Leisure Skills - Whitewater Kayaking

Whitewater Kayaking Leisure Skills Course

Course Description

This course is deigned to enhance the student's knowledge of whitewater kayaking and moving water safety. The student will learn basic paddling skills and techniques, safety considerations, fundamental whitewater rescue skills, equipment selection and maintenance, and selection of routes/trips to participate both flat-water and whitewater outings.

Course Objectives

Demonstrate knowledge of rivers and river features
Demonstrate knowledge of safety concerns as they relate to a river environment
Demonstrate skills of boat control, strokes, turns, braces, wet exits, etc.
Demonstrate skills necessary to safely navigate a class II river

Topics Covered

Skill progression and techniques covered will include wet exits, T-rescues, Eskimo roll, and various paddle strokes and braces necessary in still and moving water environments. The course culminates with a weekend trip to a moving water environment.

**Student must be a competent swimmer and in good physical condition.

Instructor Info

Wade Vagias

Favorite color- mud brown (like a river looks after a good rain)
Doctoral student- Park and Protected Area Management (PPAM) - Parks,
Recreation, and Tourism Management
Past education- BS, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, MS Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Past work experience:
- Lock Haven University of PA - Instructor, Recreation Management, Lock Haven, PA
- Butler County Community College - Instructor, Park and Recreation Management, Butler, PA
- Nantahala Outdoor Center - Chattooga raft guide/kayak safety boater, Long Creek, SC
- National Outdoor Leadership School - River Inst., Vernal UT
- Bureau of Land Management - River Ranger, Deschutes River, Maupin, OR
- Snowbird Ski Resort, Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT

School interests- human dimensions of outdoor recreation/resources, adventure/experiential education, natural resource management

Personal interests- playing outside with his girlfriend, creek boating, whitewater canoeing, telemark skiing, backpacking, reading, steelers football, paddling road trips with friends, working on his '77 Land Cruiser, collecting quotes, people watching/wondering why people do what they do (particularly in outdoor settings)