Georgia Leaders Host ‘Kayaking 101’ Instruction May 17 to Kick Off National Safe Boating Week
ATHENS, GA – April 24, 2025 – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Allatoona Lake are joining Georgia Rivers and other Georgia partners to offer low-cost kayaking instruction at multiple locations across Georgia on Saturday, May 17. The event is in celebration of National Safe Boating Week, which begins the same day. Other marquee partners include Georgia Power Company, Trust for Public Lands, Forsyth County Parks and Recreation, and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. “We are thrilled to bring this event to the paddlers of Georgia for the second year in a row,” said Ranger Rusty Simmons, Chief Ranger of Park Operations at Allatoona Lake. “Bringing together this many ACA instructor volunteers to share their expertise with beginners is a very powerful way to start the summer season. We’re having fun but also emphasizing the safety habits that will make it fun for a lifetime!”
In 2024, this event trained 471 students in 43 simultaneous Kayaking 101 classes across Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Florida and Missouri. These classes were led by nationally certified ACA instructor volunteers and attracted beginner kayakers who are most statistically at risk for preventable accidents. In recognition of this volunteer-led effort that is changing the trajectory of paddlesports fatalities at a grassroots level, the National Safe Boating Council recognized the Kayaking 101 partnership with the 2024 IBWSS Communications Community Impact Award.
“Our instructor volunteers are energized to help the beginner paddlers get off on the right foot,” said ACA Southeastern Chair and Georgia Rivers employee Andrea White. “Just one day of training can make the difference between setting yourself up for a bad experience that ruins the sport for you versus setting yourself up for a whole lifetime of paddling fun.”
Participating locations in Georgia for this event include:
● Allatoona Lake, Old Hwy 41 #2 Day Use Area, 6693 North Main Street, Acworth, GA
● Allatoona Lake, Kellogg Creek Day Use Area, 2077 Kellogg Creek Road, Acworth, GA
● Chattahoochee River, Chattahoochee Hills RiverLands Park, 8661 Campbellton Redwine Rd., Chattahoochee Hills, GA
● Lake Oconee, Lawrence Shoals Campground, 123 Lawrence Shoals Rd, Eatonton, GA ● Skidaway Island, Rodney Hall Boat Ramp, 25 Diamond Causeway, Savannah, GA
● Lake Lanier, Shady Grove Campground, 7800 Allyn Lane Memorial , Cumming, GA All classes will be held on Saturday, May 17 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, rain or shine.
Classes cost $15 per person, including a free kayak rental for anyone who signs up for it at registration; in return, participants receive training that often retails for $75-$150. All instructors are Georgia volunteers who are nationally certified to give paddling and rescue training and are supported by experienced safety teams.
Each location will be limited to 15 students. A limited number of kayaks, paddles, and life jackets will be available as a free rental during registration. These classes are made available by certified instructor volunteers, safety boaters and equipment donations from many organizations coming together to help their fellow paddlers across Georgia. In addition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Allatoona Lake and Georgia Rivers these organizations include: US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Georgia Power Company, Trust for Public Lands, Forsyth County Parks and Recreation, NOC Chattahoochee Outpost, City of Chattahoochee Hills, Moon River Kayak Tours, Middle Georgia Kayaking, Miller Kayak Trips and Training, Georgia Canoeing Association, and the instructors of ACA Georgia.
Interested paddlers can register at this link. In-person spaces are limited to the first 15 registrants. A free ACA online class is also available; however, in-person training with a certified instructor is strongly encouraged. The ACA is the national accrediting body for paddlesports education.
Volunteers are stepping up to counter a preventable national trend
Last year, the US Coast Guard released data about 2023 recreational boating fatalities. While boating fatalities have declined, paddlesports fatalities have increased, highlighting troubling national trends for paddlesports.
As reported by the Water Sports Foundation, “the Coast Guard reported the largest year-over-year drop in recreational boating fatalities in more than a decade, but that encouraging news was tempered by an increase in paddling deaths. According to the agency’s Recreational Boating Safety Statistics for 2023, overall boating fatalities fell a whopping 11.3 percent, from 636 in 2022 to 564 last year. The news was good almost across the board, with incidents down 4.9 percent and
non-fatal injuries decreasing 4.3 percent. Flying against this welcome trend was paddling fatalities, which increased yet again in 2023 to nearly one in three (32.5 percent) recreational boating deaths in the United States, up from 27.4 percent in 2022.” This increasing trend in paddlesports fatalities is particularly noteworthy as a significant percentage of paddlesports fatalities are preventable with small interventions like a day of training or wearing a life jacket. As highlighted by The Water Sports Foundation, “The data show that educating new paddlers presents the best opportunity to reverse the trend.” “It’s so exciting to see paddling advocates in Georgia stepping up to lead this important initiative during National Safe Boating Week,” said Senator Shawn Still, a Georgia State Senator and sole owner of Endless River Adventures. “Paddlesports are an amazing way to explore Georgia rivers and enhance our quality of life. They also drive significant segments of our local outdoor recreation economy. It makes me so proud to see Georgia volunteers stepping up to make a difference in the face of these national trends.” Related Content:
● May 17 Georgia Registration website
● Free ACA Online Safety Course
● Ongoing Kayak Instruction at Georgia Rivers
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About Georgia Rivers: Georgia Rivers is a statewide 501c3 organization with the mission to protect and connect people with Georgia rivers. Georgia Rivers serves as Georgia DNR’s non-profit partner running the Georgia Water Trails Network, maps rivers and provides the free Georgia River Guide mobile app. Georgia Rivers connects people to Georgia rivers by hosting paddle trips across the state, including the signature week-long Paddle Georgia camping adventure hosted on a different Georgia river each year, and kayak training and safety classes. Georgia Rivers also serves as fiscal sponsor of the Okefenokee Protection Alliance, Georgia Outdoor Recreation Coalition and Georgia Water Coalition.
Visit garivers.org to learn more about paddle trips, water trails and ways you can protect Georgia rivers.
Georgia Rivers and partners will offer low-cost Kayaking 101 instruction at multiple locations across Georgia on Saturday, May 17 in celebration of National Safe Boating Week. Photo: A beginner kayaker received paddle instruction at a National Safe Boating Week Kayaking 101 at Kellogg Creek at Lake Allatoona in 2024. Photo Credit: Mike Henry
ACA instructor volunteers shared their paddling expertise with beginners at a National Safe Boating Week Kayaking 101 class at Lawrence Shoals Campground at Lake Oconee in 2024.
The 2024 National Safe Boating Week Kayaking 101 classes trained 65 beginner paddlers at various locations across Georgia. The classes were led by nationally certified ACA instructor volunteers and attracted beginner kayakers who are most statistically at risk for preventable accidents. Photo: A 2024 Kayaking 101 class at Lawrence Shoals Campground at Lake Oconee celebrated their new paddle skills.
National Safe Boating Week Kayaking 101 classes are made available by certified instructor volunteers, safety boaters and equipment donations from many organizations that come together to help their fellow paddlers across Georgia. Photo: A NSBW Kayaking 101 class at Kellogg Creek at Lake Allatoona in 2024
Six National Safe Boating Week Kayaking 101 classes will be held statewide on May 17. The low-cost kayaking instruction is just $15 per person with free kayak rentals available at registration. Photo: A NSBW Kayaking 101 class at Lake Allatoona Old Highway 41 in 2024
All instructors with National Safe Boating Week Kayaking 101 classes are Georgia volunteers who are nationally certified to give paddling and rescue training, and are supported by experienced safety teams. Photo: A 2024 NSBW Kayaking 101 class at Rodney J Hall Boat Ramp in Savannah.

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