I took my 2007 Yamaha Raptor 700 quad up to Irvine to attend the ATV Safety course. I have to admit the biggest incentive for me to take the course was the $100.00 incentive offered when I bought the quad if I take the class. I also wanted to get as much experience as I could and get certified for when my sons start really riding.
Going into it I had absolutely no expectations what-so-ever about being bored or not learning anything. In fact, I looked forward to going and getting professional instruction, something I never had before.
The Instructor Tim Rice was the instructor, he works for Kawasaki. The course is put on by School Of Dirt, I was there almost an hour early, as I had to drive over an hour and a half to get there from San Diego. I unloaded the quad and putted around the area for about 10 minutes to warm up my quad and get used to the terrain.
Tim showed up a about 1/2 hr after me, and while helping him unload and set up chairs, we chatted about motorcycles, riding history, where to ride, etc. I knew right away he was going to be a fun instructor. I'm an ex instructor (for machining and some cad-cam) myself and you can just tell these things. Turned out I was right.
The Class The class was just about what I expected. We had an (outdoor) classroom section first. We went over all the basic safety stuff. Looked over some of the written material, then got on the quads and, after going over the basics of how to mount and operate the quads, we started taking the driving portion of the class. We stopped occasionally to go over the previous and next set of events.
Everyone there had good experience off-road, and all had at least minimal exposure to quads. With all mature adults, the class moved along quickly. The curricula got more and more advanced, ranging in activities such as using body movements to turn, braking in a turn, etc. We even did a figure 8 with all 4 quads at once, providing exposure to driving around (and avoiding) other traffic.
Then we worked on adverse terrain conditions, riding on inclines etc, and finally did a couple of laps around the big track area to simulate a trail ride.
All in all it was a great class and I absolutely learned from it. I also walked away with some very informative literature that I will be using to help educate my wife and my children with.
I would suggest that anyone and everyone take this course given by the ATV Safety Institute. Even if you're a serious and a seasoned rider like me you should be able to come away with at least something.
As the country comes out of the grips of winter again, many people are turning their thoughts to outdoor pursuits beyond skiing, skating, and sledding. In fact, the very waterways that freeze over in winter and allow us to enjoy winter fun are open for whole new avenues of recreation after the winter thaw. Chief among these recreational pursuits are swimming and boating, which includes many of the different rowing sports, of which kayaking is one.
Kayaking, in fact, is one of the fastest growing summer sports in terms of popularity. It is a sport which appeals to people of all skill levels and in various physical conditions, it is challenging enough to keep anyone in shape, and taken on the whole it is less expensive than other recreational pursuits (after all, a kayak is driven by human power, not fuel!).
Because the basic concepts of kayaking look so simple, many people think that they can just get into the boat, start paddling, and have a great time. This is far from the truth; kayaking poses several challenges both physically and in terms of safety, and it is very important that anyone going out kayaking understands the challenges the sport entails.
The best way to really prepare yourself for any kayaking trip, whether you are braving rapids or just going out on a lake, is to take a kayaking safety course. Here are a few of the main things any course on kayaking safety needs to cover in order to be effective:
A good explanation of how different weather conditions can affect bodies of water. The different dangers posed by different bodies of water (i.e., oceans, rivers, the Great Lakes). The proper safety equipment. Proper rowing techniques. How to roll out of a capsize.
As you might have guessed, there will probably be different safety courses available depending on the type of kayaking you want to pursue; ocean kayaking poses several dangers that are totally separate from those in river kayaking, for example.
The only way to really be prepared for a great kayaking trip is to ensure that you are aware of the different safety issues that may come up during your excursion. As with any outdoor pursuit, kayaking poses its own unique challenges in terms of safety, and everyone from the beginner to the expert would do well to practice different ways to remain safe in order to be prepared when an emergency arises. A safety course is the ideal way to do this!
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