Rental gear is available, however, as an instructor it's expected you have all of your own PPE: drysuit, PFD, helmet, river footwear, etc.  If for some reason you need to rent items for the course, let us know ASAP.

2026 Course location will be on Six Mile Creek, with the final day on Eagle River.

For 50 years, the ACA has been the leader in paddlesports education. The ACA’s National Paddlesports Instruction Program is widely considered the “Gold Standard” in the U.S. and abroad. The reasons to pursue certification are vastly different for each Instructor Candidate; however, what every student takes away from the certification workshop can be remarkably similar. First, there is simply the experience gained and knowledge shared by fellow candidates throughout the class.

A lot of participants say they come to be a “sponge” and absorb teaching ideas, paddling information, and feedback about their skills and teaching abilities. Second, through the certification process you will learn a proven set of paddlesports instructional best practices. Instructor Trainers who conduct instructor certification workshops will demonstrate and teach a educational models to which you can add your own creativity and personality.

With a dedicated Safety Education & Instruction Department and the oversight of the Safety Education & Instruction Council, the ACA is able to systematically maintain, review, and improve the National Paddlesports Instruction Program to continually provide relevant tools and resources for ACA instructors in every discipline.

ACA Instructors teach paddling courses based upon approved ACA course outlines; an ACA Instructor can teach both skills courses and assessment courses up to their level of certification.

Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC) for ACA Courses:

1. Breathe independently (i.e., not require medical devices to sustain breathing)
2. Independently maintain sealed airway passages while under water
3. Independently hold head upright without neck / head support
4. Manage personal care independently or with assistance of a companion
5. Manage personal mobility independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance
6. Follow instructions and effectively communicate independently or with assistance of a companion
7. Independently turn from face-down to face-up and remain floating face up while wearing a properly fitted life jacket*
8. Get on / off or in / out of a paddlecraft independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance*
9. Independently get out and from under a capsized paddlecraft*
10. Remount or reenter the paddlecraft following deep water capsize independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance*
11. Maintain a safe body position while attempting skills, activities and rescues listed in the appropriate Course Outline, and have the ability to recognize and identify to others when such efforts would be unsafe given your personal situation*