Open Pool Sessions:
Join Zoar Outdoor at Hampshire College on Sundays during winter from 5pm-7pm for open pool sessions and instructional clinics. Keep your boating skills sharp and stay in touch with your paddling pals throughout the colder winter months. Bring your own clean kayak and gear. No formal instruction included.
Looking to demo a boat? Let us know ahead of time by adding a note to your reservation or give us a call at 413-339-4010. (Requests must be submitted the Thursday before your session)
Instructional Pool Clinics:
Our indoor kayaking clinics are geared toward beginner to intermediate kayakers. Each class focuses on learning/improving rolling or flatwater freestyle skills and is three hours long with one hour of instruction and two hours of open pool time. Our instructors are American Canoe Association (ACA) certified and have many years of experience teaching technical paddling skills.
December
12/1: Rolling: Roll Doctor
12/8: Rolling: Underwater Composure & Learn to Roll
12/15: Rolling: Roll Doctor
12/22: Skills: Flatwater Freestyle
12/29: NO POOL SESSION
January
1/5: Rolling: Roll Doctor
1/12: Rolling: Underwater Composure & Learn to Roll
1/19: Rolling: Roll Doctor
1/26: Skills - "Smarter not Harder" - Stroke Technique & Biomechanics
February
2/4: Rolling: Roll Doctor
2/9: Rolling: Underwater Composure & Learn to Roll
2/16: Rolling: Roll Doctor
2/23: Skills - Rescue Rodeo & Rust Remover
March
3/2: Rolling: Roll Doctor
3/9: Rolling: Underwater Composure & Learn to Roll
3/16: Skills - Flatwater Freestyle
Rolling: Underwater Composure & Learn to Roll: For those who are just starting to learn how to roll, we start from scratch, leading you through a logical progression from hip snaps to paddle motions to a full-blown kayak roll.
Rolling: Roll Doctor: For folks who are experienced rollers or having difficulty with their rolling progression, instructors will work with you to improve and tune up your technique. Instructors can also offer support and learning with off-side rolls, hand rolls, or any other variation of the basic roll.
Skills - Flatwater Freestyle: Start freestyle paddling by learning the proper timing and core components needed to execute new paddling maneuvers. We will be focusing on pivot turns, bow and stern initiations, rotation, and timing.
Skills - Smarter not Harder - Stroke Technique & Biomechanics: Great paddling starts at the foundation. Learn about the connection between your upper and lower core mechanics and practice skills that show how these influence your boat control. Gain more precision with your paddle blades as we exam the correct blade angles for different strokes. Finally as your core skills improve so will your vision and you'll be keeping your eyes high.
Skills - Rescue Rodeo & Rust Remover: Learn and practice foundational rescue skills including bump & tow, boat over boat, hand of god, parallel & t-rescues, and other techniques that will sharpen your paddling and rescue skills for the river.
