Mike, I just wanted to thank you for an outstanding two days of learning – it will prove to be very helpful not only for our students, but for myself in continuing to learn and grow in my knowledge and teaching of kayaking.

Hope the fall treats you well and we meet up again sometime – take care,

Paul

-Paul Hefty U MD

Mike,

Thanks again for taking the time to spend with us all on Saturday and Tuesday. The Basic Paddling & Rescue Course and the White Water Course were both terrific! I learned a tremendous amount and feel much more confident and safer on the water now (and under it too!). I look forward to practicing my new skills with the guys and I look forward to learning much more and taking future courses from you.
-Carter Wildemuth

As for the class. I thought it was extremely helpful -- a 5 on your scale. The only things I would change are having the outline detail to disseminate and perhaps holding most of the class directly in front of the Pentagon where there is a bit more room to maneuver while going through the drills. But saying that I do realize that it is very difficult to find a place that is perfect for everything that you covered and we practiced.

I will toss out one more idea and this may really be out in left field, but here goes. Perhaps you could mention to the class members that it could be good for some or all to get together to practice what we learned. You would not be expected to do anything to set up the practice, just plant the seed. Some volunteer from the group would have to do that.

Anyway, thanks. It was a great class.

Fran

-Fran Symes

On a scale of 1 to 5 I think the class was a 6 ! Your explanatons of the techniques were spot on. Or maybe after all these years I'm starting to understand.
Thanks, Tina
-Tina

Mike-

I had a GREAT time today! I loved every second of it....and thank you for letting me use your kayak...

Please let me know when you want me to bring it to you...and more importantly...please let me know when lesson 2 can happen...

I very much want to go on to lesson 2...I will be playing with your kayak this weekend, traveling Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but then I am baaaccckkk!

Call me any time at (703)...that's my cell phone and it's always on and with me...if I don't pick up I will get back with you as soon as possible.

I really enjoyed lesson 1...I can't stop hopping around and clapping my hands in "happy happy joy joy" and I can NOT WAIT to get on moving water!

Warm regards-
Elizabeth

-E Snyder

Thanks Mike!

Jeannette and I had a GREAT time! Hope to see you on a trip in the spring!

-Jayne Randall

Mike,I wanted to let you know how much fun your class was this weekend. I learned a lot and gained confidence in kayaking that I hope to pass on to my wife and kids. I would also like to take additional training in the future.
Thank you Don



-Don Upright

Mike, but for your great training, a young lady may have bought the farm this past Saturday.

I was kayaking the upper reaches of the Nolichucky with my brother in funyaks. Because of high water, most of the participants were in guided rafts. At least one was supposed to stay behind the “ducks,” but all the rafts with guides got ahead. As we were going into a class 4 rapid stretch, I noted there weren’t any guides or rafts behind us so moved to sweep. A young lady managed to paste her funyak around a boulder with a shute on each side. She was trapped in the middle of it, the funyak literally bent around the boulder.

I was lucky enough to be able to maneuver my boat over and get it against the bolder and get her out of her boat and on the bolder without being pushed down one of the shutes. We then had an adventure of a lifetime getting the paddles, my boat, and the inner floatation of the funyak up onto the dry portion of the boulder. After pushing on the top of the raft against the stiff current just enough (took everything both of us using our legs) to let the downward current push up the trapped tube, we got her boat on top of mine on top of the boulder, the inner floatation pad back in, her in back in the boat with her paddle, and heading back down the River.

She was lucky not to have been pinned on the wrong side of the boat.

But for your great training, I probably wouldn’t have figured out what needed doing. She said she was going to name her first born Whit, but I said to name the child after my great instructor.

Thought you might like to hear the story.

Whit Field
Vice President and General Counsel
Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
4022 Hummer Road
Annandale, VA 22003
703-354-5093 ext. 21
Fax 354-5169
wfield@nvct.org
www.nvct.org
Saving Nearby Nature



-Whit Field

What an honor it was to learn from 2 of the best paddlers and instructors in the US. Thanks so much for your excellent class and the many effective teaching strategies you all shared. Those who register for classes and trips with us will be safer, better informed and more effectively educated as a result of these 4 full days.
I know what I am doing well and what needs work. Practice time on the water will be spent tweaking my strokes and working hard on my port side stern rudder, high brace and roll.

Thanks again for the opportunity to learn from you, and for the great work that you all do for paddlesports and the environment.

All the best, Dick Thomas
Ps We need more Monkey See Mike videos….

www.piedmontenvironmetal.com

-Dick Thomas

Hi,

I just wanted to thank CKAPCO and the instructor, Brian, for the great L1/L2 combo class on August 21st. I’m sorry I’m late with this, but over the past weekend I had to employ a rescue technique learned during the class that REALLY made me feel that this thank-you was way overdue.



This past Saturday, my father and I embarked on a 25-mile circumnavigation of Ocean City, NJ. The first 10-miles in the bay were uneventful, but we encountered rough seas off the coast. We were faced with frequent 2-3 foot rollers/whitecaps about a half mile from shore when my father capsized and was unable to re-enter his kayak on his own. My training kicked-in and using the T-rescue, I was able to get his kayak righted, bilged, and him back in. With all the strong rip-currents off the coast, I’m not sure how easily he would have been able to swim ashore if I wasn’t able to get him situated. So thanks.



Happy (and safe) paddling,

Dave Cosaboon



-David Casaboon