ACA Assessment - East Passage, Puget Sound

Dash Point County Park,  Beach Drive NE, Tacoma, WA. Pierce County park at Dash Point with fishing pier.

9:00am meet time.

This skills assessment is for sea kayaking at the American Canoe Association (ACA) Level 2 (L2) or higher. You may wish to take the assessment to get feedback about your abilities, to qualify for ACA instructor training, or to use as a credential when seeking to qualify for trips, classes, or equipment rental while traveling in other regions.

• Level 2: Essentials of Kayak Touring Skills Assessment
• Level 3: Coastal Kayaking Skills Assessment
• Level 4: Open Water Coastal Kayaking Skills Assessment

Those desiring instructor certification will need to first pass a skills assessment at the level corresponding to their instructor certification. For example, the ACA requires you to qualify as a paddler at Level 3 (L3) prior to taking the Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) and Instructor Certification Exam (ICE).  However, this skills assessment is only to evaluate your paddling skill and knowledge, not your abilities as an instructor.

For Levels 2 and 3, only one day may be necessary to complete the assessment. However, several days/venues will be required to complete all parts of a Level 4 assessment, as wind, waves, surf, and current conditions are all needed. So for L4, you will need to enroll several times in this clinic.