Welcome to the family of paddling friends called The Arkansas Canoe Club!
We have a lot of fun playing on the rivers and creeks of Arkansas.
This school is our invitation for you to learn how to enjoy whitewater, to build your skills and knowledge, and to have fun with us.
When: The first weekend of May each year, May 2, 3 and 4, 2008
Where: The Mulberry River at Turner Bend.
Turner Bend,is a privately owned campground and open to school participants, instructors, and volunteers. The campground is located near Cass on Highway 23, approximately 11 miles south of Highway 16, and 13 miles north of I-40 exit 35-Ozark.
The GPS coordiniates are N 35° 40.091' W 093° 49.703', WGS 84.
Cost
Two Memberships are Required along with the Course Fee and ACA Waiver:
A. You must either be a current member or join the Arkansas Canoe Club at the time of your application. New and renewal of ACC Individual/Family membership is $20 per year and includes all of your immediate family living in your household. If you have multiple members of your family applying for this school, only one ACC membership is required.
B. Also, you must be a member or join American Canoe Association. If you have a valid ACA number at time of application, no fee is required. Otherwise, ACA Introductory membership fee of $10 is required with each application. ACA offers a variety of memberships with a variety of fees, but the six month introductory membership is the only ACA membership we offer with this event. Please do not mark any of the other options when you fill out the ACA waiver.
C. The Course Fee for the 2008 school is $80.
Depending on your membership status in ACC and ACA, your total fee may be as high as $110 or as low as $80.
D. Signed understanding of and agreement to ACA Waiver and Release of Liability is required with your application.
Payment with a credit card to Paypal is prefered.
Please notify the school director if the name you use for Paypal is different from the name on your application.
Enrollment and classes are filled in the order of receipt of payment and ACA Waivers, rather than when your application is submitted.
Personal checks mailed to ACC, PO Box 1843, Little Rock, AR 72203, may be accepted only if received within five days of online application. We can not promise space will still be available by the time a mailed check reaches us and recommend payment be made via Paypal.
Application is non-transferable, no subsitutes are allowed and refunds are limited.
All enrollment is contingent upon receipt of a completed on-line application, timely receipt of a properly signed ACA waiver, and timely receipt of payment of all fees. Applications may be rejected if both waiver and payment are not received in a timely manner.
All camping fees at Turner Bend for Friday morning to Sunday afternoon are included in the course fee. Outside of our Friday to Sunday time, please pay Turner Bend their normal fees.
Normal check in will begin about 2:00 PM Friday afternoon at the Gazebo and ends about 8:00 PM Friday night. Late check in is with the School Director in the campground. Everyone--participants, staff, and tag-alongs-- must check in and be approved on the school roster before joining a class on the water.
Classes begin about 7:30 PM Friday at the Gazebo with a meeting of the whole school. After the group meeting, we break into classes with your instructors. Late arrivals and those unable to attend the Friday night sessions check in at the Directors campsite.
Saturday evening about 7:30 PM at the Gazebo is a general business meeting and election of ACC officers. Music around the campfire traditionally follows the Saturday meeting.
A fried fish dinner is available on Saturday night, provided at extra cost by the NW Chapter. On Sunday morning, the River Valley Chapter provides pancake breakfast at extra cost. Both of the meals an excellent, low cost way to make the weekend even more enjoyable.
Goals of Whitewater School:
Provide opporunity for participants to:
ACC instructors use ACA course outlines to help you improve old skills, practice new skills, and expand your knowledge of the river. Small classes of compatable participants allow instructors to teach to your needs. Classes are not arranged by "levels," but are essentially custom fit to participants. More detailed information including course outlines, class notes, required ACA texts, lots of support information and several useful links can be found at ACC Instructor/Volunteer Pages
Structure of the Whitewater School:
This is a large school with a lot of people sharing space both at the campground and on the river.
Classes are divided into whitewater kayak, solo whitewater canoe, and tandem whitewater canoe. Classes are small and generally have 6 participants and two instructors.
Normal classes start with a brief, dry land meeting at 7:30 on Friday evening, then long strenuous river days on both Saturday and Sunday.
A very important factor in making this a good school is how closely people within each class are matched in experience, previous training, and certain other characteristics. Please, do not misrepresent yourself when filling out the school application.
We use the information you provide to form compatible groups for each class, then each instructor adapts to best fit the needs of those grouped into the class. Special requests for class assignment with a particular person are discouraged because those special assignments often do not fit well with the rest of the class.
Depending on what Instructors volunteer to teach, at times we may be able to form classes for Women Only, Teenagers Only, Pre-Instructor Development, Creeking, Rodeo, Boat Based Rescue, or others. Please use the space for Special Request for speciality class or other good reason, with the understanding that we listen, are open for suggestions, but might not be able to honor those requests.
