from December 23-26. The Office will re-open on Tuesday, December 27th.

Who? What? Why?

Need to learn more about the organization that's been working for paddlers since 1880?

For a quick snapshot, view the revised powerpoint "The ACA & You!"


or

check out our 30 second YouTube video.



Thanks for your continued support!

Instructor Audit, The End is Drawing Near

ACA Instructor Audit Information

Calling all Instructor Trainer Educators, Instructor Trainers, and Instructors! If your current certification is set to expire this year- you might want to ensure that you have met the re-certification requirements!

Please review the ACA Policy Manual to find out the exact details pertaining to the maintenance of your specific certification.

If you do not foresee that you will be able to complete the recertification requirements by your expiration date, please consider completing an extension form- the SEI Department will grant extensions on a case by case basis. Extensions allow an additional year to complete the recertification requirements. If you do not meet the recertification requirements, you will be sent a notification of your pending certification status and certification expiration date of 12/31/2011.

If you have taught courses and/or participated in an update: make sure it has been properly reported! Need to report a course or update you can do this from the instructor forms page.

Also, if you have changed your email address, mailing address, or phone number, please let us know so that your certification cards and information get to you!

SEI Department

December Edition of the SEI Focus Released!

The latest edition of the SEI Focus is now available online!

This issues highlights include: 

• Sale Items in the eStore
• Free Items in ACA eStore
• ACA on Google+
• Public Policy Website Update
• River Hydrology Designs - Hydrology Tank
• Instructor Trainer Update Workshop
• ACA Integrated Media Recap
• New Videos on ACA YouTube Channel
• Instructor Audit Information
• Important Dates
• Happy Holidays!!!

Read Now

Open publication - Free publishing - More canoe

The SEI Focus is a monthly electronic newsletter from the Safety, Education, and Instruction Department that provides valuable information to Instructor, Clubs, and Affliliates.

Pam Dillon

Former ACA Executive Director (2002-2007), Pam Dillon has recently joined the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) as their Education Director.

In addition, Pam was recently announced as the recipient of the 2012 Mike Fremont Conservation Award.

Congrats Pam!

Learn more about Pam Dillon

SALE - ACA eStore

Just in time for the holidays...

• Certain books as low as $2.50 (while supplies last!)


• DVDs and clothing on sale


• 4 Free items also online (yes, we said FREE!)

Consider ordering in bulk at these reduced prices for your 2012 Courses.

Sale ends this Friday.

SALE & FREE items - ACA eStore

By the way, have you posted your 2012 courses, events & festivals to the ACA Calendar - it's free, online, and quick.

Winter eNewsletter

In case you missed the recent ACA Winter eNewsletter, here are the highlights:

What an exciting year, from sanctioning over 200 paddlesports races, to rolling out the premier SUP Educational Curriculum in the nation, to enhancing the user-experience on the ACA website! The staff and dedicated volunteers of the ACA continue to work everyday on behalf of all paddlers. In addition, we revised the iconic ACA logo to better reflect the paddle craft that you use. As a 501(c)(3) national non-profit organization, the ACA relies on membership dues, grant funding, and partnerships in order to continue to provide the benefits and services that the paddlesports community relies on. We appreciate your support throughout 2011 and look forward to working with, and for you in 2012.

Happy paddling,

Wade Blackwood

Executive Director
ACA Canoe • Kayak • SUP • Raft • Rescue

Stewardship - CFS Grant Program
Thanks to the continued support from L.L.Bean, the ACA was able to give over $9,000 to 11 different organizations this year to promote clean water and access to that clean water. Ranging from supplies for an adaptive accessible dock on Lake Monocan in Virginia with Wintergreen Adaptive Sports to supporting the Minnesota SUP Association waterways clean up program, the ACA is proud to partner with clubs and grassroots organizations across the country. Learn more...


Donate - End of Year Giving
Enhance the ACA's ability to support the future of paddlesports, consider contributing to one or more of the following programs:
• Commodroe's Campaign
• Education
• Stewardship
• Competition
• Adaptive Paddling
Learn more about these donation opportunities.


