Package Overview
Ready to take the next step in your whitewater kayaking career? Break into the world of intermediate boating with our Intermediate Lesson Package! We'll teach you how to get the most out of that high-performance kayak, from advanced rolling techniques to surfing and playboating moves. We place a strong emphasis on whitewater safety and rescue skills, making you even more self-sufficient and allowing you to take on a leadership role among your peers. More experienced paddlers will learn how to enhance their river running skills with surfing and playboating moves. As always, you have up to two years to complete all four courses, during which time you may attend our free weekly intermediate practice clinics. Students must provide their own equipment. See below for details and individual course descriptions.
 Lesson Package Details and Photos
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Advanced Rolling.
Planing hull (flat-bottomed) kayaks are shaped like a brick, and they're a lot harder to roll than the log-shaped Remixes and RPMs. Learn the low-resistance twisting sweep roll and get that brick rolling up reliably. We'll also teach the hand roll and back deck roll.
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Wave Surfing.
Learn how to get on a wave and establish a front surf. We'll teach you how to use your knees and your core muscles to make small adjustments to stay on the wave and maybe even do a flat spin!
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Playboating.
Learn to stern squirt, wind up your bow, pivot turn, and more in this fun class where the goal is to get vertical. The key is in torso rotation and solid edging, so practice your fundamentals!
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Whitewater Self-Defense.
Learn how to swim a rapid, swim into an eddy without getting stuck on the eddy line, deploy a throw rope, rescue swimmers, get boats and gear to shore, and use a rescue PFD.
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Practice, Practice.
When you sign up for the "Level 2" package, you'll get up to two years of free weekly practice clinics. These clinics are small in size, so you must register to save your space.
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Awesome Instructors.
Learn from some of the Potomac's best boaters as Potomac Paddlesports' top instructors break down these complex moves into easy building blocks.
How to Schedule Your Classes
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Step 1
Select the quantity of participants you want to register for a particular trip or class and click "purchase and enroll."
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Step 2
On the next screen enter your registration information. Review your order and click "Charge Credit Card" if everything looks okay. This creates a credit for you in our system. Your payment will be processed and you will be sent an email with your login information.
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Step 3
You should now have received 2 emails from us. Read the first email, "Potomac Paddlesports Account," and write down your username and password.
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Step 4
Using your username and password, log in to the website. You will be taken to your account page. In the "Schedule-at-a-Glance" window, click "Schedule My Trips/Classes".
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Step 5
On the scheduling tool page, under "Available," choose from among the available dates for your event. Doing so will add you to the roster for that trip or class. You must cancel or reschedule at least 3 days (72 hours) prior to the event or you will forfeit the trip or class.
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Step 6
Once you schedule yourself for a class, you will get a third email from us ("IMPORTANT EVENT INFORMATION"). This email contains a link to a PDF packet of information: Directions, list of equipment, waiver and medical form. Print out this packet and review it prior to your event.
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Step 7
If you registered more than one participant, forward the second email ("Purchase Confirmation/Gift Codes") to the other participant(s). This email contains a GIFT CODE and instructions. They MUST follow the instructions in this email and complete Steps 3 - 6 themselves.
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Step 8
Are you thoroughly confused? No problem. We're here to help! Give us a call and we can walk you through the process and answer any questions you have--the old fashioned way!
Individual Course Descriptions
Advanced Rolling
2011 Dates : Saturdays:
May 7, 21
June 4, 18
July 2, 16, 30
August 13, 27
September 10, 24
October 1
Location (link) : Pennyfield Lock, Potomac, MD
Time : 2:45 PM
Class Ratio : 5:1
Prerequisites : Solid roll in a planing hull kayak
Click for directions, waivers, and gear list 
A "bombproof" roll in a planing hull (flat-bottomed) kayak requires a modified sweep technique as seen in the video "The Kayak Roll." Our top instructors will help you transition from the C-to-C to this specific technique in a planing hull kayak. You may even learn the "dry head" and hand rolls too! Expect three INTENSE hours of rolling instruction.
Wave Surfing
2011 Dates : Sundays:
May 1, 15
June 12
July 10, 24
August 7
September 11, 25
October 9
Location (link) : Angler's Lot, Potomac, MD
Time : 8:45 AM
Class Ratio : 5:1
Prerequisites : Bombproof roll
Click for directions, waivers, and gear list
This four-hour course is demanding and focused on wave surfing skills development. Learn wave anatomy and start practicing with jet ferries from both directions. Mastering the jet ferry technique will help you learn to establish a good front surf quickly. Once a front surf is established, we'll move on to side surfing and back surfing. You may even do a 360! Watch your edges!
Playboating
2011 Dates : Sundays:
May 1, 15
June 12
July 10, 24
August 7
September 11, 25
October 9
Location (link) : Angler's Lot, Potomac, MD
Time : 1:45 PM
Class Ratio : 5:1
Prerequisites : Bombproof roll
Click for directions, waivers, and gear list
This four-hour course teaches you a completely new set of skills that form the foundation of playboating. Then you'll take those skills to moving water and learn how to stern squirt on an eddy line, "wind up" your bow, and maybe even cartwheel! Time to get vertical!
Whitewater Self-Defense
2011 Dates : Sundays: May 29, June 26, August 21, September 4
Location (link) : Brookmont Church, Brookmont, MD
Time : 8:45 AM
Class Ratio : 6:1
Prerequisites : Moving Water skills. Must bring a tow belt, throw rope, and rescue knife.
Click for directions, waivers, and gear list
Practical whitewater safety and rescue skills are a must! Our five-hour "Whitewater Self Defense" class is unlike typical swiftwater rescue courses. While you won't learn the Z-drag or how to unpin a canoe, you will learn how to apply your paddling skills (and common sense) in the most common rescue scenarios: swimming a rapid, towing a swimmer, deploying throw ropes, collecting gear from a rapid, and working in teams to manage multiple swimmers. We'll also discuss proper cold-weather paddling apparel.
FREE Weekly Practice Sessions
2010 Dates : Every Wednesday and Thursday, May 4 - September 1
Location (link) : Angler's Lot, Potomac, MD
Time : 6:15 PM
Prerequisites : Must be a Level 2 package student
Click for directions, waivers, and gear list
You know by now that kayaking skills don't come easily. That's why we offer free weekly practice clinics for our intermediate package students. The more time you spend working on these new skills, the sooner you'll be throwing ends in Maryland Chute, rolling up on your offside without a paddle, rescuing nearby swimmers and other amazing feats of genius! Although you are required to provide all your own equipment, free boat demos will be available during practice clinics.
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Be Prepared!
Below are some products that we frequently recom-mend to our intermediate whitewater students. Have a look, and if there's anything else you need to make sure you're ready for your sessions on the water, we've got a ton of gear over in our online store! Check it out!
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