The St. Louis Canoe and Kayak Club is committed to providing safety skills training at an affordable cost. We offer an annual skills clinic every summer on a local lake and occasional moving water clinics on local rivers. We also advertise trainings offered by other local paddling organizations.
Annual Flatwater Safety Skills Clinic
The St Louis Canoe and Kayak Club conducts a Skills Clinic following the guidelines of the American Canoe Association in the summer of every year unless prevented by weather or other conditions. Participants must be members of the Club. Our educators are club members who are ACA certified instructors who love to share their passion for paddling with new and experienced paddlers. It’s always good to practice these skills! During these clinics, we group students by experience level to practice skills such as: communication, strokes, turning, stopping, self-rescue, and partner-rescue.
Save the date: The 2025 clinic will be held at Council Bluff Lake on June 21, 2025
Moving Water Clinics
When the water conditions allow, we offer moving water clinics on the Meramec River and the Big River during the spring and fall. During these clinics we practice methods of communication, paddle strokes, boat handling and turning, reading the river, ferrying, avoiding obstacles, and paddling riffles.
Policy on Training Reimbursement ACA Instructor Training
Purpose
To support and encourage members in obtaining certifications that enhance club activities.
Eligibility & Pre-Approval Requirements
- Training reimbursement consideration must be pre-approved by the Board before the training takes place.
- Approval is subject to the Club’s budget and financial capacity for the current year.
- Consideration for reimbursement will be based on training relevance to club activities and its anticipated benefit.
- The individual’s club membership must be in good standing to qualify.
Partial Training Reimbursement:
To qualify, individuals must:
- Submit proof of certification.
- Lead three ACA-sanctioned trips within two years of completing training.
- Participation as a skills clinic leader may count as one trip.
Approval Process
- Submit a pre-approval request before enrolling in training or leading trips.
- The Board reviews requests based on budget, relevance, and club benefit.
- Upon meeting requirements, individuals must submit proof of trips or certification to receive 50% reimbursement.
Complementary Membership Incentive:
- Awarded after leading three club sanctioned trips.
- Can be used for future years of gifted to a friend.
- Leading at the skills clinic may count as one of the required trips.
Other Training Opportunities
Safety is a priority for us and more training opens up more opportunities to have lots of fun while being safe! We advertise courses offered by other local clubs. Training opportunities include
- Whitewater Skills Clinic, offered by Missouri Whitewater Association
- Wilderness First Aid and Swiftwater Rescue, organized by Missouri Whitewater Association
- Kayaking classes offered by The Alpine Shop