Competition - National Championships
What do slalom, canoe poling, downriver, sailing and freestyle have in common?...ACA National Championship Events! The 2012 dates are already on the calendar. Plus, the ACA is expanding the Collegiate Canoe Kayak & SUP Race Series. Learn more...


Sale & Free Items!! - eStore
That's right, a select number of ACA Resources are now free online!
In addition, certain items are on sale for as little as $2.50, yes $2.50! Instructors, buy books in bulk for your 2012 courses. However, this offer is for a limited time, the sale ends before the holidays are over...Sale Items...Free Items!...Shop Now


Trips - 2012 Backcountry Paddling Excursions
Support the ACA and paddle on one of nine amazing trips in 2012:
• Grand Ronde River, OR - canoe
• San Juan Islands, Pacific Northwest - kayak
• Cumberland Island, GA - kayak
• Charleston, SC - SUP, canoe & kayak
• China - kayak
• Bahamas - kayak
• Mexico - whitewater canoe, kayak or raft
• Costa Rica - whitewater canoe, kayak or raft
• Nicaragua - inflatable canoe
Registration is limited. Learn more...


Subaru VIP Program - Member Discount
As an ACA member, you can save up to $3,300 on the purchase or lease of a new Subaru vehicle. It's a simple, online form and you're done, no haggling!
Now that's a good deal. Learn more...


Board of Directors - Election
The ACA is holding an election for six at-large members of the ACA National Board of Directors. All positions are elected by the ACA membership for a two-year term beginning in 2012. The election of the nominees will be determined by the majority of votes cast by mail-in ballots returned to the ACA by January 12, 2012. Learn more...


Save the Date - National Paddlesports Conference
& ACA Annual Membership Meeting
November 2 - 4, 2012
Charleston, SC
Learn more...


Making the World a Better Place to Paddle! Since 1880.
www.americancanoe.org

Paddlesports Public Policy

What do SUP leashes, lifejacket wear for adults, inflatable pfd's for youth, and EPIRBs have in common?

They're all issues the ACA is representing paddlers on at local, state and federal levels across the country.

We need your input!

Please take a few moments to fill out our brief Paddlesports Public Policy Survey.

Your feedback will enable us accurately represent the diverse views of paddlers.

Thank you for your time and thoughtful input.

ACA Instructor First Aid & CPR Requirement Updated

At the recent National Paddlesports Conference, the SEIC voted to amed the First Aid and CPR requirement for instructors and instructor trainers.

Now, there is a 'hands on' component to the requirement.

To read more about this change you can see the full SEIC Policy Manual or visit the First Aid & CPR webpage.

C'mon you can do it! Do One Thing for Paddling.

Photo Credit: Elise Knox, The Colony Aquatic Park, TX

The ACA strives to make the world a better place to paddle, and has been doing so since 1880. But none of it would be possible without YOU! And we want to give you credit for it! Let us know what you are doing to make your waters better. Whether it's a cleanup with a couple friends, improving access to local put-ins, or removing invasive species along a scenic paddling trail, every little bit makes a difference!

Share your commitment to paddlesports, see what other paddlers are up to, and tell us how you plan to make the world a better place to paddle here!

Check out how the ACA staff gives back to the community!

Members Only Kayaking & Cultural Exchange Excursion to China!

Southeast Expeditions and China Coastlines C & K Club wish to help you explore a paddling trip and cultural exchange like no other. Join them to paddle in both modern and ancient China with Dave Burden and the first ACA Paddle Club in China.

• Dates: April 29 - May 6, 2012



• Cost: $3,000



• Contact: dave@daveburden.com

www.americancanoe.org/Excursions

Learn more...

Instructor Audit is Underway

ACA Instructor Audit Information

Calling all Instructor Trainer Educators, Instructor Trainers, and Instructors! If your current certification is set to expire this year- you might want to ensure that you have met the re-certification requirements!

Please review the ACA Policy Manual to find out the exact details pertaining to the maintenance of your specific certification.