If you want to be in a paddling class with a particular person, we recommend either a tandem canoe class or private instruction. Classes work best if everyone in the class has similar river experience, physical condition, and recent training. We accept requests for special assignment or pairings, but honoring special requests does create difficulities and is at discretion of the School Director.
The application has a place for those wanting a tandem whitewater canoe class to name your tandem partner. You must have a partner to enter a tandem canoe class, ACC does not provide tandem partners. Solo canoe is an excellent way to start, even if you wish to paddle tandem canoe or kayak after learning some basics.
ACC instructors use ACA course outlines to help you discover what skills and knowledge you have and don't have. Small classes of compatable participants allow instructors to teach to your needs, classes are not arranged by "levels" but are custom fit to participants as much as possible. Progression of paddle skills and river maneuvers is very closely tied to basic principles of body, paddle, and boat. All classes spend time on these basics while alternating between dry land, flatwater, and whitewater. Rasing your awareness of the various hazards present in the river and practical options for those hazards is an objective in every class.
Instructors receive the information from your application and will will normally contact all class members about a week after enrollment closes. Everyone must check in on arrival at Turner Bend and be approved on the school roster before joining a class.
Lodging and Camping:
The facilities at Turner Bend Campground include bathrooms for men and women. There is one shower in each bathroom with only one hot water heater, so plan accordingly. ACC rents additional Port-a-potties for the weekend. There are water faucets located by the store and in the east camping area. Turner Bend may have some firewood, but it is best to bring your own charcoal or stove.
Parking is limited and is a growing problem at Turner Bend. Please do not bring large RV, Camping/pop-up Trailers, or other trailers unless it is directly needed for this school such as shuttles or meals available to everyone. Car pooling is encouraged to help alleviate the parking problem.
Food, drinks, and other supplies are available at the Turner Bend store. River Valley and Northwest Chapters usually offer fish dinner on Saturday and pancake breakfast on Sunday morning for nominal fees.
Two National Forest Campgrounds, Redding and Wolf Pen are nearby as is the privately owned Byrd's Adventure Center.
There are hotels available in Ozark and other lodging is nearby, including Mulberry Mountain Lodging and Camping, Lizard Springs, or Riverside Retreat, for those who do not wish to stay at Turner Bend.
The ACC School of Whitewater Paddling every May is just one of several Arkansas Canoe Club opportunities for members to have fun while sharing and improving paddling skills. This school is specifically set up to teach whitewater paddling techniques using equipment designed for whitewater.
Learning new skills on a river such as the Mulberry is considerably more challenging than a casual trip down the same river. In our experience, some boat designs and outfitting, in contrast to the manufacturer's sales literature and how it might sometimes be used, are just not compatible with the maneuvers and techniques taught in our School of Whitewater Paddling.
Participants are responsible for providing their own paddling equipment, including a boat suitable for whitewater conditions. If the buyers guide in either ACA Paddler or Canoe and Kayak magazines lists a boat in the whitewater category, it is probably OK for this school. If the boat listed as the recreational, touring, cruising or sport combination, it probably is not suitable.
The participant has the responsibility to determine if they have an accepted type boat before applying.
Boats should be prepared according to Section II of the Safety Code of American Whitewater. We recommend that all boats, both canoe and kayak, have air bags for floation. Extra floation makes pins less likely and recovery after a spill much easier. Instructors have authority to turn away inappropriate boats, boats without air bags, and any other gear or outfitting that is likely to cause difficulites on the river.
A snug fitting, vest type, life jacket in good condition is required at all times when on the river.
Helmets are recommened for all and are required for kayak and canoes with thigh straps.
Rental equipment including boats, paddles, pfds, and wetsuits are available from Turner Bend, early reservations are recommended.
What you will need:
Bring camping equipment and meals for morning and evening in camp. The campground is noisy at night, ear plugs may be useful.
Midday meals are usually on the river. Bring water, food, and snacks in durable, waterproof containers to carry in your boat. It is best to use small, lightweight lunch items that store easily.
Turner Bend store will be open between 7:30am and 8:00pm, or a little longer, all weekend. They have nearly everything needed in camp and on the river including wonderful sandwiches.
Appropriate Clothing for the River:
Although the weather may be warm, the water temperature will likely be cold, usually below 60 F, and you will get wet. Kayak classes begin with wet exits, swims are common in all boat types and all classes. Your choice of clothing for the weekend is very important and should be appropriate to protect you from the weather and from sudden immersion in cold water.
"Layering" clothing is a concept that applies to all outdoor sports, and many paddlers use extra layers to increase their warmth and comfort. The layering system involves use of:
Many outdoor retailers have a good selection of approprate river clothing and knowledgeable staff that personally use what they sell. Our commerical members are fair, reliable, and can be very helpful when selecting your attire for the river.
