A Connecticut
paddlesports training
company
paddlesports training
company
Changing Tides PaddleCraft offers kayak, canoe and SUP (standup paddle board) instruction and training in Connecticut and New York. We are proud that our Instructors are trained and Certified by the American Canoe Association - the benchmark for paddling Instruction in North America. Together our staff span a broad range of paddling disciplines from flat to moving water in coastal and river environments. We bring depth of experience and love of the outdoors to the art of building your paddling skills. We are proud to offer details of our programs designed for Camps and similar organizations such as clubs and scouting troops.
Camps Programs Overview: We have been working with camps and similar organizations like scout troops and clubs for over 15 years. Our programs have developed to fit your needs from a simple canoe project to a multi-craft waterfront program. We offer basic skills training for camp counselors in kayak, canoe or Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) following certified ACA curriculum and can customize programs to fit your needs.
Some camps need a more sophisticated training including assessment where we document counselor skills through testing. We offer skills assessments in all three disciplines. If candidates are registered as members of the ACA we can report the results and a Skills card will be issued from the main office.
For camps requiring more advanced training we can offer Leadership training and Assessment and Instructor training and Certification. If documentation from ACA is desired, candidates must register as members of the ACA. For Instructor Certification candidates must also pay their SEI dues. For infomation on current ACA member and Instructor fees consult the ACA website or check with us.
Summary: All of the programs discussed above can be reviewed in detailed class descriptions provided farther down the page. A good reference for the various components is our Camps Programs Summary which provides a complete listing of our standard programs. You may also be intereted in downloading our Camps Programs Brochure if you have not already received one. While these programs have been developed over years of working with camps we usually tailor our programs to specific needs of the organization. Call us at 860-799-5459 for a free consultation and quote on programs to fit your camp's needs.
Camps Skills Classes: our classes are designed to provide understanding of the craft, strokes, maneuvers and rescue recovery skills to counselors who have not recently received formal training in kayak, canoe or SUP. These classes take from 1 to 1.5 days per craft to complete and may be staged in sequence over the course of a several days. In our experience most camps need counselors trained in ACA Level 2 (Essentials level) skills. We can provide ACA Participation cards documenting this training with Advanced notification.
On-water Games:We find that counselors and others working with youth paddlers benefit from a special module we have created for camps providing training in on-water games that are safe, fun and work to train young paddlers in conjunction with more formal lesson plans. This is a 1/2 day program.
More detail can be found in individual class descriptions by following links below. Feel free to call us at 860-799-5459 with further questions or advice on constructing a custom program of training.
Skill Assessments: Camps that would like an evaluation of Counselors paddling skills can request a formal skill assessment. This is a specified program of testing that can be provided for each craft: kayak, Canoe or SUP to certify skills in strokes, maneuvers and recoveries at level 1 or level 2. If counselors are members of ACA the results can be registered and ACA will provide a formal Assessment Card.
More information on Skills Assessments can be found in the individual descriptions below. Call us at 860-799-5459 with specific questions.
Camp Trip Leaders:If counselors lead on-water trips away from the protection of the camp waterfront we recommend leadership training. This program is for mature, experienced paddlers who take responsibility for youth paddlers under their care and want to feel more comfortable in a leadership position. This program takes 2 days for the first craft, covering Leadership Theory, On-water Skills, and Leadership Assessment. Other craft can be included with an additional 1.5 da for each.
For coastal kayaking this program can be offered as an official ACA curriculum and assessment for current ACA members. This assessment course requires 2 days. We submit the results to ACA who then issues a formal ACA Assessment card to successful candidates.
More detail on Leadership training and Assessment can be found in the links below. Contact us at 860-799-5459 if you have further questions.
Camp Instructor Development:To be a successful instructor one needs to have mastered basic skills, be able to model them for students, construct and follow a lesson plan, evaluate student problems and supply constructive feedback. CTPC has developed a program designed with the camp counselor in mind which combines a module of CTPC Teaching Theory, with specific modules on Teaching Strokes and Recoveries for each of the disciplines. CTPC Teaching Theory takes 1/2-day and the Strokes and Recoveries module for each craft takes 1.5 days including a CTPC Assessment of accomplishments. This program contains key elements of the full ACA Instructor Development Workshop, but is more time efficient (see below).
CTPC Instructor/Leader Workshop:For motivated paddlers with some experience we can offer an entire Camp program including Skills Training, Instructor Training and Leadership Training for one discipline (kayak, canoe or SUP) contained within one week. For more information investigate our CTPC Instructor/Leader Workshop description below. For counselors that have been previously certified as ACA level 1 or 2 Instructors or have previously completed one of our Instructor Development courses we offer the CTPC Instructor Refresher, a 1-day program to review and retune expired or unused skills.
ACA Instructor Certification:For camps that can meet the stringent requirements (minimum numbers, appropriate venue and conditions, ACA membership, SEI fees, First Aid certification, etc.) we also offer a formal ACA Instructor Development Workshop and Instructor Certification Exam in Coastal Kayaking at levels 1 to 4. Candidates for this program are expected to demonstrate superior paddling skills with model level strokes prior to the class. The exam include practical teaching, filming of model strokes, maneuvers and recoveries and a written exam. This program takes 4 days to complete for L1 or L2 candidates or 6 days for L3 or L4 candidates. For more information see the detailed descriptions below or consult the ACA website.
Specialty Camp Programs:Especially for camps we have developed a series of modules that can be used in the camp setting to enhance either paddling activities or off-water camps programs. These include on-water games and various topics of on-water appreciation such as navigation, knot tying, waterbirds, aquatic species identification, etc. Off-water programs include environmental art, birding, nature tracks, etc. Full details are provided in individual descritions linked in the page below. We also offer custom designed waterfront programs oriented toward equipment development and waterfront safety where there is need and interest.