If you do not foresee that you will be able to complete the recertification requirements by your expiration date, please consider completing an extension form- the SEI Department will grant extensions on a case by case basis. Extensions allow an additional year to complete the recertification requirements. If you do not meet the recertification requirements, you will be sent a notification of your pending certification status and certification expiration date of 12/31/2011.
If you have taught courses and/or participated in an update: make sure it has been properly reported! Need to report a course or update you can do this from the instructor forms page.

Also, if you have changed your email address, mailing address, or phone number, please let us know so that your certification cards and information get to you!

SEI Department

ACA Office

The ACA Office is upgrading our servers and networks.

Throughout today and tomorrow (December 1 & 2) we will periodically not have access to email and phone service may be intermittent.

If your email bounces back, or is not returned promptly, please try the appropriate staff member at their phone extension.

We apologize for any temporary inconvenience, but the end result will be a more efficient internal system to allow faster and more effective customer service for ACA members and the general paddling public.

Members Only Charleston Low Country Excursion

Come enjoy Charleston, SC in a whole new way. Let Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission show you the lowcountry via SUP, canoe and kayak, includes an overnight trip to Capers Island.

• Dates: November 2012



• Cost: TBA



• Contact: Josh Hall

www.americancanoe.org/Excursions

Learn more...

Frees Resources from the ACA!

The ACA eStore now has free educational resources for your paddlesports program. The eStore now has waterproof ACA Placards for SUP, Canoeing, Kayak Touring and the Paddler's Safety Checklist for you to order for your program or business.

The ACA Placards are great to give to people wanting to know more about paddlesports and this resource is waterproof. You can affix these to your boats, or put inside a lifejacket pocket allowing your participants to have the knowledge out on the water with them.

The items are a free resource for you, all you pay is shipping and handling. The placards come in packs of 100.

ACA is on Google+

Last week Google+ opened up it's doors to businesses and organizations to offer Google+ Pages.  The ACA knows social networking is an important part of how paddlers connect with one another and we want to help grow that ability for paddlers everywhere.

This is why we have created an ACA Google+ Page.  Make sure to +1 our page and add the ACA to your Google+ Circles.  You can help the ACA promote paddlesports by sharing the ACA Google+ Page and specific posts that are relevant to you with your Google+ Circles and friends.  We have a link on the ACA website that takes you directly too the ACA Google+ Page.

Join SOAR Inflatables and author Larry Rice for flatwater paddling and easy rapids as you explore the remote rivers and streams of Nicaragua on inflatable SOAR canoes.

• Dates: February 12 - 22, 2012


• Cost: $2,495


• Contact: Larry Laba

www.americancanoe.org/Excursions


Learn more...

Happy Thanksgiving

On behalf of the ACA National Office, we hope you enjoy the holidays.

(Please note: the ACA Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, and will reopen on Monday, November 28th)

As we go into the holiday season, think about how you can give back to the communities and waterways that you paddle on.

Learn about the ACA's Community Responsibility Program.

Working Lunch

Every now and then, the ACA Staff slip out of the office to "practice what we preach".

During lunch, on America's Recycling Day, the ACA staff decided to do a quick clean up of the Old Mill Park access area along the Rappahannock River near our office in Fredericksburg, VA.

This access point is used by hundreds of paddlers each year, not to mention swimmers and people trying to catch those elusive fish.

So, next time you're eating your PB & J at work, think about a simple way to "improve" your neck of the woods.

Learn more about the ACA's Stewardship & Public Policy Program.

Members Only Backcountry Excursion to the Bahamas

Out Island Explorers invites you to kayak and camp among the beautiful Southern Exuma Cays. Join them to enjoy secluded beaches, fishing, shelling and snorkeling on coastal kayaking members only excursion.

• Dates: February 25 - March 3, 2012



• Cost: $1,395



• Contact: goexuma@outislandexplorers.com

www.americancanoe.org/Excursions

Learn more...

Out Island Explorers

Trail Maintenance on the Upper Sugar

The Upper Sugar River Watershed Association (USRWA) is a grassroots, 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization located in Dane County, Wisconsin. They serve as a forum for the preservation and enhancement of the Upper Sugar River Watershed resources through partnerships among diverse community interests. A recipient of this year's ACA's Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Grants, the USRWA used the funds provided by the ACA and L.L. Bean to conduct a river trail maintenance project this fall. The USRWA was able to partner with Operation Fresh Start, a youth development program that addresses core issues facing low-income communities, to help remove fallen trees, strainers, and debris that obstructed the water trail and posed a threat to local paddlers.