Physical Preparation:
The weekend school is strenuous and requires physical and mental effort. Significant numbers of people each year find they are not as physically fit as they thought and drop out after just one day of this two day school. Adequate rest, proper nutrition, and several weeks of exercise are recommended for the best experience. The best preparation is several sessions of flatwater paddling drills in the weeks before school. Actual on the water practice can go a long way toward making this school a better experience.
Our experience is that the younger teenagers often have trouble in this type of school. While we will accept those as young as twelve years, a better choice for the young without significant river time would be the Rec School on the Spring River or private instruction.
Canoes are generally paddled in a kneeling position in whitewater and in other times when stability is important. Stretching exercises and practice paddling in a kneeling position will help you be more comfortable.
A fundmental safety rule is Be a Competent Swimmer, with the ability to handle yourself underwater. Swimming a few laps every week would also be good prepartion for paddling school.
Special arrangements for some physical limitations may be possible if you will discuss your special needs with us well in advance.
Medical issues, Allergies, and Medications Please be aware that in the event of a medical problem, many locations on the Mulberry River are remote, in rough terrian, and cannot be accessed by emergency medical services. This lack of quick access to help is one of the risks we all must understand and accept in being outdoors, and especially when paddling whitewater rivers like the Mulberry.
Some things that you can do to lessen these risks are:
Materials to Preview (links, books,and videos):
Careful Reading and Understanding the ACA Waiver and Release of Liability is required for everyone wishing to take part in Arkansas Canoe Club's School of Whitewater Paddling. Signing the waiver is your acknowledgment that you understand the terms of the waiver and that you fully accept responsibility for the serious risks and dangers inherent in whitewater paddling. Parents or legal guardians must co-sign with those under the age of eighteen.
ACA Membership Form is at the top of the 2008 waiver. Although ACA offers several options for membership, for this School of Whitewater Paddling, we require one of two options:
Please print the waiver, sign it, and mail to Arkansas Canoe Club, PO Box 1843, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203. Application to the school will not be accepted unless your signed waiver is received promptly.
Minimum Age:
The ACC requires all participants to be a minimum of twelve years old and advise most to wait until age 15 before attending this particular school. We recommend that all minors under the age of 18, file two copies of a "Permission for Medical Treatment" with the School Director and the minor's Instructor. These should be mailed with your waiver, but may also be delivered at checkin or to your instructor.
Swimming Ability:
The ACC requires all participants to be competent swimmers.
Please don't kid yourself or us about your swimming ability, the Mulberry River can be a dangerous place with cold, fast, powerful water, strainers and other hazards. Weak swimmers are at much higher risk of injury or drowning, should expect difficuly with self rescue, and also place their paddling companions and instructors at higher risk.
Online application includes questions of your physical fitness, swimming ability, age, river experience and other factors that help assemble more compatible class groupings. Candid answers help you, your classmates, and your instructor to have a better experience and more fun.
An important question is how many days in the last year did you spend on the river in the boat that you are using in this school. Do not include days in a raft, different boat type, or even very different hull shapes from what you will be using in this school. Please make your best estimate using numbers from 0 to 99 for each of the three categories
If you are a member of ACA, please put your membership number on both the application form and the waiver.
Instructors and Staff All classes will be taught by Arkansas Canoe Club Instructors who will be volunteering their time, equipment, vehicles, and efforts for the entire weekend . The Shuttle crew and many other volunteers will be donating their weekend to try to put on the best school possible. Please express your appreciation for their efforts by being prepared, on time, and letting them see that you are having fun.
Neither application to this school nor actual enrollment may be transferred to another person. No subsitutes are allowed and refunds are limited. All enrollment is contingent upon receipt of a completed on-line application, timely receipt of a properly signed ACA waiver, and timely receipt of payment of all fees.
Refund Policy: ACC Membership fees, both new and renewals are non-refundable. ACA Introductory Membership fees are non-refundable. Limited, partial refund of the $80 course fee may be allowed within certain limits.
If you withdraw from whitewater school with good reason, before the application period closes, we may refund seventy five percent of the course fee only. Application period typically ends at 5:00 PM on the Wednesday three weeks or more before school starts. Kayak class usually close even earlier.
If you withdraw with good reason, after application period ends and before 5:00 PM on the Friday one week before school starts, we may refund twenty five percent of the course fee.
If you do not notifiy the school director, within these time limits, of your wish to withdraw and present an acceptable reason for the withdrawal, you will not receive a refund. Denial of a special request is not cause for a refund. Likewise, failure to show up for the school is not cause for a refund.
If you have other questions or special needs, the first thing to do is look at the message board. The answer may already be there or try posting the question. Usually responses are pretty quick.
Please try the message board first, next try School Director Arthur Bowie by e-mail or private message thru ACC message board
This is a lot of material to read, to think about, and to do. The next page has information on when we begin accepting applications and will take you to the application form.
more links repairs 3/11/08 abowie