We have been a leader in providing ACA Instructor certifications since 1991 and take great pride in our highly certified and nationally recognized staff. We plan and conduct workshops in river and whitewater kayaking, touring and sea kayaking, river safety and rescue, and stand-up paddleboarding for clubs, universities, park services, camps, youth groups, and individuals who want to improve their skills and teach others.

While we operate out of the Virginia, Maryland area and Southwest Florida, we travel anywhere to share our passion and spread the skills and ability to teach. We travel anywhere.

Instruction: Whether you are a beginner who wants to learn the basics or an advanced paddler wanting some coaching to fine-tune your skills, we provide you with nationally recognized leaders in paddle sports education. As Instructor Trainers, we are recognized for our ability to train, coach, and mentor instructors who share our passion.

New ACA Leader Certifications: Equips paddlers with essential skills in leadership, trip planning, risk management, and rescue. Complementing the ACA’s well-established Instructor Certification Pathway, this streamlined program is designed to provide new leaders and guides with a professional, accessible certification.

With clear entry points and a strong emphasis on decision-making, planning, and safety, the program supports paddlers whether they’re leading day trips on a local lake, organizing club runs on class II rivers, or guiding multi-day expeditions in remote wilderness settings.

What sets the ACA Leader and Guide Certifications apart is their structure: they are based on the paddling environment, not the specific type of paddlecraft. Certifications are offered for three distinct environments:

  • Protected Waterways

  • Coastal Environments

  • River Environments

Trips and Tours: In addition to instruction, we lead paddling trips, in the DC Metro area, Idaho, Florida, North Carolina and outside the U.S. Whether you are interested in a group outing on the Potomac to see the historic sites from the water or an individual whitewater trip, you can find one that meets your needs or work with us to customize a trip. Our Idaho trips, dating back to 1991, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon and Main Salmon rivers are fabulous adventures for all levels of paddlers. We also offer trip paddling in Florida, including the Florida Keys, which makes for a wonderful experience during the winter months.