Exkursion offers the Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania area's most complete kayaking school. Our professional instructors are ACA certified. What does this mean? It means they have been trained to exacting standards to provide you with the highest quality, safest kayak instruction possible. Our classes are designed to get raw beginners paddling safely and easily, intermediate kayakers paddling more confidently, and advanced kayakers out into the most challenging conditions. And they are fun too!
What kinds of kayaks are used in the class?
There are several different types of kayaks appropriate for our classes: recreational, touring, and sea kayaks. We offer for rental mainly touring kayaks for their combination of safety, performance, and stability for ease of learning.
Recreational – Perfect for Level I, suitable for Level II
Touring – Perfect for Level I, II, Rescues, suitable for Rolling & Coastal Skills
Sea Kayaks – Perfect for all Classes
Level I Kayak Touring
Learn the finer points of fundamental kayaking strokes and equipment! Our Level 1 course is designed to give a strong foundation of skills to those who have never been in a kayak before, as well as those who have experience but have never had formal training.
After an informative discussion of kayak and paddle design, we'll cover methods for entry and exit of the kayak, proper paddle grip, forward stroke, reverse stroke, sweep strokes, spins, and quick stops. The the group will head out for a short tour of the area at an easy pace. You are guaranteed to learn a lot and enjoy some beautiful scenery as well.
We conduct classes in two locations:
Keystone State Park- A small, quiet lake about 30 minutes east of Monroeville near New Alexandria
| Date | Time |
| Saturday 5/4/13 | 10AM |
| Saturday 6/1/13 | 10AM |
| Saturday 7/6/13 | 10AM |
| Saturday 8/3/13 | 10AM |
| Saturday 9/7/13 | 10AM |
Click here to register for Level I classes at Keystone State Park.
Sharpsburg Riverfront Park- A vibrant urban park on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh
| Date | Time |
| Saturday 5/18/13 | 10 AM |
| Saturday 6/15/13 | 10 AM |
| Saturday 7/13/13 | 10 AM |
| Sunday 8/11/13 | 2 PM |
| Saturday 9/14/13 | 10 AM |
Click here to register for Level I classes at Sharpsburg Riverfront Park.
LENGTH: 3 hours
COST: $50 if we provide equipment / $35 if you have your own equipment
touring and recreational kayaks are welcome
Level II Kayak Touring
Suggested Prerequisite: Level I
Don't get stuck as a beginner! In addition to covering intermediate strokes such as draws, participants learn how to safely exit their kayak after a capsize (wet exit) as well as edging (tilting the kayak) and bracing (support stroke) to prevent capsizes. This is the perfect class for those who have taken Level I or who've been kayaking for a while and want to advance their skills to allow them to paddle safely and confidently in more challenging conditions.
| Date | Time |
| Saturday 6/22/13 | 10AM |
| Saturday 7/20/13 | 10AM |
| Saturday 8/24/13 | 10AM |
| Saturday 9/21/13 | 10AM |
Click here to register for Level II classes.
LOCATION: Keystone State Park
LENGTH: 3 hours
COST: $60 if we provide equipment / $45 if you have your own equipment
touring kayaks recommended
Rescues/Capsize Recoveries
Suggested Prerequisite: Level I
What happens if you flip over? Will you know what to do when the unexpected happens? This class covers safe wet exits, swim landings, and several methods of assisted and unassisted re-entry of the kayak. After Level I this is the most important class any kayaker can take.
After a discussion of rescue scenarios and the necessity of knowing different ways to re-enter the kayak, the class will get comfortable with capsizing, wet exits and swim landings close to shore. Next we'll cover a few of the most essential unassited rescues including the cowboy and paddle float rescues. Assited rescues will then be introduced including the side by side, T-rescue, and bow rescue. By the end of the class all students will have a firm grasp of how to deal with getting themselves and others back into their kayaks safely and quickly.
| Date | Time |
| Saturday 6/22/13 | 3 PM |
| Saturday 7/20/13 | 3 PM |
| Saturday 8/24/13 | 3 PM |
| Saturday 9/21/13 | 3 PM |
Click here to register for Rescues/Capsize classes.
LOCATION:
LENGTH: 3 Hours
$45 if you have your own equipment
kayak with bulkheads/floatbags required
Rolling Skills Workshop
Suggested Prerequisite: Level II
We have developed an effective step by step method of learning the eskimo roll that has brought success to many of our students. Unlike other “roll sessions” where many paddlers struggle for direction and coaching, we give one-on-one feedback as you progress through stages of support and we tailor our teaching to fit each paddler’s strengths and weaknesses. Learning to roll with us is a fun process, the ultimate confidence builder, and it makes you a safer kayaker!
| Date | Time |
| Saturday 6/01/13 | 3PM |
| Saturday 7/06/13 | 3PM |
| Saturday 8/03/13 | 3PM |
| Saturday 9/07/13 | 3PM |
Click here to register for Rolling Skills classes.
LOCATION:
LENGTH: 3 Hours
COST: $60 if we provide equipment
$45 if you have your own equipment
kayak with thigh braces & bulkheads required
Coastal Kayak Skills
Prerequisites: Level II and Rescues
Looking to take on the challenges of paddling on the ocean and the great lakes?
The class will meet at a location to be determined based on the conditions of the day, usually Beach number 10. We'll start with a clinic on launching and landing our kayaks safely in small surf, getting comfortable with how the kayaks respond to the forces of the waves. Before venturing out we'll take a break for lunch and talk about plotting a course on a map and navigation with map and compass. The rest of the class is spent practicing skills as we paddle along the out and back course we've plotted. Skills for handling headwinds, following seas, quartering seas, and beam seas will be presented along with towing concepts for a variety of real world situations. Communication by radio and by improvised signals will be necessary as we paddle our route near the busy port of Erie. We'll have opportunities for practicing advancd strokes and resues as well as some surfing if the conditions allow!
Click here to register for the Coastal Skills class.
DATE: Saturday, 08/31/13
LOCATION: Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA. Beach 10.
LENGTH: 6 Hours,
COST: $100 if we provide equipment
$85 if you have your own equipment
-touring/sea kayaks required
-must have valid PA launch permit
Free Kayak Demo Days
We offer two opportunities a year to test paddle everything we keep in stock.
Kayaks from Wilderness Systems, Perception, Dagger, P&H, Venture Kayaks, Current Designs, and Impex.
Saturday, May 25th 12-5pm
Saturday, August 17th 12-5pm
Keystone State Park
Come relax lakeside at beautiful Keystone Park, try some boats, pack a picnic and make a day of it with us!