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Dear Jeff and Adam,
We would like to compliment you on your inflatable kayak course. Our trip down the Ocoee
with you was both educational and exciting. As whitewater canoe outfitters and instructors
on the Mulberry River in Arkansas, we found your course to be an excellent introduction to
the Ocoee. Your knowledge of the rapids, safety consciousness and instruction style made
for a fun-filled day of learning for ourselves as well as our guest from Germany. We look
forward to sending other whitewater enthusiasts from Arkansas as well as abroad to your
course for a taste of Olympic whitewater.
Sincerely,
Claudia & Christopher E. Nygard
Wayfarer of the Ozarks
Dear Adam and Jeff:
Just wanted to thank you for a great day of fun and "funyak" instruction. You
are an excellent addition to the Ocoee area. Your attention to safety precautions, your
careful instruction about the skills of navigating the river, and your respect for both
the river and other boaters all made this past Saturday a great day for me.
I look forward to participating in another course and my wife wants to participate as
well. I'm glad you are offering this service.
Best wishes,
Craig Charron
Dear Jeff and Adam,
My son and I just completed the 1-day instructional course conducted by AceOcoee Funyaks.
We have paddled about 3 years on the Hiwassee, Nantahala, and Cartecay and have wanted to gradually move up to more challenging whitewater. We have rafted the Ocoee in the past, but did not gain sufficient knowledge of the river that way to feel ready to attempt it even with a group. The funyak instructional
course struck us as a good intermediate step in transitioning to the Ocoee.
We could not have been more please with the results. You supplied us with first-class
equipment, gave excellent guidance on the river regarding upcoming hazards and preferred
lines through each rapid, offered the choice to portage Table Saw and Diamond Splitter
(which we did not) and provided the safety and security of being there when needed. Jeff,
our instructor, is an excellent kayaker, is very knowledgeable of how to run the river,
and is able to effectively communicate that knowledge to his students. You kept a
very close eye on us, particularly in the more hazardous rapids, and were right where you
were needed the most.
We both felt quite safe in AceOcoee Funyaks’ hands at all times on the river.
My son and I did swim a few times and I think we need more practice before taking our own
boats on the Ocoee, but I believe we got exactly the level and quality of Ocoee education
we were looking for. I believe AceOcoee Funyaks can provide a useful service to paddlers
who want to learn the Ocoee safely before attempting it on their own. It’s a sensible
intermediate step that could help boaters in stepping up to the Ocoee.
Very truly yours,
Geoffrey A. Hipp
pictures whitewater school paddle technique kayaking instructions courses
Dear Adam and Jeff:
I am pleased to report a very favorable experience I had with AceOcoee Funyaks’
1-day instructional course.
I am a 59-year-old novice hard-deck paddler, with ambitions of moving to more challenging
white water (currently a Class II and III paddler). I signed up with the idea that this
would be a good way to see and experience the river, but I was very much surprised at the
level and quality of the instruction.
My instructor was Jeff West, a very accomplished and proficient paddler with an excellent
ability to communicate his instructions. We started out on flat water, where he assessed
my skills and we practiced paddle strokes and wet exits. During this session, he quickly
picked on some bad habits I had developed; he addressed these and continued to coach me on
them throughout the day. I received a thorough safety and river etiquette briefing
before moving to the river.
Before each rapid, we discussed the route and why. After the run, he critiqued my
performance, emphasizing safety all the time. During the run he would position himself
where he could effect a rescue should it be necessary, which he did twice, demonstrating
his paddling skills, always in control of the situation.
Drawing on my past experience as Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (I taught and certified
people to teach aquatic skills), this is first-class instruction.
Tyra C. Hardin
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