The trail maintenance conducted by the conservation crew is just the beginning of many measures the USRWA is trying to implement to protect the Upper Sugar. USRWA plans to continue working with Operation Fresh Start's conservation crew to help combat invasive species, plant native vegetation, and curb the erosion problems that pollute local waterways. They are also going to work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to fund aquatic invasive species community education and outreach projects, targeted at local paddlers and anglers.

The ACA is proud to have been able to help support local river groups and fund USRWA's projects to protect the Upper Sugar!

Interested in applying for a CFS Grant to help your river? Submit an application today!

ACA Member Honored

Last month, Justin Padgett, an active member of the Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI) of NOLS community, was recognized with the most prestigious wilderness medicine award in the southern Appalachians.

According to the Appalachian Center for Wilderness Medicine (ACWM), the recipient of its Mountain Laurel Award is someone who has “made extraordinary, lasting and substantial contributions to wilderness medicine.”

“We are delighted to award a wilderness medicine leader as deserving as Justin,” the ACWM announced.

Padgett is the co-founder and executive director of Landmark Learning, a year-round, multi-certification training center for outdoor educators and emergency medical personnel. In addition, he is a multi discipline ACA Instructor Trainer. His co-founder and wife, Mairi Padgett, said Justin feels the recognition was the result of team effort by his whole staff.

“His motivations are not to win awards, but to provide the best educational training he can,” she said.

Landmark Learning began in North Carolina in 1996 with programs that involve medicine, rescue, paddlesports, and outdoor skills. He has also created two original courses—a medic relief program and the Wilderness Starguard Program.

“His current courses include some of the most innovative wilderness and EMS training now being offered anywhere in the world,” said ACWM Executive Director Seth Hawkins.

The relief medic program trains community members, both domestically and abroad, in what to do in the first 48 to 72 hours of a natural disaster.

“We need a community that can give first aid or give long-term assessments,” Mairi said.

So Landmark Learning developed a course to train interested students for basic disaster preparedness.

The second program Justin launched, the Wilderness Starguard Program, was created because backcountry trips include stops at lakes and ponds that haven’t been assessed for safety. “We felt there was a hole in the training out there,” Mairi said. So they collaborated with Starguard to craft a curriculum through which instructors learn how to assess bodies of water and students’ swimming abilities and to improvise lifeguard rescues with backcountry gear.

After a decade, Landmark grew to be the southeastern regional training resource for camps, college outing clubs, rafting companies, therapeutic recreation providers, and school-based outdoor education programs. Then in 2007 they entered into their current partnership with NOLS to administer WMI courses in the southeastern U.S.

“Justin is a valued member of our team,” said WMI Director Melissa Gray. “His passion for people, education, and the outdoors makes him an excellent match with our style and philosophy at NOLS.”

“We feel like we’re one and the same, we’re just in our own offices,” said Mairi.
The collaboration extends to Justin co-authoring the WMI Field Guide and Justin helping to train new wilderness medicine instructors at NOLS Headquarters in Lander, Wyo.

Though the famously humble recipient of the Mountain Laurel Award was surprised by the honor, those who know him weren’t.

His co-workers describe him as “motivation in motion,” and his WMI colleagues call him “the epitome of the visionary.”

Learn about the ACA's First Aid & CPR requirement for Instructors.

Members Only Grand Ronde River, OR Backcountry Excursion

Come join Slickrock Expeditions & Burt Kornegay for a 100 mile wilderness canoe camping excursion down the fast-flowing National Wild & Scenic Wallowa-Grande Ronde River as it winds through the remote Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington. Western Whitewaterdescribes the Grande Ronde as "one of the most scenic river trips in the Pacific Northwest.” And Oregon River Tours says, "There are few river trips in Oregon that can surpass the Grande Ronde as a wilderness experience."

• Dates:July 4 - 10, 2012
• Cost:$1,675
• Contact: slickrock@slickrockexpeditions.com

Learn more...