Please check our availability or send us a note if you’re interested to be added to our list for the next scheduled ACA course.

Paddle Time Kayaks is proud to offer Level 1 & 2 American Canoe Association (ACA) Skills Courses & Assessments.

• The class ratio is 5 students to 1 instructor.

• We require a minimum of four students in each class.

• Our courses are appropriate for all kayak craft, including decked kayaks, inflatables and sit on tops. Its assumed all boats will be paddled solo.

• Course cost assumes you will provide your own kayak.

• Our kayaks are available to rent for $20 and our life jackets are available to rent for $8.

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IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING AMERICAN ASSOCIATION (ACA) COURSES:

Paddle Time Kayaks Instructors are ACA Members and Certified Instructors. Therefore, we follow the ACA curriculum and best practices, and we encourage participants to become members. The annual membership dues is $40/year.

Our courses are open to non-members. However, we cannot certify or provide a skills assessment to non-members. When we register our course with the ACA, non-members will be categorized as “Practice Students.” If you decide to become an ACA member after we submit our course roster, there is no way to backtrack to associate “Practice Student” status with a membership number.

Please be aware that if you have ambitions to be ACA assessed at a certain skill level (instructor prep), or to become an certified instructor or trip leader, it's in your interest to become an ACA member so we can associate your membership number with the registered course.

Click here to learn about the ACA.

Kira Lang is happy to answer questions about ACA membership, course and skills assessments.

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Level 1: Introduction to Kayaking

This Skills Course is about 3-4 hours. For this course you bring your own sit on top or sit inside kayak, or rent one from us.

Location: flat water, protected from winds, waves and boat traffic, within swimming distance from shore.

The Intro to Kayaking course is designed to teach beginner paddlers to safely and enjoyably kayak on lakes, calm protected coastal environments, and other flat-water settings.

This half day program emphasizes safety and skill acquisition for individuals that plan to recreation kayak in public, private or commercial setting.

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Level 1+2: Essentials of Kayak Touring / Essentials of Sit-on-top Kayak Touring

This full day Skills Course is approximately 7 hours ($120). You bring our own kayak.

Location: calm, protected water with constant access to safe landing within a half mile, winds less than 11 mph, waves less than 1 ft.

This course is designed for individuals seeking to get more serious about kayaking. A more in-depth look is presented along with take-home course material. An individual brand new to kayaking may consider a Level 1 course prior to joining the Level 1+2 course. We will briefly review the basics (L1) and then introduce new paddle stokes and maneuvers that build on the basics you should already be comfortable performing.

This course also includes more depth to rescue and trip planning. After on-land demonstrations and discussion, participants will have the opportunity to practice assisted and self rescue in the water.

2 HOURS ($50) YOU BRING YOUR KAYAK

The Quick-Start Your Kayak workshop is an introduction to paddling a kayak with a focus on the unique variables on Shark River.

Students are presented with basic information on dressing to paddle safely, the equipment that every paddler should have, potential hazards and discussion of self rescues.

A minimal paddle skill set is presented and practiced, allowing students to safely and comfortably maneuver on still water.

*We have a minimum of three participants for this workshop.

$50 includes 60 minutes of instruction and up to a 15 minute drive from Shark River Hills. Destinations beyond this distance will be assessed a reasonable travel fee. Please contact us to schedule your hands-on lesson at your home or preferred location.

In this workshop we will teach you how to tie down your kayak safely to your vehicle using your equipment and kayak racks to help ensure safe transportation. We will also help you problem solve any challenges and recommend accessories that could make this important step easier for you.

If you have not purchased your kayak transportation and tie down accessories yet we can demonstrate securing kayaks using our vehicle and our various styles of transport equipment and then assist you with choosing what will be best for your needs based on the kayak and vehicle you plan to use.

Feel free to have a friend join this informative session.

We can provide one on one private lessons. Our instructor rate is $60/hour and does not include kayak rental.

If you would like to have private group lesson (up to four people), add $10/per hour, per additional person.

Personal kayaks are welcome in a lesson, or you may rent ours. We will a discount of $10 off a one-hour kayak rental when coordinated with a private lesson.

Please contact us to schedule.