The Next Level: Class III Clinics

Hey there, you seasoned paddler, you! We see you there, pulling leaves out of the bottom of your boat. Or perhaps you’ve been braving the cold temps and icy waters to catch some winter river runs. Either way, we are keen on less layers, longer days, and more pals to smile at on the river, too. Welcome back to the world of spring and summertime whitewater. What an exciting sport to be part of.

Have you been hoping to sharpen your skills, fine tune your turns, and dig deeper into the realm of whitewater? Perhaps you have a goal of successfully and stylishly navigating class III rapids like the Gap or the Funnel. Zoar Outdoor’s Class III clinic is perfect for you!

In the Class III Paddlesports clinic, ACA certified Zoar Outdoor instructors focus on working with you to ensure you are becoming a self-sufficient paddler with a solid foundation of skills. We want to support you in your journey becoming a paddler who can safely and confidently navigate whitewater. We work with you to hone your precision, boat control, and finesse while gaining a deeper understanding of the river environment and your connection to it. 

A Typical Day

In your Class III clinic, your instructor will work with you to fine tune your basic skills to ensure your whitewater foundation is sturdy to build upon. This can look like improving or tweaking your basic and foundational skills of whitewater paddling. From a solid foundation, we will work on consistency in stroke timing and placement. These skills will easily transfer to more complex river running skills (the boof, compound strokes, etc). An overview of body mechanics that give you the most power and finesse will be central to a Class III clinic. We also build in river reading literacy lessons. Learning more about hydrology and how the water affects your boat will allow you more success in using the river features to generate momentum and navigating transitions between slow moving water and more difficult currents. Working on tricks and different maneuvers (stern squirt, cartwheel, etc) can be integrated into your curriculum depending on your goals. Find out how to break down Class III whitewater into smaller, less intimidating sections and practice planning and executing moves more consistently as you paddle harder rapids. 

Let us know what your goals are so we can support your learning as effectively as possible. We love to tailor the clinic to your needs and goals. Learn the skills to take your kayaking to an intermediate level during our Class III clinic on the Deerfield River.